US argues Meta built a social media monopoly

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday accused Meta of creating a monopoly that squelched competition by buying startups that stood in its way, kicking off a landmark antitrust trial that could dismantle a social media empire that has transformed how the world connects online.

In a packed courtroom in the US District Court of the District of Columbia, the FTC opened its first antitrust trial under the Trump administration by arguing that Meta illegally cemented a monopoly in social networking by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp when they were tiny…