Meta Uses Apple's Messages App to Challenge Antitrust Claims: A Closer Look

In a high-profile legal battle, Meta is fighting against antitrust claims brought forward by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is attempting to break up the company. In a bid to defend itself, Meta has introduced an unexpected argument: comparing its suite of social platforms to Apple’s built-in Messages app. The company hopes to show that it is not a monopoly by highlighting the competition from Apple’s ubiquitous messaging service. Let’s break down what Meta is presenting, analyze its significance, and discuss what it means for the tech industry.

Meta’s Defense Strategy: Comparing to Apple’s Messaging App

Meta’s defense in the ongoing antitrust case revolves around showing that it faces significant competition in the messaging and social media space, particularly from Apple’s Messages app. According to slides from Meta’s legal team, which were reviewed by The Verge, one of the key pieces of evidence involves a comparison of weekly device usage for Apple’s Messages app against Meta’s popular platforms such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Here are the stats presented in the defense:

– Apple Messages: 88.39% device use on iOS

– Instagram: 48.19% device use on iOS

– Facebook Messenger: 37.55% device use on iOS

– WhatsApp: 36.76% device use on iOS

These figures are used by Meta to challenge the FTC’s argument that the messaging space is a monopoly dominated by Meta. By showing that Apple’s built-in Messages app has a much higher usage rate on iOS devices than Meta’s platforms, Meta is attempting to demonstrate that the market is not controlled by one player but is rather diverse and competitive.

An important part of the defense is a statement from Ronak Shah, Apple’s Director of Product Marketing. Shah describes iMessage as a “core use case” for users, highlighting that the app’s primary function is to allow users to communicate with people they know in their personal lives. This emphasizes that iMessage is a different kind of service compared to Meta’s platforms, which offer a broader range of social networking features.

While Apple’s Messages app is the most popular messaging service on iOS, Meta has made a point of noting that it still faces competition from other tech giants, such as TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat. The company argues that these platforms further demonstrate the highly competitive nature of the social media and messaging markets.

What Undercode Says: Analyzing Meta’s Defense

Meta’s choice to leverage Apple’s Messages app as a defense in its antitrust case is a smart, albeit controversial, move. At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive for Meta to rely on Apple’s own product to argue that it isn’t a monopoly. However, this tactic provides a unique angle by emphasizing that there is significant competition in the messaging space, which Meta claims should preclude any argument that it has monopolistic control.

First, Meta’s presentation of usage statistics provides a quantitative argument for the case. The comparison shows that, while Meta’s platforms have strong usage figures, they are far behind Apple’s native Messages app in terms of user engagement. This fact undermines the FTC’s stance that Meta’s services dominate the entire market, suggesting that users have alternative options, particularly on iOS.

However, this argument could be challenged on the grounds of ecosystem lock-in. Apple users often rely on iMessage as part of the larger iOS ecosystem, which is heavily integrated into users’ daily digital routines. In other words, iMessage is more than just a messaging service; it’s a feature that locks users into the Apple ecosystem. Meta, on the other hand, operates across various ecosystems, including Android, and is not tied to any single platform. This distinction could impact how the court views competition in the messaging sector.

Meta also goes further by naming other rivals, such as TikTok and Snapchat, but this shift in focus might be seen as an attempt to dilute the core issue. These platforms primarily serve different purposes: TikTok is focused on short-form video content, while Snapchat is more geared toward ephemeral messaging. While they are certainly competitors in the broader social media landscape, they don’t directly compete with Meta’s messaging apps in the same way Apple’s iMessage does. This could weaken Meta’s defense by spreading its argument too thin.

Additionally, Meta’s defense leans heavily on the idea that iMessage is part of Apple’s broader ecosystem, which is not necessarily indicative of free market competition. It’s possible that the court will recognize the strategic advantage Apple holds by integrating iMessage into its hardware offerings, which could make it harder for Meta or other competitors to gain equal footing.

Fact Checker Results

Apple’s Messages app is significantly more used on iOS than Meta’s offerings.
Meta’s claim that other platforms like TikTok and YouTube provide competition is valid, but these apps serve different functions than traditional messaging services.
Meta’s reliance on iMessage as evidence of competition may be undermined by the ecosystem lock-in that Apple provides through iOS.