Meta Platforms emerged victorious from a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit which sought to unwind its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp due to alleged harm to competitors and consumers.

A US district judge in the state of Washington stated in his opinion “Meta holds no monopoly in the relevant market”.

“With apps surging and receding, chasing one craze and moving on from others, and adding new features with each passing year, the FTC has understandably struggled to fix the boundaries of Meta’s product market,” the judge wrote. “Even so, it continues to insist that Meta competes with the same old rivals it has for the last decade, that the company holds a monopoly among that small set, and that it maintained that monopoly through anticompetitive acquisitions.”

The judge continued: “Whether or not Meta enjoyed monopoly power in the past, though, the agency must show that it continues to hold such power now. The court’s verdict today determines that the FTC has not done so.”

While the apps landscape has shifted since the FTC first filed its lawsuit, the judge stated the social media giant is facing competition today from companies such as TikTok and YouTube.

The antitrust lawsuit was filed by the FTC five years ago during President Donald Trump’s first administration and before Facebook’s name was changed to Meta Platforms.

At the time, state attorney generals and the FTC cited Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 as prime examples of its predatory approach of buying social media companies rather than competing against them.

A Meta representative told Mobile World Live the court’s decision recognises the company faces fierce competition.

“Our products are beneficial for people and businesses and exemplify American innovation and economic growth. We look forward to continuing to partner with the administration and to invest in America.”