Meta has been entangled in an antitrust lawsuit for several years. Although a Federal Court judge dismissed the case in June 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) introduced a refreshed complaint in 2022. This ongoing lawsuit, centered on allegations of Facebook’s anti-competitive practices, has prompted Meta to clarify its position by presenting new details. Recently, the company released an opening statement accompanied by slides, which illustrate how services like Instagram and Facebook Messenger stack up against Apple’s iMessage in terms of user popularity.
Meta Challenges Monopoly Claims: iMessage Surpasses Instagram and Facebook Messenger
The slides included in Meta’s presentation highlight a significant disparity in usage, revealing that iMessage boasts a considerably higher popularity compared to Instagram and Facebook Messenger. Following the presentation, these slides were made public, though some alterations led to easier recovery of the content (as reported by The Verge).The data presented in the slides for various messaging and social media applications were as follows:
- Apple Messages: 88.39%
- Instagram: 48.19%
- Facebook Messenger: 37.55%
- WhatsApp: 36.76%
- Snapchat: 23.04%
In the image provided, an internal Apple document is visible alongside the statistics for the various apps. According to AppleInsider, this document has been verified as legitimate. One unaltered statement in the documentation comes from Apple’s Director of Product Marketing:
A “core use case”of iMessage is “to allow users to communicate with the people that are in their life that they know.”
Meta’s defense rests on the assertion that the popularity of iMessage suggests the company does not hold a monopoly over messaging platforms, particularly concerning Instagram and Facebook Messenger. Furthermore, Meta argues that competitors like YouTube and TikTok are thriving, potentially undermining the claim of monopolistic behavior. However, this argument may overlook the multifaceted nature of Instagram, which extends beyond mere communication to encompass community engagement and media sharing. Therefore, a thorough examination of the entire service offering is essential in assessing such claims.
As it stands, the outcome of the legal proceedings remains uncertain. With the case having begun in 2020, it could linger for months, if not years, before reaching a final decision. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates, so be sure to stay tuned for the latest developments.
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