Zuckerberg’s Old Emails Haunt Meta in Antitrust Showdown

Day one of the FTC’s antitrust trial against Meta opened with fireworks as prosecutors unveiled a 2012 email in which Mark Zuckerberg mused about buying Instagram to “neutralize a competitor.” Another email referenced how Instagram was outpacing Facebook, and Zuckerberg admitted they had to buy it for $1 billion—a strategy the FTC claims shows a decade-long pattern of eliminating rivals instead of competing with them. The FTC argues that Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were part of a monopolistic strategy to dominate the social networking market.

Meta, in turn, says these emails prove nothing but intent and argue there’s no evidence of actual consumer harm. The company insists the FTC is ignoring fierce competition from TikTok, YouTube, and others, painting the case as political and outdated. If the FTC wins, Meta could be forced to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp—an outcome with major implications for the tech industry. The trial, expected to last eight weeks, will see testimony from Zuckerberg, former COO Sheryl Sandberg, and Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, all while the internet eagerly watches the drama unfold like a Silicon Valley courtroom thriller.

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