8 times Meta has been accused of copying competitors’ features

Zuckerberg testified extensively in the FTC's antitrust trial against Meta, defending against accusations of anti-competitive practices. Emails revealed Zuckerberg's strategy of acquiring nascent competitors like Instagram and Path to prevent disruptive growth. He argued his emails were general, not specifically referencing those companies. Critics contend Meta's strategy involves aggressively copying successful features from competitors. Numerous examples demonstrate Meta's pattern of replicating features from other platforms, including Instagram Stories, Lasso, and Reels. These copies often followed the success of similar features on other apps, such as Snapchat and TikTok. While many companies borrow ideas, Meta's speed and scale of imitation are unique. Meta's copycat strategy, although often criticized, has contributed significantly to its dominance in social media. Several of Meta's copycat features ultimately failed to gain traction and were discontinued. The FTC's case against Meta challenges the legality of this business model.