Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta, and formerly named Facebook, Inc., and TheFacebook, Inc., is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, among other products and services. Meta ranks among the largest American information technology companies, alongside other Big Five corporations Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. The company was ranked #31 on the Forbes Global 2000 ranking in 2023. In 2022, Meta was the company with the third-highest expenditure on research and development worldwide, with R&D expenditure amounting to US$35.3 billion.

Some of the key events about Meta Platforms

2004
Launched Facebook as a social networking platform for college students
2006
Opened Facebook registration to anyone over 13 years old with a valid email address
2010
Introduced the "Like" button, revolutionizing user engagement on social media
2011
Settled a lawsuit over its "Sponsored Stories" feature for $20 million
2012
Acquired Instagram, expanding its social media portfolio
2012
Acquired Instagram for $1 billion, raising antitrust concerns
2014
Acquired WhatsApp, further expanding its messaging capabilities
2014
Conducted controversial emotional manipulation study on users without explicit consent
2015
Launched Internet.org initiative to provide free internet access in developing countries
2016
Introduced Facebook Live, allowing users to broadcast live video to their audience
2016
Faced criticism for allowing the spread of fake news during the U.S. presidential election
2017
Launched Oculus Rift, bringing virtual reality technology to consumers
2018
Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed improper access to data of millions of users
2018
Admitted to storing millions of user passwords in plain text, compromising security
2019
Agreed to pay $5 billion fine to FTC for privacy violations
2020
Committed $100 million to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic
2021
Rebranded as Meta, signaling a shift towards developing the metaverse
2021
Whistleblower leaked internal documents revealing knowledge of platform's negative effects
2021
Rebranded as Meta amid growing controversies, seen by some as an attempt to distract
2023
Fined €1.2 billion by EU for violating GDPR data transfer rules

Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.