The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is appealing a prior ruling regarding its antitrust case against Meta, seeking to reverse a decision that found insufficient evidence of Meta’s current monopoly status, a move announced on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
The FTC’s appeal follows a federal judge’s ruling last year. That decision concluded the government had not demonstrated Meta’s current operation as a monopoly, despite the regulator’s long-standing attempts to address the social media company’s acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram.
“Meta has maintained its dominant position and record profits for well over a decade not through legitimate competition, but by buying its most significant competitive threats,” stated Daniel Guarnera, the FTC’s Bureau of Competition Director. He added that “The Trump-Vance FTC will continue fighting its historic case against Meta to ensure that competition can thrive across the country to the benefit of all Americans and U.S. businesses.”
Antitrust charges were initially filed against Facebook in 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first term. The government contended that by acquiring competitors like Instagram and WhatsApp, the company suppressed competition, harming consumers. A trial held last year included testimony from current and former executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg, who discussed competitive pressures from platforms like TikTok.
US District Judge James Boasberg accepted Meta’s arguments, stating that the success of platforms such as YouTube and TikTok prevented Meta from “holding a monopoly” in its current operations, even if it had acted monopolistically previously. Had the FTC won, it could have potentially mandated Meta divest its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions. A successful appeal could bring this remedy back into consideration.
This development comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly spent the past year engaging with Trump and promoting Meta’s plans for significant investments in AI infrastructure within the United States. Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson, released a statement asserting the original ruling was “correct,” and that “Meta will remain focused on innovating and investing in America.”
