Washington — U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia James Boasberg allowed the FTC’s case accusing Meta of abusing an alleged monopoly power with the acquisitions of Instagram and Whatsapp to move to trial. Judge Boasberg denied most of Meta’s Motion for Summary Judgment but dismissed the FTC’s claim that Meta restricts third-party app developers’ access to the platform – unless they agree not to compete with its core services.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for competition in the tech industry for over 50 years.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“Merger reviews are a critical tool for regulators, but these must be rooted in data. When enforcement actions lack a sound empirical basis — or any substantial evidence of consumer harm — they create legal uncertainty. This is a problem not just for the tech sector, as this risks discouraging economically valuable transactions across any sector of the economy. Despite the case moving on to trial, the FTC still needs to prove that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp harmed consumers and infringed antitrust law.”
