Judge Upholds Meta’s Social Media Empire in Key Antitrust Ruling
A U.S. judge has rejected the FTC’s bid to force Meta to divest Instagram or WhatsApp, finding the company lacks current monopoly power amid growing competition from TikTok and YouTube.
In a decisive ruling, a federal judge dismissed the FTC’s case against Meta, finding the company does not hold monopoly power and will not be forced to divest Instagram or WhatsApp.
What We Know
On November 18, 2025, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the Federal Trade Commission failed to prove Meta Platforms holds monopoly power in social media, rejecting claims that its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were anticompetitive. The court pointed to strong competition from platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, which the FTC had excluded from its market analysis. Boasberg emphasized that the FTC had not demonstrated that Meta currently maintains monopoly power, regardless of any historical market dominance. Consequently, the FTC’s attempt to force a breakup of Meta was blocked.
What It Means
The verdict marks a landmark win for Meta and may embolden mergers and acquisition strategies across Silicon Valley, especially for deals previously deemed controversial. Regulatory efforts to challenge past acquisitions under “buy-or-bury” theories face renewed limitations, particularly when market definitions evolve. The decision underscores the difficulty of sustaining antitrust claims in fast-moving tech sectors by focusing on present competition rather than historical market behavior. For the FTC and other regulators, the ruling may prompt reassessment of how to define markets and frame cases in dynamic digital ecosystems.
The Backstory
The FTC filed the lawsuit in December 2020, alleging Meta illegally solidified its dominance in “personal social networking” by acquiring Instagram in 2012 ($1 billion) and WhatsApp in 2014 ($19 billion). The fight stretched through multiple court decisions, including early dismissals and refiled complaints. The trial, which began in April 2025, featured extensive testimony from Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and internal evidence suggesting strategic intent behind the acquisitions.
What’s Next
The FTC is evaluating potential appeals or alternative actions in response to today’s ruling. Separately, Meta continues to face other legal and regulatory challenges, including class-action litigation related to user data practices and claims of inflated ad pricing. Across antitrust enforcement, scrutiny remains high for other tech firms like Amazon, Apple and Google.
