FTC says it will appeal Meta antitrust loss | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAICESHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.FTC says it will appeal Meta antitrust lossComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...NewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechFTC says it will appeal Meta antitrust lossA federal judge found that Meta does not have a monopoly over personal social networking services.A federal judge found that Meta does not have a monopoly over personal social networking services.by Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerSenior Policy ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren FeinerJan 20, 2026, 10:21 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesPart OfFTC v. Meta: the antitrust battle over Instagram and WhatsAppsee all updates Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren Feiner is a senior policy reporter at The Verge, covering the intersection of Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. She spent 5 years covering tech policy at CNBC, writing about antitrust, privacy, and content moderation reform.The Federal Trade Commission will appeal its loss in a landmark antitrust case against Meta, the agency announced Tuesday.US District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled in November that the government failed to prove that Meta had an illegal monopoly over a subset of social networking services meant for connecting with friends and family online. Boasberg wrote that the government had an “uphill battle” in how it defined the market Meta allegedly dominated, a challenge exacerbated by the rise of TikTok and changes in the market over the five years between the FTC filing the case and it going to trial.The FTC is asking the US Court of Appeals in DC to review Boasberg’s decision and says the evidence from the six-week trial proves its case. The government argued that Meta maintained its monopoly over the personal social networking market — which it said included services like Snapchat and MeWe, but not TikTok or YouTube — by acquiring nascent threats Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC argued that Meta’s dominance let it degrade the quality of its service without any real alternatives for consumers to flee to.“The U.S. economy thrives when competition can flourish and U.S. businesses compete fairly against one another,” FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera said in a statement. “Yet 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. 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.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerSenior Policy ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren FeinerAntitrustCloseAntitrustPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AntitrustMetaCloseMetaPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MetaNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMore in: FTC v. 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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced its intention to appeal a recent court ruling that dismissed its antitrust case against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Judge James Boasberg, in a November decision, found that the FTC failed to demonstrate Meta maintained an illegal monopoly over the personal social networking market. The core of the FTC’s argument centered on the assertion that Meta leveraged its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle competition from emerging platforms like TikTok and YouTube. The agency contended that Meta’s strategy involved proactively neutralizing potential threats rather than fostering genuine market competition. Judge Boasberg, however, questioned the scope of the FTC’s definition of the relevant market, suggesting it was too narrow and failed to adequately account for the dynamic nature of the social media landscape, particularly the rise of TikTok. He noted the significant changes occurring within the market during the five-year period between the FTC’s initial filing and the trial. FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera emphasized the importance of fair competition and the ability of U.S. businesses to compete effectively. He highlighted Meta’s sustained dominance and substantial profits over a decade, attributing this success not to legitimate competition but to a pattern of acquiring competitive threats. The FTC’s appeal will likely focus on re-arguing the broader definition of the market and demonstrating the harm caused by Meta’s acquisitions. The outcome of this appeal could have significant ramifications for the tech industry, potentially setting a precedent regarding the FTC’s authority to challenge acquisitions based on anti-competitive behavior.