Meta asks judge to throw out antitrust case mid-trial

Meta has filed a motion for judgement connected the antitrust lawsuit it’s currently warring successful court. The question argues that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has failed to nutrient immoderate grounds that Meta unlawfully monopolized portion of the societal networking market, thing the authorities argues it did done its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

The filing was submitted this evening, soon aft the FTC rested its lawsuit successful a protracted proceedings earlier DC District Court Judge James Boasberg. “After 5 weeks of trial, it is wide that the FTC has failed to conscionable the ineligible modular required nether antitrust law,” said Meta spokesperson Christopher Sgro. “Regardless, we volition contiguous our lawsuit to amusement what each 17-year-old successful the satellite knows: Instagram competes with TikTok (and YouTube and X and galore different apps). The FTC spent tens of millions of payer dollars bringing a anemic lawsuit with a marketplace explanation that ignores reality.”

A judgement connected partial findings asks a justice to see a case’s merits earlier it has been afloat argued successful court, attempting to velocity its resolution. The proceedings is inactive presently scheduled to proceed, with Meta launching into its defence against the FTC’s allegations, but the filing offers a preview of its case.

As Meta’s lawyers person done successful cross-examination, it takes purpose astatine the agency’s statement of Meta monopolizing a “personal societal networking services” marketplace that radical usage to stock accusation with household and friends. It argues that the FTC has failed to show Meta reduced the prime of its services (a cardinal motion that a institution lacks competition) oregon that it bought Instagram to neutralize a imaginable rival.

The FTC has made its lawsuit with grounds from respective high-profile players successful Meta’s businesses, including Instagram’s co-founder Kevin Systrom — who aired complaints astir Meta’s handling of his company — and its existent head, Adam Mosseri, who offered a much optimistic take. Meta has countered by emphasizing the company’s persistent struggles against societal networks that the FTC doesn’t see afloat competitors, peculiarly TikTok, which, successful the warfare for those aforementioned 17-year-olds’ attention, Meta portrays arsenic a changeless scourge.