Washington, D.C. – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently took the witness stand in a high-stakes antitrust trial, facing questions from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about his company’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. Over 10 hours of testimony shed light on Meta’s strategic decisions over the years, including internal concerns about competition, the evolving use of Facebook, and the rise of rivals like YouTube and TikTok.
Here are some of the key insights from Zuckerberg’s appearance in court:
Zuckerberg Once Entertained Spinning Off Instagram
In a 2018 internal message revealed during the trial, Zuckerberg discussed the possibility of proactively separating Instagram from Facebook. He speculated that due to increasing regulatory scrutiny, Meta could eventually be compelled to divide its business — and that such a move might actually benefit the company operationally. He noted that several firms have seen improved performance post-split.
Despite those early musings, Meta kept Instagram and WhatsApp under its umbrella. Now, however, the FTC’s lawsuit could force that separation anyway.
Instagram and WhatsApp Were Seen as Serious Competitors
Court documents highlighted Zuckerberg’s early worries about Instagram and WhatsApp as growing threats to Facebook’s dominance. In 2011, he acknowledged internally that Instagram had surpassed Facebook Camera in both innovation and popularity — especially as mobile photography was becoming central to social media use.
Just a year later, Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion. Around that same time, Facebook executives were also closely monitoring WhatsApp, with internal discussions revealing sleepless nights over the messaging app’s rapid growth. There were concerns that WhatsApp might add Facebook-like features and dominate globally — or worse, be acquired by Google.
Meta ultimately acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for a staggering $19 billion. In court, Zuckerberg argued that bringing these platforms under Meta improved their performance and user experience.
Social Media Is Shifting Away from ‘Friending’
Zuckerberg admitted that traditional social behaviors on Facebook — like adding new friends or sharing personal updates — have declined in recent years. Internal data from 2022 backed this trend, showing a drop in both friend additions and interactions with personal content.
Instead, private messaging and group chats have surged in popularity. According to Zuckerberg, users are now leaning more toward private sharing in chats than posting publicly on feeds, signaling a major shift in how people engage online.
YouTube Emerges as a Top Competitor
While TikTok often gets mentioned as Meta’s biggest challenger, Zuckerberg emphasized the growing influence of YouTube during his testimony. He pointed to YouTube’s dominance among younger users and its powerful ecosystem for video creators.
He explained that as mobile technology has advanced, demand for immersive content like video has skyrocketed — a trend YouTube has capitalized on more successfully than most platforms. In fact, he noted that people likely spend more time on YouTube than on Facebook and Instagram combined.
Despite this, Meta still operates several of the most popular platforms in the U.S., maintaining a dominant presence in the social media industry.
What’s Next for Meta?
With the FTC pushing to unwind Meta’s major acquisitions, the outcome of this case could reshape the future of the tech giant. A forced divestiture of Instagram or WhatsApp would be a historic move — one that Meta is fiercely contesting in court.
As the trial continues, the testimony has already offered a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into Meta’s decision-making, competitive strategy, and how the social media landscape is rapidly transforming.
