Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, both completed over a decade ago, did not illegally disadvantage competitors, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. As a result of the decision, the social media giant will not be forced to divest either of the assets.
The decision by Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia caps off a battle between the Federal Trade Commission and Meta that began with a complaint filed in 2020. The government alleged in the case that Meta’s purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp evidenced the company’s strategy to systemically weed out competition in the social media space.