(NewsNation) — The long-awaited antitrust trial involving Meta against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will begin Monday.
The FTC alleges Meta violated competition laws when purchasing Instagram and WhatsApp, in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
Trump in ‘excellent health,’ doctor says after annual exam
U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg will preside over the case and decide if Meta’s means of ensuring social media dominance was illegal.
According to NPR, the FTC has contended that the only means of ensuring competitive balance is for Meta to divest its ownership of WhatsApp and Instagram.
Meta’s lawyers argue they did not acquire the companies illegally and the FTC is attempting to persecute the social media giant.
“This is a critical test case for whether the antitrust laws can be used to unwind mergers designed to eliminate upstart competition,” Gene Kimmelman, a former senior official in the antitrust division of the DoJ told The New York Times.
Trump’s commerce secretary says new electronics tariff exemptions are temporary, chip tariffs coming
“A win for the government would give consumers more choices and opportunities to switch across social media platforms without having to be on Facebook,” Kimmelman added.
In Jan., Meta brought an end to fact-checking across Facebook, Threads, and Instagram; a move criticized by some as a “genuflection” to President Trump.
