Thursday, May 29, 2025

PBS NewsHour explains 'How Meta's blockbuster antitrust trial could have major implications for big tech' — a Throwback Thursday special

Happy Throwback Thursday! I'm returning to what I wrote in BBC News asks 'Will Bluesky be able to rival X or Twitter?' A Wayback Wednesday special, "I plan on getting to Zuckerberg and Meta's legal fight with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Flashback Friday, when I finish this series with the blog's year on Instagram and Threads." I wrote Howtown asks 'How accurate was the Covid death count?' A Flashback Friday pandemic update instead, so I'm covering the case today.* I begin with PBS NewsHour explaining How Meta's blockbuster antitrust trial could have major implications for big tech.

A blockbuster antitrust trial between Meta and the Federal Trade Commission is underway. The government alleges the company monopolized the social media market when it purchased Instagram and WhatsApp. The trial could have major implications for big tech. Stephanie Sy discussed the case with Rebecca Allensworth, a law professor at Vanderbilt University.
That was in April. The trial is still going on, so I turn to The Verge for an update in Inside the Meta monopoly trial | The Vergecast, uploaded two days ago.

After more than a month of testimony, the Meta antirust trial is beginning to slow down. The Google search remedies trial, meanwhile, is about to heat up again, with closing arguments coming soon. The Verge’s Lauren Feiner has been in the DC courthouse for all of it, and has finally emerged to tell us about what she’s seen, and learned, from two all-important monopoly trials. After that, The Verge’s Victoria Song tells us about her latest experience with Google’s smart glasses prototypes, what Google is doing differently from Meta and Apple, and what she thinks Jony Ive and OpenAI might be building. Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline about what to do now that Mozilla is shutting down Pocket.
I don't use WhatsApp, but I do use Instagram and X competitor Threads. The latter two are tied so closely together that I have a hard time seeing how the two would be separated without imparing Threads, even though Threads doesn't seem to be an issue in this case by itself. I might be wrong, but I don't know how. In any event, this trial will last long enough, short of a surprise settlement, that Tech Policy has scheduled FTC v. Meta: Takeaways from A Landmark Trial for June 26th. That will make for a post that I can share in July. Wowzers!

Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the blog's year on Instagram and Threads, which will complete this series.


MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 5 had the most views on Instagram during the blogging year, 24. It also had 3 likes.

PBS Terra asks 'Is This Type of Fire IMPOSSIBLE to Stop?' had the second most views on Instagram during the 2024-2025 blogging year, 18, but no other interactions.

Mardi Gras marching bands and one drum corps on Marching Music Day had the the third most views on Instagram during the 2024-2025 blogging year with 17 and also had 2 likes.

SciShow explains 'Why Planes Drop Millions of Flies on Panama Every Day' and Vox asks 'Is it time to worry about bird flu?' tied for most likes on Instagram during February 2025 and the 2024-2025 blogging year with four each.

Asteroid Day, past, present, and future was from June, but it earned its four likes during July to be the most active on Instagram during the month and tied for most likes during the blogging year.

'The debate over the Anthropocene, explained' by Vox and SciShow had four likes, most during June 2024, and two comments, tied for most during June 2024 to be the most active link on Instagram during the month. It also tied for most likes during the blogging year.

PBS Terra asks 'Why Are Some Cities ATTRACTING Storms While Others REPEL Them?' earned 3 comments during December and 4 total over two months for the most comments on Instagram during the blogging year. It also earned a total of 3 likes over two months but had no record of any likes during November 2024, so I awarded it most liked during December 2024. I also got a follow and message from the share, the most of either last year. Too bad the person who followed and messaged me was banned, most likely for being a scammer. Darn.



Stewart, Colbert, and Kimmel recap last night's debate from September 11, 2024 was the most viewed link on Threads during September 2024 earning 3 likes and 1 repost on 708 views, the most for the month and blogging year.

Mardi Gras marching bands and one drum corps on Marching Music Day had 371 views on Threads, the second most during the blogging year (corrected since PBS Terra asks 'The Biggest Climate Scam Ever?' for a Flashback Friday Arbor Day), to be one of the most active on Threads during the first 3 weeks of March 2025 and year.

Colbert and Kimmel react to the State of the Union Address had 360 views by March 20, 2025, third most of the blogging year (corrected since Kosta, Colbert, and Meyers take closer looks at tariffs on Flashback Friday), to be one of the most active on Threads during the first 3 weeks of March 2025 and all of the 2024-2025 blogging year. It ended March with 519 views to be the most viewed of the month.

I shared Projection is the Right's favorite defense mechanism from March 9, 2012 on July 14, 2024. It earned 19 likes, the most likes on Threads during the blogging year, one repost, and 253 views to be the most active on Threads during July 2024.

'Banshee: Ireland's Screaming Harbinger of Death' from PBS Storied for St. Patrick's Day had 2 likes, 2 reposts, most on Threads during the blogging year, and 270 views to be one of the most active on Threads during the first 3 weeks of March 2025.

Take 'A 538 Election Road Trip', a driving update earned 1 like and 1 reply, the most replies on Threads during the 2024-2025 blogging year.

'SNL' lampoons the Fox News interview of Kamala Harris in its cold open earned 1 follow on Threads, the most follows of one of my shares on that platform last year.

This concludes my look back at the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News. Stay tuned as I resume my coverage of the News & Doc Emmy Awards.

*I was traveling the past week, and writing this post then would have taken more time than I had, so I postponed it. Besides, I was hoping for an outcome to the trial by now. Hah! Not yet.

Previous posts in this series Previous retrospectives about top Instagram and Threads shares
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1 comment:

  1. Pinku-SenseiMay 31, 2025 at 10:30 AM

    Thanks to driftglass for linking to this entry in Mike's Blog Roundup at Crooks and Liars and welcome to all of his readers who came here from his link. Also, welcome to all my international readers from Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Austria, India, Germany, Taiwan, and the rest of the planet. I'm giving special shout-outs to my Singaporean, Brazilian, and Vietnamese readers, who provided 10,169, 8,145, and 7,549 page views respectively this past week, each more than the 1,351 page views from my American readers! Looks like you're checking in on the mood here in the U.S. May my blog be the right place for you!

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