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FTC Moves to Appeal Meta Antitrust Ruling Over Instagram and WhatsApp Acquisitions

By  |  January 20, 2026

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday that it will file an appeal in an effort to revive its antitrust lawsuit against Meta Platforms, accusing the Facebook parent of unlawfully strengthening its market power through the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

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    According to Reuters, the decision follows a setback for the agency last year, when a federal judge ruled that Meta does not currently hold a monopoly because it faces significant competition from rivals such as TikTok. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, based in Washington, concluded that the government had not sufficiently demonstrated that Meta dominates the market for personal social networking services.

    The FTC has argued that Meta spent billions of dollars to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp in order to neutralize emerging competitors, and it has sought remedies that could include forcing the company to divest or restructure those businesses. Per Reuters, regulators maintain that these deals were not simply strategic investments but part of a broader effort to eliminate competitive threats before they could grow.

    Despite the earlier court ruling, the FTC said it continues to allege that Meta has engaged in anticompetitive conduct for more than a decade. The agency contends that evidence presented during the trial showed Meta illegally maintained a monopoly in personal social networking by acquiring companies it viewed as long-term competitive risks, including Instagram and WhatsApp, according to Reuters.

    Read more: UK Regulator Accuses Meta of Allowing Illegal Gambling Ads

    FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera addressed the appeal in a formal statement issued with the notice of appeal. “The U.S. economy thrives when competition can flourish and U.S. businesses compete fairly against one another. Yet Meta has maintained its dominant position and record profits for well over a decade not through legitimate competition, but by buying its most significant competitive threats,” Guarnera said. “The Trump-Vance FTC will continue fighting its historic case against Meta to ensure that competition can thrive across the country to the benefit of all Americans and U.S. businesses.”

    Meta has previously denied wrongdoing and argued that its platforms operate in a highly competitive environment, a position that was central to its courtroom victory last year. The appeal now sets the stage for another round of legal scrutiny over whether the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp violated U.S. antitrust laws, per Reuters.

    Source: Reuters