Meta Faces Antitrust Trial Over Its Social Media Empire In The U.S. - 1

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Meta Faces Antitrust Trial Over Its Social Media Empire In The U.S.

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Meta’s antitrust trial, one of the biggest over the past few years, began this Monday. The company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, attended court to defend his company against the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) accusation that Meta built a monopoly through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Meta’s antitrust trial began this Monday and is expected to last 8 weeks.
  • The FTC is accusing Meta of illegally building a social media monopoly after purchasing Instagram and WhatsApp.
  • If the U.S. government wins the case, Meta can be ordered to sell the platforms.

According to the New York Times , the trial—expected to last eight weeks—is taking place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Zuckerberg took the witness stand on Monday, defended his company, and challenged the government’s definitions of the social media market and its accusations.

The FTC alleges that Meta—then Facebook—purchased its rivals, Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, above the market’s value, to cement its dominance in the social media market, and breaking the law.

If the U.S. government wins the trial, it will force Meta to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, affecting the company’s business model, structure, and its 3.5 billion users. However, legal experts consider the case complex and challenging for the FTC to win.

In a blog post shared this Sunday by Jennifer Newstead, Meta’s Chief Legal Officer, the company’s team referred to the lawsuit as “weak” and a case that “ignores reality.”

Newstead explained that the acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram were reviewed and approved by the FTC over a decade ago, with no indication of monopolistic intent. She also noted that platforms like YouTube and TikTok are now major competitors, capturing more user attention.

“It’s absurd that the FTC is trying to break up a great American company at the same time the Administration is trying to save Chinese-owned TikTok,” wrote Newstead. “And, it makes no sense for regulators to try and weaken U.S. companies right at the moment we most need them to invest in winning the competition with China for leadership in AI.”

Meta Will Use EU Users’ Public Content to Train AI - 2

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Meta Will Use EU Users’ Public Content to Train AI

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Meta will train its AI using public posts and chatbot interactions from adult EU users, while offering an opt-out to protect user privacy.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • EU users can opt out via a simple objection form.
  • Meta AI launched in Europe after delays over privacy concerns.
  • Regulators and privacy groups previously opposed Meta’s AI data plans.

After launching Meta AI in Europe last month, the company is now pushing forward with plans previously paused due to privacy concerns. Reuters points out that Meta’s rollout had been delayed after Ireland’s Data Protection Commission intervened last June, and advocacy group NOYB filed complaints urging regulators to block the company’s data use plans.

The Irish Data Protection Commission also imposed a €251 million fine on Meta last year because the company exposed 29 million user records through a 2018 data breach, which affected 3 million EU users. Meta also received a $101.5 million penalty as part of a separate password security violation case .

Additionally, Meta received negative reactions from the public after its AI-generated profile feature appeared on Facebook and Instagram, which led to widespread criticism.

Meta announced that EU users will start getting notifications about their data usage and how to opt out in the near future. Users will have access to a form which enables them to object to their information being used for AI training.

The company emphasized that it “won’t use private messages or content from users under 18,” and WhatsApp will not be affected by this change. “People’s interactions with Meta AI — like questions and queries — will also be used to train and improve our models,” the company said in their blog post.

Meta added that the move is meant to improve AI tools that understand Europe’s many cultures and languages. “This training will better support millions of people and businesses in Europe, by teaching our generative AI models to better understand and reflect their cultures, languages and history,” the company said.

Although Meta originally avoided using European data, it now says it is simply following the lead of Google and OpenAI, who have already used such data for training their AI systems.

Meta claims it has made the opt-out form “easy to find, read, and use” and promised to respect all objections. France24 points out that the company is investing up to $65 billion this year on infrastructure to support its AI push.

However, critics remain concerned about the ethical risks and environmental costs of these powerful technologies. Reuters reports that the European Commission has not commented on Meta’s latest move.