These cases represent a significant shift in antitrust enforcement in the United States, with regulators taking a more aggressive approach toward big tech companies after a relatively quiet period in antitrust prosecution since the Microsoft case in the late 1990s.
- Google Search -
The DOJ's case against Google regarding its dominance of internet search was filed in 2020.
In August 2024, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly in online search, marking a landmark decision.
Before lodging its appeal, Google must await the resolution of the case's remedies phase, with both sides due in court later this month to argue over how to fix the illegal monopoly.
The US government is asking that the Chrome browser be spun off from Google, and for an end to the tens of billions of dollars Google pays to Apple annually to secure its default position on the iPhone's Safari browser.
A decision is expected from Judge Mehta this summer.
As with all these cases, an appeal potentially reaching the US Supreme Court is almost certain, extending legal proceedings for years.
- Google Ad Tech -
The Department of Justice's antitrust case against Google's ad tech business, filed in a Virginia federal court in January 2023, alleges that Google built a monopoly in the digital advertising market through strategic acquisitions and anticompetitive behavior.
The lawsuit specifically targets Google's dominance across three sectors of online advertising -- publisher ad servers, advertiser tools, and ad exchanges -- and seeks to force Google to divest portions of its advertising technology business to restore competition.
The trial concluded late last year, and the case is now awaiting a ruling from Judge Leonie Brinkema, which is expected shortly.
- Meta -
The Federal Trade Commission's case against Meta (Facebook's parent company) was filed in 2020, with the FTC alleging that Meta illegally maintained a monopoly in "personal social networking" services by acquiring potential rivals Instagram and WhatsApp.
The FTC is seeking potential divestiture of the acquired platforms, while Meta argues their acquisitions benefited customers.
The case goes to trial in Washington on April 14, with proceedings expected to last at least eight weeks before Judge James Boasberg.
Meta CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg has lobbied the White House as he tries to persuade President Donald Trump to choose settlement instead of proceeding with the trial.
- Amazon -
Filed in September 2023, the Federal Trade Commission argues that Amazon illegally maintains a monopoly in online retail.
The lawsuit specifically targets Amazon's "buy box" feature, which prominently displays preferred sellers, and claims that Amazon imposes penalties on sellers who offer lower prices elsewhere, effectively preventing meaningful price competition and harming both merchants and consumers.
The trial for the case is currently scheduled to begin in a Seattle federal court in October 2026, with Judge John Chun presiding.
- Apple -
The Department of Justice's lawsuit against Apple, filed in March 2024, was the last of the major cases to be launched against the big tech companies.
It alleges that the company illegally maintains a monopoly over smartphones by making it difficult for consumers to switch from iPhones to other devices and by limiting how well competing products like non-Apple smartwatches and digital wallets work with iPhones.
The lawsuit was filed in a New Jersey federal court and will be tried before Judge Julien Neals.
US takes aim at Zuckerberg's social media kingdom
Washington (AFP) April 9, 2025 -
Barring any eleventh-hour intervention, social media juggernaut Meta will stand trial next week facing serious US government allegations that it abused its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors.
By moving forward, the trial in a Washington federal court dashes any hopes from Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg that the return of Donald Trump to the White House would see the government let up on the enforcement of antitrust law against Big Tech.
The Meta case is being made by the Federal Trade Commission, the powerful US consumer protection agency, and could see the owner of Facebook forced to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, which have grown into global powerhouses since their buyout.
The case was originally made in December 2020, during the first Trump administration, and all eyes were on whether Trump would soften his stance against Big Tech during his second stint in the White House.
Zuckerberg, the world's third-richest person, has made repeated visits to the White House as he tries to persuade the US leader to choose settlement instead of fighting the trial, a decision that would be extraordinary at this late stage.
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson downplayed such possibilities, telling The Verge: "I think that the President recognizes that we've got to enforce the laws, so I'd be very surprised if anything like that ever happened."
Zuckerberg's lobbying efforts have included Trump inauguration fund contributions and overhauled content moderation policies favoring Republicans.
Even so, "I'm not sure Trump is persuaded that Zuckerberg is worthy of redemption," said George Hay, an antitrust law professor at Cornell Law School.
While a White House intervention remains technically possible, it would require both presidential and FTC agreement that the case lacks merit, he added.
The Meta lawsuit represents just one of five major tech antitrust actions initiated by the US government recently. Google was found guilty of search market dominance abuse last August, while Apple and Amazon also face cases.
Zuckerberg, his former lieutenant Sheryl Sandberg, and a long line of executives from rival companies will be taking the stand over a trial that will last at least eight weeks and kicks off on Monday.
- 'Really scary' -
Central to the case is Facebook's 2012 billion-dollar purchase of Instagram -- then a small but promising photo-sharing startup designed for mobile phones that now boasts two billion active users.
An email from Zuckerberg cited by the FTC reveals the concerns: "The potential impact of Instagram is really scary and why we might want to consider paying a lot of money for this."
The FTC argues Meta's $19-billion WhatsApp acquisition in 2014 followed the same pattern, with Zuckerberg fearing the messaging app could either transform into a social network or be purchased by a competitor.
Meta's defense will argue that substantial investments transformed these acquisitions into the blockbusters they are today, bearing little resemblance to their original versions.
They'll also highlight that the FTC initially approved both transactions and shouldn't be permitted a redo.
Recent court setbacks for the FTC -- including failed challenges to Meta's Within acquisition and Microsoft's Activision Blizzard merger -- may strengthen Big Tech's position.
Judge James Boasberg, who will decide and preside over the case, has already cautioned that the FTC "faces hard questions about whether its claims can hold up in the crucible of trial."
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