U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has allowed the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) case against Meta to proceed to trial. The case accuses Meta of abusing monopoly power through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. While most of Meta's Motion for Summary Judgment was denied, the judge dismissed the FTC's claim that Meta restricts third-party app developers' access unless they agree not to compete with its core services.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which has supported competition in the tech industry for over 50 years, commented on the development. CCIA President Matt Schruers stated, "Merger reviews are a critical tool for regulators, but these must be rooted in data. When enforcement actions lack a sound empirical basis — or any substantial evidence of consumer harm — they create legal uncertainty." He further noted that this issue is not limited to the tech sector and could discourage economically valuable transactions across various sectors.

Despite the trial moving forward, Schruers emphasized that "the FTC still needs to prove that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp harmed consumers and infringed antitrust law."