Meta has officially submitted a motion for judgment in the ongoing antitrust lawsuit brought against it by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The motion contends that the FTC has not provided any substantial evidence to support its claim that Meta unlawfully monopolized a segment of the social networking market through the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
This legal filing was made shortly after the FTC concluded its case during a lengthy trial overseen by DC District Court Judge James Boasberg. Meta spokesperson Christopher Sgro stated, “After five weeks of trial, it is clear that the FTC has failed to meet the legal standard required under antitrust law. Regardless, we will present our case to show what every 17-year-old in the world knows: Instagram competes with TikTok (and YouTube and X and many other apps). The FTC spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars bringing a weak case with a market definition that ignores reality.”
A judgment on partial findings encourages a judge to evaluate the merits of a case before complete arguments are presented, with the aim of expediting its resolution. Although Meta’s defense against the FTC’s accusations is set to continue, this filing provides an indication of the company’s strategy.
In its defense, Meta’s legal team has challenged the agency’s portrayal of the market as one solely for “personal social networking services” used for sharing information among friends and family. Meta argues that the FTC has not shown that the company’s services have diminished in quality — a crucial indicator of lack of competition — or that it acquired Instagram to suppress a potential competitor.
The FTC has presented evidence, including testimony from prominent figures associated with Meta, such as Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, who criticized Meta’s management of his former company. In contrast, current Instagram head Adam Mosseri provided a more favorable perspective on the situation. Meta, on its part, has highlighted its ongoing challenges with social media platforms that the FTC does not recognize as direct competitors, particularly TikTok, which it regards as a significant threat in capturing the attention of younger audiences.
