Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously entertained the notion of deleting users’ Facebook friends to increase the platform’s relevance, according to an email revealed in the FTC’s significant antitrust case against Meta. The FTC is seeking to undo Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, although the company asserts it does not possess monopoly power in a highly competitive and evolving digital marketplace.
On Monday, Mark Zuckerberg testified in the landmark antitrust trial against Meta. As part of the proceedings, various emails from his past communications were presented as evidence. Among them was a 2022 email in which Zuckerberg proposed an unconventional strategy to enhance Facebook’s cultural standing by erasing all users’ friend networks.
In a 2022 message to senior Meta executives, Zuckerberg suggested, “Option 1. Double down on Friending,” proposing the radical idea of resetting everyone’s friend graphs to encourage users to rebuild their networks anew.
The proposal aimed to address concerns regarding Facebook’s declining relevance by potentially boosting user engagement through the removal of existing friend connections. However, this idea met with some skepticism within the company. Tom Alison, then head of Facebook, warned that such a move could compromise essential platform features, particularly on Instagram. He responded, expressing doubts that doubling down on friending would be viable given Instagram’s reliance on the friend network.
Despite this, Zuckerberg continued to explore the possibility, questioning the potential shift from a friend-based model to a follower-focused one. The proposal was never enacted, but as discussed during Monday’s court proceedings, the email sheds light on Meta’s concerns about staying competitive in a swiftly changing digital environment.
In parallel to this, a separate 2008 internal email from Zuckerberg is central to the FTC’s current antitrust proceedings against Meta. In it, Zuckerberg stated: “It is better to buy than compete.” The trial, which commenced Monday, is the culmination of a longstanding case centered around Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC alleges that the company purchased these platforms to stifle competition and create an unlawful monopoly in the social media sector. Should Meta lose, it could be compelled to separate Instagram and WhatsApp from its holdings.
Meta argues that the competitive landscape has shifted significantly, contending with numerous strong rivals such as TikTok, YouTube, iMessage, and others. Meta’s statement highlighted that “the evidence at trial will show what every 17-year-old in the world knows: Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp compete with Chinese-owned TikTok, YouTube, X, iMessage, and many others.” Meta asserted that more than a decade after the FTC cleared its acquisitions, the current action implies no deal is ever truly final. Meta’s statement further suggested that regulators should support American innovation, rather than hinder it, particularly concerning critical sectors like AI, thereby potentially favoring China.
Experts indicate that the FTC may encounter challenges in proving its case, emphasizing that the FTC must demonstrate Meta holds monopoly power in the current market context, rather than based on past conditions. This requirement could be an obstacle for regulators, considering the evolution of the competitive landscape since Meta acquired Instagram and WhatsApp, with new powerful competitors like TikTok emerging.
Despite these challenges, Meta faces substantial risks, as a mandated divestiture of Instagram could reduce its advertising revenues by up to 50%.
Representatives for Meta did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment, which was made outside normal working hours.
