What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future The U.S. vs Meta
Apr 18, 2025
Paresh Dave, a senior writer at WIRED who specializes in tech, discusses the monumental antitrust trial against Meta. He delves into the implications of Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, questioning whether these moves created an illegal monopoly in social media. The conversation touches on the FTC's claims and the potential impact on Meta’s future, including a possible breakup that could cost significant ad revenue. Dave also highlights the ongoing tensions between big tech and government intervention, shedding light on the evolving landscape of digital power.
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FTC's Narrow Social Media Market Definition
- The FTC defines Facebook's market narrowly as personal social networking, excluding TikTok and YouTube as competitors.
- This narrow view inflates Facebook's market share, supporting the monopoly argument.
Facebook's Shift Degraded Quality
- Facebook shifted toward video and away from its original family-and-friends focus over time.
- The FTC argues this shift degraded product quality as Facebook leveraged monopoly power to add more ads instead of innovating.
Zuckerberg's Troubling Testimony
- Mark Zuckerberg took the stand and sought to reframe his past statements about acquiring competition.
- His emails about neutralizing or burying competitors are now being used against him in court.