Meta Platforms

Mark Zuckerberg created Facemash, a 'hot or not' website that compared female Harvard students side by side, providing technical insights for the future development of Facebook.

Meta Platforms, originally known as Facebook, was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow students at Harvard University in 2004. It started as a social networking platform exclusively for Harvard students and later expanded to other universities and eventually to the public.

Mark Zuckerberg launched TheFacebook with his friends, initially limiting access to only Harvard students. The platform later expanded to include students from other colleges.

On April 13, 2004, Facebook formally established itself as a limited liability company (LLC), providing a legal framework and clarity for its early growth.

In April 2005, Facebook received a significant investment of US$12.7 million from Accel Partners, valuing the company at US$98 million. This investment marked a turning point in the expansion and growth of Facebook.

The company acquires the facebook.com domain and drops the "The" in its name.

In January 2007, Facebook launched mobile access, allowing users to access the platform directly from their cell phones, further enhancing the convenience of social networking with technology.

In May 2007, Facebook unveiled the Facebook Platform, providing developers with tools to create third-party applications, games, and features within the Facebook ecosystem, opening up new opportunities for innovation.

Facebook launched Facebook Beacon, a targeted ad system that published users’ activities on external sites without permission, leading to significant privacy concerns and a class-action lawsuit.

On October 2, 2008, Facebook established its international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, signaling the company’s global expansion and commitment to serving its growing user base outside the United States.

In February 2009, Facebook introduced the infamous Like button, which became one of the most significant features of the platform.

In November 2009, Facebook discontinued the Beacon functionality, which had drawn privacy concerns, showing the company's responsiveness to user privacy complaints and critiques about it.

By July 2010, Facebook had more than 500 million active users, solidifying its position as a dominant force in the social media landscape.

In November 2010, Facebook achieved the milestone of becoming the third-largest web company, valued at a remarkable $41 billion, showcasing its rapid growth and influence in the tech industry.

In June 2011, Facebook partnered with Skype to enable video chat on the platform, enhancing real-time video conversations with friends directly on Facebook.

In August 2011, Facebook launched Messenger, a dedicated instant messaging app, expanding its services and enhancing user experience.

In April 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion, a strategic move to strengthen its position in the social media market and broaden its user base.

Facebook goes public with its initial public offering, marking a significant milestone in its financial history.

On its 10th birthday in 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp, Oculus, and Atlas, expanding its portfolio and influence in the tech industry.

Zuckerberg and his wife pledge to donate 99% of their Facebook stock over their lifetime to promote equality and the human potential.

In March 2016, Facebook announced the acquisition of Masquerade, a face-swapping app, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition was aimed at competing with Snapchat, known for its facial recognition and augmented reality features.

Facebook suspends a data firm called Cambridge Analytica for harvesting user data through a third-party app, leading to a major privacy breach.

In September 2019, Facebook announced the acquisition of CTRL-labs, a neurotechnology startup, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition was intended to enable Facebook to develop new human-computer interfaces using brain-machine interfaces and advanced technologies.

On June 28, 2021, Facebook achieved a significant milestone by reaching a peak market value of $1 trillion, despite a portion of users transitioning to other apps.

Facebook changes its corporate name to 'Meta' as a rebranding move amid wide-ranging scrutiny of its various platforms.

On October 29, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would be rebranded as Meta, aligning with the company's new focus on building the metaverse, which has been viewed by some as an effort to distance from the negative reputation associated with the name 'Facebook'.

In November 2021, Meta Platforms, previously known as Facebook, experienced a significant phase of evolution. This period marked key developments in the platform's history and technological advancements.

On August 27, 2022, Meta reached a settlement in the lawsuit accusing Facebook of unlawfully sharing user data with Cambridge Analytica, resolving a significant legal issue.

In February 2023, Facebook announced its rebranding to Meta. This move signified a shift in focus towards the metaverse and broader technological innovations.

On March 17, 2023, Meta Verified, a subscription service present on Facebook and Instagram, was live in the US, aiming to provide verified creators with exclusive features and account protection.

Meta Platforms, previously known as Facebook, underwent a journey from its founding in 2004 to its rebranding as Meta. This transformation marked a pivotal moment in the company's history.

Meta was fined $1.3 billion by the European Union for violating data privacy regulations by transferring user data from Europe to the US.

Meta launched the Quest 3 VR headset with improvements including a lighter, slimmer design, a Qualcomm chip providing double graphics power, and additional storage options. The 128GB version was priced at $499.99.

Meta launched Llama 2, which includes starting code for pretrained and fine-tuned language models with parameters ranging from 7B to 70B. Trained on 2 trillion tokens, Llama 2 has double the context length of Llama 1 and outperforms other open-source language models on various benchmarks.

Facebook announced new AI Experiences across apps and devices, including AI stickers and editing tools for image cooperation, Meta AI, a conversational assistant, and a total of 28 new AI betas. Meta plans to offer AIs to businesses and creators, and also adding an AI studio for companies to customize and build their own AIs.

Meta and Ray-Ban launched Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses with upgraded cameras, a personal audio system, livestreaming capability, and their own security system to address privacy concerns. The 32GB version offers 12-megapixel photos and 1080p videos and is equipped with five microphones.

Meta introduced Emu Video and Emu Edit, leveraging the Emu model for image and video generation as well as detailed editing instructions for various image editing tasks.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to develop open-source artificial general intelligence (AGI) by bringing together FAIR and GenAI teams, aiming to build full general intelligence widely accessible through responsible open sourcing.

On February 1, 2024, Meta posted a sharp increase in profit and revenue for the fourth quarter. This was attributed to cost-cutting measures and a rebound in advertising.

February 3, 2024, marked the 20th anniversary of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's creation of Facebook. This milestone highlighted the two-decade evolution of the social media giant.

In February 2024, Meta Platforms announced the shutdown of face recognition technology. This decision reflected the company's response to privacy concerns and regulatory changes.