In a courtroom drama years in the making, Meta Platforms Inc. is set to battle the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a blockbuster antitrust trial that could redefine the limits of Big Tech’s power. The bench trial, launching Monday in Washington D.C. federal court, is expected to stretch into early June and centers on whether Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram (2012) and WhatsApp (2014) were moves to monopolize — or just smart business.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg will preside over what many legal experts are calling a “litmus test for modern antitrust enforcement.” The FTC argues Meta’s strategy was simple: “Buy or bury” emerging threats to secure dominance in personal social networking (PSN) — a market the agency claims includes little more than Snap and MeWe. Meta, on the other hand, says its competitors are vast, citing TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and others as proof of a bustling digital ecosystem.
A Trial Like No Other: Modern Antitrust in the Spotlight
This marks the first monopolization trial brought by the FTC in the modern tech era, echoing the DOJ’s recent victory over Google in the search market. Meta’s case, filed in December 2020, threads together legal precedent, political pressure, and cutting-edge tech policy in a high-profile reckoning with past deals that once slid under the radar.
Paul Swanson, competition law expert at Holland & Hart LLP, likened the moment to “Old Testament antitrust justice,” warning that Meta’s core business structure may face biblical-level dismemberment if the FTC wins. “This isn’t just Meta on trial — the FTC’s credibility is, too,” he said.
