Meta’s Future Lies With Judge as FTC Antitrust Trial Ends

The courthouse battle between Meta and the FTC over monopolization charges has been culminating. Whether this tech giant will be broken up is now in the hands of a federal judge.

Having just fallen on the gavel in this seven-week trial, the fireworks changed to the courtroom for four months. Now, the very destiny of Meta hangs as both sides draft their skeletons for Judge James Boasberg. The question: does Meta roam about as an educated monopoly in the mundane arena of social media, its share made vast in the refusal of the last ten years to consummate its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp – erstwhile popular apps, now at the very heart of the antitrust furor?

A digital caste, having built on the association of friends and family! Now imagine that empire, Meta (formerly Facebook), accused of stifling would-be competitors from ever challenging its dominance! Put very simply, Meta allegedly gobbled up Instagram and WhatsApp not to innovate but to cement its social networking throne. The charge-little said about personal connects is a little too much: put plainly, to abuse its dominance by acquiring potential competitors. The judge until now holding the balance weighs, and if he finds that the FTC’s argument is true, then the largest fallout will entail the breakup of the Meta empire with the possible outcome being spin-off of Instagram, WhatsApp, or both into separate entities irrespective of the cost.

This legal clash is far from being concluded and can last for several years. Even if Meta wins, the FTC will probably appeal immediately. However, remember that the judge’s order only addresses whether Meta’s actions were legal. Should the FTC against the order, brace for a second trial to decide on the remedy for the alleged harm from Meta’s actions.

It’s unclear when Boasberg will issue a ruling, though it could come before the end of the year.

A Meta spokesperson called the FTC’s case weak and said the trial revealed the competitive nature of the technology industry.

The victory lap called by Meta awaits its completion. Meanwhile, the FTC has remained tight-lipped as the trial went to its jury. Yet prior to this, a spokeswoman in an interview had called the defense offered by Meta nothing but a chorus of “self-interested executives and paid experts.” So much more is said in silence.

Full Sale

The FTC has drawn a clear dividing line: either an outright sale or nothing. But Judge Boasberg remains a wild card. He is not bound by the FTC’s script and may opt for surgical intervention in remedies in which it orders the sale of just one affected deal, in effect limiting relief to a single transaction. Or it may opt for a solution not even dreamed of by the regulator and in so doing rewrite the entire narrative.

The Federal Trade Commission lawyers, having worked behind closed doors in Washington, have been painstakingly dissecting Meta’s business operations. In fact, Zuckerberg has been subjected to intense questioning as the FTC examines the acquisitions and social networking power of the giant. The crux of the FTC’s position is that Meta is not merely a competitor but rather a dominant one in this “Personal Social Networking Services” space where friends and family come together to share life’s events.

It gives a broader angle to competition, arguing they aren’t merely fighting your family album but are besides fighting for your attention in realms of ephemeral videos, digital storefronts, and intimate chats.

Forget Zuckerberg’s brief moment of considering a spin-off for Instagram to reduce regulatory heat. The real battlefield in this case is an intensely philosophical dispute over defining the very playing field of competition-a subtlety destined to make or break either of the parties.

Narrow Market

“The FTC’s case hinged precariously on a market definition so slender, it threatened to snap,” observed Vanderbilt law professor and antitrust expert Rebecca Allensworth. “Their strategy? To conjure a market so precisely tailored to Facebook’s activities, it bordered on the bespoke,” she added.

Allensworth noted that the FTC deftly sidestepped this potential pitfall. “Their argument hinges on Facebook’s unique direct line to your inner circle,” she explained. “This distinct connection sets it apart, making it more than just another social media substitute.” The proof? Holiday usage surges, Allensworth said, because users flock to the platform to connect with family and friends during special times.

According to Meta’s legal team, FROM ITS EARLY Facebook days to the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, the landscape had undergone a dramatic metamorphosis. They argue that the present market structure enjoys a far more diverse set of competitors. Though the FTC acknowledges Snapchat as a competitor, Meta lawyers point out that the agency curiously leaves out major players such as TikTok and YouTube plus even Apple’s iMessage.

Bloomberg Intelligence antitrust analyst Justin Teresi sees a silver lining for Meta in this shifting landscape: a natural, competitive reshaping that could ultimately play to their advantage.

Friends and Family

Meta reality check: Remember when Facebook was about connecting with friends and family all through the day? That is no longer the case, according to Teresi. The algorithm can be blamed for this: Suggested content took over the personal touch-the posts from pages and people you don’t even really know. The FTC insists that such personal links are still there, but the agency hasn’t proven to be the reason why we spend all our time on Meta’s platforms. “Time marches on,” Teresi said, implying that whether it agrees or not, this core-purpose shift did happen at Meta.

Underneath, the courtroom drama was a very Meta-centric one. CEOs from Reddit, X, TikTok, and Pinterest took the stage, each making a strong case for his or her platform as a true competitor for the most valuable asset-that is user attention-because revenue from advertising depends on museums. Does this competition really triturate the grasp of Meta? One expert, Teresi, suggested that there does exist competition, but it may not be as much as a silver bullet as Meta would wish.

“To define the market simply as a battle for ad dollars? That’s a slippery slope. Suddenly, anything goes: TV, newspapers, carrier pigeons with miniature billboards tied to their legs. When will it end?”

The ruling of this case is a coin toss for many in the legal world. Teresi rates Meta with just a 60% chance of escaping the FTC’s axe. Yet, there still exists the likelihood of an abrupt settlement if a backroom agreement is reached while the judge is considering his judgement. Allensworth views the FTC case as a strong one-the government showing its muscle-but one has to question if it is strong enough to break the Meta empire.

“All antitrust cases are very hard to win,” she said. “I really actually think this could go either way.”

© 2025 Bloomberg LP

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Thanks for reading Meta’s Future Lies With Judge as FTC Antitrust Trial Ends