Meta Moves to Dismiss FTC Antitrust Case Amid Ongoing Trial – PYMNTS.com

Meta Platforms is seeking to shut down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) high-profile antitrust case in the middle of the trial, arguing that the government has failed to establish a credible legal basis for its claims, according to New York Post. The trial, which could ultimately force Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, hit a pivotal moment late Thursday when the FTC concluded presenting its case. The agency has accused Meta of unlawfully maintaining a monopoly in the social media space by acquiring emerging competitors to suppress threats to its dominance. In a filing submitted shortly after the FTC rested, Meta urged the presiding judge, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, to dismiss the case outright. Per New York Post, Meta contends that the FTC’s interpretation of the market is flawed, and that its competition includes major players like TikTok, YouTube, and Elon Musk’s X. “After five weeks of trial, it is clear that the FTC has failed to meet the legal standard required under antitrust law,” said a Meta spokesperson in a statement Friday. “Regardless, we will present our case to show what every 17-year-old in the world knows: Instagram competes with TikTok (and YouTube and X and many other
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