Mark Zuckerberg's showdown with the FTC is massive for Meta—and even bigger for tech overall

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., center, arrives following a break during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. Congress has increasingly scrutinized social media platforms as growing evidence suggests that excessive use and the proliferation of harmful content may be damaging young people's mental health. (Credit: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Suited in variations of blue, Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Monday to defend his company’s past—and fight for its future. 

The CEO of Meta, Zuckerberg has helmed the company that began as Facebook for more than 20 years. Over the last decade, he’s had to defend his business in Washington, D.C. plenty of times before, from the 2018 Cambridge Analytica hearings to the 2021 Congressional hearings focused on disinformation.