Should Facebook Be Broken Up?

<p><em>This episode contains strong language.</em></p><p>When the photo-sharing app Instagram started to grow in popularity in the 2010s, the chief executive of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, had two options: build something comparable or buy it out. He opted for the latter.</p><p>The subsequent $1 billion deal is central to a case being brought against Facebook by the federal government and 48 attorneys general. They want to see the social network broken up.</p><p>Will they succeed? On today’s episode, we look at one of the biggest cases to hit Silicon Valley in decades.</p><p><br /></p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/mike-isaac" target="_blank"><strong>Mike Isaac</strong></a>,<strong> </strong>a technology correspondent for The New York Times. </p><p><br /></p><p>For an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline" target="_blank">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. You can read the latest edition <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily-newsletter" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>Regulators have accused Facebook of buying up rising rivals to<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/technology/facebook-antitrust-monopoly.html?searchResultPosition=8" target="_blank"> cement its dominance</a> over social media.</li><li>The cases against Facebook are far from a slam dunk — the standards of proof<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/10/technology/facebook-antitrust-suits-hurdles.html?searchResultPosition=6" target="_blank"> are formidable</a>.</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily" target="_blank">nytimes.com/thedaily </a></p>