Facebook parent Meta Platforms faces a high-stakes trial in Washington starting on Monday on claims it built an illegal social media monopoly by spending billions of dollars to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp,

Summary: The FTC is taking Meta to trial over its WhatsApp and Instagram acquisitions. The government body called them “killer acquisitions” that crushed competition. A court ruling against Meta could force the company to sell both platforms and dismantle its empire.

Meta Platforms Inc. faces a historic antitrust trial Monday that could force the tech giant to break off Instagram and WhatsApp, startups it bought more than a decade ago that have since grown into social media powerhouses.