Washington, DC, January 20, 2026 — The US Federal Trade Commission has filed a notice of appeal challenging a November 2025 ruling by the US District Court for the District of Columbia in favor of Meta Platforms Inc in the agency’s monopolization case against the company.
The appeal will be heard by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the FTC said in a statement released Tuesday.
The FTC said it continues to allege that Meta has “illegally maintained a monopoly” in personal social networking services for more than a decade through anticompetitive conduct, including by acquiring “significant competitive threats” it identified in Instagram and WhatsApp.
FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera said the agency will continue pursuing what it described as a historic case against Meta.
“The US economy thrives when competition can flourish, and US businesses compete fairly against one another. Yet Meta has maintained its dominant position and record profits for well over a decade, not through legitimate competition, but by buying its most significant competitive threats,” Guarnera said.
“The Trump-Vance FTC will continue fighting its historic case against Meta to ensure that competition can thrive across the country to the benefit of all Americans and US businesses,” he added.
The FTC did not provide additional details on the appeal beyond the filing notice. The agency said the trial record included “robust evidence” supporting its claims.
