Meta heads to court over alleged illegal monopoly that could force it to sell Instagram, Whatsapp [Video]

Facebook parent Meta Platforms faces a high-stakes trial in Washington starting on Monday on claims it built an illegal social media monopoly by spending billions of dollars to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp, in a case where U.S. antitrust enforcers seek to unwind the deals.

The acquisitions more than a decade ago aimed to eliminate competitors who could threaten Facebook’s status as the go-to social media platform for users to connect with friends and family, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission claims. It filed the case in 2020, during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term.

The FTC is trying to force Meta to restructure or sell parts of its business. That means if the commission is successful, Instagram and WhatsApp could be hived off from Meta to become their own entities once again.

In a blog post on Sunday, Meta chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead called the case weak and a deterrent …