Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more. It ranks among top American tech companies. Acquisitions include Oculus and Mapillary. Meta focuses on advertising for revenue.
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 the early version of Facebook, that had a restricted audience and limited features.
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 March 2005, Facebook allows high school networks to join the platform, expanding its user base. This marks a significant milestone in the platform's growth and reach.
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.
In June 2005, the company officially changes its name to Facebook, reflecting its expansion beyond college networks. This rebranding signifies a pivotal moment in the platform's identity.
The company acquires the facebook.com domain and drops the "The" in its name.
Facebook expands into high schools, broadening its user base beyond college students.
In December 2005, Facebook added a tagging feature, allowing users to identify and mention friends in pictures, posts, and comments, enriching the social interaction of the platform.
In April 2006, Facebook made its platform available on mobile devices, expanding its accessibility to users on the go.
By September 2006, Facebook expanded its access to anyone above the age of twelve with a valid email address, leading to a significant increase in its user base.
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 April 2007, Facebook's user base reached 20 million, marking a significant milestone in its global expansion.
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.
By October 2007, Facebook's user base grew to 50 million, reflecting its rapid and widespread adoption.
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.
Mark Zuckerberg donates $100 million to the Newark, New Jersey, public school system.
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.
Zuckerberg is named Time Person of the Year in recognition of his impact and influence.
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.
In 2012, Facebook went public with an initial public offering (IPO) that valued the company at over $100 billion. However, the IPO was marred by technical glitches and accusations of insider trading, and the company’s stock price initially struggled.
In May 2013, Facebook introduced stickers, adding an appealing and colorful way for users to enhance their conversations with images and animations.
In August 2013, Facebook launched Internet.org, aiming to increase global Internet penetration and provide access to the underprivileged.
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 February 2016, Facebook introduced Reactions, expanding the traditional 'Like' button with a more nuanced set of emotions for posts.
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.
In June 2016, Facebook introduced a secret soccer game within Messenger, offering users a hidden gaming experience.
In April 2017, Facebook announced Facebook Spaces, a virtual reality experience for users to interact in a shared virtual environment.
In October 2017, Facebook acquired the social media app tbh, known for its positive and anonymous polling 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 May 2019, Facebook released its virtual reality headset, Oculus Quest, marking the company's initial foray into the concept of a metaverse and its investment in virtual reality (VR) technology.
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.
In May 2020, Facebook acquired GIPHY, an online platform for creating and sharing animated GIFs, aiming to enhance visual content on its properties.
In June 2020, Facebook added Dark Mode for its mobile applications, offering users an alternative interface theme in darker colors for better viewing experience.
In November 2020, Facebook announced the acquisition of Kustomer, a customer relationship management platform, to enhance its e-commerce capabilities and compete with online retailers like Amazon.
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.
In January 2022, Meta Platforms introduced Oculus Quest, marking a significant milestone in the company's foray into virtual reality technology. This event contributed to the expansion of Meta's technological ecosystem.
On May 9, 2022, Meta Platforms Inc. opened its first physical store in Burlingame, California, offering consumers VR hands-on experience with its products.
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.
On September 14, 2022, Facebook launched the Community Chats feature, combining Messenger and Facebook Groups to create real-time chat, voice, and video channels.
On October 11, 2022, Meta announced partnerships with NBCUniversal and Microsoft to enhance Quest VR with Peacock streaming and Microsoft 365 productivity tools.
On October 25, 2022, Meta launched the Quest Pro, a high-end VR headset with multitasking capabilities, targeting specific user segments.
In February 2023, Facebook announced its rebranding to Meta. This move signified a shift in focus towards the metaverse and broader technological innovations.
On February 8, 2023, Creator Studio merged with Business Suite, introducing enhanced features for creators and businesses on the Meta platform.
On February 24, 2023, Meta introduced LLaMA, a large language model designed to aid researchers in the AI subfield, aiming to democratize access to such models.
On February 27, 2023, Meta announced the creation of a new group focused on generative AI, aiming to offer creative and expressive tools, including generative AI-powered chat experiences.
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 introduced the Threads app, focusing on real-time conversations, and garnered 30 million sign-ups, creating a welcoming public space to connect like-minded individuals.
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.