In a landmark antitrust trial, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, defended the company's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, framing them as standard business practices in the tech industry. "I thought that Instagram was better at that, so I thought it was better to buy them," he stated, emphasizing a "build-vs.-buy analysis."

Zuckerberg's testimony comes as the Federal Trade Commission accuses Meta of preserving a monopoly through these buyouts. If successful, the government may push for a breakup of the company, potentially forcing the sale of Instagram and WhatsApp. The trial raises crucial questions about past acquisitions that were initially approved but are now under scrutiny, with Meta’s lawyers arguing that the company faces stiff competition from platforms like TikTok.

Throughout his testimony, Zuckerberg also acknowledged the possibility of spinning off these apps in response to growing antitrust pressures, noting, “As calls to break up the big tech companies grow, there is a non-trivial chance that we will be forced to spin out Instagram and perhaps WhatsApp in the next 5-10 years anyway.” As the trial continues, the outcome could reshape the regulatory landscape for big tech.
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