A critical part of Mark Zuckerberg’s defence in the most serious antitrust challenge in Meta’s history this week had little to do with the technology giant and much to do with TikTok.
In testimony across three days, the billionaire tech founder repeatedly told a US federal court in Washington that the video platform owned by Chinese parent ByteDance had grown to become a tremendous competitor.
The plaudits of his rival had a goal: quashing US Federal Trade Commission allegations that Meta retained an illegal monopoly, charges that, if proven, could potentially have more far-reaching consequences for Zuckerberg’s business than any commercial threat it faces.