Meta’s antitrust trial and what it means for your digital strategy

Meta Platforms - the parent of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—faces a landmark antitrust trial kicking off 13 April 2025. But this isn’t just about Meta. It’s a case that highlights deeper fault lines in the tech industry: competition, user privacy, and the responsibility of dominant platforms.

At Emari Group, we believe this trial offers a powerful moment for reflection especially for professionals and businesses building credibility on platforms like LinkedIn. As Meta defends its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, arguing competition from TikTok and YouTube, the outcomes could reshape how platforms operate and how professionals engage with them.

Executive summary

• Trial begins: 13 April 2025, following a six-year FTC investigation.

• The charge: Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were anti-competitive.

• The defence: Meta cites strong competition from TikTok, YouTube, and others.

• Why it matters: The case could set new standards for tech regulation, impacting digital strategies, especially on LinkedIn.

Key takeaways

• Antitrust trial begins 13 April 2025
  This is a pivotal moment for tech regulation, centred on Meta’s market dominance and strategic acquisitions.

• FTC’s claim: ‘Buy or bury’
  Meta allegedly used acquisitions to neutralise competition—a move that, if proven, could reshape platform oversight.

• Meta’s defence: The market has moved on
  CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues that TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat provide strong competition today.

• The broader impact
  The trial could influence future digital platform strategies, including how professionals market themselves online.

• A forced breakup of Meta could mirror historic antitrust cases like AT&T’s in the 1980s.

• Internal emails show Zuckerberg’s intent to neutralise Instagram as a threat—this will be a key piece of evidence.

• Meta argues it now faces robust competition, which should invalidate claims of monopoly.

• The trial’s outcome could reset the playbook for how tech giants are regulated, with ripple effects across marketing, product development, and user experience.

Why this matters for professionals

This trial is more than a courtroom drama, it’s a shift in the digital landscape. Professionals should:

• Reassess their LinkedIn strategies in light of possible changes in how social platforms operate.

• Recognise LinkedIn as a stable networking hub, especially amidst turbulence elsewhere in social media.

• Futureproof their profiles to remain competitive and visible in evolving markets.

Key insights from the Meta trial

• A changing competitive landscape
  The trial highlights how quickly the tech space evolves. Your LinkedIn strategy needs to evolve too.

• Your profile is your digital handshake
  Outdated or underwhelming profiles miss opportunities. Optimising yours boosts influence and engagement.

• Regulation and reputation go hand-in-hand
  As platforms face scrutiny, visibility and credibility on trusted networks like LinkedIn become even more valuable.

As the Meta trial unfolds, don’t let your digital presence be passive. Use this moment to reflect on your strategy, refresh your positioning, and stay ahead of the curve.

Because if you’re not seen, you’re not heard. And if you’re not adapting, you’re falling behind.

Let Emari Group help you build the kind of digital presence that opens doors—no matter how the landscape shifts.

Emari’s LinkedIn solutions for a shifting landscape

📌 LinkedIn Profile Optimisation and Coaching Program
Enhance your credibility and visibility with expert coaching, data-backed insights, and content that positions you as a thought leader.

📌 Social Selling Webinar Training Series
Master lead generation and relationship-building techniques on LinkedIn—perfect for professionals who want to futureproof their networks.

📥 Download our Introduction to The EMARI Group Guide
Get started with our roadmap for building influence and opportunity via LinkedIn.