The Morning After: What we learned from the FTC v. Meta antitrust trial (so far)<p>Years after the Federal Trade Commission sued Meta in a bid to halt acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, the trial that will shape its future is finally underway. The trial kicked off last month when CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand, and it’s expected to last several weeks.</p>
<p>Facebook’s 2012 acquisition of Instagram is a central part of <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/what-weve-learned-from-ftc-v-meta-antitrust-trial-162048138.html">the FTC’s case against Meta[/url]. The government says Zuckerberg bought Instagram to neutralize it as a competitor. When Instagram’s cofounder and former CEO Kevin Systrom took the stand, he didn’t exactly defend the move. While Zuckerberg had testified Meta had helped Instagram grow, Systrom testified Zuckerberg saw Instagram as a “threat” to Facebook’s growth and intentionally withheld company resources.</p>
<p>Further still, Facebook’s decision to pay $1 billion for Instagram — an app with no revenue and just a handful of employees — seemed like an incredible sum. Sheryl Sandberg thought Zuckerberg had overpaid for Instagram. In an exchange between the two from 2012, she said, “Yes, of course it’s way too much.”</p>
<p>There are more nuggets, too. Like how Meta sees TikTok as an earnest threat, how Europeans aren’t buying the ad-free subscriptions (duh), and why Zuckerberg thought about nuking users’ friend lists annually to boost engagement. Read Karissa Bell’s full breakdown of the <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/what-weve-learned-from-ftc-v-meta-antitrust-trial-162048138.html">FTC v. Meta antitrust trial[/url] so far.</p>
<p>— Mat Smith</p>
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<h3 id="jump-link-the-biggest-tech-stories-you-might-have-missed">The biggest tech stories you might have missed</h3>
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<h2 id="jump-link-samsung-plans-an-unpacked-event-for-its-slim-s25-edge"><a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="
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<h3 id="jump-link-thinner-more-expensive">Thinner, more expensive?</h3>
<figure><img src="
https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/3decf570-2cce-11f0-befb-560c91beee22" data-crop-orig-src="
https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/3decf570-2cce-11f0-befb-560c91beee22" style="height:453px;width:640px;" alt="TMA" data-uuid="659c3c60-3410-389f-b76e-85f93ae2e012"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Samsung</div></figure>
<p>Samsung is ready to finally launch its slim iteration of the S25. It says it’ll offer a look at “the next evolution of Galaxy” devices and unveil “more about the latest addition to the Galaxy S series.” Then the teaser coaxed something “beyond slim.” So it’s the S25 Edge, even if Samsung isn’t saying the S25 Edge. The Unpacked event will kick off May 12 at 8PM ET.</p>
<p><a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="
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https://www.engadget.com/science/noaa-warns-staff-a-militia-group-thinks-its-radars-are-weather-weapons-202236953.html"><strong>Continue reading.</strong>[/url]</p>
<span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><h2 id="jump-link-what-to-expect-from-google-io-2025"><a data-i13n="cpos:13;pos:1" href="
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<h3 id="jump-link-android-16-gemini-and-more">Android 16, Gemini and more.</h3>
<figure><img src="[url]https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/4e0fb4f0-2ccf-11f0-9ffd-0f78eaeb8992" data-crop-orig-src="
https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/4e0fb4f0-2ccf-11f0-9ffd-0f78eaeb8992" style="height:427px;width:640px;" alt="TMA" data-uuid="9c6b5bd5-c942-3ad4-9c3d-6cf08211f514"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure>[/url]
<p>Google I/O 2025 should be one of the more exciting tech keynotes in recent memory. Plus, for the first time, Google has spun out a dedicated Android showcase a whole week earlier. What can we expect to see in Android 16? We’ve had lots of hints at an upcoming design change to the platform, reportedly called Material 3 Expressive. A leaked blog post discusses the research behind Material 3 Expressive and how the visual overhaul led to action elements standing out more and greater responsiveness on the users’ part. Then there are Gemini AI updates, more Google service updates and everything else. We break down what we’re expecting to see.</p>
<p><a data-i13n="cpos:14;pos:1" href="
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<p></p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-122022797.html?src=rssSource:
The Morning After: What we learned from the FTC v. Meta antitrust trial (so far)
