Antitrust actions & laws

Zuckerberg Testifies in Meta Antitrust Trial

APR 15 2025·Updated APR 17 2025

Story

Above: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., arrives at federal court in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2025. Image credit: Kent Nishimura/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Facts

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's landmark antitrust trial against Meta began Monday, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg taking the stand as the first witness in a case that could potentially force the company to divest Instagram and WhatsApp.
Wsj
BBC News
The FTC alleges that Meta illegally maintained a monopoly by acquiring Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014. The government claims this effectively neutralized potential competitors.
ABC News
The Associated Press
CNBC
Under oath Monday, Zuckerberg was asked about emails he sent about Instagram's growth and Meta being "so far behind" that it didn't "understand" the gap. He defended his words by saying they were part of early conversations about buying the app and that Meta has improved Instagram.
BBC News
Latintimes
The trial, which is expected to last approximately two months, will feature testimony from high-profile witnesses including former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg and Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom.
New York Post
The Associated Press
Instagram is projected to generate around $37.13 billion in U.S. ad revenue this year, representing approximately half of Meta's domestic advertising revenue.
New York Post
Reuters
This case started during President Donald Trump's first term in 2020, was initially dismissed, then refiled under the Biden administration, leading to the current trial.
Wsj
The Associated Press
PYMNTS

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Meta has transformed Instagram and WhatsApp into better, more secure services through billions in investment despite operating in a highly competitive market where consumers freely choose between multiple platforms. This makes the FTC's case an unprecedented attempt to punish American innovation and success.

Narrative B

Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp represent clear evidence of its strategy to eliminate competition through a "buy or bury" approach. Internal communications show Zuckerberg's intent to neutralize competitive threats and buy time to maintain market dominance.

Vanity Fair