[nugget]

Google acquired YouTube and Facebook acquired Instagram. Both for what seemed like insane valuations at the time. Both were brilliant defensive acquisitions in hindsight. Both fueled tech valuations by illustrating the opportunity for rapid disruption.

[Apocryphon]

Wonder how it’d go if the DoJ actually practiced antitrust towards tech again. The EU Commission does, at least.

[fallingknife]

Both of those acquisitions were tiny $1 billion buys. They only grew into massive entities under their new corporate parents. Antitrust doesn't apply to such a situation. They could only be seen as critical acquisitions in hindsight.

[kolinko]

Youtube felt like a major new platform even at the time of acquisition, and google tried to compete by launching google videos - but failed.

[scarface74]

Seeing that YouTube would have been sued out of existence, what difference would it make?

And how would a search engine company buying out a non profitable video platform that had no means of making money have triggered anti trust action?