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FTC’s Meta Antitrust Case: Trial Is Over, Appeal Is Underway

Meta won the district-court trial in November 2025. The FTC appealed in January 2026; no breakup was ordered, and the appellate schedule is not established here.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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The FTC’s case against Meta is no longer heading to trial: the district-court trial ran from April 14 to May 27, 2025, and the judge ruled for Meta on November 18, 2025. The FTC appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on January 20, 2026. The FTC had asked the court to order Meta to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, but the district court did not order a breakup.

When was the Meta antitrust trial?

The district-court trial took place from April 14 through May 27, 2025, according to Meta’s June 2026 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The court issued its decision on November 18, 2025. The case is now at the appeal stage, not awaiting that trial.

What did the court decide?

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled for Meta, concluding that the FTC had not proved Meta held monopoly power in the relevant market. The court’s November 18, 2025 opinion stated, “Meta holds no monopoly in the relevant market.” That was the trial court’s conclusion; it is not a final appellate ruling.

In its market analysis, the court treated TikTok and YouTube as meaningful competitors to Facebook and Instagram. That reasoning differed from the FTC’s theory that Meta illegally maintained a monopoly in personal social networking.

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Is the FTC trying to break up Meta?

Yes. The FTC’s complaint alleged that Meta used acquisitions and conditions imposed on software developers to eliminate threats to its monopoly. It cited Meta’s purchases of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. Those are allegations in the case, not findings established by the district court.

The FTC sought remedies that included divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp. But because the district court entered judgment for Meta, it did not order Meta to sell either service.

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Did the FTC win its case against Meta?

No. Meta won in the district court, which found the FTC had not met its burden to establish monopoly power in the relevant market. The FTC disputes that outcome and appealed. The agency says it is seeking to restore competition; that is its position, not a court finding.

In announcing the appeal, FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera said: “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.”

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What happens next?

The appeal is before the D.C. Circuit. The sources establishing the appeal do not establish a schedule for briefing or oral argument, or a date for an appellate decision. No reliable trial date for next April follows from the current procedural record.

The key distinction is between the FTC’s requested remedy and what a court has ordered: the agency asked for divestitures, but the trial court ruled for Meta. Any change to that result would depend on the appeal and subsequent court proceedings.

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