
Meta Platforms
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA global technology company operating major social, messaging, advertising, artificial-intelligence and virtual-reality products.
Last updated October 17, 2026
Overview
Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta, is an American technology company headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It began in 2004 as TheFacebook, an online social-networking service created by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students, and was incorporated as TheFacebook, Inc. The company changed its name to Facebook, Inc. in 2005 and developed from a college-oriented website into one of the world’s largest internet businesses. Meta’s principal consumer services include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads. These products support social networking, photo and video sharing, private and group communication, short-form content, creator activity and online communities. The company also operates advertising systems that monetize activity on its own platforms and distributes advertising through related channels. Advertising has historically generated the overwhelming majority of Meta’s revenue, making user engagement, targeting, measurement and privacy policy central to its business model. The company expanded through both internal development and acquisitions. Its purchase of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 brought two globally significant communication and media services into the Facebook group. Meta also developed a hardware and software business around Oculus, later marketed under the Meta Quest name, and partnered with EssilorLuxottica on Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses. These activities form part of the company’s Reality Labs segment, which focuses on virtual reality, augmented reality and related hardware and software. In October 2021, Facebook, Inc. announced a corporate rebrand to Meta Platforms, Inc. The change was intended to signal a longer-term strategic emphasis on the metaverse: interconnected digital environments using social, virtual-reality and augmented-reality technologies. The Facebook service retained its name, while the parent company adopted Meta. The metaverse strategy required substantial investment and became associated with both ambitious product development and significant financial pressure. Meta faced a difficult period in 2022. Apple’s app-tracking changes constrained advertising measurement, competition from TikTok challenged user attention, and post-pandemic economic conditions weakened digital advertising. The company announced large-scale workforce reductions, including approximately 11,000 jobs in November 2022 and a further planned reduction of about 10,000 positions in 2023. At the same time, it increased its emphasis on artificial intelligence, including specialized computing infrastructure and generative-AI models. In 2023, Meta launched Threads, a text-oriented social application positioned as a competitor to Twitter, and released Llama 2 for commercial use through cloud partnerships under a source-available model. The company also continued to develop Quest devices and mixed-reality experiences. Regulatory scrutiny remained extensive, covering privacy, competition, content moderation, children’s safety, political influence and cross-border data transfers. Meta is therefore both a major consumer internet brand and a heavily regulated global communications and advertising company whose future strategy combines social platforms, artificial intelligence and immersive computing.
History
Meta’s history began in 2004, when Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students created TheFacebook as a social-networking website. The service initially focused on college communities before expanding beyond campuses. The company was renamed Facebook, Inc. in 2005 and developed a large-scale advertising business around user profiles, social connections and engagement. Facebook became a public company in 2012. Its IPO was priced at $38 per share and gave the company an indicated valuation of approximately $104 billion. Trading on Nasdaq experienced technical difficulties, and the stock fell below its offering price during its first week. Despite the difficult debut, Facebook continued to grow its user base and advertising operations. It was added to the S&P 500 in 2013. The company’s expansion accelerated through acquisitions. Instagram joined Facebook in 2012, while WhatsApp was acquired in 2014. These transactions broadened the group from a single social network into a portfolio of global communication and media services. Facebook also pursued video, gaming, mobile applications and hardware. Its virtual-reality business grew from the Oculus acquisition and later became part of Reality Labs. During the late 2010s, Facebook faced increasing criticism and regulatory scrutiny involving privacy, platform governance, political advertising, misinformation, content moderation and market power. The company also experimented with products such as Lasso and pursued a cryptocurrency initiative initially called Libra. Libra was later renamed Diem and was ultimately shut down and sold in 2022 after regulatory and political resistance. The COVID-19 pandemic increased use of online communication and accelerated hiring. Facebook’s workforce expanded rapidly, but the company later concluded that it had overestimated the persistence of pandemic-era growth. Apple’s privacy changes reduced advertising measurement and targeting capabilities, while TikTok intensified competition for video consumption and younger users. In October 2021, Facebook, Inc. became Meta Platforms, Inc. The rebrand emphasized the metaverse, a strategic vision involving virtual and augmented reality, digital environments and new forms of online interaction. Meta continued to invest heavily in Quest hardware, software and immersive experiences, even as Reality Labs generated pressure on the broader business. In 2022 and 2023, Meta combined restructuring with renewed investment in artificial intelligence. The company announced substantial layoffs, increased spending on AI infrastructure and released Llama models, including Llama 2 for commercial use. It launched Threads in 2023 and continued operating Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger as its core global services. Meta remains an active public company, but its operations are shaped by continuing privacy, competition, safety, data-transfer and content-regulation disputes.
- 2023
Threads launches
[1]Meta releases Threads, a text-based social application linked to its broader social ecosystem.
- 2021
Rebrand to Meta Platforms
[1]The parent company adopts Meta Platforms, Inc. to reflect its metaverse-oriented strategy.
- 2014
WhatsApp acquisition
[1]Facebook acquires WhatsApp, expanding its global messaging operations.
- 2012
Initial public offering
[1]Facebook completes its public offering and begins trading on Nasdaq.
- 2012
Instagram acquisition
[1]Facebook acquires Instagram, adding a major mobile photo-sharing service to its portfolio.
- 2005
The company becomes Facebook, Inc.
[1]The corporate name changes from TheFacebook, Inc. to Facebook, Inc.
- 2004
TheFacebook is established
[1]The company begins as TheFacebook, a social-networking service founded by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students.
Products and positioning
A global technology platform seeking to connect people and communities while expanding from social networking and digital advertising into artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality.
Social network · 2004
Facebook
Meta’s original flagship social-networking service. Facebook enables profiles, feeds, groups, pages, events, video, marketplace activity and advertising. It remains a central distribution and identity layer for Meta’s consumer ecosystem.
Photo and video social network · 2010
Instagram
A visual social platform acquired by Facebook in 2012. Instagram centers on photos, video, Stories, Reels, messaging, creators, commerce and advertising.
Messaging service · 2009
WhatsApp
A global messaging service acquired by Facebook in 2014. WhatsApp supports individual and group messaging, voice and video calls, communities and business communication.
Messaging service · 2011
Messenger
Meta’s messaging service associated with Facebook, supporting direct communication, group conversations, calls and interactions with businesses and creators.
Social network · 2023
Threads
A text-oriented social application launched by Meta in 2023 and positioned as a service for public conversations and short posts.
Virtual-reality hardware · 2016
Meta Quest
A family of virtual-reality headsets and associated software developed through Meta’s Reality Labs business, formerly connected with the Oculus brand.
Artificial intelligence · 2023
Llama
Meta’s family of large language models. Llama 2 was announced in 2023 for commercial use through cloud partnerships under a source-available distribution approach.
Controversies
2026
Film 'The Social Reckoning' released, portraying whistleblower claims against Meta
The Social Reckoning, a film by Aaron Sorkin, was released this week, portraying whistleblower claims that Meta executives were aware of their products harming young people. A Hollywood Reporter review described Jeremy Strong's portrayal of Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg as a "full-on villain".
2026
Meta rolls out AI tools to detect ads leading to child sexual abuse material
Meta announced on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, that it is rolling out new AI tools to find ads and accounts that may be used to secretly direct people to illegal child sexual abuse material. The announcement followed the discovery of ads on its platforms that may look normal but direct users to harmful content elsewhere online.
2026
UK watchdog opens first Online Safety Act investigation into Meta
A UK watchdog has opened the first investigation under the UK Online Safety Act into Meta. This marks the initial use of the Act's investigative powers against the company. The source does not specify the alleged conduct or the scope of the probe, leaving the specific concerns under examination unstated. The event is dated 2026.
2026
Meta executives set to testify at New York City Council hearing on AI risks
Senior leaders from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta are scheduled to testify under oath on October 5, 2026 at a New York City Council 'Committee of the Whole' hearing on the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, where the companies will be asked to explain the threats AI presents and weigh in on potential legislative solutions. Anthropic, OpenAI and Google agreed to appear only after the Council threatened to subpoena them. Meta is represented by AI policy director for legislation Shane Cahill. The hearing follows intensifying scrutiny of leading AI labs' safety and security practices.
2026
Sen. Warren and Senate Democrats send letters to Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft seeking information on AI tax subsidies
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., joined by Democratic Sens. Tina Smith and Jeff Merkley, sent letters Sunday night to the CEOs of Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft seeking information on tax deductions the companies claimed for AI and data center development under the 2025 'one big beautiful bill' act and on their lobbying efforts ahead of the bill's passage. The letters cite falling corporate tax payments even as revenues rise, and request answers by Oct. 12. Spokespeople for all four companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
2026
New Mexico jury finds Meta misled users about Facebook data practices
A New Mexico jury found that Meta misled users about Facebook data practices, according to a Reuters report published on 2026-09-25. The finding, as reported by Reuters, concerns how the company communicated with users regarding its handling of Facebook data. The report does not specify further details of the proceedings or any resulting penalties. The event is recorded here as a controversy note based solely on the available Reuters report.
2026
Plaintiffs cite unsealed 'a/c priv' hats document in accusing Meta of 'culture of privilege abuse'
Lawyers suing Meta said this week that Meta has applied attorney-client privilege far too broadly in the ongoing lawsuits over alleged harm to teens' safety and mental health, pointing to a recently unsealed document showing that the team behind launching Instagram's Teen Accounts in 2024 (Project Nido) ordered baseball caps reading 'a/c priv.' The plaintiffs argue the swag is part of a 'culture of privilege abuse at Meta' aimed at keeping its internal research on teen harm out of the public eye. Meta has requested time through the end of this year to re-review other privilege redactions, while plaintiffs' lawyers say a neutral party should be appointed to lead the review, paid for by Meta.
2026
Amazon blocks Meta's Muse AI agent from purchasing products on its e-commerce app
Amazon blocked Meta's Muse AI personal agent from purchasing products on Amazon's e-commerce app, stating that the functionality would violate Amazon's terms of service. In a statement, Amazon said that third-party applications offering to make purchases on behalf of customers should operate openly and respect service provider decisions. Meta declined to comment on the matter.
2026
German court rules Meta liable for fake ads on Instagram and Facebook
A German court has ruled that Meta is liable for fake advertisements that appeared on its Instagram and Facebook platforms. The ruling addresses the company's responsibility for fraudulent advertising content published on these services. The decision was reported as a news event concerning the platform operator.
2026
Meta's Oversight Board orders the company to remove deepfake videos from Facebook
Meta's Oversight Board has ordered the company to remove deepfake videos from Facebook. The decision concerns deepfake videos hosted on the platform, and the board directed Meta to take them down. The order was reported as a news event involving the company and its oversight body. No further details about the videos, the individuals involved, or the outcome of the removal were provided in the available source material.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Meta corporate rebrand
Global
Meta presented the change from Facebook, Inc. to Meta Platforms as part of a public campaign explaining its long-term metaverse direction and investment in virtual and augmented reality.
Outcome. The corporate name changed while Facebook remained the name of the social-networking product.
Brand decisions
2023
Launch ThreadsProduct launchBackground
Meta sought to expand its social portfolio into text-based public conversation and compete for attention in a market associated with Twitter.
Action taken
Meta launched Threads as a new social application connected to its broader account and platform ecosystem.
Aftermath
Threads became an additional Meta consumer service and a prominent product launch in the company’s post-rebrand period.
2022
Increase artificial-intelligence investmentStrategyBackground
Meta faced weaker advertising conditions, competition for user attention and the need to improve recommendation and advertising systems.
Action taken
The company increased investment in AI hardware, software and research, later establishing a generative-AI group and developing Llama models.
Aftermath
AI became a central stated investment priority alongside the company’s social and Reality Labs businesses.
2022
Announce large-scale layoffsOtherBackground
Meta cited overexpansion after the pandemic, a weaker economic environment, competition and reduced advertising signals.
Action taken
Meta announced approximately 11,000 job cuts, representing about 13 percent of its workforce.
Aftermath
The company subsequently announced another planned reduction of about 10,000 employees and the closure of open positions in 2023.
2021
Adopt the Meta corporate identityStrategyBackground
Facebook’s leadership wanted the parent company’s name to reflect a strategic focus broader than the Facebook service, especially the development of a metaverse.
Action taken
The company changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms, Inc. and reorganized public communications around social, virtual-reality and augmented-reality technologies.
Aftermath
The rebrand established Meta as the parent identity, while Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp continued as product brands.
Recent events
- 2023
Meta launches Threads[1]
Product launch
Meta introduced Threads, a text-focused social application intended to compete with Twitter.
- 2023
Meta removes news content in Canada[1]
Regulation
Meta announced that Facebook and Instagram would permanently remove news content in Canada in response to the Online News Act.
- 2022
Meta reports major workforce reduction[1]
Leadership change · Other
Meta announced the elimination of approximately 11,000 jobs, citing overexpansion, economic weakness, competition and advertising signal loss.
- 2021
Meta announces corporate rebrand[1]
Other
Facebook, Inc. introduced Meta Platforms as its new corporate identity and linked the change to its metaverse strategy.
- 2021
Facebook changes name to Meta[24]
Product launch
Facebook宣布更名为Meta,以反映其对元宇宙的专注。
- 2012
Facebook files for an initial public offering[1]
Other
Facebook filed for an IPO and disclosed a proposed offering that valued the company at approximately $104 billion at the indicated share price.
- 2012
Facebook begins public trading[1]
Other
Trading began on Nasdaq after technical problems delayed the opening; the stock ended its first full week below its IPO price.
Sources106 sources
- 1Meta Platformsen.wikipedia.org
- 2Meta corporate websiteabout.meta.com
- 3Film 'The Social Reckoning' released, portraying whistleblower claims against Metabbc.co.uk
- 4Meta rolls out AI tools to detect ads leading to child sexual abuse materialtechcrunch.com
- 5UK watchdog opens first Online Safety Act investigation into Metanews.google.com
- 6Meta executives set to testify at New York City Council hearing on AI riskscnbc.com
- 7Sen. Warren and Senate Democrats send letters to Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft seeking information on AI tax subsidiescnbc.com
- 8New Mexico jury finds Meta misled users about Facebook data practicesnews.google.com
- 9Plaintiffs cite unsealed 'a/c priv' hats document in accusing Meta of 'culture of privilege abuse'theverge.com
- 10Amazon blocks Meta's Muse AI agent from purchasing products on its e-commerce appcnbc.com
- 11German court rules Meta liable for fake ads on Instagram and Facebooknews.google.com
- 12Meta's Oversight Board orders the company to remove deepfake videos from Facebooknews.google.com
- 13Meta notifies about 1,500 people after attackers access private GitHub repositoriestheyeshivaworld.com
- 14Muse users complain the AI agent accessed personal messages without permissiondailycampus.com
- 15Bank Leumi sues Meta for NIS 26.6 million over scam adstheyeshivaworld.com
- 16Meta ordered to pay US$567 million in New Mexico child-safety rulingnamibiansun.com
- 17New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567 millionnewkerala.com
- 18New Mexico fines Meta in youth safety casewbur.org
- 19New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $567 millionphilstar.com
- 20New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567 million and change youth-safety measuressiliconrepublic.com
- 21New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567 million and enact child-safety measuressrilankamirror.com
- 22Meta revises business account terms for website content usesiliconvalley.com
- 23Report says Meta employees described Lula’s accounts as hindered during Brazil electionnews.google.com
- 24Facebook更名为Metaabout.fb.com
- 258点1氪丨尊界SUV将给赛力斯生产?江淮汽车回应;字节跳动再现亿级爆款应用;Meta推出具备“前沿级能力”的Muse Wonder AI模型163.com
- 26科技巨头密集发布AI智能体与应用,催化AI应用落地与传媒板块大涨163.com
- 27曝梁文锋密集见机器人创业者;影石出货量累计突破1000万台;Meta发布Muse Wonder模型|极客早知道163.com
- 28小扎发布神秘西瓜模型,跑分媲美Opus 5.5,口碑却一言难尽tech.ifeng.com
- 29押注个人智能体赶超劲敌!Meta推出新模型Muse Wonder,扎克伯格称跻身AI前沿163.com
- 30亚历山大王首次自曝:Muse Wonder搞砸了,Meta就会直接破产!163.com
- 31早报|皮卡丘造访苹果,见到库克、特努斯/微信回应方言采集争议:已清理异常文本/鸿蒙生态设备突破8000万ifanr.com
- 32AI公司Manus正式恢复独立,Meta超20亿美元收购告吹,年经常性收入已破1亿美元finance.jrj.com.cn
- 33AI早报 | Meta计划在未来几周推出“Hatch”AI代理平台;英伟达宣布Groq 3 LPX量产163.com
- 34AI早报 | OpenAI办公室发现隐藏录音设备,涉事员工被捕;Meta推出AI工具,允许用户自主定制Facebook信息流163.com
- 35AI智谷歌Meta密集发布AI智能体,催化AI应用端落地163.com
- 36Everything is spying on you and there’s no opting outtheverge.com
- 37How to Play Meta Platforms Stock Before It Launches a Consumer AI Agentfinance.yahoo.com
- 38Mark Zuckerberg debuts $1,299 Meta VR Glasses and Muse Charm pendant as part of AI agent pushcnbc.com
- 39Meta (NASDAQ: META) Launches Muse Wonder AI Model In Direct Challenge To Anthropic And OpenAIforeignpolicyjournal.com
- 40Meta 推出 Meta AI 原生 Mac 应用:支持窗口共享、跨应用听写finance.sina.com.cn
- 41Meta AI Division Hit by 600 Job Cuts — What It Means for the Future of AI Workjobsnhire.com
- 42Meta AI rolls out beta Mac app featuring screen sharing and system-wide dictationmacdailynews.com
- 43Meta and YouTube say they will run ads for ‘Musk’ documentary after alltechcrunch.com
- 44Meta debuts AI coding agent Muse Code in race with OpenAI and Anthropicbusiness-standard.com
- 45Meta debuts Muse Wonder AI model in latest test of users' willingness to paycnbc.com
- 46Meta expected to unveil smart glasses without camera as privacy concerns grow - Reutersnews.google.com
- 47Meta gets fined again in New Mexico youth safety casewfae.org
- 48Meta gets to consumer AI device market before OpenAI, but Zuckerberg's strategy remains unprovencnbc.com
- 49Meta introduces multi-slide carousel canvas in Edits app for advanced Instagram post designadgully.com
- 50Meta launches first camera-free Ray-Ban Audio AI glasses at $349gcn.com
- 51Meta launches Muse Code AI agent to challenge OpenAI, Anthropic - Memeburnmemeburn.com
- 52Meta launches Muse for iPad following weeks as the top iPhone app - 9to5Mac9to5mac.com
- 53Meta launches Muse for Small Business as Zuckerberg pushes beyond consumer AI marketcnbc.com
- 54Meta launches Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full for AI agents · Diggdigg.com
- 55Meta launches Muse Wonder, catching OpenAI, Anthropic: How to try it, benchmark resultsmashable.com
- 56Meta launches new AI models to rival OpenAI and Anthropicbgnes.com
- 57Meta launches Wonder AI models to rival ChatGPT, Claude; Zuckerberg steps up AI race- Moneycontrol.commoneycontrol.com
- 58Meta makes the Muse filesystem even more accessibletheverge.com
- 59Meta open sources code to let you make Muse AI gadgetstheverge.com
- 60Meta opens early access program for new Muse featurestechcrunch.com
- 61Meta releases its first frontier model, Muse Wondertechcrunch.com
- 62Meta revealed as company behind Mason County data center project - Lexington Herald Leadernews.google.com
- 63Meta rolls out Pocket AI gaming app across USsamaa.tv
- 64Meta streamlines creator, brand tie-ups with new marketing hub - Marketing Divenews.google.com
- 65Meta Unveils Muse Wonder AI Models | KFYR 550 AM / 99.7 FMkfyr.iheart.com
- 66Meta Unveils Muse Wonder AI Models | NewsRadio 560 WHYNwhyn.iheart.com
- 67Meta Unveils Muse Wonder AI Models | NewsTalk 600 KCOL600kcol.iheart.com
- 68Meta Unveils Muse Wonder AI Models | NewsTalk WMEQ | 106.3 & AM880wmeq.iheart.com
- 69Meta Unveils Muse Wonder AI Models, Signals Stronger Push to Challenge OpenAI and Anthropiconeindia.com
- 70Meta Unveils Muse Wonder And Wonder Full AI Models To Rival ChatGPT And Claudeubergizmo.com
- 71Meta unveils new AI model, backs open-weight approachbignewsnetwork.com
- 72Meta wants your next gadget to be Muse-infusedtechcrunch.com
- 73Meta’s AI agent has been blocked from using Amazon.comtechcrunch.com
- 74Meta’s AI agent Muse is now the No. 2 app in the UStechcrunch.com
- 75Meta's Muse agent is attacking one of the economy's most profitable weak spotscnbc.com
- 76Meta’s Muse AI Charms can interact with each othertheverge.com
- 77Meta's Muse assistant tops app charts. Now it needs to become a habitcnbc.com
- 78Meta’s Muse is outpacing ChatGPT’s early mobile launchtechcrunch.com
- 79Meta’s Muse launches on iPad just a month after its mobile debuttechcrunch.com
- 80Meta's Muse personal AI agent tops ChatGPT, Grok and Claude for post-launch downloadscnbc.com
- 81Meta's Muse reignites AI disruption fears. Traders are targeting this brokerage stock as next casualtycnbc.com
- 82Meta's new app, Pocket, lets you vibe code the memes of your dreamsbusinessinsider.com
- 83Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glassestheverge.com
- 84Meta's splashy new business AI hire offers yet another reason to bank on Zuckerbergcnbc.com
- 85Meta(META.US)推出新一代AI模型Muse Wonder 月费最高200美元 寻求拓展广告以外营收渠道163.com
- 86Meta发布新开源模型 押注“人人都能拥有强大AI” | 文学城wenxuecity.com
- 87Meta发布Muse Wonder模型- DoNewsdonews.com
- 88Meta发布Muse Wonder系列旗舰AI模型,对标Anthropic与OpenAI163.com
- 89Meta收购被中国禁止!Manus:将恢复以独立公司的形式运营finance.sina.com.cn
- 90Meta收购Manus交易告终,Manus官宣恢复独立运营163.com
- 91Meta数周内推出Hatch AI智能体,Watermelon模型10月亮相chinaz.com
- 92Meta推出旗艦AI模型 推理、程式能力直追OpenAI、Anthropic | ETtoday AI科技 | ETtoday新聞雲ai.ettoday.net
- 93Meta推出最强模型Muse Wonder:比肩GPT6 小扎称已达AI“前沿”水平 _ 东方财富网finance.eastmoney.com
- 94Meta推出最新AI模型Muse Wonderfinance.sina.com.cn
- 95Meta推出Mac版AI助手,支持屏幕共享和语音输入功能chinaz.com
- 96mTouch Labs Launches ZunoPilot, an AI-Powered WhatsApp Automation Platform for Businessesaninews.in
- 97Muse发布一个月,Personal Agent让新 BAT 集体上头-钛媒体官方网站tmtpost.com
- 98New Mexico fines Meta $567 million over child safety | The Jerusalem Postjpost.com
- 99Phones don’t have lightstheverge.com
- 100Rival AI agents, Instinct and Meta’s Muse, both add the ability to make callstechcrunch.com
- 101Tech layoffs 2026: AI drives mass job cuts; tech majors like Meta, Microsoft take lead | Company Business Newslivemint.com
- 102The AI race is back ontheverge.com
- 103The AI Tamagotchis are comingtheverge.com
- 104Three takeaways from Trump's 'Super Intelligence' summitbbc.co.uk
- 105What Projected Job Cuts at These Two Mag 7 Firms Says About AI in 2027 - AOLaol.com
- 106Zuckerberg pushes open-source AI approach as Meta unveils latest modelmanilatimes.net
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/meta-platforms · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled