- Meta addresses FTC’s complaints about Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions
- It says quality and output have improved since it took over ownership
- It added that FTC’s proof was speculative
Meta has submitted a rule 52 (c) proposal for judgment, claiming that the FTC has failed to prove its case relating to an antitrust case it brought over Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
According to Meta, no clear monopoly power certificate-da Meta’s apps are free to use, traditional price-based monopoly indicators do not apply.
The social media giant also noted that the FTC could not show that it had reduced the quality or output of its services, rather than arguing that user engagement has grown and the app quality has improved since it took over.
In the early days, Instagram was a small app for sharing photo sharing with limited features, no revenue and poor infrastructure. The company proudly declares to have improved the quality of the app, reach, and contains post-acquisition-with co-founder Kevin Systrom, who testifies to the fact that Meta had accelerated the app’s growth, enabling Instagram to “thrive.”
Meta also added that WhatsApp was focused on simple message before it was purchased without plans to add social features or ads, so it was not considered a competitive threat to Facebook.
As a whole, the FTC’s evidence has been widely criticized by Meta, with even the FTC’s leading expert who admits that much of the competitive injury claim was speculative.
“The FTC has no evidence that Meta has a 60 percent share of any market that includes Tiktok or YouTube along with Snapchat,” the movement added.
Meta also noted: “Virtually all features of Tiktok are found on Instagram (and Facebook), and practically there is any feature of Instagram on Tiktok.”
The conclusion of the social media giant is simple: “The court must include judgment in the benefit of meta according to Rule 52 (C).”
