Zuckerberg reportedly testified this week for the FTC
Another antitrust hearing is reportedly looking into Facebook's acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Zuckerberg is reportedly testifying on antitrust matters for the FTC.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly testified at a Federal Trade Commission antitrust hearing this week. His virtual testimony went for two days, according to a Politico report Thursday.
"We are committed to cooperating with the US Federal Trade Commission's inquiry and answering the questions the Agency may have," a Facebook company spokesperson told CNET in an emailed statement.
The news comes after a report last month by The Wall Street Journal said Zuckerberg and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg could be asked by the FTC to provide sworn legal testimony as part of a probe by the agency.
Facebook said last year that the FTC was investigating the company over antitrust matters. The FTC is reportedly looking into whether Facebook's $1 billion purchase of Instagram and $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp were a strategy to stifle competition and maintain dominance.
Emails last month revealed that Zuckerberg saw Instagram as a potential competitive threat prior to acquiring the social media platform. The emails were surfaced during an antitrust hearing with the House judiciary's antitrust subcommittee that saw not only Zuckerberg testify but also Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
The FTC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
