A landmark antitrust trial against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has begun in Washington. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claims Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 were strategic moves to eliminate competition and secure a monopoly in the social media space. If the FTC wins, Meta could be forced to sell both platforms.

Key evidence may come from CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s past emails, where he allegedly said it’s “better to buy than to compete.” However, Meta plans to argue that consumers have benefited from the acquisitions, citing improvements in Instagram’s performance since it became part of Meta.

The trial is politically charged, especially as former President Donald Trump has shown interest in the case, reportedly being lobbied by Zuckerberg to drop it. Meanwhile, internal changes at the FTC, including the firing of two commissioners, have raised concerns over potential political interference.

Legal experts believe the FTC faces an uphill battle, as proving monopoly power in the competitive social networking market is challenging. Meta maintains it faces strong competition from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and iMessage, and argues that the FTC’s case undermines trust in finalized business deals.