Zuck stuck on Trump’s bad side: FTC appeals loss in Meta monopoly case
Ars Technica • • business
Key Points:
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is appealing a November ruling that cleared Meta of allegations of holding an illegal monopoly in personal social networking, focusing on its acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.
- The FTC argues that Meta illegally maintained its monopoly through anticompetitive conduct by acquiring significant competitive threats, while Meta contends it faces fierce competition, including from TikTok.
- Political tensions surround the case, with the FTC blaming the judge from the initial ruling, James Boasberg, who has faced Republican criticism and impeachment efforts, though no action has been taken.
- Judge Boasberg previously ruled that social media competition includes apps like TikTok, weakening the FTC’s monopoly claims, and found that Meta continuously
