Meta Platforms urged the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to reject the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) bid to revive its monopolization lawsuit. The company filed a legal brief supporting a lower court's decision to dismiss the case.
The FTC originally filed the lawsuit in 2020, alleging Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were anti-competitive. A U.S. District Court judge previously ruled in Meta’s favor, concluding the company lacks a monopoly due to competition from rivals like TikTok and YouTube.
The FTC’s appeal argues the court must determine if Meta’s actions were illegal at the time of the acquisitions. Meta counters that the FTC cannot seek a remedy because the social media landscape has changed and no current monopoly exists.