Are ads inevitable – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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FTC v. Meta: the antitrust battle over Instagram and WhatsApp

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Are ads inevitable?

After Hemphill describes how Meta’s increased rate of showing users ads is negative for consumers, Boasberg asks him to square that notion with his claim that WhatsApp and Instagram would have had to make money eventually, whether or not they were part of Meta. Hemphill says that even if both served ads to users as independent apps, it might have been to a lesser degree than they do now, or they might have offered users other benefits in exchange.

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