Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has accused Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of intentionally stifling Instagram’s growth following its acquisition, in testimony supporting the US Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust case against Meta. Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, Systrom claimed that Zuckerberg saw Instagram as a competitive threat and curtailed its development to protect Facebook’s dominance.
According to Systrom, Meta denied Instagram critical resources post-acquisition, including staffing requests and access to tools that were initially key to its early success. These internal roadblocks, he said, contributed to his decision to leave the company in 2018. His testimony strengthens the FTC’s central argument: that Meta used a “buy or bury” strategy to neutralize rising competitors like Instagram and WhatsApp.
Also Read: Meta on Trial: Will the U.S. Government Dismantle Zuckerberg’s Empire?
The FTC alleges such tactics amount to anticompetitive behavior and could justify a forced breakup of Meta’s assets. Systrom added that Instagram could have scaled independently using Amazon Web Services, suggesting Meta’s infrastructure wasn’t essential to the platform’s success.
Meta’s legal team pushed back, arguing the company helped Instagram flourish from a 13-person startup with no revenue into a global platform. They also pointed out that Systrom admitted under cross-examination that Instagram’s trajectory was not assured at the time of acquisition.
With the trial still underway, the case could set a precedent for regulating tech giants. A ruling in the FTC’s favor could lead to sweeping changes, including the possible divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp.
