Mark Zuckerberg Skips Key Details on Instagram & WhatsApp Takeovers in Latest Trial

During a pivotal antitrust trial, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, defended his acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp as strategic moves in a challenging app-building landscape. “Building a new app is hard,” he noted, reflecting on the numerous attempts his company has made since its founding in 2004.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) argues that Zuckerberg’s strategy involved acquiring rising competitors to eliminate threats, claiming this approach deprives consumers of innovation in social networking. The FTC is urging Judge James E. Boasberg to consider breaking up Meta by divesting these apps, which were purchased for $1 billion in 2012 and $19 billion in 2014.

Zuckerberg faced tougher scrutiny as lawyers delved into past communications highlighting his concerns about competing with mobile upstarts. Tensions rose during the questioning, as he frequently claimed to not recall key discussions. Legal experts suggest the FTC faces significant challenges; the agency must prove that Meta’s past acquisitions were anti-competitive despite initial regulatory approvals.

Meta’s defense emphasizes that competition still thrives in the form of platforms like TikTok. The outcome of this trial could reshape the tech landscape with broader implications for government regulation of large technology firms that dominate their sectors.