Meta’s Hopes of a Tech Antitrust Reprieve Are Dashed
Silicon Valley had hoped for a lighter touch from the Trump administration. Instead, a big trial begins on Monday.
Disappointed.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Meta Platforms Inc. heads to court on Monday to defend claims it is an illegal monopoly and should be broken up. The Federal Trade Commission, even without former President Joe Biden’s antitrust hawk, Lina Khan, at the helm, seems to be going full steam ahead — despite Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg’s attempts to wine and dine the president into a change of heart.
The start of the trial, which will scrutinize Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, comes a week after yet another congressional hearing into Meta’s broader conduct. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Meta executive, spoke of what she said were efforts to collaborate with China on AI and censorship (the company strongly disputes the characterization).