Federal Trade Committee on Monday He was accused of dead by creating a monopoly This competition, which was crushed by buying startups that were on their way, and began an experience of combating monopoly that could dismantle the social media empire that has transformed the way the world is connected to the Internet.
In a crowded court hall in the US Local Court in Colombia Province, the Federal Trade Committee opened the first trial to combat monopoly under the supervision of the Trump administration by saying Illegally bodied a monopoly In social networks by obtaining Instagram and WhatsApp when they were small startups. These procedures were part of the “purchase or purchase strategy”.
The government said ultimately, the purchases collected a dead force, deprived consumers of other social networks options and compete with competition.
“For more than 100 years, the American public policy insisted that companies compete if they want success,” said Daniel Mattheke, the main arbitrator of the Federal Trade Committee in the case, in the opening notes. “The reason we are here is that Meta broke the deal.”
He added: “They decided that the competition was very difficult and it will be easier to buy their competitors instead of competing with them.”
Trial – Federal Trade Committee against definition platforms – The most dependent threat to the business empire is to Mark Zuckerberg, co -founder of the company. If the government succeeds, FTC Meta is likely to strip Instagram and WhatsApp, which transforms the way in which the Silicon Valley works at work and changes a long pattern of large technology companies that overcome younger competitors.
However, legal experts warned that it might be difficult for FTC to win. This is because the government should prove something unknown: that Meta, previously known as Facebook, had not achieved the same success without acquisition. Legal experts said it was very rare to try to relax the approved integrations years ago.
“One of the most difficult things for anti -monopoly laws is when industry leaders buy potential young competitors,” said Jin Kimilman, a former senior official at the Obama administration. He added: “He bought many things that did not come out or have been combined. How are Instagram and WhatsApp?”
The efforts made by the two parties over a year continues to reduce the vast power of a handful of technology companies on trade, and exchange ideas, entertainment and political discourse. Despite the attempts of technology executives to the President of the Court, Trump, those appointed to combat monopoly indicated that they will continue the session.
FTC case against Meta is A third lawsuit to combat monopoly For trial in the past two years. Last year, the Ministry of Justice won the anti -monopoly case against Google because of its monopoly on the Internet. The federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments about treatments, including possible separation, next week. The Ministry of Justice has also completed a separate trial against Google for advertising technology, which is still decided by a federal judge.
The Ministry of Justice also filed a lawsuit against Apple, and FTC sued Amazon, accusing anti -monopoly violations companies. These experiments are expected to start next year.
The issue against Meta can affect 3.5 billion users, who are on average login to Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp several times a day for news, shopping and text messages. Instagram and WhatsApp have attracted more users in recent years as Facebook, the pioneering application in Meta, has stopped growing.
The Chairman of the Federal Trade Committee Andrew Ferguson was in the courtroom to listen to the opening statement of the government. The chief global affairs official, the chief legal official in Meta, Jennifer News, and Joel Kaplan, the chief international affairs official.
The case was headed by Judge James Boasberg, 62, the Supreme Judge of the Federal Court. He is already in the national spotlight to reject the Trump administration’s efforts to use a strong wartime law to deport Venezuelan immigrants, which was considered by members of a violent street gang.
Judge Boasberg said he was never used for Meta applications, but he was aware of Facebook Live, who appeared in criminal trials.
During what is expected to be a eight -week trial, the government and the commandment are expected to tell competing versions of the 20 -year growth story for the company.
The FTC argument depends on section 2 of the Sherman Anti -monopoly Act of 1890, which prevents the company from maintaining monopoly through anti -competition practices.
FTC Facebook accused, as the company was previously known, struggling to build a mobile phone application and for fear that Instagram will quickly surpass popularity. FTC has argued that the company increases the payment when purchasing Instagram in 2012 for a billion dollars.
In 2014, with the growth of WhatsApp, Meta offered the company to buy for $ 19 billion – as it is much higher than its market value, the government said.
FTC plans to highlight a paper experience for email messages between Meta executives, along with other evidence, to say that the company bought startups because it was threats.
The government is scheduled to invite witnesses from Meta, as well as competitors, adventures, economists and executives in the media industry. Mr. Zuckerberg was expected to be called the first witness as soon as possible on Monday. FTC said that the former operations director, Sherrill Sandberg, and Kevin Sistrum, co -founder of Instagram, will witness this week.
