Al Capone
A century ago, gangster Al Capone was alleged to have been involved with prostitution, illegal gambling and murder, including the St. Valentine’s Day murder.
I say alleged, because Mr. Capone was tried but never convicted of any of the above. In 1931 the Justice Department changed its strategy and convicted him of tax evasion. He was given an 11-year sentence and was released early, in 1939. His health subsequently declined and he died in 1947.
Had there not been laws on tax evasion that could land a person in jail, Mr. Capone may very well have continued his crime spree.
Failed Attempt
The New York Times reported on January 20, 2026 that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it will reopen its pursuit of anti-trust charges against Meta, parent of Facebook, regarding its acquisition of both Instagram and What’s App.
The judge in the original case, Judge James E. Boasberg, ruled that Meta did not violate anti-trust law with the two acquisitions.
Judges should interpret the law and not legislate from the bench. If Judge Boasberg believes that Meta did not violate anti-trust law with these acquisitions, it is important to know where in federal law he justifies his position. The F.T.C. originally sought charges that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1927 was violated. Meta argued that it faces competition from apps like You Tube and Tik Tok.
There is a video on YouTube from 2010 where Mark Zuckerberg states at a company address that Facebook does not acquire companies for the company itself, but to acquire the individual or individuals behind it. In other words, he explained this as his method of acquiring top talent. However, as a result, the companies these people started, all tech companies, simply disappeared. Nice way to quietly get rid of any rising competition, isn’t it?
Analysis
If the F.T.C. is serious about revisiting this, the people there really need to look at why they lost the first time. If they apply the same evidence, they may get a similar result, even if ruled by a different judge. Perhaps looking at Meta’s (previously Facebook) ENTIRE acquisition history may provide additional evidence of anti-trust, monopolistic behavior. If they feel they still have a weak case, perhaps amending federal law to provide them with a wider net would bring Meta, and possibly others, to justice.
