President Donald Trump's import tariffs have been the big subject for investors in recent weeks, with any new announcement guiding the market's direction. And technology stocks such as the "Magnificent Seven" have been particularly vulnerable to the news since they rely a great deal on international production of raw materials and finished goods. In fact, their cost structure depends on manufacturing in countries that have specific infrastructure and a particular economic backdrop. This offers U.S. tech gia ...

Core Insights - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg considered spinning off Instagram in 2018 due to potential antitrust issues, suggesting that companies often perform better after being split [1] - Zuckerberg acknowledged that he acquired Instagram because it had a superior camera compared to Facebook's own development efforts, reinforcing claims that Meta employed a "buy or bury" strategy against competitors [2][4] - The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is attempting to reverse Meta's acquisitions of Instagram for $1 billion and WhatsApp for $19 billion, marking a significant legal challenge against the company [3] Group 1: Acquisition Strategy - Zuckerberg's testimony revealed that Instagram was perceived as a rapidly growing threat, leading to the decision to acquire rather than build a competing product [2][4] - He admitted that many of Meta's attempts to create new apps have failed, with most not gaining traction [5] Group 2: Legal Context - The FTC's case against Meta is seen as a test of the Trump administration's commitment to regulating large tech companies [3] - The FTC claims that Meta holds a monopoly in social media platforms, with competitors including Snap's Snapchat and the smaller MeWe [7] Group 3: Market Competition - Meta argues that the FTC has misdefined the social media market, not adequately considering competition from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Apple's messaging app [6]

Instagram stands to gain a lot if TikTok is banned. A chart featured in Meta's opening statement during its FTC antitrust trial showed just how much Instagram could benefit.The Meta-owned platform reported a spike in usage when TikTok went dark for roughly 14 hours in January. "People went to Instagram," Meta's lawyer, Matt Hansen, said this week while pointing to the chart. "Boom almost instantly." This slide was included in Meta's 88-page presentation that accompanied its lawyer's opening statement. ...

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman US Court House on April 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Social media titan Mark Zuckerberg testified for a second day Tuesday in a landmark US antitrust trial, defending his conglomerate Meta against accusations it took over Instagram and WhatsApp to devour budding c ...

About this content About Angela Harmantas Angela Harmantas is an Editor at Proactive. She has over 15 years of experience covering the equity markets in North America, with a particular focus on junior resource stocks. Angela has reported from numerous countries around the world, including Canada, the US, Australia, Brazil, Ghana, and South Africa for leading trade publications. Previously, she worked in investor relations and led the foreign direct investment program in Canada for the Swedish government ...

Subscribers to Chart of the Week received this commentary on Sunday, April 6. Click here to get your hands on our critically-acclaimed 18- pick stock report.It feels too strange to begin Chart of the Week without addressing the elephant in the room, which is the past week’s intense oscillation that has taken place on Wall Street. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy has taken global trade by storm -- and not always in a good way. On Monday, April 7, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) suffered its ...

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman US Court House on April 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Social media titan Mark Zuckerberg took the stand for a second day Tuesday in a landmark US antitrust trial where his conglomerate Meta is accused of taking over Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become c ...

When I last covered Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META ) (TSX: META:CA ) on November 22nd, 2024 with my article “Meta Platforms: Buy This Pullback”, the stock was starting to show signs of weakness one month earlier. In the article, I arguedAnalyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of META, NVDA, GOOG either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Se ...

Core Viewpoint - Meta's ongoing news ban in Canada is significantly impacting the consumption of traditional media, particularly as the country approaches an election, leading to a reliance on alternative sources for news [3][5][12]. Group 1: Impact on Traditional Media - Meta has restricted access to news websites on its platforms in response to the Online News Act, which requires compensation for journalism outlets [3][12]. - Users are increasingly exposed to news content through non-traditional means such as memes and videos, which may lack the context provided by established journalism [3][4]. - The engagement with content from news media has declined, resulting in a narrower understanding of political issues among the public [5][10]. Group 2: Shift in Information Sources - Candidates and citizen journalists are now using social media to communicate directly with voters, bypassing traditional media channels [6][11]. - Content creators are gaining popularity for their political commentary, often presenting viewpoints that diverge from mainstream media [8][9]. - The reliance on secondary sources for news increases the risk of misinformation and creates echo chambers, where users receive filtered information [10][11]. Group 3: Alternative Media and User Engagement - Some independent journalists are adapting by repackaging their reporting into short-form videos to engage audiences on platforms like TikTok and YouTube [11][13]. - There is a growing demand for local coverage, as evidenced by the engagement levels of independent outlets despite the challenges posed by Meta's news ban [13][14]. - The current media landscape is characterized by a mix of high-quality and questionable news sources, making it difficult for users to discern reliable information [11].

Highlights The Federal Trade Commission began laying out its landmark antitrust case against Meta Platforms in federal district court on Monday (April 14). The FTC asserted that Meta chose to acquire competitors like Instagram and WhatsApp rather than compete. The FTC began investigating Meta prior to the 2020 election and filed the lawsuit in December of that year. The Federal Trade Commission began laying out its landmark antitrust case against Meta Platforms in federal district court in Washi ...