The hammer's coming down hard on tech giants these days! Nobody's safe from regulatory authorities—they punish every company breaking laws. Google faced heat all year about market control, but Meta's next up for trouble with the FTC.
A massive trial starts April 14th that might completely reshape Meta's future. The FTC sued back in 2020, claiming Meta illegally dominates social media through buying Instagram (2012) and WhatsApp (2014). Officials say these purchases crushed competition, leading to worse app quality, weaker privacy, and more ads for users. The FTC wants both platforms stripped away from Meta because these deals should never have happened.
Meta's fighting back! They argue their purchases helped expand these platforms to billions worldwide. They insist competition remains fierce despite these acquisitions. Their legal team questions whether it's fair to punish deals regulators approved years ago. They also think the FTC defines "market" way too narrowly, given how fast tech changes.
The Washington D.C. courtroom battle should last about two months. Even Meta's attempts to lobby Trump's administration and FTC Chair Ferguson failed to stop this case. If the FTC wins, Meta loses Instagram and WhatsApp – a decision that would shake the entire tech industry as regulators crack down harder.
A massive trial starts April 14th that might completely reshape Meta's future. The FTC sued back in 2020, claiming Meta illegally dominates social media through buying Instagram (2012) and WhatsApp (2014). Officials say these purchases crushed competition, leading to worse app quality, weaker privacy, and more ads for users. The FTC wants both platforms stripped away from Meta because these deals should never have happened.
Meta's fighting back! They argue their purchases helped expand these platforms to billions worldwide. They insist competition remains fierce despite these acquisitions. Their legal team questions whether it's fair to punish deals regulators approved years ago. They also think the FTC defines "market" way too narrowly, given how fast tech changes.
The Washington D.C. courtroom battle should last about two months. Even Meta's attempts to lobby Trump's administration and FTC Chair Ferguson failed to stop this case. If the FTC wins, Meta loses Instagram and WhatsApp – a decision that would shake the entire tech industry as regulators crack down harder.
