World (Enmaeya News) – November 19, 2025
Meta, the American tech giant, has won an antitrust case filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which sought to force the company to divest Instagram and WhatsApp.
On Tuesday, a U.S. federal judge issued a ruling dismissing arguments submitted by the FTC five years ago, in which the agency claimed that Meta—the parent company of Facebook—had abused its dominance in the social media market through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
According to the FTC, a consumer protection agency, these acquisitions in 2012 and 2014 were intended to reduce the number of Facebook’s competitors and help maintain an effective monopoly in the market.
However, these arguments failed to convince Judge James Boasberg in Washington, marking a major legal victory for the tech giant.
Boasberg stated in his ruling that “even if Meta benefited from monopoly power in the past, the FTC must demonstrate that this situation continues today. The court’s decision highlights that the agency has not done so.”
He further wrote: “The FTC continues to insist that Meta competes with the same old rivals it has faced over the past decade, that it monopolizes this small group, and that it maintained that monopoly through anti-competitive acquisitions.”
He added: “Whether Meta held monopoly power in the past or not, the agency must show that it still holds such power now. Today’s ruling establishes that the FTC has not demonstrated that.”
In a statement published on X, Meta said the decision “acknowledges the intense competition Meta faces. Our products provide value to individuals and businesses and are a testament to American innovation.”
During the trial held in April and May, the FTC argued that Meta had imposed a monopoly over “personal social networking services” that allow users to connect with family and friends, stating that Snapchat was the only real competitor.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg both testified before the judge during the hearings.
FTC attorneys argued that Meta’s control over users’ social connections gives it unparalleled advantages in developing its products and generating billions in profits.
They highlighted numerous reports indicating user dissatisfaction with Meta platforms, especially regarding the growing number of ads that continue to generate huge revenues for the company.
But Meta countered that its real competitors are YouTube and TikTok—platforms that fiercely compete in a much larger and constantly evolving market for global user attention.
