Meta Platforms

Founded in 2004 as Facebook, Meta operates the world’s largest social media platforms and has heavily influenced the development of the internet over the past two decades through its pioneering use of personal data collection and targeted advertising. Meta’s products include Facebook, image-sharing app Instagram, and messaging platforms Messenger and WhatsApp; together, they enable users to keep in touch, share images and videos, and buy and sell goods. Meta’s Reality Labs segment develops virtual-reality-related consumer hardware and software, while Meta AI develops artificial intelligence tools including language-processing models. Facebook renamed itself Meta in 2021.