History of Facebook in Timeline
Facebook, launched in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and others, is a social media and networking service now owned by Meta. Initially limited to Harvard students, it expanded to allow anyone 13+ (14+ in some countries) to register. Boasting nearly 3.07 billion monthly active users as of December 2023, Facebook is the third-most-visited website globally, with a significant portion of traffic originating from the United States. It was also the most downloaded mobile app of the 2010s.
2003: Facemash Website Created
In 2003, Mark Zuckerberg created a website called "Facemash" while at Harvard University, which allowed users to rate the attractiveness of students.
January 2004: Zuckerberg Coded TheFacebook
In January 2004, Mark Zuckerberg coded a new website known as "TheFacebook", stating, "It is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized Website is readily available ... the benefits are many."
February 4, 2004: TheFacebook Launched
On February 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg officially launched "TheFacebook".
2004: Litigation over HarvardConnection
In 2004, Facebook faced litigation alleging that Mark Zuckerberg broke an oral contract with the Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra related to the "HarvardConnection" social network.
2004: Facebook Created
In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg, along with Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, created Facebook while students at Harvard College. The name was derived from face book directories.
2004: Company Relocation
In 2004, Napster co-founder Sean Parker became company president, and Facebook moved to Palo Alto, California.
2005: Name Change
In 2005, Facebook dropped "the" from its name after purchasing the domain name Facebook.com.
2006: Facebook Registration Opens to the Public
In 2006, Facebook expanded its registration to anyone aged 13 and older, except in a few nations with a minimum age requirement of 14.
2006: Facebook Opens to Public
In 2006, Facebook opened its registration to anyone aged 13 and older with a valid email address.
2006: Photo Tagging Feature Introduced
In 2006, The photo tagging feature was developed by Aaron Sittig, now a Design Strategy Lead at Facebook, and former Facebook engineer Scott Marlette.
2007: Discovery of Zuckerberg's Colorblindness
Around 2007, it was discovered that Mark Zuckerberg is red-green colorblind, which influenced the site's primary color choice of blue.
2007: Facebook Pages Launched
By late 2007, Facebook had 100,000 pages on which companies promoted themselves.
2007: Facebook Pages Launched for Brands and Celebrities
In 2007, Facebook launched Facebook Pages for brands and celebrities to interact with their fanbases. 100,000 Pages launched in November.
January 2008: Facebook's Role in US Politics
In January 2008, Facebook partnered with ABC and Saint Anselm College to allow users to give live feedback about the Republican and Democratic debates.
February 2008: Million Voices Against FARC
In February 2008, the Facebook group "One Million Voices Against FARC" organized an event where hundreds of thousands of Colombians protested against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
2008: Early Political Use of Facebook
By 2008, politicians and interest groups were experimenting with systematic use of social media such as Facebook, to spread their message.
2008: "Facebook" Named Word of the Year
In 2008, Collins English Dictionary declared "Facebook" as its new Word of the Year.
February 9, 2009: "Like" Button Enabled
On February 9, 2009, the "like" button, stylized as a "thumbs up" icon, was first enabled, allowing users to easily interact with content.
June 2009: Usernames Feature Introduced
In June 2009, Facebook introduced a "Usernames" feature, allowing users to choose a unique nickname used in the URL for their personal profile.
December 2009: "Unfriend" Named Word of the Year
In December 2009, the New Oxford American Dictionary declared its word of the year to be the verb "unfriend", defined as removing someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook.
2009: First Apology for Privacy Abuses
In 2009, Facebook first apologized for its privacy abuses.
2009: Facebook Participates in PRISM Program
Since 2009, Facebook has participated in the PRISM secret program, sharing user data with the US National Security Agency.
February 23, 2010: Patent Granted on News Feed
On February 23, 2010, Facebook was granted a patent on certain aspects of its News Feed.
May 2010: Apology for Discrepancies in Privacy Settings
In May 2010, Zuckerberg apologized for discrepancies in privacy settings.
June 2010: "Like" Button Extended to Comments
In June 2010, the like button was extended to comments.
July 2010: Facebook Reaches 500 Million Users
In July 2010, Facebook announced it had reached 500 million registered users. The company also reported that half of its members used the site daily, averaging 34 minutes, with 150 million users accessing it via mobile devices.
August 2010: North Korea Joins Facebook
In August 2010, one of North Korea's official government websites and the country's official news agency, Uriminzokkiri, joined Facebook.
2010: Privacy Settings Consolidated
In 2010, Facebook consolidated its privacy settings onto one page to make it more difficult for third-party apps to access user information.
2010: The Social Network Film Release
In 2010, the film "The Social Network", directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, was released, starring Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg.
February 14, 2011: Bahraini Uprising and Facebook
On February 14, 2011, during the Bahraini uprising, Facebook was utilized by the Bahraini regime to identify, capture and prosecute citizens involved in the protests.
July 29, 2011: Facebook Announces Bug Bounty Program
On July 29, 2011, Facebook launched its Bug Bounty Program, offering security researchers a minimum of $500 for reporting security vulnerabilities. The company pledged not to pursue "white hat" hackers who identified these issues.
August 2011: Messenger Becomes Standalone Mobile App
In August 2011, Facebook Messenger became a standalone mobile app.
September 2011: Timeline Introduced
In September 2011, the format of individual user pages was revamped and became known as "Timeline", a chronological feed of a user's stories.
November 29, 2011: Facebook Settles FTC Charges
On November 29, 2011, Facebook settled Federal Trade Commission charges for deceiving consumers by failing to keep privacy promises.
2011: Facebook App Platform Adds Jobs
An econometric analysis found that Facebook's app development platform added more than 182,000 jobs in the U.S. economy in 2011.
2011: Role in Egyptian Revolution
During the Arab Spring, many journalists claimed Facebook played a major role in the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
2011: Photo Tagging Patent Granted
In 2011, a patent was granted for the photo tagging feature.
June 7, 2012: App Center Launched
On June 7, 2012, Facebook launched its App Center to help users find games and other applications.
October 2012: Facebook Surpasses One Billion Monthly Active Users
In October 2012, Facebook's monthly active users exceeded one billion. Additionally, the platform reported 600 million mobile users, 219 billion photo uploads, and 140 billion friend connections.
2012: Development as a Monolithic Application
According to an interview in 2012, Facebook is developed as one monolithic application, compiled into a 1.5 GB binary blob distributed using a custom BitTorrent-based release system. Changes are rolled out daily with zero downtime.
2012: Obama Campaign's Use of Facebook Data
In 2012, Barack Obama's campaign encouraged supporters to download a Facebook app that allowed the campaign to collect data on users and their friends, leading to comparisons with the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
2012: Experiment on Voting
In 2012, Facebook conducted an experiment where users who saw pictures of their friends who had voted were about 2% more likely to report that they had also voted.
2012: Facebook Goes Public and Acquires Instagram
In 2012, Facebook went public with one of the largest IPOs in tech history and also acquired Instagram.
August 2013: Internet.org Founded
In August 2013, Facebook founded Internet.org in collaboration with six other technology companies to plan and help build affordable Internet access for underdeveloped and developing countries.
August 2013: Facebook Accesses Links in Messages
In August 2013, a High-Tech Bridge study revealed that Facebook was accessing links included in messages sent via its messaging service.
2013: Facebook Acquires Onavo
In 2013, Facebook acquired Onavo, a virtual private network (VPN) app.
January 2014: Lawsuit Filed Against Facebook for Privacy Violation
In January 2014, two users filed a lawsuit against Facebook, alleging privacy violations due to the practice of accessing links in private messages.
February 2014: Expanded Gender Setting
In February 2014, Facebook expanded the gender setting, adding a custom input field that allows users to choose from a wide range of gender identities.
March 20, 2014: Hack Programming Language Announced
On March 20, 2014, Facebook announced a new open-source programming language called Hack.
May 2014: "Ask" Feature Introduced
In May 2014, Facebook introduced a feature to allow users to ask for information not disclosed by other users on their profiles.
2014: Facebook Acquires WhatsApp
In 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp after using data collected from Onavo to monitor its competitors' performance.
2014: Acquisition of WhatsApp and Oculus VR
In 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp and Oculus VR, expanding its influence beyond social networking into messaging and virtual reality.
2014: Facebook Data Leaked Through Quiz App
In 2014, Facebook data of millions of people leaked through a quiz app built by a university researcher, which was described by Facebook as a breach of trust.
May 13, 2015: "Instant Articles" Launched
On May 13, 2015, Facebook, in association with major news portals, launched "Instant Articles" to provide news on the Facebook news feed without leaving the site.
June 2015: Russian Ad Spending on Facebook
From June 2015 to May 2017, Facebook found approximately $100,000 in ad spending connected to about 470 inauthentic accounts and Pages in violation of our policies.
November 2015: Facebook Changes Definition of Monthly Active Users
In November 2015, Facebook altered its definition of "monthly active users" to include logged-in members who visit the site through a web browser, mobile app, or use Facebook Messenger in the 30 days prior to measurement. This change excluded third-party service integrations.
2015: Rohingya Refugee Crisis Amplified
In 2015, Facebook was accused of amplifying the reach of 'fake news' and extreme viewpoints, as when it may have enabled conditions which led to the Rohingya refugee crisis.
2015: Free Basics launched in partnership with Reliance Communications
In 2015, Free Basics was started in partnership with Reliance Communications in India.
2015: Facebook Android App Begins Harvesting User Data
Since 2015, the Facebook Android app had been harvesting user data, including phone calls and text messages.
February 2016: "Reactions" Introduced
In February 2016, Facebook expanded Like into "Reactions", allowing users to choose from five pre-defined emotions.
April 2016: Start of Potential Class Action Scope
As early as April 2016, thousands of Quebec residents could have been affected and thus included in a class action lawsuit.
2016: News Consumption via Facebook
As of 2016, it was estimated that 44% of Americans get news through Facebook.
2016: Russian Ad Spending on Facebook
Before the 2016 United States presidential election, Mueller contacted Facebook subsequently to the company's disclosure that it had sold more than $100,000 worth of ads to a company with links to the Russian intelligence community.
2016: Political Advertising
By the 2016 election, political advertising to specific groups had become normalized, Facebook offered the most sophisticated targeting and analytics platform.
2016: Facebook Research Launches Project Atlas
In 2016, Facebook Research launched Project Atlas, paying users for access to their personal data.
2016: Criticism related to the 2016 US elections
In 2016, Facebook faced criticism for its role in political manipulation, specifically regarding the U.S. elections.
2016: Facebook Initiates "Project Ghostbusters"
In 2016, Facebook launched "Project Ghostbusters" to compete with Snapchat.
2016: Facebook's Role in Russian Interference
In 2016, Facebook's role in Russian interference in the United States elections sparked controversy and predictions of the platform's potential decline.
2016: Russian Interference in US Elections
In 2016, Russian interference in the United States elections used Facebook to affect public opinion.
2016: Russian Operatives Use Facebook to Polarize American Public Discourse
In 2016, Russian operatives used Facebook to polarize American public discourses by organizing various rallies and exploiting divisions over black political activism and Muslims by simultaneously sending contrary messages to different users based on their political and demographic characteristics in order to sow discord.
2016: Special Counsel Indicts Russian Nationals and Organizations
In 2018, Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian organizations for interfering with U.S. political and electoral processes, including the 2016 presidential election.
January 2017: Facebook Stories Launched
In January 2017, Facebook launched Facebook Stories for iOS and Android in Ireland. The feature allows users to upload photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours.
May 2017: Russian Ad Spending on Facebook
From June 2015 to May 2017, Facebook found approximately $100,000 in ad spending connected to about 470 inauthentic accounts and Pages in violation of our policies.
June 2017: Facebook Hits 2 Billion Users
In June 2017, Facebook reached the milestone of 2 billion users.
July 2017: Data Breach Begins
In July 2017, a major data breach on Facebook began that would later expose the data of 50 million users.
September 2017: Infowars Fact-Checked
From September 2017 to July 2018, Facebook only provided six cases in which it fact-checked content on the InfoWars page.
September 2017: Facebook Discovers Russian Ad Spending
In September 2017, Facebook's chief security officer Alex Stamos wrote the company "found approximately $100,000 in ad spending from June 2015 to May 2017 – associated with roughly 3,000 ads – that was connected to about 470 inauthentic accounts and Pages in violation of our policies. Our analysis suggests these accounts and Pages were affiliated with one another and likely operated out of Russia."
October 11, 2017: 3D Posts Feature Introduced
On October 11, 2017, Facebook introduced the 3D Posts feature to allow for uploading interactive 3D assets.
December 2017: Negative Feelings from Passively Consuming News Feed
In a blog post in December 2017, Facebook highlighted research showing that "passively consuming" the News Feed led to negative feelings.
2017: New Messenger Features
In 2017, Facebook added features to Messenger like "Messenger Day", Reactions, and Mentions.
2017: Partnership with Fact Checkers
In 2017, Facebook partnered with fact checkers from the Poynter Institute to identify and mark false content.
2017: Former Facebook Executive Speaks Out
In 2017, a former Facebook executive discussed how social media platforms have contributed to the unraveling of the "fabric of society".
January 11, 2018: News Feed Algorithm Change
On January 11, 2018, Facebook announced that it would change News Feed to prioritize friends/family content and de-emphasize content from media companies.
March 6, 2018: BlackBerry sues Facebook
On March 6, 2018, BlackBerry sued Facebook and its subsidiaries, Instagram and WhatsApp, for allegedly infringing on key features of its messaging app.
March 23, 2018: Search Warrant Granted for Cambridge Analytica Offices
On March 23, 2018, the English High Court granted a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica's London offices, following a standoff between Facebook and the Information Commissioner over responsibility.
March 25, 2018: Full-Page Apology Ads Published
On March 25, 2018, leading US and UK newspapers published full-page ads with a personal apology from Zuckerberg.
April 2018: Facebook Android App Harvesting User Data
In April 2018, Ars Technica reported that the Facebook Android app had been harvesting user data, including phone calls and text messages, since 2015.
April 2018: Facebook Disables Tool Used to Amass User Data
In April 2018, Facebook disabled a tool after the Cambridge Analytica controversy that was thought to be used to amass records.
April 2018: Death Threats on Facebook
In April 2018, Professor Ilya Somin was the subject of death threats on Facebook from Cesar Sayoc, who threatened to kill Somin and his family.
May 2018: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Facebook
In May 2018, several Android users filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook for invading their privacy.
May 2018: Papua New Guinea Considers Banning Facebook
In May 2018, the government of Papua New Guinea announced it would consider banning Facebook for a month to assess its impact, although the ban did not occur.
June 7, 2018: Facebook Announces Bug Exposing User Posts
On June 7, 2018, Facebook announced that a bug had set the default sharing setting for new posts to "public" for approximately 14 million users.
July 2018: Facebook Defends Actions Regarding InfoWars
In July 2018, Facebook defended its actions regarding InfoWars, stating it didn't think banning pages for sharing conspiracy theories was the right way to go.
July 2018: Policy to Downrank False Articles
In July 2018, Facebook stated it would "downrank" articles determined to be false by its fact-checkers and remove misinformation inciting violence.
July 2018: Increased Organized Social Media Manipulation
In July 2018, it was reported that the number of countries where formally organized social media manipulation occurs had greatly increased.
August 2018: Facebook Removes Onavo App
In August 2018, Facebook removed the Onavo app in response to pressure from Apple, who asserted that it violated their guidelines.
August 2018: Facebook Bans InfoWars Pages
In early August 2018, Facebook banned the four most active InfoWars-related pages for hate speech.
September 28, 2018: Major Security Breach Exposes Data of 50 Million Users
On September 28, 2018, Facebook experienced a major security breach that exposed the data of 50 million users. Facebook notified affected users and logged them out of their accounts.
October 2018: Sayoc Arrested for Mail Bombing Attempts
In October 2018, Cesar Sayoc was arrested for the October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts directed at Democratic politicians, after making death threats on Facebook in April 2018.
October 2018: Facebook Bans Hundreds of Pages and Accounts
In October 2018, Facebook "banned hundreds of pages and accounts that it says were fraudulently flooding its site with partisan political content".
October 2018: Facebook Removed Fake Accounts
In October 2018, Facebook identified and removed a total of 3.39 billion fake accounts within a six month period.
October 2018: Facebook Sued Over Sex Trafficking
In October 2018, Facebook was sued by a Texan woman who claimed she was recruited into sex trade at the age of 15 through the platform. Facebook responded that it works internally and externally to ban sex traffickers.
December 2018: Facebook Suspends Jonathon Morgan's Account
In December 2018, Facebook suspended the account of Jonathon Morgan, the chief executive of New Knowledge, after reports indicated he was involved in spreading disinformation on Facebook and Twitter during the 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama.
2018: Expansion of Fact-Checking Partners
As of 2018, Facebook had over 40 fact-checking partners across the world.
2018: Facebook Removes Fake Accounts
During the last quarter of 2018, Facebook removed 3 billion fake accounts.
2018: Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior Identified
In 2018, Facebook identified "coordinated inauthentic behavior" in various pages, groups, and accounts created to stir up political debate.
2018: Facebook Sets Net Zero Emissions Goal
In 2018, Facebook set a goal to reach net-zero emissions.
2018: Arguments for Transforming Facebook
In 2018, Nathan Schneider argued for transforming Facebook into a platform cooperative owned and governed by the users.
2018: Special Counsel Indicts Russian Nationals and Organizations
In 2018, Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian organizations for interfering with U.S. political and electoral processes, including the 2016 presidential election.
2018: Zuckerberg claims Internet.org helped million of people
In 2018, Zuckerberg claimed that "Internet.org efforts have helped almost 100 million people get access to the internet who may not have had it otherwise."
2018: UK Report Criticizes Facebook for Reluctance to Investigate Russian Abuse
In 2018, a UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee report criticized Facebook for its reluctance to investigate abuse of its platform by the Russian government, and for downplaying the extent of the problem.
2018: Facebook Users by Region
In 2018, the Asia-Pacific region had the highest number of Facebook users with 947 million, followed by Europe with 381 million, and the US-Canada region with 242 million.
2018: Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal
In 2018, the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal revealed misuse of user data to influence elections, leading to global outcry and regulatory fines.
January 2019: Facebook Removes Pages and Accounts Linked to Sputnik
In January 2019, Facebook removed 289 pages and 75 coordinated accounts linked to the Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik, and later identified and removed an additional 1,907 accounts linked to Russia found to be engaging in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour".
January 2019: Facebook Removes Iran-Linked Accounts
In January 2019, Facebook removed 783 Iran-linked accounts, pages, and groups due to "coordinated inauthentic behaviour."
January 2019: TechCrunch Reports on Project Atlas
In January 2019, TechCrunch reported on Facebook Research's Project Atlas, where users were paid for their personal data.
February 2019: New Knowledge Caught Creating Fictitious Russian Troll Accounts
In February 2019, it was revealed that a cybersecurity company New Knowledge, was caught creating fictitious Russian troll accounts on Facebook and Twitter in order to claim that the Kremlin was working to defeat Democratic Senate nominee Doug Jones in Alabama.
March 2019: Password Compromise Affects Millions of Facebook Lite and Instagram Users
In March 2019, Facebook confirmed a password compromise affecting millions of Facebook Lite and Instagram users, citing the storage of passwords as plain text.
March 2019: Facebook Removed Fake Accounts
In March 2019, Facebook identified and removed a total of 3.39 billion fake accounts within a six month period.
March 2019: Facebook Sues Chinese Firms
In March 2019, Facebook sued four Chinese firms for selling fake accounts, likes, and followers to amplify Chinese state media outlets.
April 4, 2019: Facebook User Data Exposed on Amazon Cloud Servers
On April 4, 2019, half a billion records of Facebook users were found exposed on Amazon cloud servers, containing a variety of personal information.
April 24, 2019: Facebook Anticipates Fine from FTC Investigation
On April 24, 2019, Facebook said it could face a fine between $3 billion to $5 billion as a result of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.
May 2019: Banning of Dangerous Commentators
In May 2019, Facebook banned several "dangerous" commentators from its platform for allegedly engaging in "violence and hate".
May 2019: Archimedes Group Banned from Facebook
In May 2019, Facebook banned the Tel Aviv-based private intelligence agency Archimedes Group for "coordinated inauthentic behavior" after discovering fake accounts used in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, and examples of political interference in Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Angola, Niger and Tunisia.
May 23, 2019: Facebook Releases Community Standards Enforcement Report
On May 23, 2019, Facebook released its Community Standards Enforcement Report, highlighting the identification and removal of numerous fake accounts through AI and human monitoring; in a period of six months, October 2018 – March 2019, the social media website removed a total of 3.39 billion fake accounts.
July 2019: DataSpii Data Leak Exposed
In July 2019, cybersecurity researcher Sam Jadali exposed a catastrophic data leak known as DataSpii involving data provider DDMR and marketing intelligence company Nacho Analytics (NA).
July 2019: Facebook Under Antitrust Investigation by FTC
In late July 2019, it was announced that Facebook was under antitrust investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.
July 24, 2019: FTC Fines Facebook $5 Billion
On July 24, 2019, the FTC fined Facebook $5 billion, the largest penalty ever imposed for violating consumer privacy. Facebook also had to implement a new privacy structure, follow a 20-year settlement order, and allow the FTC to monitor the company.
August 2019: Facebook Allegedly Fixed Data Problem
In August 2019, Facebook claimed to have fixed a problem that led to the theft of approximately half a billion users' data, but the data was released a year and a half later, in 2021.
September 2019: Phone Numbers of Millions of Facebook Users Exposed
In September 2019, the phone numbers of at least 200 million Facebook users were found exposed on an open online database.
October 30, 2019: Facebook Deletes NSO Group Employee Accounts
On October 30, 2019, Facebook deleted accounts belonging to employees of the Israeli NSO Group for violating the platform's terms, following a lawsuit by WhatsApp against the firm for targeting devices with spyware.
December 19, 2019: Database of 267 Million Facebook Users Exposed
On December 19, 2019, a database containing over 267 million Facebook user IDs, phone numbers, and names was discovered exposed on the web without password protection.
2019: Book Alleges Facebook Helped Enable Rise of BJP in India
A 2019 book, The Real Face of Facebook in India, alleged that Facebook helped enable and benefited from the rise of Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India.
2019: Facebook Bans Promotion of Vape, Tobacco, and Weapons
In 2019, Facebook announced it would start enforcing its ban on users, including influencers, promoting vape, tobacco products, or weapons on its platforms.
2019: Chris Hughes calls for Facebook Breakup
In 2019, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes publicly called for the breakup of Facebook, citing concerns about Mark Zuckerberg's excessive power and the company's monopolistic status.
2019: Facebook Sued over False Claims
In 2019, Facebook was sued by British solicitors representing a bullied Syrian schoolboy over false claims, alleging that Facebook protected prominent figures instead of removing content violating its rules.
2019: Section 230 Bars Civil Terrorism Claims
In 2019, the US Second Circuit Appeals Court held that Section 230 bars civil terrorism claims against social media companies and internet service providers.
January 2020: Facebook Launches Off-Facebook Activity Page
In January 2020, Facebook launched the Off-Facebook Activity page, allowing users to see information collected about their non-Facebook activities.
February 2020: News Material Licensing Pledge
In February 2020, Facebook announced it would spend $1 billion to license news material from publishers for the next three years.
February 2020: Facebook's Twitter Account Hacked
In February 2020, Facebook's official Twitter account was hacked by the Saudi Arabia-based group "OurMine", exposing vulnerabilities.
April 2020: Messenger Rooms Launched
In April 2020, Facebook began rolling out a new feature called Messenger Rooms, a video chat feature that allows users to chat with up to 50 people at a time.
April 2020: "Care" Reaction Added
In late April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new "Care" reaction was added.
May 2020: Settlement for Content Moderators
In May 2020, Facebook agreed to a preliminary settlement to compensate U.S.-based content moderators for their psychological trauma.
July 2020: App Lock Feature Added
In July 2020, Facebook added a new feature in Messenger that lets iOS users to use Face ID or Touch ID to lock their chats.
August 2020: Ankhi Das Apologizes for Anti-Muslim Facebook Post
In August 2020, Ankhi Das, Facebook's policy director for India, apologized publicly for sharing a Facebook post which called Muslims in India a "degenerate community".
August 31, 2020: Delhi Assembly Investigates Facebook's Role in Religious Riots
On August 31, 2020, the Delhi Assembly began investigating whether Facebook bore blame for the 2020 religious riots in the city, claiming it had found Facebook "prima facie guilty of a role in the violence".
September 12, 2020: Delhi Assembly Summons Facebook India Head Ajit Mohan
On September 12, 2020, a Delhi Assembly committee asked Facebook India head Ajit Mohan to appear before it on September 15 regarding the investigation into Facebook's role in the 2020 religious riots.
September 2020: Thailand Government Action Against Facebook
In September 2020, the Government of Thailand utilized the Computer Crime Act to take action against Facebook and Twitter for ignoring requests to take down content.
October 13, 2020: Cross-App Messaging with Instagram Introduced
On October 13, 2020, the Messenger application introduced cross-app messaging with Instagram.
October 2020: Facebook Bans Holocaust Denial
In October 2020, Facebook announced that it would ban Holocaust denial.
October 2020: Khan Urges Zuckerberg to Ban Islamophobic Content
In October 2020, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged Mark Zuckerberg to ban Islamophobic content on Facebook.
December 9, 2020: FTC and States Sue Facebook
On December 9, 2020, The Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of New York state and 47 other state and regional governments filed separate antitrust suits against Facebook based on its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsUp among other companies.
December 16, 2020: Australian Commission Sues Facebook for Misleading Conduct
On December 16, 2020, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sued Facebook for "false, misleading or deceptive conduct" related to the unauthorized use of personal data obtained from Onavo.
2020: Deactivating Facebook Increases Well-being
A 2020 experimental study in the American Economic Review found that deactivating Facebook led to increased subjective well-being.
2020: US Military Propaganda Campaign
Beginning in 2020, the United States military ran a propaganda campaign to spread disinformation about the Sinovac Chinese COVID-19 vaccine.
2020: Voter Registration Goal
In 2020, Facebook announced the goal of helping four million voters register in the US, and registered 2.5 million by September.
2020: Facebook Executives Overrode Employees' Recommendations to Ban BJP Politician for Hate Speech
In 2020, Facebook executives overrode their employees' recommendations that the BJP politician T. Raja Singh should be banned from the site for hate speech and rhetoric that could lead to violence.
2020: Facebook Helps Found Anti-Regulation Lobbying Firm
In 2020, Facebook helped found American Edge, an anti-regulation lobbying firm aimed at fighting anti-trust probes.
2020: Facebook Bans Troll Farms Spreading COVID-19 Disinformation
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook found and banned troll farms from North Macedonia and the Philippines that were pushing coronavirus disinformation.
2020: Eastern European Troll Farms Operate Facebook Pages Related to US Elections
In 2020, in the run-up to the United States elections, Eastern European troll farms operated popular Facebook pages showing content related to Christians and Blacks in America.
2020: Facebook Faces Pressure in Thailand over Royalist Marketplace Group
In 2020, the government of Thailand forced Facebook to take down a Facebook group called Royalist Marketplace with one million members. In response, Facebook is planning to take legal action against the Thai government for suppression of freedom of expression and violation of human rights.
February 4, 2021: Delhi Assembly Issues Fresh Notice to Facebook India
On February 4, 2021, the Delhi Assembly panel issued a fresh notice to Facebook India to testify on the riots, avoiding specific notice to Mohan, by asking a senior, responsible officer from the company to appear before the panel.
February 2021: Facebook Removes Myanmar Military Page
In February 2021, Facebook removed the main page of the Myanmar military after protesters were killed and also banned all accounts of the Myanmar military and related entities, citing the risk of future military-initiated violence and severe human rights abuses.
March 2021: WSJ Criticizes Facebook Fact-Check
In March 2021, The Wall Street Journal's editorial board criticized Facebook's decision to fact-check its op-ed on herd immunity by April, calling it counter-opinion masquerading as fact checking.
March 2021: EEOC Investigates Facebook for Racial Bias
In March 2021, the EEOC initiated an investigation into Facebook following accusations of "systemic" racial bias based on complaints from rejected candidates and a current employee.
April 2021: Response to Apple iOS Changes
In April 2021, Facebook responded to Apple's changes to its iOS Identifier for Advertisers policy by purchasing full-page newspaper advertisements to convince users to allow tracking. Apple released iOS 14.5 in late April 2021, containing the feature for users in what has been deemed "App Tracking Transparency".
April 2021: Data of Half a Billion Users Stolen
In April 2021, The Guardian reported that data from approximately half a billion users, including birthdates and phone numbers, had been stolen from Facebook.
July 2021: Facebook Announces Ceasing Ad Targeting Children
In July 2021, Facebook announced that they would cease ad targeting children, before later being accused of continuing the practice.
September 2021: Popular Pages From Troll Farms Still Active on Facebook
As of September 2021, some of the most popular pages from Eastern European troll farms that operated during the 2020 United States elections were still active on Facebook despite the company's efforts to take down such content.
September 2021: Cross-App Messaging with Instagram Launched
In September 2021, Facebook launched cross-app messaging with Instagram
November 2021: Accusations of Facebook Managing Ad Targeting System with Teen User Data
In November 2021, a report detailed accusations that Facebook was continuing to manage their ad targeting system with data collected from teen users.
2021: Climate Change Disinformation Effort
In 2021, Facebook announced that it will make an effort to stop disinformation about climate change.
2021: Facebook Achieves 100% Renewable Energy
In 2021, Facebook announced that its global operations were supported by 100% renewable energy and that it had reached net-zero emissions.
2021: Facebook Delayed Removing Disinformation Network
In 2021, Facebook delayed removing a disinformation network run by India's Chinar Corps which spread disinformation that would put Kashmiri journalists in danger.
2021: Facebook Rebrands as Meta
In 2021, Facebook rebranded as Meta, reflecting its shift toward building the "metaverse" and focusing on virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.
2021: Facebook's Role in the 2021 United States Capitol Attack
In 2021, Facebook was cited as playing a role in the fomenting of the 2021 United States Capitol attack.
2021: Report on Political Subversion Operations
In 2021, former Facebook analyst Sophie Zhang reported more than 25 political subversion operations and criticized Facebook's slow reaction time.
2021: Facebook's Lax Approach to Political Subversion Operations
In 2021, former Facebook analyst Sophie Zhang reported on more than 25 political subversion operations she uncovered while at Facebook, and the general laissez-faire approach by the company.
2021: US Military Propaganda Campaign Continues
The US Military's propaganda campaign continued until mid-2021.
January 6, 2022: Facebook Fined by French Data Privacy Body
On January 6, 2022, France's data privacy regulatory body, CNIL, fined Facebook 60 million euros for not allowing internet users an easy way to refuse cookies.
December 22, 2022: Class-Action Lawsuit Approved in Quebec
On December 22, 2022, the Quebec Court of Appeal approved a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Facebook users alleging discrimination due to targeted advertising based on factors like age, gender, and race.
September 21, 2023: Facebook could be sued for discriminatory advertising
On September 21, 2023, the California Courts of Appeal ruled that Facebook could be sued for discriminatory advertising under the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
September 23, 2023: Facebook Delayed Removing Disinformation Network
On September 23, 2023, it was reported that Facebook had delayed removing a disinformation network run by India's Chinar Corps which spread disinformation in 2021. The delay was due to fears about the safety of local employees and potential business repercussions.
December 2023: Facebook Active Users
As of December 2023, Facebook reported having nearly 3.07 billion monthly active users globally.
2023: Polarization on Facebook
A study published at Frontiers Media in 2023 found that there was more polarization of the user-base on Facebook than even far-right social networks like Gab.
2023: Economic Value of Added Employment
By 2023, the total economic value of the added employment was about $16.3 billion.
2023: Dollar Update
Facebook announced it would spend $1 billion ($1.18 billion in 2023 dollars) to license news material from publishers for the next three years.
January 2024: Consumer Reports Study Reveals User Tracking
A January 2024 study by Consumer Reports found that each Facebook user is tracked by over two thousand companies on average, with LiveRamp being responsible for 96% of the data.
March 2024: Facebook's "Project Ghostbusters" Documents Released
In March 2024, a court in California released documents detailing Facebook's 2016 "Project Ghostbusters", aimed at competing with Snapchat by analyzing user traffic.
March 2024: Trump on TikTok ban benefiting Facebook
In March 2024, former US President Donald Trump said that getting rid of TikTok would allow Facebook, which he called the "enemy of the people", to double its business.
September 2024: Meta Fined $101 Million for Storing Passwords in Plain Text
In September 2024, Meta paid a $101 million fine for storing up to 600 million passwords of Facebook and Instagram users in plain text since 2012.
November 2024: Website Traffic Ranking
In November 2024, Facebook was ranked as the third-most-visited website worldwide, with 23% of its traffic originating from the United States.
