Meta

Meta bought Within, the company behind Supernatural, a VR workout app. The FTC tried to stop the deal, saying Meta was buying off a future competitor instead of building its own fitness app. A judge said the FTC did not prove its theory and let the sale go through—showing how hard it is to block mergers in young markets based on what might have happened.

Outcome: District court denied the FTC's preliminary injunction; Meta closed the deal. Illustrates difficulty of nascent-market and potential-competition theories.

Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014—two apps billions of people use to message friends. Regulators let the deal through, thinking they were different enough. Later Europe fined Facebook for misleading answers about linking user data between the apps. Many critics now cite the merger as a missed chance to stop big tech from buying future rivals, even though no court unwound the deal.

Outcome: Merger cleared in 2014; EU imposed €110 million fine in 2017 for misleading filing; broader breakup calls did not succeed.

Europe fined Meta about €798 million in November 2024 for tying Facebook Marketplace to the social network. Meta is challenging that fine, so the antitrust case is still live. A separate DMA label on Marketplace was annulled by the General Court on 3 June 2026.

Outcome: The November 2024 tying decision is under challenge. Separately, the Commission repealed Marketplace's DMA gatekeeper label in April 2025, and on 3 June 2026 the General Court annulled that designation while leaving Messenger's designation in place.

The FTC said Meta bought Instagram and WhatsApp to kill future rivals. A trial court sided with Meta in November 2025 and refused a breakup. The FTC appealed in January 2026, so the fight continues on appeal—not as a live trial.

Outcome: After a merits trial, the district court ruled for Meta in November 2025, declining to unwind Instagram or WhatsApp. The FTC noticed an appeal in January 2026. No breakup is in force.

Meta makes billions selling ads on Facebook and Instagram using detailed user data. Europe is probing whether its ad tools and 'Ad Library' transparency features unfairly help Meta and hinder rivals, researchers, and political advertisers. New EU political ad rules add pressure. Investigations continue—Meta has not been found guilty in a final ads-specific decision.

Outcome: Investigations and DMA compliance checks ongoing; no final infringement decision solely on Ad Library issues publicly concluded.

Europe's Digital Markets Act treats the biggest tech platforms like regulated utilities: they must open doors they used to lock. Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and others must offer more choice in app stores, messaging, search defaults, and data sharing. Regulators are still checking whether the changes work—or whether companies comply only on the surface.

Outcome: Designations and core obligations are in force; compliance dialogues, DMA Article 29 market investigations, and potential fines remain active. No final closure of oversight.

Big Tech funded AI startups through partnerships instead of classic mergers. The FTC wants to know whether those deals secretly block competition for chips, data, and engineers. This is an inquiry—a fact-finding step—not a ruling that AI partnerships are illegal.

Outcome: Mandatory orders to major players are pending analysis; no enforcement action or court judgment has concluded the inquiry.

In the EU, Meta asked people to pay for Facebook and Instagram or accept ads built from data combined across its apps. In April 2025 the Commission said that binary choice broke the Digital Markets Act and fined Meta €200 million. Meta is appealing; users may see a third option that is free but less personalised.

Outcome: April 2025 non-compliance decision: €200 million fine and orders to offer a less personalised-ads path that is not conditioned on paying or on combining data across services. Meta has indicated it will appeal.

WhatsApp is how many European small businesses talk to customers. In December 2025 EU antitrust officials opened a probe into WhatsApp Business; in April 2026 they expanded it to Meta’s AI features—asking whether rival chatbots and support tools are being shut out. No finding yet.

Outcome: Probe opened December 2025 and expanded April 2026. No Statement of Objections or fine has been issued.