Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has alleged that Mark Zuckerberg deliberately held back the platform’s growth, fearing it could outshine Facebook. Systrom made the claims while testifying during the ongoing Meta monopoly trial in the United States.

According to Systrom, Meta’s CEO refused to allocate necessary resources to Instagram, including staff for developing video tools, in 2017. “We were given zero of 300 incremental video heads, which is an unacceptable and offensive outcome,” he said, as reported by the Financial Times. “Every company needs to make trade-offs, but it felt like something else was going on.”

Power struggle within the Meta empire

Zuckerberg acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 when the photo-sharing app was rapidly gaining popularity. But Systrom believes the Facebook founder grew uneasy about Instagram’s success. “As the founder of Facebook, he felt a lot of emotion around which one was better, Instagram or Facebook,” he said.

Knee & Joint Pain Will Go Away if You Do This Every Morning!

knee & joint pain will go away if you do this every morning!...

April 26, 2025

3:17 am

After Reading This, You Will Be Rich in 7 Days. Simple trick

after reading this, you will be rich in 7 days. simple trick...

April 26, 2025

3:29 am

My weight was 198 lbs, and now it’s 128 lbs! My diet is simple. 1/2 Cup Of This (Before Bed)

my weight was 198 lbs, and now it’s 128 lbs! my diet is simple. 1/2 cup of this (before bed)...

April 26, 2025

3:35 am

Hair Grows Back in 2 Weeks! at Any Stage of Baldness

hair grows back in 2 weeks! at any stage of baldness...

April 26, 2025

3:14 am

By 2018, internal concerns about Facebook’s declining engagement were mounting. The US Federal Trade Commission cited a confidential email in which Zuckerberg considered slowing Instagram’s growth to avoid a “network collapse” on Facebook. Systrom supported that theory during his testimony.

“There was dramatic softness in terms of [Facebook’s] US daily active users, and everyone had their theories why,” he said. “Mark Zuckerberg and [Meta executive] Chris Cox believed it was Instagram’s growth that had by and large contributed to the softness.”

Departure and fallout

Systrom and co-founder Mike Krieger left Instagram in September 2018, soon after Zuckerberg decided to merge Instagram more closely with Facebook and WhatsApp, pushing his vision of a “family of apps.”

Always look young. This product removes wrinkles instantly!

always look young. this product removes wrinkles instantly!...

April 26, 2025

3:30 am

The Fungus Will Disappear In 1 Day! Write Down An Expert's Recipe

the fungus will disappear in 1 day! write down an expert's recipe...

April 26, 2025

3:37 am

4 Signs Telling That Parasites Are Living Inside Your Body

4 signs telling that parasites are living inside your body...

April 26, 2025

3:15 am

Read This Immediately if You Have Moles or Skin Tags, It's Genius

read this immediately if you have moles or skin tags, it's genius...

April 26, 2025

3:37 am

“We were a threat to their growth,” Systrom said. “If Instagram didn’t grow as quickly, Facebook wouldn’t shrink or plateau as quickly. I don’t think he [Zuckerberg] ever said it out loud that way, but that was the only reason we were having this discussion.”

Zuckerberg’s defense

Earlier in April, Zuckerberg testified for over seven hours across two days in the same trial. When asked by attorney Daniel Matheson whether acquiring Instagram was a way to neutralize a competitive threat, he defended the move as a “reasonable thing to do.”

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2020, accuses Meta of using acquisitions, including Instagram and WhatsApp, to eliminate competition and secure an illegal monopoly in the social media space.

This article Zuckerberg hindered Instagram’s growth to protect Facebook, founder claims: Instagram founder appeared first on BreezyScroll.

Read more on BreezyScroll.