The government doesn’t understand Meta

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is challenging Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, but its market definition excludes significant competitors, giving Meta a misleading monopoly status with an 80% market share. While attempting to address antitrust issues, the FTC overlooks the broader competitive landscape and the core network effects that sustain Meta’s dominance, as highlighted by Zuckerberg’s strategies to leverage these effects across his platforms. The trial is ongoing, but the FTC’s approach may be failing to target the true source of Meta’s power.