Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Meta in Landmark FTC Antitrust Lawsuit
A US district judge rules that the FTC fails to prove Meta currently holds a monopoly, ending the agency's bid to break up the tech giant. The FTC plans to appeal the decision.
The Federal Trade Commission and Meta Platforms face off in a major antitrust lawsuit that centers on the tech giant's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC alleges that Meta builds monopolistic power in the US social networking market through these anti-competitive mergers and seeks to force the company to divest from both platforms. The legal battle begins in December 2020 alongside 46 states before facing early dismissals and subsequent refilings.
The trial officially starts in April 2025, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying on the first day of the proceedings. Over the course of the litigation, the case survives multiple attempts by Meta to dismiss the complaint, allowing the federal antitrust claims to proceed to a full trial. The legal proceedings draw significant attention as a critical test of government power to regulate major technology conglomerates.
On November 18, 2025, US District Court Judge James Boasberg rules in favor of Meta, stating that the FTC does not demonstrate the company holds a monopoly at the time of the ruling. Despite this defeat, the FTC announces in January 2026 that it will appeal the decision to continue its pursuit of a potential breakup of the social media empire.