A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing Facebook owner Meta of holding an illegal monopoly over social media can proceed to trial, handing the agency a victory after previous setbacks in making its case in court.

Facebook owner Meta Platforms must face trial in a U.S. Federal Trade Commission lawsuit seeking its break-up over claims that it bought Instagram and WhatsApp to crush emerging competition in social media,

FTC claims that Meta has a "monopoly" and has “wilfully” maintained that power by purchasing WhatsApp and Instagram.

In a 92-page order on Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg in Washington said he was narrowing one of the FTC’s claims. He accepted Meta’s arguments that some of its restrictions on its Facebook platform had legitimate business justifications.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to stand trial for its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, a federal judge has ordered. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that these purchases were anti-competitive moves aimed at suppressing potential rivals in the social media industry.

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Meta must face trial in an antitrust case brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the social media giant’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. U.S.