A trial of the US company Meta is set to begin in Washington on Monday over the tech giant’s alleged illegal monopoly of social media platforms.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), on behalf of the US government, accuses Meta of buying the platforms Instagram and WhatsApp in order to eliminate competition.
The anti-trust watchdog is demanding consequences for the social media company, including a reversal of the acquisitions.
Meta, which also owns Facebook, rejects the accusations, citing fierce competition with other platforms such as TikTok.
The lawsuit, filed in 2020, could remain open for years, especially as an appeal from either side is considered likely.
Meta bought Instagram in 2012 for around $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for around $22 billion, with the FTC approving the acquisitions at the time. Instagram in particular has since become an important revenue generator for Meta.