Meta is expected to be expected in the Washington court on Monday for the opening of a trial that his boss, Mark Zuckerberg, did everything possible to avoid. If the social networks giant loses, it could be forced to separate from Instagram and WhatsApp. According to the complaint filed five years ago, under Trump’s first government, the United States accuses the Californian group of having bought these two requests to quell possible competitors.
Mark Zuckerberg, the Third World fortune, has multiplied the advances to attract the good thanks of Donald Trump, since the victory of the New York billionaire electoral in November. Notably appointed Republican allies for important positions in the finish line, relaxes the rules of moderation of the content and the financial contributions paid.
Recently, he went to the White House several times to try to persuade the administration to opt for a friendly settlement. “I would be surprised that such a thing happens,” said the FTC FTC specialized site, appointed by the Republican Head of State, the president of the FTC, appointed by the Republican Head of State.
A “really scary” potential impact
The authority will have to demonstrate that Meta, then Facebook, abused its dominant position during Instagram acquisition in 2012, for one billion dollars, and WhatsApp in 2014, for 19 billion. The case will be played in particular in the definition of the market.
She believes that the other large platforms, such as the very popular Tiktok and YouTube, do not belong to the same category. A perspective that Menlo Park (Silicon Valley) rejects. “The fact that these services are different for certain aspects of the target applications only demonstrates that these nearby competitors innovate with tools and characteristics to gain minutes of user attention,” argues the defense.
During the eight weeks of proof, the FTC will try to demonstrate that the monopoly goal results in degraded use for users, forced to tolerate too many ads and pronounced changes. The agency will also highlight the emails of Mark Zuckerberg.
Instagram now has 2 billion users. The goal lawyers will argue that their substantial investments have transformed the two new companies into blockbusters. They will also emphasize that the FTC had initially approved the two transactions and that it should not be allowed to return.
The trial goal is one of the five main antitrust actions launched in recent years by the United States government in the technology sector. Google was convicted of abuse of a dominant position in the online research market last August, while Apple and Amazon are also subject to prosecution.
But the FTC underwent several setbacks before the courts. He could not avoid the acquisition of the finish line and that of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. Judge James Boasberg, who will decide, already warned that the FTC “will face difficult questions about the ability of its accusations to celebrate the way before the court.”
Source: BFM TV
