ALBAWABA - As Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, faces an antitrust trial in Washington Today, new reports claim that the billionaire might be forced to sell both Instagram and WhatsApp after acquiring them in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
According to the BBC, the US Competition and Consumer watchdog filed the antitrust lawsuit against Zuckerberg, alleging that Meta's CEO bought Instagram and WhatsApp to eliminate competition and establish a monopoly for itself.
The acquisition of the two apps was reviewed and greenlit by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and if the government agency proves the US Competition and Consumer watchdog's points on Meta's monopoly in the market, Zuckerberg might be forced to sell both platforms as mentioned above.
Zuckerberg could be forced to sell Instagram amid antitrust suit
FTC's mission is to protect the public from unfair business practices, its official website claims:
"FTC’s mission is protecting the public from deceptive or unfair business practices and from unfair methods of competition through law enforcement, advocacy, research, and education.
Meta believes that it will win the case filed by the US Competition and Consumer watchdog. Experts told the BBC that the corporation can also prove that Instagram users now have a better experience than before it was acquired, which is arguable among several social media users who experienced both versions.
A venture into politics
(L-R) US Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Priscilla Chan, CEO of Meta and Facebook Mark Zuckerberg and Lauren Sanchez attend the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th US President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / POOL / AFP)
Mark Zuckerberg lobbied with Donald Trump in hopes of asking the US President to aid him in dropping the FTC case, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
It's worth noting that Trump doesn't have the best relationship with Meta, as the US President was barred from accessing its social media platforms in 2021.
When confronted by the BBC, Meta avoided the question but replied, "The FTC's lawsuits against Meta defies reality."
Meta's spokesperson added, "More than 10 years after the FTC reviewed and cleared our acquisitions, the commission's action in this case sends the message that no deal is ever truly final."
