Meta argues it cannot be a monopoly because Apple's iMessage dominates the messaging market. The company shared slides in federal court showing iMessage reaches 88.39 percent of users, far ahead of Instagram at 48.19 percent and Facebook Messenger at 37.55 percent. WhatsApp follows at 36.76 percent, with Snapchat trailing at 23.04 percent. These figures come from authentic internal Apple documents that became public despite attempted redactions.
The social media giant faces an ongoing Federal Trade Commission lawsuit filed in 2022 after an earlier case was dismissed in 2021. Meta points to services like YouTube and TikTok as evidence that competitors are succeeding in the marketplace. The company included a statement from an Apple marketing director describing iMessage as a way for users to communicate with people they know.
Critics question whether this defense addresses the full scope of Instagram's services beyond messaging. The platform offers media sharing, communities, and other features that make direct comparisons difficult. The antitrust case has continued since 2020 and might take considerable time before reaching a final decision.
The social media giant faces an ongoing Federal Trade Commission lawsuit filed in 2022 after an earlier case was dismissed in 2021. Meta points to services like YouTube and TikTok as evidence that competitors are succeeding in the marketplace. The company included a statement from an Apple marketing director describing iMessage as a way for users to communicate with people they know.
Critics question whether this defense addresses the full scope of Instagram's services beyond messaging. The platform offers media sharing, communities, and other features that make direct comparisons difficult. The antitrust case has continued since 2020 and might take considerable time before reaching a final decision.
