Judge Boasberg Rules Meta Is Not an Illegal Monopoly; Instagram and WhatsApp Remain Under Meta

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled against the FTC in its landmark antitrust case seeking to force Meta to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp. After a six-week bench trial, Boasberg found the FTC failed to prove Meta currently holds monopoly power in personal social networking, because TikTok and YouTube now compete as substitutes. The FTC had argued Meta's 2012 Instagram and 2014 WhatsApp acquisitions created an illegal monopoly. The agency said it was "deeply disappointed" and questioned Boasberg's impartiality.