Facebook owner Meta Platforms must face trial in a U.S. Federal Trade Commission lawsuit seeking its break-up over claims that it bought Instagram and WhatsApp to crush emerging competition in social media,

According to a Reuters report, a Washington judge ruled Wednesday that Meta (NASDAQ:META) must face trial in a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission, which is seeking its breakup, alleging the social media giant bought Instagram and WhatsApp to eliminate emerging competition.

Meta Platforms Inc. will face a somewhat scaled-back antitrust trial over its alleged dominance of social networking after a federal judge threw out some allegations by the US Federal Trade Commission,