Facebook, now officially known as Meta Platforms, Inc., is a social media and technology company founded by Mark Zuckerberg along with his college roommates Andrew McCollum, Eduardo Saverin, Chris Hughes, and Dustin Moskovitz. It was launched on February 4, 2004. Originally created as a platform for Harvard students, it quickly expanded to other Ivy League universities and eventually became available to anyone over the age of 13 with a valid email address.

Key Information about Facebook/Meta:

1. Founding and Growth:

• Launch Date: February 4, 2004
• Founders: Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, and Mark Zuckerberg.
• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, USA
• Original Name: The Facebook
• Rebranding: On October 28, 2021, the company rebranded as Meta Platforms, Inc. to reflect its focus on building the metaverse.

2. Products and Services:

• Facebook: The original social networking service allowing users to create profiles, post updates, share photos and videos, and connect with friends and family.
• Messenger: A messaging app originally part of Facebook but now a standalone application.
• Instagram: A photo and video sharing social networking service acquired by Facebook in 2012.
• WhatsApp: A messaging and voice-over-IP service acquired by Facebook in 2014.
• Oculus: A virtual reality hardware and software company acquired in 2014, now part of Meta’s focus on the metaverse.

3. User Base:

• Monthly Active Users: As of 2023, Facebook had over 2.9 billion monthly active users, making it one of the largest social media platforms globally.

4. Business Model:

• Revenue Sources: Primarily generated from advertising, with businesses paying to promote their products and services to Facebook’s extensive user base.
• Data Collection: Facebook collects and utilizes user data for targeted advertising.

5. Controversies and Challenges:

• Privacy Concerns: Facebook has faced numerous privacy-related issues, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018, where personal data of millions of users was harvested without consent.
• Misinformation and Content Moderation: The platform has been criticized for spreading misinformation and hate speech, leading to challenges in content moderation.
• Antitrust Issues: Facebook has been scrutinized by regulators and governments for its market dominance and acquisition strategies, which some argue stifle competition.

6. Future Focus:

• Metaverse Development: Under the Meta brand, the company is focusing on building a virtual environment called the metaverse, which includes augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences.

7. Leadership:

• CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
• COO: Sheryl Sandberg (until 2022, succeeded by Javier Olivan)

Meta Platforms, Inc. continues to evolve and expand its services, aiming to lead the development of the metaverse and other advanced digital experiences.