### Instagram Co-Founder Testifies Against Zuckerberg: A Threat Perceived In a landmark antitrust trial, Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, testified that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, viewed Instagram's rapid growth as a significant threat to Facebook. Systrom's statements were made during the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) lawsuit aimed at breaking up Meta, where he claimed that after acquiring Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, Zuckerberg deliberately restricted the app's resources to stifle its potential growth. This testimony raises critical questions about Meta's business practices and the implications for competition in the social media landscape. ### Key Segments of the Testimony and Allegations 1. **Zuckerberg's Perception of Threat**: Systrom asserted that Zuckerberg believed Instagram's success could undermine Facebook's dominance, leading to a strategic decision to limit Instagram's growth [https://www.theverge.com/policy/654069/instagram-co-founder-zuckerberg-saw-us-as-a-threat-to-facebook]. 2. **Resource Starvation**: The co-founder claimed that after the acquisition, Meta "starved" Instagram of essential resources, including staff and tools that had previously supported its growth [https://fortune.com/article/mark-zuckerberg-meta-instagram-growth-threat-facebook-instagram-cofounder]. 3. **Potential for Independent Success**: Systrom emphasized that Instagram had the potential to thrive independently without Meta's infrastructure, suggesting that the app could have achieved greater success had it not been integrated into Meta's ecosystem [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-22/instagram-s-systrom-claims-app-could-have-thrived-without-meta]. 4. **Disparity in Resources**: He highlighted the stark contrast in employee numbers, noting that while Instagram had reached a billion users, it operated with only 1,000 employees compared to Facebook's 35,000, indicating a significant underinvestment in the app [https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/instagram-co-founder-testifies-zuckerberg-feared-apps-success-leading-to-resource-starvation-62997.htm]. ### Supporting Evidence and Data - **Employee Count**: Instagram had approximately **1,000 employees** while Facebook had around **35,000** at the time of the acquisition, showcasing a significant disparity in resource allocation [https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/instagram-co-founder-testifies-zuckerberg-feared-apps-success-leading-to-resource-starvation-62997.htm]. - **User Base**: Instagram's user base reached **1 billion**, which was about **40%** of Facebook's total users at that time, indicating its potential for independent growth [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-22/instagram-s-systrom-claims-app-could-have-thrived-without-meta]. ### Conclusion: Implications of the Testimony The testimony from Kevin Systrom presents a compelling narrative regarding the dynamics between Instagram and Meta, suggesting that **Zuckerberg's fear of competition led to detrimental decisions for Instagram's growth**. The key points from Systrom's testimony can be summarized as follows: 1. **Zuckerberg's Threat Perception**: Zuckerberg viewed Instagram as a competitive threat to Facebook. 2. **Resource Limitation**: Post-acquisition, Instagram was deprived of necessary resources, hindering its growth. 3. **Independent Viability**: Instagram had the potential to succeed on its own, which was undermined by Meta's management. 4. **Resource Disparity**: The significant difference in employee numbers between Instagram and Facebook highlights the lack of investment in Instagram. This case could have far-reaching implications for how tech giants manage acquisitions and competition in the digital marketplace, potentially reshaping the landscape of social media [https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/04/23/instagrams-co-founder-testifies-metas-mark-zuckerberg-withheld-resources].