The Market Signal: Meta's Opening Arguments at FTC Trial

And, what they reveal about Netflix's "ambitious objectives" for 2030

The Medium identifies essential signals on how technology is shaping the business of culture, and how the marketplace is evolving in response.

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The Market Signal

Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) antitrust trial against Meta Platforms—owner of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp—commenced in Washington, D.C.

Meta's opening defense included an 88-slide presentation arguing why it doesn't meet the definition of a "monopolist" under U.S. antitrust law. It included this slide on how video drives engagement on Facebook.

Meta's counsel did not share comparable Instagram figures but implied similar patterns when discussing apps diverting usage from Instagram, with YouTube ranking first and TikTok third.

Why It Matters

This connects to my October essay, "Meta, Small Business Creators & 'AI Television Universes,'" which examined Meta's AI ambitions in two ways.

Meta, Small Business Creators & “AI Television Universes”

First, Meta's AI will enable small businesses to become "premium content" creators like Hollywood studios, blurring lines between publishers and advertisers. Meta believes "small businesses are becoming creators faster than creators are becoming small businesses."

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🎙️ New Audio Series

For my sixth interview in the Voices In ChAInge interview series, I spoke with Allie Dietzek, an independent business development consultant who has worked mostly in the innovation and digital product design and development space.

Voices in ChAInge is a series of 12 short interviews (1.5 to 5 minutes long) that offer a wide variety of answers to this simple question: “What is a recent market signal or development in AI that forced you to rethink a key business assumption?”

Listen on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or copy this RSS Feed into your preferred podcast platform.

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