A federal judge's ruling that Meta Platforms is not a monopoly and will not have to divest Instagram or WhatsApp has cleared one of the most significant legal challenges facing a major U.S. technology company in years, while raising questions about how antitrust law applies to fast-moving digital markets.
The decision ends a case filed by the Federal Trade Commission in 2020, which sought to unwind Meta's 2012 purchase of Instagram and 2014 purchase of WhatsApp. Regulators argued the acquisitions were part of a strategy to suppress competition and maintain dominance in personal social networking.
