Meta Overcomes FTC Antitrust Challenge, as Judge Rules Social Media Moves Too Fast Too Rein

Meta has defeated the Federal Trade Commission in a landmark antitrust case, with a federal judge ruling the company is not a monopoly and can keep Instagram and WhatsApp, as first reported by Bloomberg. The decision ends a five-year legal battle centered on the FTC's accusation that Meta illegally stifled competition through a "buy or bury" strategy.

• A river runs through it: Invoking the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg framed his decision around the idea that the social media landscape is a fast-flowing river that has "changed markedly." He rejected the FTC's narrow market definition, writing in his opinion that the "wall has since broken down" between personal social networking and broader social media platforms.

• The TikTok defense: TikTok’s emergence as a "fiercest rival" was central to the judge's reasoning. Boasberg noted that his own prior opinions in the case didn't even mention the app, but its current competitive presence was so significant it was enough to dismantle the FTC's case on its own, even without factoring in YouTube.

• Victory and vinegar: Meta's chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead celebrated the ruling, stating it "recognizes that Meta faces fierce competition." But the FTC was "deeply disappointed," with a spokesperson claiming the "deck was always stacked against us" and referencing a stalled impeachment effort against the judge by GOP lawmakers.

The ruling is a major blow to the FTC's campaign to rein in Big Tech and underscores the immense challenge of applying traditional antitrust law to rapidly evolving digital markets. It comes just months after Google also avoided the harshest penalties in its own antitrust case, and marks the FTC's second significant antitrust loss against Meta in recent years.