Facebook

Facebook is a <a href="/facts/Social_media/kUIkfpIA">social media</a> and <a href="/facts/Social_networking_service/qFIh6VT1">social networking service</a> owned by the American technology conglomerate <a href="/facts/Meta_Platforms/ylApt16y">Meta</a>. Created in 2004 by <a href="/facts/Mark_Zuckerberg/TJpEwVE6">Mark Zuckerberg</a> with four other <a href="/facts/Harvard_College/XU29Atef">Harvard College</a> students and roommates, <a href="/facts/Eduardo_Saverin/Q6wTkp2k">Eduardo Saverin</a>, <a href="/facts/Andrew_McCollum/RrsfP5VS">Andrew McCollum</a>, <a href="/facts/Dustin_Moskovitz/1eVmvIgV">Dustin Moskovitz</a>, and <a href="/facts/Chris_Hughes/dImaFWGr">Chris Hughes</a>, its name derives from the <a href="/facts/Face_book/0IhXFR6u">face book</a> directories often given to American university students. Membership was initially limited to Harvard students, gradually expanding to other North American universities. 
Since 2006, Facebook allows everyone to register from 13 years old, except in the case of a handful of nations, where the age requirement is 14 years. As of December 2023, Facebook claimed almost 3.07 billion monthly <a href="/facts/Active_users/GuCc4RaI">active users</a> worldwide. As of November 2024, Facebook ranked as the <a href="/facts/List_of_most-visited_websites/sjsmVHdz">third-most-visited website in the world</a>, with 23% of its traffic coming from the United States. It was the most downloaded <a href="/facts/Mobile_app/r7vp6meo">mobile app</a> of the 2010s.
Facebook can be accessed from devices with <a href="/facts/Internet/Xw1rVvJU">Internet</a> connectivity, such as <a href="/facts/Personal_computer/koaYfNce">personal computers</a>, <a href="/facts/Tablet_computer/6pGX2I7b">tablets</a> and <a href="/facts/Smartphone/cSIrBMWG">smartphones</a>. After registering, users can create a profile revealing personal information about themselves. They can post text, photos and multimedia which are shared with any other users who have agreed to be their <a href="/facts/Friending_and_following/6WtqpH3p">friend</a> or, with different <a href="/facts/Privacy_settings/CvqIxqVj">privacy settings</a>, publicly. Users can also <a href="/facts/Instant_messaging/8lwwDyjK">communicate directly</a> with each other with <a href="/facts/Facebook_Messenger/NUz3VX8d">Messenger</a>, edit messages (within 15 minutes after sending), join common-interest groups, and receive notifications on the activities of their Facebook friends and the pages they follow.
Facebook has <a href="/facts/Criticism_of_Facebook/qDbyArhM">often been criticized</a> over issues such as <a href="/facts/Internet_privacy/Fdnjfnds">user privacy</a> (as with the <a href="/facts/Facebook%25E2%2580%2593Cambridge_Analytica_data_scandal/dbRwzbUN">Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal</a>), political manipulation (as with the <a href="/facts/Russian_interference_in_the_2016_United_States_elections/joyqKPf7">2016 U.S. elections</a>) and <a href="/facts/Mass_surveillance/GgAEJtso">mass surveillance</a>. The company has also been subject to criticism over its psychological effects such as <a href="/facts/Problematic_social_media_use/gRkKvL7p">addiction</a> and low <a href="/facts/Self-esteem/vaMskKL0">self-esteem</a>, and over content such as <a href="/facts/Fake_news/nuT9xhDT">fake news</a>, <a href="/facts/Conspiracy_theory/sNr2Kmh8">conspiracy theories</a>, <a href="/facts/Copyright_infringement/33JDsS5S">copyright infringement</a>, and <a href="/facts/Hate_speech/y6Wmy5sx">hate speech</a>. Commentators have accused Facebook of willingly facilitating the spread of such content, as well as exaggerating its number of users to appeal to advertisers.

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