Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken the stand in the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)‘s landmark antitrust lawsuit against his company, defending the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The trial marks a major chapter in the ongoing scrutiny of Big Tech, with the FTC alleging that Meta has built an illegal social network monopoly by buying up rivals.
During more than ten hours of testimony, Zuckerberg acknowledged that he had once considered spinning off Instagram. In a 2018 email presented in court, he warned executives that growing calls to break up tech giants could lead to a forced separation of Instagram and WhatsApp within a decade. He also suggested that independent companies sometimes perform better after a split.
He also acknowledged shifting usage patterns on Facebook itself. Zuckerberg testified that users are adding fewer new friends and sharing less with existing ones. Instead, private messaging and group chats are becoming more dominant forms of social interaction. This trend has challenged Meta’s core model of feed-based public content sharing.
The FTC asserts that Meta made its acquisitions to counter potential threats. Internal communications show that as early as 2011, Zuckerberg saw Instagram as a fast-growing competitor to Facebook, especially in mobile photo sharing. Similarly, documents from 2013 indicate concerns within Facebook about WhatsApp’s potential to outpace the platform in messaging features and international growth. Despite this, Zuckerberg said on the stand that he did not believe WhatsApp would become a serious rival after his initial meeting with its founder.
Meta acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014. Zuckerberg argued in court that since joining Meta, both platforms have improved for users.
The CEO identified YouTube as one of Meta’s largest competitors, particularly for attracting younger audiences and content creators. Referencing Pew Research findings, he noted that U.S. teens overwhelmingly favor YouTube, while Facebook usage among that group has declined. He attributed this shift to the popularity of video and improved mobile networks.
The lawsuit comes amid political changes that could impact the FTC’s enforcement direction. When the agency filed the current case during the administration of President Joe Biden, it was led by Lina Khan, a vocal critic of corporate consolidation. Khan’s tenure at the FTC, from 2021 to early 2025, was marked by aggressive action against large tech firms, including Amazon and Meta.
Before Biden’s term, the FTC had already begun examining major tech mergers under Donald Trump’s administration.
As the trial proceeds, Meta could face the prospect of divesting Instagram and WhatsApp—an outcome that would dramatically reshape the social media landscape in the U.S.
