It’s getting messy in the tech world — and Mark Zuckerberg is right in the middle of it. One of the biggest legal fights of his career just kicked off, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. If things go south, he might have to say goodbye to both Instagram and WhatsApp.
What’s the drama On Monday, April 14, a major antitrust trial started in Washington, with Zuckerberg and his company Meta facing off against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC says Meta broke the law when it bought Instagram and WhatsApp, claiming it was all a sneaky move to crush competition. As FTC attorney Daniel Matheson put it (via Reuters): The unlawful strategy established entry barriers that for more than a decade protected Meta’s dominance. Basically, Meta didn’t just buy apps — it bought out its competition. According to the FTC, this left users with fewer choices when it comes to connecting with friends and family online. A throwback deal under new fire The lawsuit isn’t exactly new. It was originally filed when Donald Trump was president.
Meta bought these apps over ten years ago, not to improve them, but to stop them from becoming real rivals. The timing is interesting too, this case is happening just as Trump returns to the spotlight, and it could also show how serious his new administration is about cracking down on big tech. Could Meta be forced to sell Instagram and WhatsApp
Meta, of course, says it’s done nothing wrong. According to the BBC, the company is confident it’ll win the case and might argue that it made Instagram better after buying it. But if the court sides with the FTC, things could get wild. Meta could be forced to break up — meaning Instagram and WhatsApp might go their separate ways. That would shake up the social media world, big time. Politics meets tech According to CNN, if Donald Trump steps in, it could change everything. Reports from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (published April 2) suggest Zuckerberg has been trying to get Trump to help settle the case. And let’s not forget: Meta did donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration back in the day.
Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich didn’t hold back on X, posting: Remember how Mark Zuckerberg started cozying up to Trump as Meta donated $1 million to his inauguration? Well now Zuckerberg is trying to cash in — reportedly lobbying Trump to settle the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit against Meta. Meta’s comeback Meta’s Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead didn’t mince words either. She fired back in a blog post on Sunday, saying: It’s absurd that the FTC is trying to break up a great American company at the same time the Administration is trying to save Chinese-owned TikTok. In short, Meta thinks the case is a waste of time — and harmful for the tech industry. What happens next If Meta loses, the impact won’t just hit Zuckerberg. It’ll send a loud message to other tech giants: no more buying out the little guys to stay on top. For now, all eyes are on the courtroom.
