Instagram CEO Testifies TikTok Spurs Major Engagement Decline Amid FTC Antitrust Trial

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri testified in the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust trial against Meta, revealing how TikTok's rapid rise caused significant declines in Instagram's user engagement, with 23% of the drop in U.S. time spent attributed to TikTok by 2019. Mosseri stressed the urgent need for Instagram to adapt quickly, famously stating, "You're either growing, or you're slowly dying." Instagram's comeback strategy centered on enhancing its Reels feature with AI-driven recommendations, aiming to compete directly with TikTok, which Mosseri described as "the fiercest competition that we have faced." Despite Instagram's efforts, TikTok has evolved from a passive viewing platform to one equally participatory, incorporating friend-connection features traditionally associated with Instagram. Mosseri's testimony highlights Instagram's self-view as a direct competitor to TikTok, a point that supports the FTC's argument that Meta's dominance in personal social networking stifles competition. The trial underscores the broader debate over whether Meta's acquisitions and market behavior constitute illegal monopolization in the social networking space, distinguishing between social connection apps like Instagram and entertainment-focused platforms like TikTok and YouTube.