Editing Facebook.com

= Facebook.com =

Facebook is a social networking platform that allows users to connect with friends, family, and acquaintances online. Here's a comprehensive overview of Facebook:

== History and Growth ==

- Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes3<ref name="ref9">9</ref>.
- Initially limited to Harvard students, but gradually expanded to other universities and then opened to anyone over 13 years old in 20063<ref name="ref9">9</ref>.
- Grew rapidly, surpassing MySpace as the most popular social network in 2008[9].
- Went public in 2012 with one of the largest tech IPOs in history[9].
- As of 2023, Facebook has nearly 3 billion monthly active users worldwide3<ref name="ref11">11</ref>.

== Key Features ==

- Personal Profiles: Users create profiles with information about themselves, photos, interests, etc.5<ref name="ref10">10</ref>
- News Feed: Displays updates from friends and pages users follow[5].
- Timeline/Wall: Shows a user's own posts and activity[5].
- Friends: Users can add friends and see their updates5<ref name="ref10">10</ref>.
- Like/React: Users can express reactions to posts (like, love, laugh, etc.)[9].
- Comments: Users can comment on posts and engage in discussions[10].
- Share: Allows users to repost content to their own timeline[10].
- Messenger: Integrated messaging platform for private conversations5<ref name="ref7">7</ref>.
- Groups: Users can join or create groups around shared interests5<ref name="ref10">10</ref>.
- Pages: Profiles for businesses, brands, celebrities, etc.5<ref name="ref7">7</ref>.
- Events: Users can create, share, and RSVP to events[5].
- Marketplace: Platform for buying and selling items locally5<ref name="ref11">11</ref>.
- Stories: Short-lived photo/video updates that disappear after 24 hours[5].
- Watch: Video-on-demand service featuring original content[11].

== Business Model ==

- Primary revenue comes from targeted advertising3<ref name="ref9">9</ref>.
- Businesses can create Pages and run ads to reach potential customers[7].
- Facebook collects extensive user data to enable precise ad targeting[9].

== Impact and Controversies ==

- Revolutionized how people connect and share information online[9].
- Played a role in major world events like the Arab Spring[9].
- Faced criticism over privacy issues, data breaches (e.g. Cambridge Analytica scandal), and spread of misinformation3<ref name="ref9">9</ref>.
- Concerns about addiction, mental health effects, and impact on society[9].

== Parent Company: Meta ==

- Facebook rebranded its parent company as Meta in 2021[9].
- Meta owns other popular platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus3<ref name="ref9">9</ref>.
- Shifting focus towards developing the "metaverse" and virtual/augmented reality technologies[9].

== Using Facebook ==

- Sign up requires name, email/phone number, password, and birthdate10<ref name="ref11">11</ref>.
- Users can customize privacy settings to control who sees their information[10].
- Interact by posting updates, photos/videos, commenting, liking, sharing10<ref name="ref11">11</ref>.
- Facebook's algorithm personalizes content shown in each user's News Feed7<ref name="ref9">9</ref>.

Facebook has become deeply integrated into many people's daily lives, serving as a platform for personal connections, news consumption, entertainment, and business marketing. Its massive user base and data collection capabilities have made it one of the most influential tech companies in the world, while also raising ongoing debates about digital privacy and the societal impacts of social media.

== References ==
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