Meta to face its biggest trial yet, may lose control of WhatsApp, Instagram

Following a six-year investigation and court struggle that might decide the future of the tech giant, Meta is scheduled to face the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) antitrust trial on Monday. According to the BBC, the US consumer and competition authority claims that Meta bought Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in order to monopolize the market and crush competition.

Multiple witnesses will testify and provide evidence in this case. First, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg will hear opening statements from attorneys for the FTC and Meta. It is anticipated that the experiment will last seven to eight weeks. According to NPR, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, former COO Sheryl Sandberg, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg are all anticipated to testify.

According to the FTC, Meta targets and acquires businesses it views as competitors, pursuing a "buy or bury" policy. The government intends to show a 2012 internal email from Zuckerberg claiming that the goal of the Instagram acquisition was to "neutralize a potential competitor," according to NPR. According to the FTC, such conduct is illegal under federal antitrust statutes.