A court date has been set for an antitrust case that accuses Meta Platforms (META) of using social media platforms Instagram and WhatsApp to harm competitors.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Meta Platforms back in 2020, alleging that the company has acted illegally under U.S. antitrust laws to maintain a monopoly in social media.
The FTC claims that Meta overpaid for Instagram and WhatsApp to eliminate emerging competitors instead of competing on its own in the social media space.
Now, federal Judge James Boasberg has set a trial in the case for April 14, 2025.
In setting the trial date, the judge rejected Meta’s argument that the case should be dismissed as it does not account for competition from YouTube, LinkedIn and X, formerly Twitter.
While Judge Boasberg has allowed the case to proceed to trial, he said when setting the court date that, “time and technological change pose serious challenges” to the FTC’s definition of what constitutes a social media market.
The judge in the case warned that it could be difficult for the FTC to meet its burden of proof when the case goes to trial.
Meta Platforms has repeatedly said that the case brought against it by the FTC is meritless and has vowed to defend itself in court.
The stock of Meta Platforms has increased 63% this year and currently trades at $565.11 U.S. per share.