Mark Zuckerberg Stands Firm on WhatsApp Deal
In a high-profile antitrust trial between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent three days on the witness stand defending the company’s acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. Speaking in a Washington, D.C. courtroom, Zuckerberg pushed back on claims that the purchases were made to eliminate competition, instead insisting they were key investments that helped the platforms thrive.
During testimony, Meta’s legal counsel asked if Mark Zuckerberg was satisfied with the $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp back in 2014. Smiling, he confidently responded, “I’d do it again.” He argued that WhatsApp’s early growth marked a major shift in how people communicated online, moving from public posts to private messaging. Rather than being a threat to Facebook, Zuckerberg viewed WhatsApp as a strategic tool to adapt to this change and an asset in Meta’s tense dealings with Apple and Google over app store policies.
The FTC, however, contends that Meta’s executives feared the growth of private messaging and bought WhatsApp to avoid potential competition. In response, Zuckerberg acknowledged that such concerns were considered but ultimately believed WhatsApp lacked ambitions to become a full-scale social media rival. He noted that it was only after Meta’s acquisition that features like Stories and greater business messaging capabilities were introduced—developments he helped drive.
Instagram Acquisition Framed as Strategic Growth, Not Suppression
The FTC’s case also centers on Instagram, which it argues was acquired to “neutralize” competition. Internal emails revealed concerns from Zuckerberg that Instagram could threaten Facebook’s dominance if left to grow independently. Still, during his testimony, the Meta CEO said he wasn’t truly concerned until the photo-sharing app neared 1 billion users—long after it was purchased.
Mark Zuckerberg recounted how Instagram’s growth was supported early on by Meta’s resources, including tools to fight spam and help scale the platform. When Facebook acquired Instagram, it had just 10 million users. Zuckerberg and Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom aimed to reach 100 million users. Today, Instagram boasts more than 2 billion users. Zuckerberg maintained that this level of success would have been “extremely unlikely” without Meta’s backing.
Although there were disagreements along the way—including Mark Zuckerberg’s push for Instagram to rely less on Facebook integrations, which reportedly frustrated Instagram’s founders—he emphasized that Systrom remained with the company far longer than anticipated, guiding its growth. In court, former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg admitted she had once thought the $1 billion price tag for Instagram was excessive. Reflecting on Instagram’s current success, she stated, “I think I was wrong. Like, very wrong.”
Meta Counters Monopoly Allegations with Growth Metrics
Throughout the trial, Meta has positioned the acquisitions as forward-thinking moves that drove innovation, rather than attempts to stifle competitors. Mark Zuckerberg revealed that WhatsApp now has nearly 3 billion users and generates $10 billion annually in advertising revenue tied to interactions across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. These figures, he argued, demonstrate that the apps weren’t bought to be buried but to be built into essential parts of Meta’s ecosystem.
The FTC trial, which began on April 14, seeks to undo the Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, arguing they cemented Meta’s monopoly in the social media space. However, Meta continues to assert that both platforms have achieved far greater reach and functionality under its stewardship. As Zuckerberg’s testimony concluded, the picture painted was one of strategic investment, not suppression—an argument now central to Meta’s defense in what could become a landmark antitrust case.
