Meta Accused of Stealing Rival Plan to Deploy Instagram Shopping

Meta Platforms Inc. was sued in federal court by a London-based firm that accused the tech giant of copying its business plan to monopolize the market for “tag-based shopping” through social media content.

Plaintiff Ollywan Ltd. alleges that Meta stole the company’s technology to launch a copycat product named Instagram Shopping, according to a Sept. 26 complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Tag-based shopping is an emerging market that allows users to access product information and complete purchases without leaving a social media platform.

“Instead of competing on the merits of their respective ...