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Apr 2025
21m 4s

Does Meta Have a Social Media Monopoly?

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & GIMLET
About this episode

Mark Zuckerberg is in court defending Meta against a Federal Trade Commission case that alleges the company wields an illegal monopoly in social media. It's a trial that could force the tech giant to potentially break itself up by selling Instagram and WhatsApp. WSJ’s Dana Mattioli explains how Zuckerberg’s efforts to get close to President Donald Trump hasn’t kept the company safe, while Jan Wolfe is in D.C. court watching the play-by-play. Jessica Mendoza hosts.


Further Listening:

- FTC Chair Lina Khan on Microsoft Merger, ChatGPT and Her Court Losses 

- 'The Facebook Files' from The Journal. 

- Why the FTC is Challenging a $25 Billion Supermarket Merger 


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