Meta Platforms(META) The Guardian·2025-04-15 23:39Core Insights - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg considered spinning off Instagram in 2018 due to potential antitrust issues, suggesting that companies often perform better after being split [1] - Zuckerberg acknowledged that he acquired Instagram because it had a superior camera compared to Facebook's own development efforts, reinforcing claims that Meta employed a "buy or bury" strategy against competitors [2][4] - The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is attempting to reverse Meta's acquisitions of Instagram for 19 billion, marking a significant legal challenge against the company [3] Group 1: Acquisition Strategy - Zuckerberg's testimony revealed that Instagram was perceived as a rapidly growing threat, leading to the decision to acquire rather than build a competing product [2][4] - He admitted that many of Meta's attempts to create new apps have failed, with most not gaining traction [5] Group 2: Legal Context - The FTC's case against Meta is seen as a test of the Trump administration's commitment to regulating large tech companies [3] - The FTC claims that Meta holds a monopoly in social media platforms, with competitors including Snap's Snapchat and the smaller MeWe [7] Group 3: Market Competition - Meta argues that the FTC has misdefined the social media market, not adequately considering competition from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Apple's messaging app [6]