Zuckerberg Defends Meta Decision To Buy Instagram, WhatsApp in FTC Antitrust Trial
Moneylife Digital Team 15 April 2025
Meta Platforms chief executive officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg took the stand on Monday at a high-stakes trial in Washington over US antitrust enforcers' claims that the company spent billions of dollars to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp to fend off Facebook competitors. 
  
The looming antitrust trial will be the first big test of president Donald Trump's federal trade commission's (FTC's) ability to challenge Big Tech.
  
Mr Zuckerberg responded to questions while seeking to combat allegations Meta bought the companies a decade ago to eliminate competition among social media platforms where users connect with friends and family.
  
FTC has pointed to emails in which Mr Zuckerberg proposed acquiring photo-sharing app Instagram as a way to neutralise a potential Facebook competitor and expressed worry that encrypted messaging service WhatsApp could grow into a social network.
  
The trial could stretch into July. If FTC wins, it would have to separately prove that measures such as forcing Meta to sell Instagram or WhatsApp would restore competition.
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