HISTORY OF FACEBOOK
Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, Inc., was founded by Mark Zuckerberg along with his college roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes in February 2004. The platform was initially launched as "TheFacebook" and was intended to be a social networking site for Harvard University students. It quickly gained popularity and expanded to other Ivy League universities, then to colleges and universities across the United States and Canada, and eventually to anyone aged 13 and older with a valid email address.
### Key Milestones in Facebook's History:
**2004-2006: Early Growth and Expansion**
- **February 2004:** "TheFacebook" is launched at Harvard.
- **March 2004:** The service expands to Stanford, Columbia, and Yale.
- **June 2004:** Facebook moves its headquarters to Palo Alto, California.
- **September 2005:** The platform drops "The" from its name and becomes "Facebook." It also launches a high school version and introduces the "tagging" feature in photos.
- **2006:** Facebook opens registration to everyone aged 13 and older, with a valid email address. The News Feed feature is introduced.
**2007-2012: Rapid Expansion and Going Public**
- **May 2007:** Facebook launches the Facebook Platform, allowing third-party developers to build applications.
- **October 2008:** Facebook sets up its international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.
- **2009:** Facebook becomes the most used social networking service worldwide.
- **April 2012:** Facebook acquires Instagram for approximately $1 billion.
- **May 2012:** Facebook goes public with its initial public offering (IPO), raising $16 billion, the largest IPO for a technology company at the time.
**2013-2017: New Features and Acquisitions**
- **February 2014:** Facebook acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion.
- **March 2014:** Facebook acquires Oculus VR, a company specializing in virtual reality hardware and software.
- **April 2016:** Facebook Live is launched, allowing users to broadcast live video content.
**2018-Present: Privacy Concerns and Rebranding**
- **2018:** Facebook faces scrutiny and criticism over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from millions of Facebook profiles were harvested without user consent.
- **2019:** Facebook announces plans for a digital currency called Libra (later rebranded as Diem).
- **2020:** Facebook launches Facebook Shops to support e-commerce on the platform.
- **October 2021:** Facebook Inc. rebrands as Meta Platforms, Inc., to reflect its focus on building the metaverse, a collective virtual shared space, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences.
### Impact and Influence:
Facebook has transformed the way people connect, share information, and communicate globally. It has over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of 2021. The platform has played a significant role in social movements, political campaigns, and business marketing. However, it has also faced criticism regarding data privacy, misinformation, and its impact on mental health and society.
### Future Directions:
As Meta, the company is now heavily investing in developing the metaverse, an immersive virtual environment that promises to revolutionize the way people interact digitally. This shift indicates a broader vision beyond social networking, aiming to lead in the next era of internet evolution.
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