Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears astatine the Meta Connect lawsuit successful Menlo Park, California, connected Sept. 25, 2024.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Meta won its a high-profile antitrust lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission, which had accused the institution of holding a monopoly successful societal networking.
In a memorandum sentiment released Tuesday, Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court successful Washington said that the FTC failed to amusement that Meta held monopoly successful the societal networking market.
The case, initially filed by the FTC 5 years ago, centered connected Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
""Whether oregon not Meta enjoyed monopoly powerfulness successful the past, though, the bureau indispensable amusement that it continues to clasp specified powerfulness now," Boasberg said successful the ineligible papers said. "The Court's verdict contiguous determines that the FTC has not done so. A judgement truthful stating shall contented this day."
Boasberg dismissed the lawsuit successful 2021, saying the bureau didn't person capable grounds to beryllium "Facebook holds marketplace power." In August of that year, the FTC successful filed an amended complaint with much details astir the company's idiosyncratic numbers and metrics comparative to competitors similar Snapchat, the now-defunct Google+ societal web and Myspace.
After reviewing the amendments, Boasberg successful 2022 ruled that the lawsuit could proceed, saying the FTC had presented much details than before.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, erstwhile operating main Sheryl Sandberg, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom and different existent and erstwhile Meta executives each testified successful the trial, which began successful April.
The FTC claimed Meta shouldn't person been allowed to buy Instagram for $1 cardinal successful 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, and the bureau called for those units to beryllium sliced disconnected from the company.
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