OUR MISSION
Build the future of human connection and the technology that makes it possible
Our principles
Meta is building technology that connects you to people, interests and experiences that matter to you. Our principles embody what we stand for and guide our approach to how we build.
Give people a voice
Build connection and community
Serve everyone
Keep people safe and protect privacy
Promote economic opportunity
Our history
When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta has moved beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences in mixed reality and innovation with AI to help build the next evolution in social technology. See how Meta has grown over time:
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FEBRUARY 4, 2004
Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launch Facebook.
JUNE 1, 2004
Facebook moves to Palo Alto, California.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2004
Launch of the Facebook Wall, giving people a place to post messages to their friends.
DECEMBER 1, 2004
1 million people are now active on Facebook.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2005
thefacebook.com officially drops the “the” and becomes Facebook.
OCTOBER 1, 2005
Launch of Facebook Photos.
APRIL 1, 2006
Facebook for Mobile launches.
AUGUST 1, 2006
First version of the Facebook API is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2006
Launch of News Feed.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
Facebook expands registration so anyone can join.
MAY 24, 2007
Facebook Platform launches.
JUNE 22, 2007
Facebook Video launches.
NOVEMBER 6, 2007
Facebook launches self-service Ads Platform and Pages.
APRIL 6, 2008
Facebook Chat launches.
MAY 9, 2008
Facebook Connect is announced.
JULY 10, 2008
Facebook for iPhone launches.
JULY 21, 2008
New Facebook launches.
FEBRUARY 9, 2009
Introduction of the Like button.
MARCH 11, 2009
New Facebook home page launches.
JULY 21, 2010
500 million people are now active on Facebook.
AUGUST 18, 2010
Launch of Facebook Places.
OCTOBER 6, 2010
New Groups are introduced.
DECEMBER 5, 2010
Launch of the new profile.
APRIL 15, 2011
Opening of our first, custom-built data center in Prineville, Oregon.
AUGUST 9, 2011
Messenger is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
Timeline is introduced at f8.
APRIL 9, 2012
Instagram acquisition is announced.
MAY 18, 2012
Facebook holds its initial public offering.
OCTOBER 4, 2012
More than one billion people are active on Facebook.
FEBRUARY 26, 2013
More than 100 million people use Instagram every month.
JUNE 20, 2013
Video on Instagram launches.
AUGUST 20, 2013
Internet.org is announced.
DECEMBER 12, 2013
Instagram Direct launches.
DECEMBER 15, 2013
Donate launches
FEBRUARY 19, 2014
WhatsApp acquisition is announced.
MARCH 17, 2014
Connectivity Lab is announced.
MARCH 25, 2014
Oculus acquisition is announced.
OCTOBER 15, 2014
Safety Check is introduced.
MARCH 25, 2015
Messenger Platform launches at F8.
APRIL 27, 2015
Video Calling in Messenger launches.
JUNE 11, 2015
Oculus Rift is introduced.
JUNE 23, 2015
Instagram’s new Search and Explore launch.
AUGUST 24, 2015
One billion people use Facebook in a single day.
DECEMBER 3, 2015
Facebook Live is introduced.
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Facebook launches Reactions globally.
APRIL 5, 2016
WhatsApp announces end-to-end encryption.
MAY 10, 2016
WhatsApp’s desktop app is introduced.
MAY 11, 2016
Introducing a new look for Instagram’s icon and app design.
JULY 20, 2016
More than 1 billion people use Messenger every month.
AUGUST 2, 2016
Instagram Stories launches.
OCTOBER 3, 2016
Facebook Marketplace is introduced.
OCTOBER 10, 2016
Workplace is introduced.
NOVEMBER 14, 2016
WhatsApp introduces video calling.
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
WhatsApp Status launches.
MARCH 21, 2017
Instagram Shopping is introduced.
JUNE 22, 2017
New company mission is introduced at first Facebook Communities Summit.
JUNE 27, 2017
2 billion people use Facebook every month.
JULY 26, 2017
1 billion people use WhatsApp every day.
AUGUST 9, 2017
Facebook Watch is introduced.
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Facebook Community Boost program launches.
DECEMBER 4, 2017
Messenger Kids is introduced.
JANUARY 18, 2018
WhatsApp Business App launches.
MAY 15, 2018
The first Community Standards Enforcement Report is released.
JUNE 20, 2018
1 billion people use Instagram every month.
JUNE 26, 2018
Instagram introduces Video Chat, a new Explore and new camera effects for Stories
AUGUST 1, 2018
New tools to manage your time on Facebook and Instagram are introduced.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
Oculus Quest is introduced at OC5.
OCTOBER 23, 2018
Messenger 4 launches.
MARCH 6, 2019
Mark shares his vision for a privacy-focused social platform.
MARCH 19, 2019
Checkout is introduced on Instagram.
MARCH 20, 2019
Oculus Rift S, a new PC VR headset, is introduced.
NOVEMBER 12, 2019
Facebook Pay launches.
APRIL 24, 2020
Messenger Rooms launches.
MAY 19, 2020
Facebook Shops is introduced.
JUNE 15, 2020
WhatsApp launches payments.
AUGUST 5, 2020
Instagram Reels launches.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
Oculus Quest 2, an all-in-one VR headset, is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
A new Messenger experience is introduced on Instagram.
DECEMBER 1, 2020
Oversight Board selects its first cases to review.
JULY 14, 2021
A $1 billion investment in creators is announced.
AUGUST 19, 2021
Horizon Workrooms is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
Ray-Ban Stories launches.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2021
The XR Programs and Research Fund is introduced to help build the metaverse.
OCTOBER 28, 2021
Meta, our new company brand, is introduced.
JANUARY 24, 2022
Meta’s supercomputer for AI research is introduced.
MAY 9, 2022
Meta Store, our first retail space for our hardware products, opens.
JUNE 20, 2022
The Meta Avatars Store is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
The PyTorch Foundation is created to accelerate progress in AI research.
OCTOBER 11, 2022
Meta Quest Pro, a mixed reality headset designed for productivity, is introduced.
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Facebook reaches 2 billion daily actives.
JULY 5, 2023
Threads, a new text-sharing app built by the Instagram team, launches.
JULY 18, 2023
Llama 2, our open source large language model, is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
The next generation of Ray-Ban Meta glasses are introduced.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
Meta Quest 3, the first mass-market mixed reality headset is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
Meta AI, an advanced conversational assistant, and AI characters are introduced.
APRIL 3, 2024
Meta celebrates 10 years of AI work at Reality labs, from our first VR headset to Meta Quest 3.
APRIL 18, 2024
Meta AI, an AI assistant built with Llama 3, is introduced.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024
Instagram Teen Accounts, with built-in protections and safeguards for teens, are introduced.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
Orion, a pair of AR glasses that we believe are the most advanced ever, are unveiled.
MARCH 18, 2025
Llama, our collection of open source AI model, hits 1 billion downloads.
JUNE 20, 2025
Oakley Meta glasses, a new category of Performance AI glasses, are introduced.
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