Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is now facing a major antitrust trial brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The lawsuit, first filed in 2020, accuses Meta of illegally dominating the social media market by buying competitors, specifically Instagram and WhatsApp. After years of delays, the case is going to court, and executives like Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg are expected to testify.
The FTC argues that these acquisitions harmed competition, while Meta insists it faces strong rivals like TikTok and YouTube. If Meta is found in violation of antitrust laws, the court could order a breakup of its services—Instagram might be spun off as a separate company.
The trial also has political implications. Reports suggest Zuckerberg lobbied Donald Trump to stop the case. Two FTC commissioners were removed by Trump and are now suing to get their jobs back, raising concerns about political interference. The trial could reshape how tech giants operate and are regulated in the future.
Vocabulary:
• antitrust (adj): related to laws preventing unfair business monopolies
• monopolize (verb): to dominate a market and exclude competitors
• behemoth (noun): something enormous and powerful
• upstart (noun): a new company or competitor challenging older ones
• acquisition (noun): the act of buying another company
• testify (verb): to give evidence in a legal trial
• defy (verb): to openly resist or challenge
• lawsuit (noun): a legal case brought to court
• lobby (verb): to try to influence government decisions
• commissioner (noun): a high-ranking official in a government agency
• obey (verb): to follow an order or rule
• merger (noun): when two companies combine into one
Source: BBC News