From Yahoo Finance: 2025-04-15 14:42:00

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg considered separating Instagram from the company to avoid antitrust issues. Zuckerberg testified in an antitrust trial that Meta may have to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp in the future. The trial could force Meta to separate from the social media platforms it acquired over a decade ago.

Zuckerberg noted that companies tend to perform better after being split up. He testified that he wanted to buy Instagram to improve Facebook’s camera app for mobile sharing, not to neutralize a competitor. The trial is seen as a test of the FTC’s ability to challenge Big Tech.

The lawsuit against Meta, filed in 2020, alleges the company bought Instagram and WhatsApp to eliminate competition and establish a social media monopoly. Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion, marking its first separate app acquisition. The FTC argues Meta created an illegal monopoly by buying Instagram and WhatsApp.



Read more at Yahoo Finance: Meta CEO Zuckerberg considered spinning off Instagram in 2018 over antitrust worries, email says