This episode contains strong language.

When the photo-sharing app Instagram started to grow in popularity in the 2010s, the chief executive of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, had two options: build something comparable or buy it out. He opted for the latter.

The subsequent $1 billion deal is central to a case being brought against Facebook by the federal government and 48 attorneys general. They want to see the social network broken up.

Will they succeed? On today’s episode, we look at one of the biggest cases to hit Silicon Valley in decades.

Guest: Mike Isaac, a technology correspondent for The New York Times.

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Background reading:

• Regulators have accused Facebook of buying up rising rivals to cement its dominance over social media.
• The cases against Facebook are far from a slam dunk — the standards of proof are formidable.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily

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