US District Judge Rules Meta Does Not Hold Monopoly in Social Networking, Marking Major Antitrust Win
On November 18, 2025, US District Judge James Boasberg ruled that Meta does not hold a monopoly in the social networking market, delivering a significant legal victory for the company. The decision came after a trial that concluded in late May 2025. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had argued that Meta maintained a monopoly through acquisitions and employed a "buy or bury" strategy to stifle competition. The FTC's case threatened possible spin-offs of Meta's significant assets, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Meta acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, and Instagram generates roughly half of Meta's revenue. However, Judge Boasberg cited the rise of TikTok as clear evidence of a competitive social networking landscape, undermining the FTC's position. He also criticized the FTC for including YouTube as a competitor but stated that even excluding YouTube, TikTok alone is sufficient to defeat the antitrust claim.
This ruling follows antitrust decisions involving Google and signals a narrower regulatory approach toward Meta compared with other tech giants. Broader antitrust actions remain underway against companies such as Amazon and Apple. The decision marks a major win for Meta and dampens momentum behind regulatory efforts to break up large technology platforms.
