Meta asked the D.C. Circuit to uphold the ruling that ended the FTC’s monopoly case, arguing that Facebook and Instagram barely do friends-and-family sharing anymore. Posts from friends account for under 15% of the Facebook news feed and 5% of Instagram’s, Meta wrote in a brief filed Thursday, and Reels, the top feature on both apps, carries almost none of it. The FTC sued in December 2020 over the Instagram and WhatsApp deals, alleging Meta monopolized personal social networking services, a market it defines around sharing with friends and family. Judge James Boasberg threw the case out after trial last year on a finding that Meta competes with TikTok and YouTube, and the FTC’s appeal argues TikTok doesn’t meaningfully serve that friends-and-family demand. No argument date is set.
