Facebook

{{main|History of Facebook}}

File:MarkZuckerberg-crop.jpg, co-creator of Facebook, in his Harvard dorm room, November 2005]]

The history of Facebook traces its growth from a college networking site to a global social networking service.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2007/jul/25/media.newmedia|title=A brief history of Facebook|first=Sarah|last=Phillips|newspaper=The Guardian |date=July 25, 2007}}

While attending Phillips Exeter in the early 2000's, Zuckerberg met Kris Tillery. Tillery, a one-time project collaborator with Zuckerberg, would create a school-based social networking project called Photo Address Book. Photo Address Book was a digital face book, created through a linked database composed of student information derived from the official records of the Exeter student council. The database contained linkages such as name, dorm-specific landline numbers, and student headshots.{{cite book|first=Steven|last=Levy|title=Facebook: The Inside Story |date=2020 |publisher=Penguin Random House |location=New York City, New York}}

Mark Zuckerberg built a website called "Facemash" in 2003 while attending Harvard University. The site was comparable to Hot or Not and used photos from online face books, asking users to choose the 'hotter' person".{{cite web|first=Katharine A. |last=Kaplan |title=Facemash Creator Survives Ad Board |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/11/19/facemash-creator-survives-ad-board-the/ |website=The Harvard Crimson |date=November 19, 2003 |access-date=June 24, 2017 |archive-date=May 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504172812/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/11/19/facemash-creator-survives-ad-board-the/ |url-status=live}} Zuckerberg was reported and faced expulsion, but the charges were dropped.

A "face book" is a student directory featuring photos and personal information. In January 2004, Zuckerberg coded a new site known as "TheFacebook", stating, "It is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized Website is readily available ... the benefits are many." Zuckerberg met with Harvard student Eduardo Saverin, and each agreed to invest $1,000.{{cite magazine|first=Claire|last=Hoffman|title=The Battle For Facebook|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-battle-for-facebook-20100915|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Wenner Media|date=September 15, 2010|access-date=July 4, 2017|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015320/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-battle-for-facebook-242989/|url-status=dead}} On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook".{{cite news|first=Lily|last=Rothman|title=Happy Birthday, Facebook|url=https://time.com/3686124/happy-birthday-facebook/|magazine=Time|date=February 4, 2015|access-date=July 4, 2017|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015300/http://time.com/3686124/happy-birthday-facebook/%20/|url-status=live}}

Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College. Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes joined Zuckerberg to help manage the growth of the site.{{cite web|first=Matt|last=Weinberger|title=33 photos of Facebook's rise from a Harvard dorm room to world domination|url=http://nordic.businessinsider.com/facebook-history-photos-2016-9|website=Business Insider|publisher=Axel Springer SE|date=September 7, 2017|access-date=December 13, 2017|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015226/https://nordic.businessinsider.com/facebook-history-photos-2016-9%20|url-status=live}} It became available successively to most universities in the US and Canada.{{cite news|access-date=June 13, 2008|url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/09/11/facebook-opens-up-cx_rr_0911facebook.html|title=Open Facebook|work=Forbes|location=New York|date=September 11, 2006|author=Rosmarin, Rachel|archive-date=March 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323070616/https://www.forbes.com/2006/09/11/facebook-opens-up-cx_rr_0911facebook.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://tuftsdaily.com/archives/2004/04/12/online-network-created-by-harvard-students-flourishes/|title=Online network created by Harvard students flourishes|work=The Tufts Daily|first=Lananh|last=Nguyen|date=April 12, 2004|location=Medford, MA|access-date=November 30, 2018|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214092755/https://tuftsdaily.com/archives/2004/04/12/online-network-created-by-harvard-students-flourishes/|url-status=live}} In 2004, Napster co-founder Sean Parker became company president{{cite news|author=Rosen, Ellen|title=Student's Start-Up Draws Attention and $13 Million|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/26/business/26sbiz.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050529030744/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/26/business/26sbiz.html |archive-date=May 29, 2005 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 26, 2005|access-date=May 18, 2009}} and the company moved to Palo Alto, California.{{Cite press release|access-date=March 5, 2008|url=https://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?timeline|title=Company Timeline|publisher=Facebook|date=January 1, 2007|archive-date=January 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106103736/https://newsroom.fb.com/|url-status=live}} PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel gave Facebook its first investment.{{cite news|access-date=April 30, 2008|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/general/beware-facebook/2008/01/18/1200620184398.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2|title=Why you should beware of Facebook|work=The Age|location=Melbourne|date=January 20, 2008|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015255/https://www.theage.com.au/technology/why-you-should-beware-of-facebook-20080120-ge6mel.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine |last=Parker |first=Sean |date=April 16, 2015 |title=Reid Hoffman: The World's 100 Most Influential People |url=https://time.com/collection-post/3822665/reid-hoffman-2015-time-100/ |access-date=June 20, 2023 |magazine=Time |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030194418/https://time.com/collection-post/3822665/reid-hoffman-2015-time-100/ |url-status=live }} In 2005, the company dropped "the" from its name after purchasing the domain name Facebook.com.{{cite web|first=Christopher|last=Williams|title=Facebook wins Manx battle for face-book.com|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/01/facebook_domain_dispute|website=The Register|publisher=Situation Publishing|date=October 1, 2007|access-date=March 23, 2017|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015246/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/01/facebook_domain_dispute%20|url-status=live}}

In 2006, Facebook opened to everyone at least 13 years old with a valid email address.{{cite web|first=Carolyn|last=Abram|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=2210227130|access-date=March 8, 2008|publisher=The Facebook Blog|title=Welcome to Facebook, everyone|date=September 26, 2006|archive-date=January 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111031027/https://newsroom.fb.com/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|access-date=March 5, 2008|url=https://www.facebook.com/terms.php|title=Terms of Use|publisher=Facebook|date=November 15, 2007|archive-date=March 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305190936/http://www.facebook.com/terms.php|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2006/09/facebook-expansion-enables-more-people-to-connect-with-friends-in-a-trusted-environment/|title=Facebook Expansion Enables More People to Connect with Friends in a Trusted Environment|date=September 26, 2006|work=Facebook Newsroom|access-date=February 4, 2016|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015312/https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2006/09/facebook-expansion-enables-more-people-to-connect-with-friends-in-a-trusted-environment/|url-status=live}} Facebook introduced key features like the News Feed, which became central to user engagement. By late 2007, Facebook had 100,000 pages on which companies promoted themselves.{{cite news|title=Enterprise: Facebook, a Marketer's Friend; Site Offers Platform To Tout Products, Interact With Users|last=Richmond|first=Riva|work=The Wall Street Journal|location=New York|date=November 27, 2007|page=B4}} Facebook had surpassed MySpace in global traffic and became the world's most popular social media platform. Microsoft announced that it had purchased a 1.6% share of Facebook for $240 million (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|240000000|2007}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}), giving Facebook an implied value of around $15 billion (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|15000000000|2007}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}). Facebook focused on generating revenue through targeted advertising based on user data, a model that drove its rapid financial growth. In 2012, Facebook went public with one of the largest IPOs in tech history. Acquisitions played a significant role in Facebook's dominance. In 2012, it purchased Instagram, followed by WhatsApp and Oculus VR in 2014, extending its influence beyond social networking into messaging and virtual reality.

The Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal in 2018 revealed misuse of user data to influence elections, sparking global outcry and leading to regulatory fines and hearings. Facebook's role in global events, including its use in organizing movements like the Arab Spring and its impact on events like the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, highlighted its dual nature as a tool for empowerment and harm. In 2021, Facebook rebranded as Meta, reflecting its shift toward building the "metaverse" and focusing on virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.

{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2024}}

Facebook posts can have an unlimited number of characters, with images and videos.

Users can "friend" users, both sides must agree to being friends. Posts can be changed to be seen by everyone (public), friends, people in a certain group (group) or by selected friends (private). Users can join groups. Groups are composed of persons with shared interests. For example, they might go to the same sporting club, live in the same suburb, have the same breed of pet or share a hobby. Posts posted in a group can be seen only by those in a group, unless set to public.

Users are able to buy, sell, and swap things on Facebook Marketplace or in a Buy, Swap and Sell group. Facebook users may advertise events, which can be offline, on a website other than Facebook, or on Facebook.

{{Further|List of Facebook features|Facebook Platform}}

File:Original-facebook.jpg

File:Facebook.svg

The site's primary color is blue as Zuckerberg is red–green colorblind, a realization that occurred after a test taken around 2007.{{cite journal|title=Generation Why?|url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/25/generation-why/?pagination=false|journal=The New York Review of Books|access-date=February 15, 2014|first=Zadie|last=Smith|date=November 25, 2010| volume=57 | issue=18 |archive-date=October 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023213313/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/25/generation-why/?pagination=false|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|title=LETTER FROM PALO ALTO: THE FACE OF FACEBOOK|url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas?currentPage=all|magazine=The New Yorker|publisher=Condé Nast|access-date=February 15, 2014|author=Jose Antonio Vargas|date=September 20, 2010|archive-date=June 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626160148/http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas?currentPage=all|url-status=live}} Facebook was initially built using PHP, a popular scripting language designed for web development.{{Cite web |url=https://engineering.fb.com/2020/05/08/web/facebook-redesign/ |title=Rebuilding our tech stack for the new Facebook.com|date=May 8, 2020|first1=Ashley|last1=Atkins|first2=Royi|last2=Hagigi |access-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321141437/https://engineering.fb.com/2020/05/08/web/facebook-redesign/ |url-status=live }} PHP was used to create dynamic content and manage data on the server side of the Facebook application. Zuckerberg and co-founders chose PHP for its simplicity and ease of use, which allowed them to quickly develop and deploy the initial version of Facebook. As Facebook grew in user base and functionality, the company encountered scalability and performance challenges with PHP. In response, Facebook engineers developed tools and technologies to optimize PHP performance. One of the most significant was the creation of the HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM). This significantly improved the performance and efficiency of PHP code execution on Facebook's servers.

The site upgraded from HTTP to the more secure HTTPS in January 2011.{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=2012-11-18 |title=Facebook Could Slow Down A Tiny Bit As It Starts Switching All Users To Secure HTTPS Connections |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/18/facebook-https/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US |archive-date=June 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624232427/https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/18/facebook-https/ |url-status=live }}

Facebook is developed as one monolithic application. According to an interview in 2012 with Facebook build engineer Chuck Rossi, Facebook compiles into a 1.5 GB binary blob which is then distributed to the servers using a custom BitTorrent-based release system. Rossi stated that it takes about 15 minutes to build and 15 minutes to release to the servers. The build and release process has zero downtime. Changes to Facebook are rolled out daily.{{cite web|first=Ryan|last=Paul|title=Exclusive: a behind-the-scenes look at Facebook release engineering|url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/04/exclusive-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-facebook-release-engineering/|website=Ars Technica|publisher=Condé Nast|date=April 5, 2012|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=July 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704145032/https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/04/exclusive-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-facebook-release-engineering/|url-status=live}}

Facebook used a combination platform based on HBase to store data across distributed machines. Using a tailing architecture, events are stored in log files, and the logs are tailed. The system rolls these events up and writes them to storage. The user interface then pulls the data out and displays it to users. Facebook handles requests as AJAX behavior. These requests are written to a log file using Scribe (developed by Facebook).{{cite web|url=http://highscalability.com/blog/2011/3/22/facebooks-new-realtime-analytics-system-hbase-to-process-20.html|title=Facebook's New Real-time Analytics System: HBase To Process 20 Billion Events Per Day|publisher=Highscalability.com|date=March 22, 2011|access-date=December 26, 2012|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126214712/http://highscalability.com/blog/2011/3/22/facebooks-new-realtime-analytics-system-hbase-to-process-20.html|url-status=live}}

Data is read from these log files using Ptail, an internally built tool to aggregate data from multiple Scribe stores. It tails the log files and pulls data out. Ptail data are separated into three streams and sent to clusters in different data centers (Plugin impression, News feed impressions, Actions (plugin + news feed)). Puma is used to manage periods of high data flow (Input/Output or IO). Data is processed in batches to lessen the number of times needed to read and write under high demand periods. (A hot article generates many impressions and news feed impressions that cause huge data skews.) Batches are taken every 1.5 seconds, limited by memory used when creating a hash table.

Data is then output in PHP format. The backend is written in Java. Thrift is used as the messaging format so PHP programs can query Java services. Caching solutions display pages more quickly. The data is then sent to MapReduce servers where it is queried via Hive. This serves as a backup as the data can be recovered from Hive.

Facebook uses its own content delivery network or "edge network" under the domain fbcdn.net for serving static data.{{cite web|url=https://research.fb.com/blog/2016/04/the-evolution-of-advanced-caching-in-the-facebook-cdn/|title=The Evolution of Advanced Caching in the Facebook CDN|date=April 7, 2016|access-date=May 20, 2020|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115184511/https://research.fb.com/blog/2016/04/the-evolution-of-advanced-caching-in-the-facebook-cdn/|url-status=live}}{{citation | last=Dwarakanath | first=Navya | title=What I Learned About How Facebook Infrastructure Serves Our Photos | date=August 12, 2019}} Until the mid-2010s, Facebook also relied on Akamai for CDN services.{{cite web|url=https://research.facebook.com/publications/an-analysis-of-facebook-photo-caching/|title=An Analysis of Facebook Photo Caching – Meta Research|website=Meta Research|access-date=December 18, 2021|archive-date=December 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218093324/https://research.facebook.com/publications/an-analysis-of-facebook-photo-caching/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://webapps.stackexchange.com/questions/85953/does-facebook-use-any-other-cdn-apart-from-akamai-encountered-fbcdn-net-subdoma|title=Does Facebook use any other CDN apart from Akamai? Encountered fbcdn.net subdomain that does not belong to Akamai|website=Web Applications Stack Exchange|access-date=May 20, 2020|archive-date=August 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811051533/https://webapps.stackexchange.com/questions/85953/does-facebook-use-any-other-cdn-apart-from-akamai-encountered-fbcdn-net-subdoma|url-status=live}}{{cite journal | last1=Farahbakhsh | first1=Reza | last2=Cuevas | first2=Angel | last3=Ortiz | first3=Antonio M. | last4=Han | first4=Xiao | last5=Crespi | first5=Noel | s2cid=7987529 | title=How far is Facebook from me? Facebook network infrastructure analysis | journal=IEEE Communications Magazine | publisher=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) |arxiv=1705.00717 | volume=53 | issue=9 | year=2015 | issn=0163-6804 | doi=10.1109/mcom.2015.7263357 | pages=134–142}}

{{Main page|Hack (programming language)}}

On March 20, 2014, Facebook announced a new open-source programming language called Hack. Before public release, a large portion of Facebook was already running and "battle tested" using the new language.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2014/03/facebook-hack/|title=Facebook Introduces 'Hack', the Programming Language of the Future|date=March 20, 2014|magazine=Wired|first=Cade|last=Metz|access-date=March 7, 2017|archive-date=March 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328124125/http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2014/03/facebook-hack|url-status=live}}

File:Screen of Facebook (2).PNG

Each registered user on Facebook has a personal profile that shows their posts and content.{{cite web|first=Kate|last=Knibbs|title=How Facebook's design has changed over the last 10 years|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/old-facebook-profiles-news-feeds/|website=The Daily Dot|date=December 11, 2015|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=November 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113195420/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/old-facebook-profiles-news-feeds/|url-status=live}} The format of individual user pages was revamped in September 2011 and became known as "Timeline", a chronological feed of a user's stories,{{cite web|first=Jacob|last=Schulman|title=Facebook introduces Timeline: 'a new way to express who you are'|url=https://www.theverge.com/2011/09/22/facebook-introduces-timeline-a-express-are|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=September 22, 2011|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=June 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234847/https://www.theverge.com/2011/09/22/facebook-introduces-timeline-a-express-are|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|first=Chris|last=Gayomali|title=Facebook Introduces 'Timeline': The 'Story' of Your Life|url=https://techland.time.com/2011/09/22/facebook-introduces-timeline-the-story-of-your-life/|magazine=Time|date=September 22, 2011|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=August 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817180846/https://techland.time.com/2011/09/22/facebook-introduces-timeline-the-story-of-your-life/|url-status=live}} including status updates, photos, interactions with apps and events.{{cite web|first=Matthew|last=Panzarino|title=Facebook introduces radical new profile design called Timeline: The story of your life [Video]|url=https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2011/09/22/facebook-introduces-timeline-the-story-of-your-life/|website=The Next Web|date=September 22, 2011|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127003430/https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2011/09/22/facebook-introduces-timeline-the-story-of-your-life/|url-status=live}} The layout let users add a "cover photo". Users were given more privacy settings. In 2007, Facebook launched Facebook Pages for brands and celebrities to interact with their fanbases.{{cite web|first=Jason|last=Weaver|title=The Evolution of Facebook for Brands|url=http://mashable.com/2012/03/30/facebook-for-brands/|website=Mashable|date=March 30, 2012|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=October 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025204744/https://mashable.com/2012/03/30/facebook-for-brands/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Before Graph Search: Facebook's Biggest Changes|url=http://uk.pcmag.com/internet-products/58174/gallery/before-graph-search-facebooks-biggest-changes?p=3|website=PC Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis|access-date=June 14, 2017|date=January 15, 2013|archive-date=July 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701055248/http://uk.pcmag.com/internet-products/58174/gallery/before-graph-search-facebooks-biggest-changes?p=3|url-status=live}} 100,000 Pages{{explain|date=February 2022}} launched in November.{{cite news|first=Rob|last=Hof|title=Facebook Declares New Era for Advertising|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2007-11-05/facebook-declares-new-era-for-advertising|website=Bloomberg|date=November 6, 2007|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807010529/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2007-11-05/facebook-declares-new-era-for-advertising|url-status=live}} In June 2009, Facebook introduced a "Usernames" feature, allowing users to choose a unique nickname used in the URL for their personal profile, for easier sharing.{{cite web|first=Ben|last=Parr|title=Facebook to Launch Vanity URLs for All|url=http://mashable.com/2009/06/09/facebook-vanity-urls/|website=Mashable|date=June 9, 2009|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115214520/https://mashable.com/2009/06/09/facebook-vanity-urls/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Nick|last=O'Neill|title=Facebook Begins Rolling Out Free Profile Usernames For Vanity URLs|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-begins-rolling-out-free-profile-usernames-for-vanity-urls/|website=Adweek|publisher=Beringer Capital|date=June 9, 2009|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109035625/https://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-begins-rolling-out-free-profile-usernames-for-vanity-urls/|url-status=live}}

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. Users can also set which set of gender-specific pronoun should be used in reference to them throughout the site.{{cite news|first1=Jordan|last1=Crook|first2=Josh|last2=Constine|title=Facebook Opens Up LGBTQ-Friendly Gender Identity And Pronoun Options|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/13/facebook-gender-identity/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=February 13, 2014|access-date=March 23, 2017|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129225712/https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/13/facebook-gender-identity/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Facebook expands gender options: transgender activists hail 'big advance'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/13/transgender-facebook-expands-gender-options|website=The Guardian|date=February 14, 2014|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213081408/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/13/transgender-facebook-expands-gender-options|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Alexei|last=Oreskovic|title=In new profile feature, Facebook offers choices for gender identity|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-gender-idUSBREA1C1RU20140214|website=Reuters|publisher=Thomson Reuters|date=February 13, 2014|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124054546/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-gender-idUSBREA1C1RU20140214|url-status=live}} In May 2014, Facebook introduced a feature to allow users to ask for information not disclosed by other users on their profiles. If a user does not provide key information, such as location, hometown, or relationship status, other users can use a new "ask" button to send a message asking about that item to the user in a single click.{{cite web|first=Sam|last=Machkovech|title=Facebook adds naggy "ask" button to profile pages|url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2014/05/facebook-introduces-naggy-ask-function-into-profile-pages/|website=Ars Technica|publisher=Condé Nast|date=May 16, 2014|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=February 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224180048/https://arstechnica.com/business/2014/05/facebook-introduces-naggy-ask-function-into-profile-pages/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|first=Laura|last=Stampler|title=Facebook's New 'Ask' Button Gives You a Whole New Way to Badger Friends About Their Relationship Status|url=https://time.com/104720/facebooks-new-ask-button-gives-you-a-whole-new-way-to-badger-friends-about-their-relationship-status/|magazine=Time|date=May 19, 2014|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126130949/https://time.com/104720/facebooks-new-ask-button-gives-you-a-whole-new-way-to-badger-friends-about-their-relationship-status/|url-status=live}}

{{Further|News Feed}}

News Feed appears on every user's homepage and highlights information including profile changes, upcoming events and friends' birthdays.{{cite web|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=2207967130|title=Facebook Gets a Facelift|access-date=February 11, 2008|last=Sanghvi|first=Ruchi|date=September 6, 2006|publisher=The Facebook Blog|archive-date=June 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610185832/http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=2207967130|url-status=live}} This enabled spammers and other users to manipulate these features by creating illegitimate events or posting fake birthdays to attract attention to their profile or cause.{{cite web|url=http://blog.colnect.com/2010/03/facebook-celebrate-your-birthday-every.html|title=Facebook: Celebrate Your Birthday Every Day|publisher=Colnect blog|access-date=March 9, 2010|archive-date=July 7, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707122502/http://blog.colnect.com/2010/03/facebook-celebrate-your-birthday-every.html|url-status=live}} Initially, the News Feed caused dissatisfaction among Facebook users; some complained it was too cluttered and full of undesired information, others were concerned that it made it too easy for others to track individual activities (such as relationship status changes, events, and conversations with other users).{{cite news|access-date=June 28, 2008|url=http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2006/tc20060908_536553.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061106135528/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2006/tc20060908_536553.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 6, 2006|title=Facebook Learns from Its Fumble|work=BusinessWeek|location=New York|date=September 8, 2006|author=Lacy, Sarah|author-link=Sarah Lacy}} Zuckerberg apologized for the site's failure to include appropriate privacy features. Users then gained control over what types of information are shared automatically with friends. Users are now able to prevent user-set categories of friends from seeing updates about certain types of activities, including profile changes, Wall posts and newly added friends.{{cite news|access-date=June 28, 2008|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192700574|title=Facebook Founder Apologizes in Privacy Flap; Users Given More Control|work=InformationWeek|location=New York|date=September 8, 2006|author=Gonsalves, Antone|archive-date=March 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302235804/http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192700574|url-status=live}}

On February 23, 2010, Facebook was granted a patent{{cite patent|country=US|number=7669123|status=patent}} on certain aspects of its News Feed. The patent covers News Feeds in which links are provided so that one user can participate in the activity of another user.{{cite web|url=http://themelis-cuiper.com/22/us-patent-no-7669123.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515155132/http://themelis-cuiper.com/22/us-patent-no-7669123.html|archive-date=May 15, 2011|title=US Patent No. 7669123|work=Ostsee Magazin ☀️ Urlaubsorte und Ausflugsziele |access-date=March 9, 2010|publisher=Social Media|date=March 1, 2010}} The sorting and display of stories in a user's News Feed is governed by the EdgeRank algorithm.{{cite web|url=http://edgerank.net/|title=EdgeRank|date=October 29, 2007|publisher=EdgeRank|access-date=February 16, 2013|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126062416/http://edgerank.net/|url-status=live}} The Photos application allows users to upload albums and photos.{{cite web|first=Michael|last=Arrington|author-link=Michael Arrington|title=Facebook Launches Facebook Platform; They are the Anti-MySpace|url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/05/24/facebook-launches-facebook-platform-they-are-the-anti-myspace/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=May 24, 2007|access-date=March 23, 2017|archive-date=May 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530101941/https://techcrunch.com/2007/05/24/facebook-launches-facebook-platform-they-are-the-anti-myspace/|url-status=live}} Each album can contain 200 photos.{{cite web|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=87157517130|title=Share More Memories with Larger Photo Albums|access-date=January 4, 2010|archive-date=May 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510013328/http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=87157517130|url-status=live}} Privacy settings apply to individual albums. Users can "tag", or label, friends in a photo. The friend receives a notification about the tag with a link to the photo.{{cite web|access-date=March 15, 2008|url=https://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=7|title=Photos|publisher=Facebook|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731205244/https://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=7|archive-date=July 31, 2008}} This photo tagging feature was developed by Aaron Sittig, now a Design Strategy Lead at Facebook, and former Facebook engineer Scott Marlette back in 2006 and was only granted a patent in 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-first-20-employees-2011-5#aaron-sittig-was-brought-on-by-sean-parker-he-created-the-concept-of-tagging-friends-in-facebook-pictures-4|title=The First 20 Facebook Employees: Where Are They Now?|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|date=May 13, 2011|website=Business Insider|access-date=September 10, 2019|archive-date=July 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724092424/https://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-first-20-employees-2011-5#aaron-sittig-was-brought-on-by-sean-parker-he-created-the-concept-of-tagging-friends-in-facebook-pictures-4|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-patent-photo-tagging/|title=Facebook Wins Patents For Tagging in Photos, Other Digital Media|last=Cutler|first=Kim-Mai|date=May 17, 2011|website=Adweek|access-date=September 10, 2019|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022180917/https://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-patent-photo-tagging/|url-status=live}}

On June 7, 2012, Facebook launched its App Center to help users find games and other applications.{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/internet/Facebook-to-launch-App-Center/articleshow/13920641.cms|title=Facebook to launch App Center|date=June 8, 2012|work=The Times Of India|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608112718/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/internet/Facebook-to-launch-App-Center/articleshow/13920641.cms|archive-date=June 8, 2012}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://media.fb.com/2015/05/12/instantarticles/|title=Introducing Instant Articles – Facebook Media|work=fb.com|access-date=May 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514162847/http://media.fb.com/2015/05/12/instantarticles/|archive-date=May 14, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://previewtech.net/facebook-launches-instant-articles/|title=Facebook launches "Instant Articles"|work=Preview Tech|date=May 14, 2015|access-date=May 15, 2015|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204110610/https://previewtech.net/facebook-launches-instant-articles/|url-status=dead}} In January 2017, Facebook launched Facebook Stories for iOS and Android in Ireland. The feature, following the format of Snapchat and Instagram stories, allows users to upload photos and videos that appear above friends' and followers' News Feeds and disappear after 24 hours.{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=Facebook Stories puts a Snapchat clone above the News Feed|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/25/facebook-stories/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=January 25, 2017|access-date=March 23, 2017|archive-date=February 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221205103/https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/25/facebook-stories/|url-status=live}}

On October 11, 2017, Facebook introduced the 3D Posts feature to allow for uploading interactive 3D assets.{{cite web|first=Rachel|last=Franklin|title=Building Connections Through Creativity and Opening VR to Everyone|url=https://www.oculus.com/blog/building-connections-through-creativity-and-opening-vr-to-everyone/|website=Oculus|date=October 11, 2017|access-date=February 28, 2018|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024054539/https://www.oculus.com/blog/building-connections-through-creativity-and-opening-vr-to-everyone/|url-status=live}} On January 11, 2018, Facebook announced that it would change News Feed to prioritize friends/family content and de-emphasize content from media companies.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/technology/facebook-news-feed.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112003129/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/technology/facebook-news-feed.html |archive-date=January 12, 2018 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Facebook Overhauls News Feed to Focus on What Friends and Family Share|last=Isaac|first=Mike|date=2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 17, 2018|issn=0362-4331}} In February 2020, Facebook announced it would spend $1 billion (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1000000000|2020}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) to license news material from publishers for the next three years; a pledge coming as the company falls under scrutiny from governments across the globe over not paying for news content appearing on the platform. The pledge would be in addition to the $600 million (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|600000000|2020}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) paid since 2018 through deals with news companies such as The Guardian and Financial Times.{{Cite news|last=Ziobro|first=Paul|date=February 24, 2021|title=Facebook to Spend $1 Billion on News Content Over Three Years|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-to-spend-1-billion-on-news-content-over-three-years-11614187391|access-date=February 24, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225004635/https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-to-spend-1-billion-on-news-content-over-three-years-11614187391|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=UPDATE 1-Facebook says it inadvertently blocked content during Australia news ban|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-facebook-says-inadvertently-blocked-115740188.html|access-date=February 24, 2021|website=finance.yahoo.com|date=February 24, 2021|language=en-US|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224190827/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-facebook-says-inadvertently-blocked-115740188.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Barker|first=Alex|title=Facebook pledges to pay $1bn for news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/facebook-pledges-to-pay-1bn-for-news-1.4493909|access-date=February 24, 2021|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224204916/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/facebook-pledges-to-pay-1bn-for-news-1.4493909|url-status=live}}

In March and April 2021, in response to Apple announcing changes to its iOS device's Identifier for Advertisers policy, which included requiring app developers to directly request to users the ability to track on an opt-in basis, Facebook purchased full-page newspaper advertisements attempting to convince users to allow tracking, highlighting the effects targeted ads have on small businesses.{{cite web|title=Facebook Takes Out Full-Page Newspaper Ads to Attack Apple's iOS Privacy Changes|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/16/facebook-takes-out-full-page-ads-to-attack-apple/|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=MacRumors|date=December 16, 2020|language=en|archive-date=May 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512183223/https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/16/facebook-takes-out-full-page-ads-to-attack-apple/|url-status=live}} Facebook's efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, as Apple released iOS 14.5 in late April 2021, containing the feature for users in what has been deemed "App Tracking Transparency". Moreover, statistics from Verizon Communications subsidiary Flurry Analytics show 96% of all iOS users in the United States are not permitting tracking at all, and only 12% of worldwide iOS users are allowing tracking, which some news outlets deem "Facebook's nightmare", among similar terms.{{cite web|last=Datti|first=Sharmishte|date=May 12, 2021|title=Apple's App Tracking Transparency Becomes Facebook's Nightmare: Only 4% Allow Tracking|url=https://www.gizbot.com/mobile/news/apple-app-tracking-transparency-becomes-facebook-nightmare-only-4-percent-allow-tracking-074217.html|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=gizbot.com|language=en|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604024443/https://www.gizbot.com/mobile/news/apple-app-tracking-transparency-becomes-facebook-nightmare-only-4-percent-allow-tracking-074217.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Apple Might Have Just Put and End to Facebook|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/apple-s-app-tracking-transparency-update-is-turning-out-to-be-the-worst-case-scenario-for-facebook/ar-BB1gDK55|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=www.msn.com|archive-date=May 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512183221/https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/apple-s-app-tracking-transparency-update-is-turning-out-to-be-the-worst-case-scenario-for-facebook/ar-BB1gDK55|url-status=live}}{{cite web|date=May 9, 2021|title=Apple vs Facebook: 96 Percent Users Disabling App Tracking So Far, Claims Report|url=https://www.news18.com/news/tech/apple-vs-facebook-96-percent-users-disabling-app-tracking-so-far-claims-report-3720917.html|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=www.news18.com|language=en|archive-date=May 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512183221/https://www.news18.com/news/tech/apple-vs-facebook-96-percent-users-disabling-app-tracking-so-far-claims-report-3720917.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Heisler|first=Yoni|date=May 11, 2021|title=New data shows how devastating Apple's new anti-tracking feature is for Facebook|url=https://bgr.com/tech/ios-14-update-app-tracking-transparency-facebook-percentage-5924882/|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=BGR|language=en-US|archive-date=May 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511224832/https://bgr.com/tech/ios-14-update-app-tracking-transparency-facebook-percentage-5924882/|url-status=live}} Despite the news, Facebook stated that the new policy and software update would be "manageable".{{cite web|title=Facebook Says Impact of iOS 14.5's App Tracking Transparency Will Be 'Manageable'|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2021/04/28/facebook-att-impact-manageable/|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=MacRumors|date=April 28, 2021|language=en|archive-date=May 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512183220/https://www.macrumors.com/2021/04/28/facebook-att-impact-manageable/|url-status=live}}

{{Further|Facebook like button}}

File:Facebook_Like_React.png

The "like" button, stylized as a "thumbs up" icon, was first enabled on February 9, 2009,{{cite web|first=Jason|last=Kincaid|title=Facebook Activates "Like" Button; FriendFeed Tires Of Sincere Flattery|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/facebook-activates-like-button-friendfeed-tires-of-sincere-flattery/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=February 9, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=July 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701055146/https://techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/facebook-activates-like-button-friendfeed-tires-of-sincere-flattery/|url-status=live}} and enables users to easily interact with status updates, comments, photos and videos, links shared by friends, and advertisements. Once clicked by a user, the designated content is more likely to appear in friends' News Feeds.{{cite web|first=JP|last=Mangalindan|title=Facebook Likes don't go as far as they used to in News Feed update|url=http://mashable.com/2015/04/21/news-feed-facebook-likes/|website=Mashable|date=April 21, 2015|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019223547/https://mashable.com/2015/04/21/news-feed-facebook-likes/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=How Facebook News Feed Works|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/06/ultimate-guide-to-the-news-feed/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=September 6, 2016|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=January 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129023716/https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/06/ultimate-guide-to-the-news-feed/|url-status=live}} The button displays the number of other users who have liked the content.{{cite web|title=Like and React to Posts|url=https://www.facebook.com/help/1624177224568554/|website=Facebook Help Center|publisher=Facebook|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106073457/https://www.facebook.com/help/1624177224568554|url-status=live}} The like button was extended to comments in June 2010.{{cite web|first=Chloe|last=Albanesius|title=Facebook Adds Ability to 'Like' Comments|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365190,00.asp|website=PC Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=June 17, 2010|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=January 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126091323/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365190,00.asp|url-status=live}} In February 2016, Facebook expanded Like into "Reactions", allowing users to choose from five pre-defined emotions: "Love", "Haha", "Wow", "Sad", or "Angry".{{cite web|first=Casey|last=Newton|title=Facebook rolls out expanded Like button reactions around the world|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/24/11094374/facebook-reactions-like-button|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=February 24, 2016|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214164910/https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/24/11094374/facebook-reactions-like-button|url-status=live}}{{cite journal|first=Liz|last=Stinson|title=Facebook Reactions, the Totally Redesigned Like Button, Is Here|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/02/facebook-reactions-totally-redesigned-like-button|journal=Wired|date=February 24, 2016|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=December 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203233726/https://www.wired.com/2016/02/facebook-reactions-totally-redesigned-like-button/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Natt|last=Garun|title=Facebook reactions have now infiltrated comments|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/3/15536812/facebook-reactions-now-available-comments|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=May 3, 2017|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=June 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620180635/https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/3/15536812/facebook-reactions-now-available-comments|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=David|last=Cohen|title=Facebook Just Extended Reactions to Comments|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-reactions-comments/|website=Adweek|publisher=Beringer Capital|date=May 3, 2017|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-date=February 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221205130/https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/facebook-reactions-comments/|url-status=live}} In late April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new "Care" reaction was added.{{cite web |last1=Lyles |first1=Taylor |title=Facebook adds a 'care' reaction to the like button 5 |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/17/21224805/facebook-care-reaction-like-button-messenger-app |website=The Verge |date=April 17, 2020 |access-date=May 2, 2020 |archive-date=May 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523223255/https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/17/21224805/facebook-care-reaction-like-button-messenger-app |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Facebook Messenger}}

Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging service and software application. It began as Facebook Chat in 2008,{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Hendrickson|title=Facebook Chat Launches, For Some|url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/04/06/facebook-chat-enters-pre-release-beta/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=April 6, 2008|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=October 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017053152/https://techcrunch.com/2008/04/06/facebook-chat-enters-pre-release-beta/|url-status=live}} was revamped in 2010{{cite web|first=MG|last=Siegler|title=Facebook's Modern Messaging System: Seamless, History, And A Social Inbox|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/15/facebook-messaging/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=November 15, 2010|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019030531/https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/15/facebook-messaging/|url-status=live}} and eventually became a standalone mobile app in August 2011, while remaining part of the user page on browsers.{{cite web|first=Jason|last=Kincaid|title=Facebook Launches Standalone iPhone/Android Messenger App (And It's Beluga)|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/08/09/facebook-launches-standalone-mobile-messenger-app-and-it%E2%80%99s-beluga/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005063853/https://techcrunch.com/2011/08/09/facebook-launches-standalone-mobile-messenger-app-and-it%E2%80%99s-beluga/|url-status=live}} Complementing regular conversations, Messenger lets users make one-to-one{{cite web|first=Hope|last=King|title=Facebook Messenger now lets you make video calls|url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/04/27/technology/facebook-messenger-mobile-video-call/|website=CNN|date=April 27, 2015|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=June 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611021040/https://money.cnn.com/2015/04/27/technology/facebook-messenger-mobile-video-call/|url-status=live}} and group{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Statt|title=Facebook Messenger now lets you video chat with up to 50 people|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/19/14006752/facebook-messenger-group-video-chat-feature-update|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=December 19, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108105746/http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/19/14006752/facebook-messenger-group-video-chat-feature-update|url-status=live}} voice{{cite web|first=Ellis|last=Hamburger|title=Facebook launches free calling for all iPhone users in the US|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/16/3883538/facebook-launches-free-calling-in-messenger-for-iphone-us|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=January 16, 2013|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112022932/http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/16/3883538/facebook-launches-free-calling-in-messenger-for-iphone-us|url-status=live}} and video calls.{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=Facebook Messenger Launches Free VOIP Video Calls Over Cellular And Wi-Fi|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/27/facebook-messenger-video-chat/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=April 27, 2015|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919222052/https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/27/facebook-messenger-video-chat/|url-status=live}} Its Android app has integrated support for SMS{{cite web|first=Charles|last=Arthur|title=Facebook turns Messenger into a text message killer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/04/facebook-messenger-android-sms-killer|website=The Guardian|date=December 4, 2012|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919180035/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/04/facebook-messenger-android-sms-killer|url-status=live}} and "Chat Heads", which are round profile photo icons appearing on-screen regardless of what app is open,{{cite web|title=Chat Heads come to Facebook Messenger for Android|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/12/4216838/facebook-updates-messenger-adds-chat-heads|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=April 12, 2013|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=September 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920055844/https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/12/4216838/facebook-updates-messenger-adds-chat-heads|url-status=live}} while both apps support multiple accounts,{{cite web|first=Sarah|last=Perez|title=Facebook Tests SMS Integration in Messenger, Launches Support For Multiple Accounts|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/02/11/facebook-tests-sms-integration-in-messenger-launches-support-for-multiple-accounts/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=February 11, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=December 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202010903/https://techcrunch.com/2016/02/11/facebook-tests-sms-integration-in-messenger-launches-support-for-multiple-accounts/|url-status=live}} conversations with optional end-to-end encryption{{cite journal|first=Andy|last=Greenberg|title=You Can All Finally Encrypt Facebook Messenger, So Do It|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/10/facebook-completely-encrypted-messenger-update-now/|journal=Wired|date=October 4, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122050204/https://www.wired.com/2016/10/facebook-completely-encrypted-messenger-update-now/|url-status=live}} and "Instant Games".{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=Facebook Messenger launches Instant Games|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/29/messenger-instant-games/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=November 29, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108101121/https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/29/messenger-instant-games/|url-status=live}} Some features, including sending money{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=Facebook Introduces Free Friend-To-Friend Payments Through Messages|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/17/facebook-pay/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=March 17, 2015|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=August 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815173100/https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/17/facebook-pay/|url-status=live}} and requesting transportation,{{cite web|first=Andrew J.|last=Hawkins|title=Facebook Messenger now lets you hail an Uber car|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/12/16/10303878/facebook-messenger-uber-app-integration-API|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=December 16, 2015|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108092109/http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/16/10303878/facebook-messenger-uber-app-integration-API|url-status=live}} are limited to the United States. In 2017, Facebook added "Messenger Day", a feature that lets users share photos and videos in a story-format with all their friends with the content disappearing after 24 hours;{{cite web|first=James|last=Vincent|title=Facebook's Snapchat stories clone, Messenger Day, is now rolling out globally|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/9/14867192/facebook-messenger-snapchat-stories-clone-day|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=March 9, 2017|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020809/http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/9/14867192/facebook-messenger-snapchat-stories-clone-day|url-status=live}} Reactions, which lets users tap and hold a message to add a reaction through an emoji;{{cite web|first=James|last=Vincent|title=Facebook Messenger gets reactions for individual messages and @ notifications|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/23/15033810/facebook-messenger-notifications-reactions|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=March 23, 2017|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112033205/http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/23/15033810/facebook-messenger-notifications-reactions|url-status=live}} and Mentions, which lets users in group conversations type @ to give a particular user a notification.

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.{{cite web |last=O'Flaherty |first=Kate |title=Facebook Users Beware: Here's Why Messenger Rooms Is Not Actually That Private |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2020/04/26/facebooks-messenger-rooms-is-not-actually-all-that-private-heres-why/ |access-date=May 14, 2020 |website=Forbes |language=en}} 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. The feature is called App Lock and is a part of several changes in Messenger regarding privacy and security.{{cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=July 22, 2020 |title=Facebook Messenger can now lock your chats behind Face ID |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/22/21333945/facebook-messenger-app-lock-security-iphone-ipad-face-id |access-date=July 23, 2020 |website=The Verge |language=en}}{{cite web |last=Mendiratta |first=Hemant |date=August 7, 2020 |title=How To View Only Unread Messages On Facebook Messenger |url=https://www.techuntold.com/view-only-unread-messages-facebook-messenger |access-date=September 14, 2021 |website=TechUntold |quote=}} On October 13, 2020, the Messenger application introduced cross-app messaging with Instagram, which was launched in September 2021.{{Cite web |date=September 30, 2021 |title=Facebook Messenger releases cross-app group chats, further integrating with Instagram |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/30/facebook-messenger-releases-cross-app-group-chats-further-integrating-with-instagram/ |access-date=April 8, 2022 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} In addition to the integrated messaging, the application announced the introduction of a new logo, which will be an amalgamation of the Messenger and Instagram logo.{{cite web |date=October 13, 2020 |title=The Future of Messaging is Now |url=https://messengernews.fb.com/2020/10/13/the-future-of-messaging-is-now/ |access-date=October 13, 2020 |website=Messenger News}}

Businesses and users can interact through Messenger with features such as tracking purchases and receiving notifications, and interacting with customer service representatives. Third-party developers can integrate apps into Messenger, letting users enter an app while inside Messenger and optionally share details from the app into a chat.{{cite web|first=Hope|last=King|title=7 big changes coming to Facebook|url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/03/25/technology/facebook-f8-messenger/|website=CNN|date=March 25, 2015|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=March 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301180343/https://money.cnn.com/2015/03/25/technology/facebook-f8-messenger/|url-status=live}} Developers can build chatbots into Messenger, for uses such as news publishers building bots to distribute news.{{cite web|first=Casey|last=Newton|title=Facebook launches a bot platform for Messenger|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/12/11395806/facebook-messenger-bot-platform-announced-f8-conference|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=April 12, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108162709/http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/12/11395806/facebook-messenger-bot-platform-announced-f8-conference|url-status=live}} The M virtual assistant (U.S.) scans chats for keywords and suggests relevant actions, such as its payments system for users mentioning money.{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Statt|title=Facebook's AI assistant will now offer suggestions inside Messenger|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/6/15200836/facebook-messenger-m-suggestions-ai-assisant|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=April 6, 2017|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111192857/http://www.theverge.com/2017/4/6/15200836/facebook-messenger-m-suggestions-ai-assisant|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=Facebook Messenger's AI 'M' suggests features to use based on your convos|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/06/facebook-messengers-ai-m-suggests-features-to-use-based-on-your-convos/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=April 6, 2017|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026170208/https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/06/facebook-messengers-ai-m-suggests-features-to-use-based-on-your-convos/|url-status=live}} Group chatbots appear in Messenger as "Chat Extensions". A "Discovery" tab allows finding bots, and enabling special, branded QR codes that, when scanned, take the user to a specific bot.{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=Facebook Messenger launches group bots and bot discovery tab|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/18/facebook-bot-discovery/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=April 18, 2017|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022040938/https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/18/facebook-bot-discovery/|url-status=live}}

{{See also|#Privacy}}

Facebook's data policy outlines its policies for collecting, storing, and sharing user's data.{{cite web|access-date=October 20, 2021|work=Facebook.com|title="Data Policy"|url=https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/previous|archive-date=October 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021031157/https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/previous|url-status=live}} Facebook enables users to control access to individual posts and their profile{{cite web|access-date=June 13, 2009|url=https://www.facebook.com/privacy/?view=search|title=Search Privacy|publisher=Facebook|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109220522/http://www.facebook.com/privacy/?view=search|url-status=live}} through privacy settings.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=privacy|title=Choose Your Privacy Settings|publisher=Facebook|access-date=September 10, 2009}} The user's name and profile picture (if applicable) are public.

Facebook's revenue depends on targeted advertising, which involves analyzing user data to decide which ads to show each user. Facebook buys data from third parties, gathered from both online and offline sources, to supplement its own data on users. Facebook maintains that it does not share data used for targeted advertising with the advertisers themselves.{{Cite news|title="What Facebook's privacy policy allows may surprise you"|last1=Ortutay|first1=Barbare|date=March 25, 2018|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-facebook-privacy-policy-20180325-story.html}} The company states:

"We provide advertisers with reports about the kinds of people seeing their ads and how their ads are performing, but we don't share information that personally identifies you (information such as your name or email address that by itself can be used to contact you or identifies who you are) unless you give us permission. For example, we provide general demographic and interest information to advertisers (for example, that an ad was seen by a woman between the ages of 25 and 34 who lives in Madrid and likes software engineering) to help them better understand their audience. We also confirm which Facebook ads led you to make a purchase or take an action with an advertiser."

{{As of|October 2021}}, Facebook claims it uses the following policy for sharing user data with third parties:

Apps, websites, and third-party integrations on or using our Products.

When you choose to use third-party apps, websites, or other services that use, or are integrated with, our Products, they can receive information about what you post or share. For example, when you play a game with your Facebook friends or use a Facebook Comment or Share button on a website, the game developer or website can receive information about your activities in the game or receive a comment or link that you share from the website on Facebook. Also, when you download or use such third-party services, they can access your public profile on Facebook, and any information that you share with them. Apps and websites you use may receive your list of Facebook friends if you choose to share it with them. But apps and websites you use will not be able to receive any other information about your Facebook friends from you, or information about any of your Instagram followers (although your friends and followers may, of course, choose to share this information themselves). Information collected by these third-party services is subject to their own terms and policies, not this one.

Devices and operating systems providing native versions of Facebook and Instagram (i.e. where we have not developed our own first-party apps) will have access to all information you choose to share with them, including information your friends share with you, so they can provide our core functionality to you.

Note: We are in the process of restricting developers' data access even further to help prevent abuse. For example, we will remove developers' access to your Facebook and Instagram data if you haven't used their app in 3 months, and we are changing Login, so that in the next version, we will reduce the data that an app can request without app review to include only name, Instagram username and bio, profile photo and email address. Requesting any other data will require our approval.

Facebook will also share data with law enforcement if needed to.

Facebook's policies have changed repeatedly since the service's debut, amid a series of controversies covering everything from how well it secures user data, to what extent it allows users to control access, to the kinds of access given to third parties, including businesses, political campaigns and governments. These facilities vary according to country, as some nations require the company to make data available (and limit access to services), while the European Union's GDPR regulation mandates additional privacy protections.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebooks-timeline-15-years-in-11549276201|title=Facebook's Timeline: 15 Years In|last1=Wilberding|first1=Kurt|date=February 4, 2019|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=February 6, 2019|last2=Wells|first2=Georgia|issn=0099-9660}}

File:Facebook t-shirt with whitehat debit card for Hackers.jpg" debit card, given to researchers who report security bugs, May 2014]]

On July 29, 2011, Facebook announced its Bug Bounty Program that paid security researchers a minimum of $500 (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|500|2011}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) for reporting security holes. The company promised not to pursue "white hat" hackers who identified such problems.{{cite web|url=https://facebook.com/whitehat|title=Facebook|publisher=Facebook|access-date=August 4, 2014}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2389460,00.asp|title=Facebook Offers $500 Bounty for Reporting Bugs: Why So Cheap|magazine=PC Magazine|access-date=January 18, 2015}} This led researchers in many countries to participate, particularly in India and Russia.{{cite web|last=Bug Bounty|first=((Facebook))|title=Facebook Bug Bounty|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-bug-bounty/bug-bounty-highlights-and-updates/818902394790655|publisher=Facebook Security|access-date=April 3, 2014}}

Facebook's rapid growth began as soon as it became available and continued through 2018, before beginning to decline. Facebook passed 100 million registered users in 2008,{{cite web|first=Stan|last=Schroeder|title=Facebook's 100 Million Users: How Much are They Worth?|url=http://mashable.com/2008/08/26/facebook-100-million-users/|website=Mashable|date=August 26, 2008|access-date=June 4, 2017}} and 500 million in July 2010.{{cite web|first=Robin|last=Wauters|title=Zuckerberg Makes It Official: Facebook Hits 500 Million Members|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/21/facebook-500-million/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=July 21, 2010|access-date=June 4, 2017}} According to the company's data at the July 2010 announcement, half of the site's membership used Facebook daily, for an average of 34 minutes, while 150 million users accessed the site by mobile.{{cite web|first1=Charles|last1=Arthur|first2=Jemima|last2=Kiss|title=Facebook reaches 500 million users|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jul/21/facebook-500-million-users|website=The Guardian|date=July 21, 2010|access-date=March 23, 2017}}

In October 2012, Facebook's monthly active users passed one billion,{{cite web |first1=Aaron |last1=Smith |first2=Laurie |last2=Segal |first3=Stacy |last3=Cowley |title=Facebook reaches one billion users |url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/10/04/technology/facebook-billion-users/ |website=CNN |date=October 4, 2012 |access-date=June 4, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Jemima |last=Kiss |title=Facebook hits 1 billion users a month |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/04/facebook-hits-billion-users-a-month |website=The Guardian |date=October 4, 2012 |access-date=June 4, 2017}} with 600 million mobile users, 219 billion photo uploads, and 140 billion friend connections.{{cite web|first=Daniel|last=Ionescu|title=Facebook rules the social networking world with 1 billion users|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2011123/facebook-rules-the-social-networking-world-with-1-billion-users.html|website=PC World|publisher=International Data Group|date=October 4, 2012|access-date=June 4, 2017}} The 2 billion user mark was crossed in June 2017.{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Welch|title=Facebook crosses 2 billion monthly users|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/27/15880494/facebook-2-billion-monthly-users-announced|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=June 27, 2017|access-date=June 27, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Constine|title=Facebook now has 2 billion monthly users ... and responsibility|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/27/facebook-2-billion-users/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=June 27, 2017|access-date=July 1, 2017}} In November 2015, after skepticism about the accuracy of its "monthly active users" measurement, Facebook changed its definition to a logged-in member who visits the Facebook site through the web browser or mobile app, or uses the Facebook Messenger app, in the 30-day period prior to the measurement. This excluded the use of third-party services with Facebook integration, which was previously counted.{{cite web|first=David|last=Cohen|title=Facebook Changes Definition of Monthly Active Users|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/monthly-active-users-definition-revised/|website=Adweek|publisher=Beringer Capital|date=November 6, 2015|access-date=June 4, 2017}}

From 2017 to 2019, the percentage of the U.S. population over the age of 12 who use Facebook has declined, from 67% to 61% (a decline of some 15 million U.S. users), with a higher drop-off among younger Americans (a decrease in the percentage of U.S. 12- to 34-year-olds who are users from 58% in 2015 to 29% in 2019).Abrar Al-Heeti, [https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-lost-15-million-us-users-in-the-past-two-years-report-says/ Facebook lost 15 million US users in the past two years, report says], CNET (March 6, 2019).Nick Statt, [https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/6/18253274/facebook-users-decline-15-million-people-united-states-privacy-scandals Facebook's US user base declined by 15 million since 2017, according to survey], The Verge (March 6, 2019). The decline coincided with an increase in the popularity of Instagram, which is also owned by Meta. The number of daily active users experienced a quarterly decline for the first time in the last quarter of 2021, down to 1.929 billion from 1.930 billion,{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60238565|title=Facebook: Daily active users fall for first time in 18-year history|work=BBC News |date=February 3, 2022}} but increased again the next quarter despite being banned in Russia.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61250669|title=Daily Facebook users up again after first-ever decline|work=BBC News |date=April 27, 2022}}

Historically, commentators have offered predictions of Facebook's decline or end, based on causes such as a declining user base;{{cite web|last1=Heaven|first1=Will|title=Is this the beginning of the end for Facebook?|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/willheaven/100092236/is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-facebook/|website=The Telegraph|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314014241/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/willheaven/100092236/is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-facebook/|archive-date=March 14, 2012|url-status=dead|date=June 14, 2011}} the legal difficulties of being a closed platform, inability to generate revenue, inability to offer user privacy, inability to adapt to mobile platforms, or Facebook ending itself to present a next generation replacement;{{cite web|last1=Silverman|first1=Matt|title=The End of Facebook: What Will It Take to Kill the King of Social?|url=https://mashable.com/2012/06/13/facebook-decline|website=Mashable|language=en|date=June 13, 2012}} or Facebook's role in Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.{{cite web|last1=Bilton|first1=Nick|title=This Could Be the End of Facebook|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/10/this-could-be-the-end-of-facebook-hive-podcast|website=Vanity Fair|language=en|date=October 27, 2017}}

{{Image frame

| align=left

| caption=Facebook popularity. Active users (in millions) of Facebook increased from just a million
in 2004 to 2.8 billion in 2020.

| content = {{Graph:Chart

| width = 400

| height = 220

| type = line

| x = 2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020

| y = 1,10,20,50,100,350,500,750,950,1100,1400,1600,1800,2000,2320,2498,2797

}}

}}

{{Clear}}

File:Population pyramid of Facebook users by age.png|Population pyramid of Facebook users by age {{as of|2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.insidefacebook.com/2010/01/04/december-data-on-facebook%E2%80%99s-us-growth-by-age-and-gender-beyond-100-million/|title=December Data on Facebook's US Growth by Age and Gender: Beyond 100 Million – Inside Facebook|work=Inside Facebook|date=January 4, 2010|access-date=October 7, 2014|archive-date=November 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103003005/http://www.insidefacebook.com/2010/01/04/december-data-on-facebook%e2%80%99s-us-growth-by-age-and-gender-beyond-100-million/|url-status=dead}}

The highest number of Facebook users as of April 2023 are from India and the United States, followed by Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines.{{Cite web |title=Facebook Users, Stats, Data, Trends, and More |url=https://datareportal.com/essential-facebook-stats |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=DataReportal – Global Digital Insights |language=en-GB}} Region-wise, the highest number of users in 2018 are from Asia-Pacific (947 million) followed by Europe (381 million) and US-Canada (242 million). The rest of the world has 750 million users.{{cite web|url=https://dazeinfo.com/2018/08/20/facebook-users-by-region-dgraph/|title=Number of Facebook Monthly Active Users Worldwide, By Region – DGraph|last=Khan|first=Aarzu|date=August 19, 2018|website=Dazeinfo|access-date=February 4, 2019}}

Over the 2008–2018 period, the percentage of users under 34 declined to less than half of the total.

{{Further|Censorship of Facebook|Censorship by Facebook}}

[[File:Facebook censorship.svg|thumb|Map showing the countries that are either currently blocking or have blocked Facebook in the past

{{legend|#225ea8|Currently blocked}}{{legend|#41b6c4|Formerly blocked}}]]

In many countries the social networking sites and mobile apps have been blocked temporarily, intermittently, or permanently, including: Brazil,{{cite news |last1=Wirter |first1=Staff |date=August 5, 2024 |orig-date= |title=Brazil court bans global access to social media accounts |url=https://www.dw.com/en/brazil-top-court-sets-precedent-by-banning-global-access-to-social-media-accounts/a-54452807 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |publication-date=August 5, 2024 |agency= |access-date=August 5, 2024 |url-access= |quote= |trans-quote= }} China,{{cite web|first=Robin|last=Wauters|title=China Blocks Access To Twitter, Facebook After Riots|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/07/07/china-blocks-access-to-twitter-facebook-after-riots/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=July 7, 2009|access-date=June 3, 2017}} Iran,{{cite web|title=Iranian government blocks Facebook access|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/24/facebook-banned-iran|website=The Guardian|date=May 24, 2009|access-date=June 3, 2017}} Vietnam,{{cite news |title=MAP: Here Are the Countries That Block Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/03/turkey-facebook-youtube-twitter-blocked/ |work=Mother Jones |date=March 28, 2014}} Pakistan,{{cite news |title=Pakistan lifts Facebook ban but 'blasphemous' pages stay hidden |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/may/31/pakistan-lifts-facebook-ban |work=The Guardian |date=May 31, 2010}} Syria,{{cite news |title=Syria Restores Access to Facebook and YouTube |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/world/middleeast/10syria.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210033047/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/world/middleeast/10syria.html |archive-date=February 10, 2011 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The New York Times |date=February 9, 2011}} and North Korea. In May 2018, the government of Papua New Guinea announced that it would ban Facebook for a month while it considered the impact of the website on the country, though no ban has since occurred.{{cite web|title=Facebook to be banned in Papua New Guinea for a month|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44290012|website=BBC News|date=May 29, 2018|access-date=May 30, 2018}} In 2019, Facebook announced it would start enforcing its ban on users, including influencers, promoting any vape, tobacco products, or weapons on its platforms.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/tech/instagram-influencers-vaping-guns/index.html|title=Instagram influencers can no longer promote vaping and guns|author=Kaya Yurieff|website=CNN|date=December 18, 2019|access-date=December 19, 2019}}

{{Main|Criticism of Facebook}}

{{quote box |width=33% |author={{mdash}}Frances Haugen, condemning lack of transparency around Facebook at a US congressional hearing (2021).{{cite web |title=Facebook whistleblower hearing: Frances Haugen calls for more regulation of tech giant – live updates |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/live/2021/oct/05/facebook-hearing-whistleblower-frances-haugen-testifies-us-senate-latest-news |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211005200002/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/live/2021/oct/05/facebook-hearing-whistleblower-frances-haugen-testifies-us-senate-latest-news?page=with:block-615c55448f083d2ce2634c5a%23liveblog-navigation |archive-date=October 5, 2021 |date=October 5, 2021 |work=The Guardian |access-date=October 5, 2021 |url-status=live }}

|quote="I'm here today because I believe Facebook's products harm children, stoke division, and weaken our democracy. The company's leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer, but won't make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people."

}}

{{quote box |width=33% |author={{mdash}}Mark Zuckerberg, responding to Frances Haugen's revelations (2021).{{cite web |title=Mark Zuckerberg says whistleblower's claims that Facebook places profit over people 'don't make any sense.' Read his full response to the whistleblower's testimony. |date=October 6, 2021 |url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-whistleblower-claims-dont-make-sense-2021-10 |via=businessinsider.com |first=Isobel Asher |last=Hamilton}}

|quote="I don't believe private companies should make all of the decisions on their own. That's why we have advocated for updated internet regulations for several years now. I have testified in Congress multiple times and asked them to update these regulations. I've written op-eds outlining the areas of regulation we think are most important related to elections, harmful content, privacy, and competition."}}

Facebook's importance and scale has led to criticisms in many domains. Issues include Internet privacy, excessive retention of user information,{{cite news|first=Maria|last=Aspen|title=How Sticky Is Membership on Facebook? Just Try Breaking Free|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212190105/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html |archive-date=February 12, 2008 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The New York Times|date=February 11, 2008|access-date=June 3, 2017}} its facial recognition software, DeepFace{{cite news|first=Sebastian|last=Anthony|title=Facebook's facial recognition software is now as accurate as the human brain, but what now?|url=http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/178777-facebooks-facial-recognition-software-is-now-as-accurate-as-the-human-brain-but-what-now|website=ExtremeTech|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=March 19, 2014|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Liz|last=Gannes|title=Facebook facial recognition prompts EU privacy probe|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-facial-recognition-prompts-eu-privacy-probe/|website=CNET|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=June 8, 2011|access-date=June 3, 2017}} its addictive quality{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/billrobinson/facebook-the-worlds-bigge_b_4585457.html|title=Facebook: The World's Biggest Waste of Time?|last=Robinson|first=Bill|date=February 10, 2014|work=HuffPost|access-date=March 3, 2018}} and its role in the workplace, including employer access to employee accounts.{{cite web|first=Matt|last=Friedman|title=Bill to ban companies from asking about job candidates' Facebook accounts is headed to governor|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/bill_to_ban_companies_from_req.html|website=NJ.com|publisher=Advance Digital|date=March 21, 2013|access-date=June 3, 2017}}

Facebook has been criticized for electricity usage,{{cite web|first=Robin|last=Wauters|title=Greenpeace Slams Zuckerberg For Making Facebook A "So Coal Network" (Video)|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/16/greenpeace-slams-zuckerberg-for-making-facebook-a-so-coal-network-video/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=September 16, 2010|access-date=June 3, 2017}} tax avoidance,{{cite web|first=Rupert|last=Neate|title=Facebook paid £2.9m tax on £840m profits made outside US, figures show|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/23/facebook-tax-profits-outside-us|website=The Guardian|date=December 23, 2012|access-date=June 3, 2017}} real-name user requirement policies,{{cite web|first=Emanuella|last=Grinberg|title=Facebook 'real name' policy stirs questions around identity|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/16/living/facebook-name-policy|website=CNN|date=September 18, 2014|access-date=June 3, 2017}} censorship{{cite web|first=Vidhi|last=Doshi|title=Facebook under fire for 'censoring' Kashmir-related posts and accounts|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/19/facebook-under-fire-censoring-kashmir-posts-accounts|website=The Guardian|date=July 19, 2016|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Michael|last=Arrington|author-link=Michael Arrington|title=Is Facebook Really Censoring Search When It Suits Them?|url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/11/22/is-facebook-really-censoring-search-when-it-suits-them/|website=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL|date=November 22, 2007|access-date=June 3, 2017}} and its involvement in the United States PRISM surveillance program.{{cite web|first1=Glenn|last1=Greenwald|first2=Ewen|last2=MacAskill|title=NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data|website=The Guardian|date=June 7, 2013|access-date=June 3, 2017}} According to The Express Tribune, Facebook "avoided billions of dollars in tax using offshore companies".{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1550750/3-paradise-papers-reveal-hidden-wealth-global-elite/|title=Paradise Papers reveal hidden wealth of global elite|date=November 6, 2017|work=The Express Tribune}}

Facebook is alleged to have harmful psychological effects on its users, including feelings of jealousy{{cite web|title=How Facebook Breeds Jealousy|url=https://www.seeker.com/how-facebook-breeds-jealousy-1765020296.html|website=Seeker|publisher=Group Nine Media|date=February 10, 2010|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Matyszczyk|title=Study: Facebook makes lovers jealous|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/study-facebook-makes-lovers-jealous/|website=CNET|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=August 11, 2009|access-date=June 3, 2017}} and stress,{{cite web|first=Chenda|last=Ngak|title=Facebook may cause stress, study says|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-may-cause-stress-study-says/|website=CBS News|publisher=CBS|date=November 27, 2012|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Dave|last=Smith|title=Quitting Facebook will make you happier and less stressed, study says|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/quitting-facebook-will-make-you-happier-and-less-stressed-study-2015-11|website=Business Insider|publisher=Axel Springer SE|date=November 13, 2015|access-date=June 3, 2017}} a lack of attention{{cite web|first=Michael J.|last=Bugeja|title=Facing the Facebook|url=http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/01/2006012301c/careers.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220193743/http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/01/2006012301c/careers.html|website=The Chronicle of Higher Education|date=January 23, 2006|archive-date=February 20, 2008|access-date=June 3, 2017}} and social media addiction.{{cite news|first=Andrew|last=Hough|title=Student 'addiction' to technology 'similar to drug cravings', study finds|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Telegraph|date=April 8, 2011|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cbignore}}{{cite news|title=Facebook and Twitter 'more addictive than tobacco and alcohol'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9054243/Facebook-and-Twitter-more-addictive-than-tobacco-and-alcohol.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216152536/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9054243/Facebook-and-Twitter-more-addictive-than-tobacco-and-alcohol.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2015|website=The Telegraph|date=February 1, 2012|access-date=June 3, 2017}} According to Kaufmann et al., mothers' motivations for using social media are often related to their social and mental health.{{Cite journal |last1=Kaufmann |first1=Renee |last2=Buckner |first2=Marjorie M. |last3=Ledbetter |first3=Andrew M. |date=August 3, 2017 |title=Having Fun on Facebook?: Mothers' Enjoyment as a Moderator of Mental Health and Facebook Use |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10410236.2016.1196513 |journal=Health Communication |language=en |volume=32 |issue=8 |pages=1014–1023 |doi=10.1080/10410236.2016.1196513 |pmid=27463860 |s2cid=25726659 |issn=1041-0236|url-access=subscription }} European antitrust regulator Margrethe Vestager stated that Facebook's terms of service relating to private data were "unbalanced".{{cite magazine|first=Evan|last=Osnos|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/17/can-mark-zuckerberg-fix-facebook-before-it-breaks-democracy|title=Can Mark Zuckerberg Fix Facebook Before It Breaks Democracy?|magazine=The New Yorker|date=September 17, 2018|access-date=September 15, 2018}}

Facebook has been criticized for allowing users to publish illegal or offensive material. Specifics include copyright and intellectual property infringement,{{cite web|first=Ariha|last=Setalvad|title=Why Facebook's video theft problem can't last|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/7/9114149/facebook-freebooting-video-copyright-infringement|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=August 7, 2015|access-date=June 3, 2017}} hate speech,{{cite web|title=Facebook, Twitter and Google grilled by MPs over hate speech|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39272261|website=BBC News|date=March 14, 2017|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Amar|last=Toor|title=Facebook will work with Germany to combat anti-refugee hate speech|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/15/9329119/facebook-germany-hate-speech-xenophobia-migrant-refugee|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=September 15, 2015|access-date=June 3, 2017}} incitement of rape{{cite news|first=Philip|last=Sherwell|title=Cyber anarchists blamed for unleashing a series of Facebook 'rape pages'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8829165/Cyber-anarchists-blamed-for-unleashing-a-series-of-Facebook-rape-pages.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8829165/Cyber-anarchists-blamed-for-unleashing-a-series-of-Facebook-rape-pages.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Telegraph|date=October 16, 2011|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cbignore}} and terrorism,{{cite web|title=20,000 Israelis sue Facebook for ignoring Palestinian incitement|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/20000-israelis-sue-facebook-for-ignoring-palestinian-incitement/|website=The Times of Israel|date=October 27, 2015|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|title=Israel: Facebook's Zuckerberg has blood of slain Israeli teen on his hands|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-facebooks-zuckerberg-has-blood-of-slain-israeli-teen-on-his-hands/|website=The Times of Israel|date=July 2, 2016|access-date=June 3, 2017}} fake news,{{cite web|first=Samuel|last=Burke|title=Zuckerberg: Facebook will develop tools to fight fake news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/11/19/technology/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-fake-news-election/|website=CNN|date=November 19, 2016|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite news|title=Hillary Clinton says Facebook 'must prevent fake news from creating a new reality'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/31/hillary-clinton-says-facebook-must-prevent-fake-news-creating/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/31/hillary-clinton-says-facebook-must-prevent-fake-news-creating/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=June 1, 2017|access-date=June 3, 2017|last=Staff|first=Our Foreign }}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|first=Seth|last=Fiegerman|title=Facebook's global fight against fake news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/05/09/technology/facebook-fake-news/index.html|website=CNN|date=May 9, 2017|access-date=June 3, 2017}} and crimes, murders, and livestreaming violent incidents.{{cite web|first1=Emanuella|last1=Grinberg|first2=Samira|last2=Said|title=Police: At least 40 people watched teen's sexual assault on Facebook Live|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/21/us/facebook-live-gang-rape-chicago|website=CNN|date=March 22, 2017|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Emanuella|last=Grinberg|title=Chicago torture: Facebook Live video leads to 4 arrests|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/04/us/chicago-facebook-live-beating|website=CNN|date=January 5, 2017|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite news|first=Aatif|last=Sulleyman|title=Facebook Live killings: Why the criticism has been harsh|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/facebook-live-killings-ai-artificial-intelligence-not-blame-fatalities-murders-us-steve-stephens-a7706056.html|website=The Independent|date=April 27, 2017|access-date=June 3, 2017}} Commentators have accused Facebook of willingly facilitating the spread of such content.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/facebook-spreads-viral-fake-news-story-about-vaccines-791331|title=Facebook Spreads Viral Fake News Story About Vaccines|first=Kastalia|last=Medrano|website=Newsweek|date=January 25, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44809815|title=Facebook will not remove fake news – but will 'demote' it|work=BBC News|date=July 13, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2019/forget-fake-news-stories-false-text-posts-are-getting-massive-engagement-on-facebook/|title=Forget fake news stories. False text posts are getting massive engagement on Facebook.|first=Daniel|last=Funke|website=Ponyter|date=March 6, 2019}} Sri Lanka blocked both Facebook and WhatsApp in May 2019 after anti-Muslim riots, the worst in the country since the Easter Sunday bombing in the same year as a temporary measure to maintain peace in Sri Lanka.{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-nationwide-curfew-after-anti-muslim-riots/articleshow/69311594.cms|title=Sri Lanka Riots: Sri Lanka imposes nationwide curfew after anti-Muslim riots |newspaper=Times of India|date=May 13, 2019 |agency=Reuters|access-date=May 14, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/sri-lanka-blocks-social-media-after-worst-anti-muslim-violence-since-easter-sunday-attacks-1.860859|title=Sri Lanka blocks social media after worst anti-Muslim violence since Easter Sunday attacks|website=The National|date=May 13, 2019|access-date=May 14, 2019}}

Facebook removed 3 billion fake accounts only during the last quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019;{{cite news|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90354777/facebooks-active-user-problem-how-many-maus-are-fake|title=Facebook catches 3 billion fake accounts, but the ones it misses are the real problem|last=Sullivan|first=Mark|website=Fast Company|date=May 23, 2019}} in comparison, the social network reports 2.39 billion monthly active users.

In late July 2019, the company announced it was under antitrust investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.{{cite web|last=Cox|first=Kate|title=The FTC is investigating Facebook. Again|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/07/facebook-faces-new-anti-competition-investigation-as-privacy-probe-is-settled/|website=ars Technica|date=July 25, 2019|access-date=August 11, 2019}}

The consumer advocacy group,{{Which?|date=December 2024}} claims that individuals are still utilizing Facebook to set up fraudulent five-star ratings for various products. The group has identified 14 communities that exchange reviews for either money or complimentary items such as watches, earbuds, and sprinklers.{{Cite news |date=2023-04-21 |title=Facebook still being used to arrange fake reviews – Which? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65336369 |access-date=2025-04-10 |work=BBC News}}

{{Main|Privacy concerns with Facebook}}

{{See also|Privacy concerns with social networking services#Facebook}}

Facebook has experienced a steady stream of controversies over how it handles user privacy, repeatedly adjusting its privacy settings and policies.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-privacy-idUSKBN1H41KV|title=Facebook cuts ties to data brokers in blow to targeted ads|last1=Ingram|first1=David|date=March 29, 2018|work=Reuters|access-date=February 5, 2019|last2=Fioretti|first2=Julia}} Since 2009, Facebook has been participating in the PRISM secret program, sharing with the US National Security Agency audio, video, photographs, e-mails, documents and connection logs from user profiles, among other social media services.{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/30/us/nsa-social-networks/index.html|title=NSA mines Facebook, including Americans' profiles|last1=Simpson|first1=David|date=September 30, 2013|work=CNN|access-date=September 30, 2013|last2=Brown|first2=Pamela}}{{cite news |author1=Johnson, Kevin |author2=Martin, Scott |author3=O'Donnell, Jayne |author4=Winter, Michael |date=June 15, 2013 |title=Reports: NSA Siphons Data from 9 Major Net Firms |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/06/06/nsa-surveillance-internet-companies/2398345/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607113440/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/06/06/nsa-surveillance-internet-companies/2398345/ |archive-date=June 7, 2013}}

On November 29, 2011, Facebook settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers by failing to keep privacy promises.{{cite web|url=http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/11/privacysettlement.shtm|title=Facebook Settles FTC Charges That It Deceived Consumers By Failing To Keep Privacy Promises|date=November 29, 2011|work=FTC|access-date=November 29, 2011}} In August 2013 High-Tech Bridge published a study showing that links included in Facebook messaging service messages were being accessed by Facebook.{{cite web|url=https://www.htbridge.com/news/social_networks_can_robots_violate_user_privacy.html|title=Social networks: can robots violate user privacy?|date=August 27, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130903073506/https://www.htbridge.com/news/social_networks_can_robots_violate_user_privacy.html|archive-date=September 3, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=January 5, 2014}} In January 2014 two users filed a lawsuit against Facebook alleging that their privacy had been violated by this practice.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-sued-for-allegedly-intercepting-private-messages/|title=Facebook sued for allegedly intercepting private messages|last=Van Grove|first=Jennifer|date=January 2, 2014|website=CNet|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=March 16, 2015}}

On June 7, 2018, Facebook announced that a bug had resulted in about 14 million Facebook users having their default sharing setting for all new posts set to "public".{{Cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/06/07/technology/facebook-public-post-error/index.html|title=Facebook bug set 14 million users' sharing settings to public|date=June 7, 2018|access-date=June 7, 2018}} Its data-sharing agreement with Chinese companies such as Huawei came under the scrutiny of US lawmakers, although the information accessed was not stored on Huawei servers and remained on users' phones.{{cite news |title=Facebook confirms data-sharing agreements with Chinese firms |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44379593 |date=6 June 2018}} On April 4, 2019, half a billion records of Facebook users were found exposed on Amazon cloud servers, containing information about users' friends, likes, groups, and checked-in locations, as well as names, passwords and email addresses.{{cite web|url=https://hackhex.com/security/millions-of-facebook-records-found-on-amazon-servers-5173.html|title=Millions of Facebook Records Found On Amazon Servers|date=April 4, 2019|website=Hack Hex|access-date=June 4, 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604144710/https://hackhex.com/security/millions-of-facebook-records-found-on-amazon-servers-5173.html|url-status=dead}}

The phone numbers of at least 200 million Facebook users were found to be exposed on an open online database in September 2019. They included 133 million US users, 18 million from the UK, and 50 million from users in Vietnam. After removing duplicates, the 419 million records have been reduced to 219 million. The database went offline after TechCrunch contacted the web host. It is thought the records were amassed using a tool that Facebook disabled in April 2018 after the Cambridge Analytica controversy. A Facebook spokeswoman said in a statement: "The dataset is old and appears to have information obtained before we made changes last year...There is no evidence that Facebook accounts were compromised."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/sep/04/facebook-users-phone-numbers-privacy-lapse|title=Facebook confirms 419 m phone numbers exposed in latest privacy lapse|date=September 5, 2019|website=The Guardian|access-date=September 7, 2019}}

Facebook's privacy problems resulted in companies like Viber Media and Mozilla discontinuing advertising on Facebook's platforms.{{cite news

| last = Reaz

| first = Shaer

| date = August 28, 2020

| title = Cutting ties with a giant: Viber CEO on Facebook relations and #StopHateForProfit

| url = https://www.thedailystar.net/bytes/news/cutting-ties-giant-viber-ceo-facbook-relations-and-stophateforprofit-1952021

| work = The Daily Star

| access-date = September 27, 2020

}}{{cite web

|url=https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2020/06/24/were-proud-to-join-stophateforprofit/

|title=We're proud to join #StopHateForProfit

|date=June 24, 2020

|website=Mozilla Corporation

|publisher=Mozilla Foundation

|access-date=September 27, 2020

}} A January 2024 study by Consumer Reports found that among a self-selected group of volunteer participants, each user is monitored or tracked by over two thousand companies on average. LiveRamp, a San Francisco-based data broker, is responsible for 96 per cent of the data. Other companies such as Home Depot, Macy's, and Walmart are involved as well.{{cite news |last1=Keegan |first1=Jon |title=Each Facebook User Is Monitored by Thousands of Companies |url=https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/each-facebook-user-is-monitored-by-thousands-of-companies-a5824207467/ |website=Consumer Reports |date=January 17, 2024}}

In March 2024, a court in California released documents detailing Facebook's 2016 "Project Ghostbusters". The project was aimed at helping Facebook compete with Snapchat and involved Facebook trying to develop decryption tools to collect, decrypt, and analyze traffic that users generated when visiting Snapchat and, eventually, YouTube and Amazon. The company eventually used its tool Onavo to initiate man-in-the-middle attacks and read users' traffic before it was encrypted.{{cite web |last1=Franceschi-Bicchierai |first1=Lorenzo |title=Facebook snooped on users' Snapchat traffic in secret project, documents reveal |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/26/facebook-secret-project-snooped-snapchat-user-traffic/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=March 26, 2024 |date=March 26, 2024}}

Facebook was accused of committing "systemic" racial bias by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission based on the complaints of three rejected candidates and a current employee of the company. The three rejected employees along with the Operational Manager at Facebook as of March 2021 accused the firm of discriminating against Black people. The EEOC initiated an investigation into the case in March 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/05/facebook-systemic-racial-bias-hiring-eeoc-investigation|title=Facebook faces US investigation for 'systemic' racial bias in hiring|access-date=March 6, 2021|website=The Guardian|date=March 6, 2021}}

A "shadow profile" refers to the data Facebook collects about individuals without their explicit permission. For example, the "like" button that appears on third-party websites allows the company to collect information about an individual's internet browsing habits, even if the individual is not a Facebook user.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/11/17225482/facebook-shadow-profiles-zuckerberg-congress-data-privacy|title=Shadow profiles are the biggest flaw in Facebook's privacy defense|last=Brandom|first=Russell|date=April 11, 2018|website=The Verge|access-date=June 28, 2019}}{{cite web|title=How Facebook can have your data even if you're not on Facebook|work=USA Today|access-date=April 13, 2018|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2018/04/13/how-facebook-can-have-your-data-even-if-youre-not-facebook/512674002/}} Data can also be collected by other users. For example, a Facebook user can link their email account to their Facebook to find friends on the site, allowing the company to collect the email addresses of users and non-users alike.{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/how-facebook-figures-out-everyone-youve-ever-met-1819822691|title=How Facebook Figures Out Everyone You've Ever Met|last=Hill|first=Kashmir|date=November 7, 2017|website=Gizmodo|access-date=June 28, 2019}} Over time, countless data points about an individual are collected; any single data point perhaps cannot identify an individual, but together allows the company to form a unique "profile".

This practice has been criticized by those who believe people should be able to opt-out of involuntary data collection. Additionally, while Facebook users have the ability to download and inspect the data they provide to the site, data from the user's "shadow profile" is not included, and non-users of Facebook do not have access to this tool regardless. The company has also been unclear whether or not it is possible for a person to revoke Facebook's access to their "shadow profile".

{{Main|Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal}}

Facebook customer Global Science Research sold information on over 87 million Facebook users to Cambridge Analytica, a political data analysis firm led by Alexander Nix.{{cite web|last1=Lewis|first1=Paul|last2=Wong|first2=Julia Carrie|title=Facebook employs psychologist whose firm sold data to Cambridge Analytica|work=The Guardian|access-date=March 20, 2018|date=March 18, 2018|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/18/facebook-cambridge-analytica-joseph-chancellor-gsr}} While approximately 270,000 people used the app, Facebook's API permitted data collection from their friends without their knowledge.{{cite web|last=Franceschi-Bicchierai|first=Lorenzo|title=Why We're Not Calling the Cambridge Analytica Story a 'Data Breach'|work=Motherboard|access-date=March 20, 2018|date=March 19, 2018|url=https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/3kjzvk/facebook-cambridge-analytica-not-a-data-breach}} At first Facebook downplayed the significance of the breach, and suggested that Cambridge Analytica no longer had access. Facebook then issued a statement expressing alarm and suspended Cambridge Analytica. Review of documents and interviews with former Facebook employees suggested that Cambridge Analytica still possessed the data.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-trump-campaign.html|title=How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions|first1=Matthew|last1=Rosenberg|first2=Nicholas|last2=Confessore|first3=Carole|last3=Cadwalladr|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 17, 2018}} This was a violation of Facebook's consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission. This violation potentially carried a penalty of $40,000 (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|40000|2018}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) per occurrence, totalling trillions of dollars.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/03/18/facebook-may-have-violated-ftc-privacy-deal-say-former-federal-officials-triggering-risk-of-massive-fines/|title=Facebook may have violated FTC privacy deal, say former federal officials, triggering risk of massive fines|last1=Timberg|first1=Craig|date=March 18, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 25, 2018|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|issn=0190-8286}}

According to The Guardian, both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica threatened to sue the newspaper if it published the story. After publication, Facebook claimed that it had been "lied to". On March 23, 2018, the English High Court granted an application by the Information Commissioner's Office for a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica's London offices, ending a standoff between Facebook and the Information Commissioner over responsibility.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/23/uk-high-court-grants-cambridge-analytica-search-warrant-to-ico.html|title=UK High Court grants Cambridge Analytica search warrant to ICO|date=March 23, 2018|work=CNBC|access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323222219/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/23/uk-high-court-grants-cambridge-analytica-search-warrant-to-ico.html|archive-date=March 23, 2018|url-status=dead }}

On March 25, Facebook published a statement by Zuckerberg in major UK and US newspapers apologizing over a "breach of trust".{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43532948|title=Facebook boss apologises in newspaper ads|date=March 25, 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=March 25, 2018 }}

{{blockquote|You may have heard about a quiz app built by a university researcher that leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014. This was a breach of trust, and I'm sorry we didn't do more at the time. We're now taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again.

We've already stopped apps like this from getting so much information. Now we're limiting the data apps get when you sign in using Facebook.

We're also investigating every single app that had access to large amounts of data before we fixed this. We expect there are others. And when we find them, we will ban them and tell everyone affected.

Finally, we'll remind you which apps you've given access to your information – so you can shut off the ones you don't want anymore.

Thank you for believing in this community. I promise to do better for you.}}

On March 26, the Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation into the matter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ftc-facebook-investigation-confirmed-opened-facebook-stock-drops-futher-today/|title=Facebook stock rebounds after FTC investigation news|last=Ivanova|first=Irina|date=March 26, 2018|work=CBS News|access-date=March 26, 2018}} The controversy led Facebook to end its partnerships with data brokers who aid advertisers in targeting users.

On April 24, 2019, Facebook said it could face a fine between $3 billion (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|3000000000|2019}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) to $5 billion (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|5000000000|2019}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) as the result of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/24/facebook-estimates-up-to-5-billion-loss-in-ftc-privacy-inquiry.html|title=Facebook estimates up to $5 billion loss in FTC privacy inquiry|last=Feiner|first=Lauren|date=April 24, 2019|website=CNBC|access-date=April 25, 2019}} On July 24, 2019, the FTC fined Facebook $5 billion, the largest penalty ever imposed on a company for violating consumer privacy. Additionally, Facebook had to implement a new privacy structure, follow a 20-year settlement order, and allow the FTC to monitor Facebook.{{Cite web |date=July 24, 2019 |title=FTC Imposes $5 Billion Penalty and Sweeping New Privacy Restrictions on Facebook |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/07/ftc-imposes-5-billion-penalty-sweeping-new-privacy-restrictions-facebook |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721213553/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/07/ftc-imposes-5-billion-penalty-sweeping-new-privacy-restrictions-facebook |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=Federal Trade Commission |language=en}} Cambridge Analytica's CEO and a developer faced restrictions on future business dealings and were ordered to destroy any personal information they collected. Cambridge Analytica filed for bankruptcy.{{Cite web |date=July 23, 2019 |title=FTC Sues Cambridge Analytica, Settles with Former CEO and App Developer |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/07/ftc-sues-cambridge-analytica-settles-former-ceo-app-developer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613132946/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/07/ftc-sues-cambridge-analytica-settles-former-ceo-app-developer |archive-date=June 13, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=Federal Trade Commission |language=en}} Facebook also implemented additional privacy controls and settings{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/11/fact-checking-mark-zuckerberg-testimony-congress|title=Fact-checking Mark Zuckerberg's testimony about Facebook privacy|last=Solon|first=Olivia|date=April 12, 2018|access-date=June 29, 2018|newspaper=The Guardian}} in part to comply with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect in May.{{cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/04/zuckerberg-gdpr/|title=Zuckerberg says Facebook will offer GDPR privacy controls everywhere|website=TechCrunch|access-date=April 4, 2018}} Facebook also ended its active opposition to the California Consumer Privacy Act.{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/facebook-donated-200000-to-kill-a-privacy-law-but-now-its-backtracking/|title=Facebook exits anti-privacy alliance it formed with Comcast and Google|last=Brodkin|first=Jon|date=April 12, 2018|work=Ars Technica|access-date=April 13, 2018}}

Some, such as Meghan McCain, have drawn an equivalence between the use of data by Cambridge Analytica and the Barack Obama's 2012 campaign, which, according to Investor's Business Daily, "encouraged supporters to download an Obama 2012 Facebook app that, when activated, let the campaign collect Facebook data both on users and their friends."{{Cite news |date=2018-03-19 |title=Facebook Data Scandal: When Obama Harvested Facebook Data On Millions To Win In 2012, Everyone Cheered |url=https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/facebook-data-scandal-trump-election-obama-2012/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240517040757/https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/facebook-data-scandal-trump-election-obama-2012/ |archive-date=2024-05-17 |access-date=2025-03-08 |work=Investor's Business Daily |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Leetaru |first=Kalev |date=2018-03-19 |title=Why Are We Only Now Talking About Facebook And Elections? |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2018/03/19/why-are-we-only-now-talking-about-facebook-and-elections/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Craw |first=Victoria |date=2018-03-21 |title=Former Obama campaign boss reveals they could access ‘creepy’ data |url=http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/former-obama-campaign-boss-reveals-how-they-could-access-creepy-facebook-data/news-story/5a275b7c9f540fc9542f5256e644e26e |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220217135623/https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/former-obama-campaign-boss-reveals-how-they-could-access-creepy-facebook-data/news-story/5a275b7c9f540fc9542f5256e644e26e |archive-date=2022-02-17 |access-date=2025-03-08 |work= |publisher=news.com.au |language=en-GB}} Carol Davidsen, the Obama for America (OFA) former director of integration and media analytics, wrote that "Facebook was surprised we were able to suck out the whole social graph, but they didn't stop us once they realised that was what we were doing". PolitiFact has rated McCain's statements "Half-True", on the basis that "in Obama's case, direct users knew they were handing over their data to a political campaign" whereas with Cambridge Analytica, users thought they were only taking a personality quiz for academic purposes, and while the Obama campaign only used the data "to have their supporters contact their most persuadable friends", Cambridge Analytica "targeted users, friends and lookalikes directly with digital ads."{{cite web |last=Tobias |first=Manuela |date=2018-03-22 |title=Comparing Facebook data use by Obama, Cambridge Analytica |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/mar/22/meghan-mccain/comparing-facebook-data-use-obama-cambridge-analyt/ |access-date=May 24, 2019 |publisher=PolitiFact}}

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).{{Cite news |last=Fowler |first=Geoffrey A. |date=July 19, 2019 |title=Perspective {{!}} I found your data. It's for sale. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/07/18/i-found-your-data-its-sale/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web |last=Goodin |first=Dan |date=July 18, 2019 |title=My browser, the spy: How extensions slurped up browsing histories from 4M users |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/07/dataspii-inside-the-debacle-that-dished-private-data-from-apple-tesla-blue-origin-and-4m-people/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}} Branding itself as the "God mode for the internet", NA through DDMR, provided its members access to private Facebook photos and Facebook Messenger attachments including tax returns.{{Cite web |last=Jadali |first=Sam |date=July 18, 2019 |title=DataSpii – A global catastrophic data leak via browser extensions |url=https://securitywithsam.com/2019/07/dataspii-leak-via-browser-extensions/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |website=Security with Sam |language=en-US}} DataSpii harvested data from millions of Chrome and Firefox users through compromised browser extensions.{{Cite web |date=July 19, 2019 |title=Google, Firefox Browser Extensions Expose Data of 4 Million People |url=https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics-computers/privacy/google-firefox-browser-extensions-expose-personal-data-a2138132661/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |website=Consumer Reports |language=en-US}} The NA website stated it collected data from millions of opt-in users. Jadali, along with journalists from Ars Technica and The Washington Post, interviewed impacted users, including a Washington Post staff member. According to the interviews, the impacted users did not consent to such collection.

DataSpii demonstrated how a compromised user exposed the data of others, including the private photos and Messenger attachments belonging to a Facebook user's network of friends.

DataSpii exploited Facebook's practice of making private photos and Messenger attachments publicly accessible via unique URLs. To bolster security in this regard, Facebook appends query strings in the URLs so as to limit the period of accessibility. Nevertheless, NA provided real-time access to these unique URLs, which were intended to be secure. This allowed NA members to access the private content within the restricted time frame designated by Facebook.

The Washington Post{{'}}s Geoffrey Fowler, in collaboration with Jadali, opened Fowler's private Facebook photo in a browser with a compromised browser extension. Within minutes, they anonymously retrieved the "private" photo. To validate this proof-of-concept, they searched for Fowler's name using NA, which yielded his photo as a search result. In addition, Jadali discovered Fowler's Washington Post colleague, Nick Mourtoupalas, was directly impacted by DataSpii. Jadali's investigation elucidated how DataSpii disseminated private data to additional third-parties, including foreign entities, within minutes of the data being acquired. In doing so, he identified the third-parties who were scraping, storing, and potentially enabling the facial-recognition of individuals in photos being furnished by DataSpii.{{Cite web |last=Goodin |first=Dan |date=July 18, 2019 |title=More on DataSpii: How extensions hide their data grabs—and how they're discovered |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/07/dataspii-technical-deep-dive/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}

On September 28, 2018, Facebook experienced a major breach in its security, exposing the data of 50 million users. The data breach started in July 2017 and was discovered on September 16.{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/28/everything-you-need-to-know-about-facebooks-data-breach-affecting-50m-users/|title=Everything you need to know about Facebook's data breach affecting 50M users|work=TechCrunch|access-date=October 2, 2018}} Facebook notified users affected by the exploit and logged them out of their accounts.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/technology/facebook-hack-data-breach.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928165450/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/technology/facebook-hack-data-breach.html |archive-date=September 28, 2018 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Facebook Security Breach Exposes Accounts of 50 Million Users|last1=Isaac|first1=Mike|date=September 28, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 29, 2018|last2=Frenkel|first2=Sheera}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/sep/28/facebook-50-million-user-accounts-security-berach|title=Facebook says nearly 50 m users compromised in huge security breach|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|date=September 28, 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=September 29, 2018}} In March 2019, Facebook confirmed a password compromise of millions of Facebook lite application users also affected millions of Instagram users. The reason cited was the storage of password as plain text instead of encryption which could be read by its employees.{{cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/tech/not-tens-of-thousands-but-millions-of-instagram-passwords-exposed-admits-facebook-2108667.html|title=Not Tens of Thousands, But Millions of Instagram Passwords Exposed, Admits Facebook|website=News18|date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=April 19, 2019}}

On December 19, 2019, security researcher Bob Diachenko discovered a database containing more than 267 million Facebook user IDs, phone numbers, and names that were left exposed on the web for anyone to access without a password or any other authentication.{{cite web|url=https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2019/12/20/267-million-facebook-users-data-has-reportedly-been-leaked/|title=267 million Facebook users' data has reportedly been leaked|last=Ghoshal|first=Abhimanyu|date=December 20, 2019|website=The Next Web|language=en-us|access-date=December 21, 2019}} In February 2020, Facebook encountered a major security breach in which its official Twitter account was hacked by a Saudi Arabia-based group called "OurMine". The group has a history of actively exposing high-profile social media profiles' vulnerabilities.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/facebook-s-twitter-account-hacked-n1132901|title=Facebook's Twitter account hacked|access-date=February 7, 2020|website=NBC News}}

In April 2021, The Guardian reported approximately half a billion users' data had been stolen including birthdates and phone numbers. Facebook alleged it was "old data" from a problem fixed in August 2019 despite the data's having been released a year and a half later only in 2021; it declined to speak with journalists, had apparently not notified regulators, called the problem "unfixable", and said it would not be advising users.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/11/another-huge-data-breach-another-stony-silence-from-facebook|title=Another huge data breach, another stony silence from Facebook|access-date=April 21, 2021|website=The Guardian|date=April 11, 2021}} In September 2024, Meta paid a $101 million fine for storing up to 600 million passwords of Facebook and Instagram users in plain text. The practice was initially discovered in 2019, though reports indicate passwords were stored in plain text since 2012.{{cite web |last1=Lovejoy |first1=Ben |title=Up to 600 million Facebook and Instagram passwords stored in plain text |url=https://9to5mac.com/2024/09/27/up-to-600-million-facebook-and-instagram-passwords-stored-in-plain-text/ |website=9to5Mac |access-date=29 September 2024 |date=27 September 2024}}

File:Onavo logo.png's virtual private network to harvest usage data on its competitors.]]

After acquiring Onavo in 2013, Facebook used its Onavo Protect virtual private network (VPN) app to collect information on users' web traffic and app usage. This allowed Facebook to monitor its competitors' performance, and motivated Facebook to acquire WhatsApp in 2014.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-copycats-how-facebook-squashes-competition-from-startups-1502293444|title=The New Copycats: How Facebook Squashes Competition From Startups|last1=Morris|first1=Betsy|date=August 9, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=August 15, 2017|last2=Seetharaman|first2=Deepa|issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/09/new-copycats-how-facebook-squashes-2.html|title=The New Copycats: How Facebook Squashes -2-|date=August 9, 2017|work=Fox Business|access-date=August 15, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/13/facebook-knew-about-snap-struggles-through-app-tracking/|title=Facebook knew about Snap's struggles months before the public|website=Engadget|date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 15, 2017}} Media outlets classified Onavo Protect as spyware.{{cite news|access-date=September 3, 2018|title=Apple makes Facebook pull its spyware(ish) VPN from the App Store|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90224974/apple-makes-facebook-pull-its-spywareish-vpn-from-the-app-store|website=Fast Company|date=August 23, 2018}}{{cite news|first=Tom|last=McKay|date=August 22, 2018|access-date=September 3, 2018|title=Facebook Pulls Its Data-Harvesting Onavo VPN From App Store After Apple Says It Violates Rules|url=https://gizmodo.com/facebook-pulls-its-data-harvesting-onavo-vpn-from-app-s-1828541718|website=Gizmodo}}{{cite news|first=Jack|last=Morse|date=August 22, 2018|access-date=September 3, 2018|title=Facebook to pull its creepy VPN Onavo from App Store after Apple pushback|url=https://mashable.com/article/facebook-pulls-onavo-from-app-store/|website=Mashable}} In August 2018, Facebook removed the app in response to pressure from Apple, who asserted that it violated their guidelines.{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/22/apple-facebook-onavo/|title=Apple removed Facebook's Onavo from the App Store for gathering app data|work=TechCrunch|access-date=August 23, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/22/17771298/facebook-onavo-protect-apple-app-store-pulled-privacy-concerns|title=Facebook will pull its data-collecting VPN app from the App Store over privacy concerns|work=The Verge|access-date=August 23, 2018}} The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sued Facebook on December 16, 2020, for "false, misleading or deceptive conduct" in response to the company's unauthorized use of personal data obtained from Onavo for business purposes in contrast to Onavo's privacy-oriented marketing.{{cite web |last1=Spadafora |first1=Anthony |title=Facebook sued for using VPN to spy on users |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/facebook-sued-for-using-vpn-to-spy-on-users |website=TechRadar |access-date=January 7, 2021 |language=en |date=December 16, 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Duckett |first1=Chris |title=Facebook dragged to court by ACCC over deceptive VPN conduct allegations |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/facebook-dragged-to-court-by-accc-over-deceptive-vpn-conduct-allegations/ |website=ZDNet |access-date=January 7, 2021 |language=en |date=December 16, 2020}}

In 2016, Facebook Research launched Project Atlas, offering some users between the ages of 13 and 35 up to $20 per month (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|20|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) in exchange for their personal data, including their app usage, web browsing history, web search history, location history, personal messages, photos, videos, emails and Amazon order history.{{cite web |last=Laura |first=Bremner |date=January 29, 2019 |title=Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them |url=https://pcsite.co.uk/facebook-project-atlas/ |access-date=January 30, 2019 |website=PcSite}}{{cite web|url=https://www.recode.net/2019/1/30/18203231/apple-banning-facebook-research-app|title=Apple says it's banning Facebook's research app that collects users' personal information|last=Wagner|first=Kurt|date=January 30, 2019|website=Recode|access-date=January 30, 2019}} In January 2019, TechCrunch reported on the project. This led Apple to temporarily revoke Facebook's Enterprise Developer Program certificates for one day, preventing Facebook Research from operating on iOS devices and disabling Facebook's internal iOS apps.{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Warren|access-date=January 30, 2019|title=Apple blocks Facebook from running its internal iOS apps|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/30/18203551/apple-facebook-blocked-internal-ios-apps|date=January 30, 2019|website=The Verge}}{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Isaac|access-date=February 2, 2019|title=Apple Shows Facebook Who Has the Power in an App Dispute|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/technology/apple-blocks-facebook.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201020059/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/technology/apple-blocks-facebook.html |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 31, 2019|issn=0362-4331|via=NYTimes.com}}

Ars Technica reported in April 2018 that the Facebook Android app had been harvesting user data, including phone calls and text messages, since 2015.{{cite web|first=Sean|last=Gallagher|access-date=January 31, 2019|title=Facebook scraped call, text message data for years from Android phones [Updated]|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/03/facebook-scraped-call-text-message-data-for-years-from-android-phones/|date=March 24, 2018|website=Ars Technica}}{{cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2018/03/25/facebook-android-phone-call-data-gathering/|title=Facebook's app has been collecting Android phone data for years on some devices|last=Rosenberg|first=Adam|website=Mashable|date=March 25, 2018|access-date=February 6, 2019}}[https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/25/17160944/facebook-call-history-sms-data-collection-android Facebook has been collecting call history and SMS data from Android devices] The Verge In May 2018, several Android users filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook for invading their privacy.{{cite web|url=https://www.jurist.org/news/2018/05/android-users-file-lawsuit-against-facebook-for-invasion-of-privacy/|title=Android users file lawsuit against Facebook for invasion of privacy|work=jurist.org|date=May 11, 2018 }}{{cite web|author=Buckner, Gabriella|url=http://www.itpro.co.uk/data-mining/31107/facebook-faces-class-action-lawsuit-for-android-call-and-message-data-scraping|title=Facebook faces class action lawsuit for Android call and message data scraping|work=itpro.co.uk|date=May 14, 2018|access-date=February 7, 2019}} In January 2020, Facebook launched the Off-Facebook Activity page, which allows users to see information collected by Facebook about their non-Facebook activities.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/off-facebook-activity|title=Off-Facebook Activity|website=Facebook for Business}} The Washington Post columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler found that this included what other apps he used on his phone, even while the Facebook app was closed, what other web sites he visited on his phone, and what in-store purchases he made from affiliated businesses, even while his phone was completely off.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/01/28/off-facebook-activity-page/|title=Facebook will now show you exactly how it stalks you – even when you're not using Facebook|first=Geoffrey A. |last=Fowler |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

In November 2021, a report was published by Fairplay, Global Action Plan and Reset Australia detailing accusations that Facebook was continuing to manage their ad targeting system with data collected from teen users.{{cite web |date=November 16, 2021 |title=Facebook continuing to surveil teens for ads, says report |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/16/facebook-accused-of-still-targeting-teens-with-ads/ |access-date=November 16, 2021 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} The accusations follow announcements by Facebook in July 2021 that they would cease ad targeting children.{{Cite news |author=Naomi Nix |date=July 27, 2021|title=Facebook Reduces Advertising Targeting for Teenagers |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-27/facebook-reduces-advertising-targeting-for-teenagers|access-date=November 16, 2021|work=Bloomberg}}{{cite web|last=Klar|first=Rebecca|date=July 27, 2021|title=Facebook, Instagram to limit targeted ads for teen users|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/564878-facebook-instagram-to-limit-targeted-ads-for-teen-users/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=The Hill|language=en}}

The company first apologized for its privacy abuses in 2009.{{Cite book|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=SzxDTGGr80EC|page=119}}|title=Business Ethics For Dummies|last1=Bowie|first1=Norman E.|last2=Schnieder|first2=Meg|date=February 9, 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-02062-3}}

Facebook apologies have appeared in newspapers, television, blog posts and on Facebook. On March 25, 2018, leading US and UK newspapers published full-page ads with a personal apology from Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg issued a verbal apology on CNN.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/25/17161398/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-apology-cambridge-analytica-full-page-newspapers-ads|title=Mark Zuckerberg apologizes for Facebook's data privacy scandal in full-page newspaper ads|last=Statt|first=Nick|date=March 25, 2018|website=The Verge|access-date=February 6, 2019|archive-date=December 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224105735/https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/25/17161398/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-apology-cambridge-analytica-full-page-newspapers-ads|url-status=dead}} In May 2010, he apologized for discrepancies in privacy settings.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-a-history-of-mark-zuckerberg-apologizing/|title=A Short History of Facebook's Privacy Gaffes|last=Hempel|first=Jessi|date=March 30, 2018|magazine=Wired|access-date=February 6, 2019|issn=1059-1028}}

Previously, Facebook had its privacy settings spread out over 20 pages, and has now put all of its privacy settings on one page, which makes it more difficult for third-party apps to access the user's personal information. In addition to publicly apologizing, Facebook has said that it will be reviewing and auditing thousands of apps that display "suspicious activities" in an effort to ensure that this breach of privacy does not happen again.{{cite web|title=Social Media/polls Show Low Trust in Facebook|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/polls-show-low-trust-facebook/|website=www.digitaltrends.com|date=March 26, 2018|access-date=February 6, 2019}} In a 2010 report regarding privacy, a research project stated that not a lot of information is available regarding the consequences of what people disclose online so often what is available are just reports made available through popular media.{{cite web|url=https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-actions-and-decisions/research/funding-for-privacy-research-and-knowledge-translation/completed-contributions-program-projects/2009-2010/p_200910_06/|title=Privacy and Disclosure on Facebook: Youth & Adults' Information Disclosure and Perceptions of Privacy Risks – Contributions Program 2009–2010|publisher=Office of the Privacy Commissioner of|date=March 31, 2010|website=www.priv.gc.ca|access-date=February 6, 2019|last1=Christofides|first1=E.|last2=Muise|first2=A.|last3=Desmarais|first3=S.}} In 2017, a former Facebook executive went on the record to discuss how social media platforms have contributed to the unraveling of the "fabric of society".{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/11/facebook-former-executive-ripping-society-apart|title=Former Facebook executive: social media is ripping society apart|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|date=December 12, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=February 6, 2019|issn=0261-3077}}

{{Main|Facebook content management controversies}}

{{See also|Oversight Board (Meta)|l1=Oversight Board}}

Facebook relies on its users to generate the content that bonds its users to the service. The company has come under criticism both for allowing objectionable content, including conspiracy theories and fringe discourse,{{Cite news|last=Roose|first=Kevin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/technology/alex-jones-facebook-youtube.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727221747/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/technology/alex-jones-facebook-youtube.html |archive-date=July 27, 2018 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Facebook and YouTube Give Alex Jones a Wrist Slap|newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 27, 2018 |access-date=August 4, 2018}} and for prohibiting other content that it deems inappropriate.

Facebook has been criticized as a vector for fake news, and has been accused of bearing responsibility for the conspiracy theory that the United States created ISIS,{{Cite news |last=Mackey |first=Robert |date=August 26, 2014 |title=Borne by Facebook, Conspiracy Theory That U.S. Created ISIS Spreads Across Middle East |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/world/middleeast/isis-conspiracy-theories-include-a-purported-american-plot.html |access-date=April 15, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} false anti-Rohingya posts being used by Myanmar's military to fuel genocide and ethnic cleansing,{{Cite news|last1=Gowen|first1=Annie|last2=Bearak|first2=Max|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/fake-news-on-facebook-fans-the-flames-of-hate-against-the-rohingya-in-burma/2017/12/07/2c1fe830-ca1f-11e7-b506-8a10ed11ecf5_story.html|title=Fake news on Facebook fans the flames of hate against the Rohingya in Burma|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 4, 2018}}{{Cite news |last=Mozur |first=Paul |date=October 15, 2018 |title=A Genocide Incited on Facebook, With Posts From Myanmar's Military |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/technology/myanmar-facebook-genocide.html |access-date=April 15, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} enabling climate change denial{{cite web |last=Waldman |first=Scott |title=Climate Denial Spreads on Facebook as Scientists Face Restrictions |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-denial-spreads-on-facebook-as-scientists-face-restrictions/ |access-date=August 6, 2020 |website=Scientific American |publisher=E&E News |language=en}}{{cite web |last=Guynn |first=Jessica |title=Climate change denial on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok is 'as bad as ever' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2022/01/21/climate-change-misinformation-facebook-youtube-twitter/6594691001/ |access-date=April 15, 2022 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}{{cite web |last=Waldman |first=Scott |date=February 23, 2022 |title=Climate denial still flourishes on Facebook — report |url=https://www.eenews.net/articles/climate-denial-still-flourishes-on-facebook-report/ |access-date=April 15, 2022 |website=E&E News |language=en-US}} and Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting conspiracy theorists,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/25/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-sandy-hook-parents-open-letter|title=An open letter to Mark Zuckerberg from the parents of a Sandy Hook victim|last1=Pozner|first1=Leonard|last2=Rosa|first2=Veronique De La|date=July 25, 2018|website=The Guardian|access-date=August 4, 2018|last3=Pozner|first3=parents of Noah}} and anti-refugee attacks in Germany.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/world/europe/facebook-refugee-attacks-germany.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821102155/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/world/europe/facebook-refugee-attacks-germany.html |archive-date=August 21, 2018 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Facebook Fueled Anti-Refugee Attacks in Germany, New Research Suggests|newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 21, 2018 |access-date=August 21, 2018|last1=Taub |first1=Amanda |last2=Fisher |first2=Max }}{{Cite journal|last1=MMller|first1=Karsten|last2=Schwarz|first2=Carlo|date=2017|title=Fanning the Flames of Hate: Social Media and Hate Crime|journal=SSRN Working Paper Series|doi=10.2139/ssrn.3082972|issn=1556-5068|ssrn=3082972|s2cid=19194580}}{{cite web| url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/22/18177076/social-media-facebook-far-right-authoritarian-populism| title=Social media is rotting democracy from within| last=Beauchamp| first=Zack| publisher=Vox Media| date=January 22, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125171545/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/22/18177076/social-media-facebook-far-right-authoritarian-populism|archive-date=January 25, 2019 }} The government of the Philippines has also used Facebook as a tool to attack its critics.{{cite web| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-12-07/how-rodrigo-duterte-turned-facebook-into-a-weapon-with-a-little-help-from-facebook| title=What Happens When the Government Uses Facebook as a Weapon?| last=Etter| first=Lauren| publisher=Bloomberg| date=December 7, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124225207/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-12-07/how-rodrigo-duterte-turned-facebook-into-a-weapon-with-a-little-help-from-facebook|archive-date=January 24, 2019 }}

In 2017, Facebook partnered with fact checkers from the Poynter Institute's international fact-checking network to identify and mark false content, though most ads from political candidates are exempt from this program.{{cite web |last=Hunt |first=Elle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/22/facebook-fact-checking-tool-fake-news |title='Disputed by multiple fact-checkers': Facebook rolls out new alert to combat fake news |date=March 22, 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=November 4, 2019}}{{cite web |last=Sherman |first=Amy |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/oct/15/elizabeth-warren/phony-facebook-ad-warren-said-most-tv-networks-wil/ |title=In phony Facebook ad, Warren said most TV networks will refuse ads with a 'lie' but that's wrong |work=PolitiFact|access-date=November 4, 2019}} As of 2018, Facebook had over 40 fact-checking partners across the world, including The Weekly Standard.{{cite web |last=Levin |first=Sam |date=December 13, 2018 |title='They don't care': Facebook factchecking in disarray as journalists push to cut ties |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/13/they-dont-care-facebook-fact-checking-in-disarray-as-journalists-push-to-cut-ties |access-date=April 15, 2022 |website=The Guardian |location=San Francisco |language=en}} Critics of the program have accused Facebook of not doing enough to remove false information from its website.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/24/facebook-fake-pelosi-video-1472413|title=Facebook on fake Pelosi video: Being 'false' isn't enough for removal|first=Nancy|last=Scola|website=Politico|date=May 24, 2019 }}

Facebook has repeatedly amended its content policies. In July 2018, it stated that it would "downrank" articles that its fact-checkers determined to be false, and remove misinformation that incited violence.{{cite news|last=Frenkel|first=Sheera|title=Facebook to Remove Misinformation That Leads to Violence|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/technology/facebook-to-remove-misinformation-that-leads-to-violence.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718221759/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/technology/facebook-to-remove-misinformation-that-leads-to-violence.html |archive-date=July 18, 2018 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=August 9, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=July 18, 2018 }} Facebook stated that content that receives "false" ratings from its fact-checkers can be demonetized and suffer dramatically reduced distribution. Specific posts and videos that violate community standards can be removed on Facebook.{{Cite news|last=Darcy|first=Oliver|date=July 20, 2018|title=Facebook's rhetoric on misinformation doesn't match its actions|work=CNN Business|url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/20/media/facebook-infowars-false-news-misinformation/index.html|access-date=August 4, 2018}} In May 2019, Facebook banned a number of "dangerous" commentators from its platform, including Alex Jones, Louis Farrakhan, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson, Paul Nehlen, David Duke, and Laura Loomer, for allegedly engaging in "violence and hate".{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/02/tech/facebook-ban-louis-farrakhan-infowars-alex-jones-milo-laura-loomer/index.html|website=CNN|title=Facebook bans Louis Farrakhan, Milo Yiannopoulos, InfoWars and others from its platforms as 'dangerous'|first=Oliver|last=Darcy|date=May 2, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/facebook-bans-alex-jones-louis-farrakhan-others-facebook-instagram-n1001311|website=NBC News|title=Alex Jones, Louis Farrakhan, others banned from Facebook and Instagram|date=May 2, 2019|author=Michael Cappetta and Ben Collins}}

In May 2020, Facebook agreed to a preliminary settlement of $52 million (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|52000000|2020}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) to compensate U.S.-based Facebook content moderators for their psychological trauma suffered on the job.{{cite web|title=Facebook will pay $52 million in settlement with moderators who developed PTSD on the job|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/12/21255870/facebook-content-moderator-settlement-scola-ptsd-mental-health|last=Newton|first=Casey|date=May 12, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=May 13, 2020}}{{cite web|title=The secret lives of Facebook moderators in America|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/25/18229714/cognizant-facebook-content-moderator-interviews-trauma-working-conditions-arizona|last=Newton|first=Casey|date=February 25, 2019|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=May 16, 2020}} Other legal actions around the world, including in Ireland, await settlement.{{cite web|title=Facebook Content Moderators Win $52m Compensation Settlement|url=https://www.moderatorrights.com/blog/facebook-content-moderators-win-52m-compensation-settlement/|date=May 13, 2020|website=ModeratorRights.com|language=en-US|access-date=May 13, 2020}} In September 2020, the Government of Thailand utilized the Computer Crime Act for the first time to take action against Facebook and Twitter for ignoring requests to take down content and not complying with court orders.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-internet-idUSKCN26F0R7?taid=5f6c4b2a82069f0001b379a4|title=Thailand takes first legal action against Facebook, Twitter over content|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=Reuters|date=September 24, 2020}}

According to a report by Reuters, beginning in 2020, the United States military ran a propaganda campaign to spread disinformation about the Sinovac Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, including using fake social media accounts to spread the disinformation that the Sinovac vaccine contained pork-derived ingredients and was therefore haram under Islamic law.{{Cite news |last1=Bing |first1=Chris |last2=Schechtman |first2=Joel |date=June 14, 2024 |title=Pentagon Ran Secret Anti-Vax Campaign to Undermine China during Pandemic |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/ |work=Reuters}} The campaign was described as "payback" for COVID-19 disinformation by China directed against the U.S.{{Cite web |last=Toropin |first=Konstantin |date=2024-06-14 |title=Pentagon Stands by Secret Anti-Vaccination Disinformation Campaign in Philippines After Reuters Report |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/pentagon-stands-secret-anti-vaccination-disinformation-campaign-philippines-after-reuters-report.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614223757/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/pentagon-stands-secret-anti-vaccination-disinformation-campaign-philippines-after-reuters-report.html |archive-date=2024-06-14 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Military.com |language=en}} In summer 2020, Facebook asked the military to remove the accounts, stating that they violated Facebook's policies on fake accounts and on COVID-19 information. The campaign continued until mid-2021.

Professor Ilya Somin reported that he had been the subject of death threats on Facebook in April 2018 from Cesar Sayoc, who threatened to kill Somin and his family and "feed the bodies to Florida alligators". Somin's Facebook friends reported the comments to Facebook, which did nothing except dispatch automated messages.{{cite web |date=October 27, 2018 |title=Mail Bomber Cesar Sayoc Threatened Me on Facebook – Volokh Conspiracy |url=http://reason.com/volokh/2018/10/27/mail-bomber-cesar-sayoc-threatened-me-on}} Sayoc was later arrested for the October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts directed at Democratic politicians.

Force v. Facebook, Inc., 934 F.3d 53 (2nd Cir. 2019) was a case that alleged Facebook was profiting off recommendations for Hamas. In 2019, the US Second Circuit Appeals Court held that Section 230 bars civil terrorism claims against social media companies and internet service providers, the first federal appellate court to do so.

In October 2020, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged Mark Zuckerberg, through a letter posted on government's Twitter account, to ban Islamophobic content on Facebook, warning that it encouraged extremism and violence.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-facebook/pakistani-pm-asks-facebook-ceo-to-ban-islamophobic-content-idUSKBN27A0UK?rpc=401&|title=Pakistani PM asks Facebook CEO to ban Islamophobic content|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=Reuters|date=October 25, 2020}} In October 2020, the company announced that it would ban Holocaust denial.{{cite web|last=Grenoble|first=Ryan|date=October 12, 2020|title=Facebook Decides Holocaust Denial Content Is Bad, Actually|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/facebook-ban-holocaust-denials_n_5f8478dec5b62f97bac625c3|access-date=October 12, 2020|website=HuffPost|language=en}}

In October 2022, Media Matters for America published a report that Facebook and Instagram were still profiting off advertisements using the slur "groomer" for LGBT people.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/facebook/meta-still-profiting-ads-use-anti-lgbtq-groomer-slur-despite-platforms-ban |title=Meta is still profiting off ads that use the anti-LGBTQ 'groomer' slur, despite the platform's ban |website=Media Matters |last1=Carter |first1=Camden |date=October 13, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022}} The article reported that Meta had previously confirmed that the use of this word for the LGBT community violates its hate speech policies. The story was subsequently picked up by other news outlets such as the New York Daily News, PinkNews, and LGBTQ Nation.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-facebook-meta-media-matters-profit-anti-lgbtq-slur-groomers-ads-despite-ban-20221014-l5gpzfozjbaq5hpbst66bzkq3e-story.html |title=Facebook parent company Meta still cashing in on ads using anti-LGBTQ slur 'groomers' despite platform's ban: report |website=New York Daily News |last1=Assunção |first1=Muri |date=October 14, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/10/14/meta-facebook-advert-profit-groomer-slur-rhetoric/ |title=Facebook has made thousands from hateful 'groomer' adverts in 2022 |website=PinkNews |last1=Wakefield |first1=Lily |date=October 14, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/10/facebook-instagram-making-money-off-ads-calling-lgbtq-people-groomers-despite-policy/ |title=Facebook & Instagram are making money off ads calling LGBTQ people 'groomers' despite policy |website=LGBTQ Nation |last1=Villarreal |first1=Daniel |date=October 14, 2022 |access-date=October 22, 2022}}

There are ads on Facebook and Instagram containing sexually explicit content, descriptions of graphic violence and content promoting acts of self harm. Many of the ads are for webnovel apps backed by tech giants Bytedance and Tencent.{{Cite web |last=Baker-White |first=Emily |title=Facebook And Instagram Are Full Of Violent Erotica Ads From ByteDance- And Tencent-Backed Apps |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilybaker-white/2022/09/30/bytedance-tencent-facebook-instagram-ads-violent-erotica/ |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

Facebook was criticized for allowing InfoWars to publish falsehoods and conspiracy theories.{{Cite news|last=Kelly|first=Heather|date=July 18, 2018|title=Mark Zuckerberg clarifies his Holocaust comments|work=CNNMoney|url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/18/technology/zuckerberg-recode-holocaust/index.html|access-date=August 4, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.recode.net/2018/7/16/17577426/media-left-right-facebook-define-journalism|title=Media – both on the left and right – are pressing Facebook to define what journalism is|work=Recode|access-date=August 4, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/07/how-facebooks-infowars-crisis-exposes-mark-zuckerbergs-hypocrisy?mbid=social_twitter|title=Why Facebook Won't Actually Ban Fake News|last=Kosoff|first=Maya|work=The Hive|access-date=August 4, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/charliewarzel/facebook-alex-jones-robertmueller-pedophile|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430002647/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/charliewarzel/facebook-alex-jones-robertmueller-pedophile|archive-date=April 30, 2023|title=Facebook Said Alex Jones' Threatening Rant Against Robert Mueller Doesn't Violate Its Rules|work=BuzzFeed News|access-date=August 4, 2018}} Facebook defended its actions in regard to InfoWars, saying "we just don't think banning Pages for sharing conspiracy theories or false news is the right way to go." Facebook provided only six cases in which it fact-checked content on the InfoWars page over the period September 2017 to July 2018. In 2018, InfoWars falsely claimed that the survivors of the Parkland shooting were "actors". Facebook pledged to remove InfoWars content making the claim, although InfoWars videos pushing the false claims were left up, even though Facebook had been contacted about the videos. Facebook stated that the videos never explicitly called them actors. Facebook also allowed InfoWars videos that shared the Pizzagate conspiracy theory to survive, despite specific assertions that it would purge Pizzagate content. In late July 2018, Facebook suspended the personal profile of InfoWars head Alex Jones for 30 days.{{Cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/26/media/facebook-infowars-alex-jones/index.html|title=Facebook suspends personal profile of InfoWars founder Alex Jones|last=Darcy|first=Oliver|work=CNN Business|access-date=August 4, 2018}} In early August 2018, Facebook banned the four most active InfoWars-related pages for hate speech.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/facebook-and-apple-itunes-ban-alex-jones-as-internet-giants-silence-infowars|title=Facebook and Apple iTunes Ban Alex Jones as Internet Giants Silence Infowars|last=Ross|first=Jamie|date=August 6, 2018|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=August 6, 2018}}

{{See also|State-sponsored Internet propaganda}}

File:Berlin_(9163009052).jpg; the caption is a reference to George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, December 2008 ]]

As a dominant social-web service with massive outreach, Facebook has been used by identified or unidentified political operatives to affect public opinion. Some of these activities have been done in violation of the platform policies, creating "coordinated inauthentic behavior", support or attacks. These activities can be scripted or paid. Various such abusive campaign have been revealed in recent years, best known being the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. In 2021, former Facebook analyst within the Spam and Fake Engagement teams, Sophie Zhang, reported more than 25 political subversion operations and criticized the general slow reaction time, oversightless, laissez-faire attitude by Facebook.{{Citation|title=Ex-Facebook employee on the company's dangerous loophole: 'Autocrats don't bother to hide'| date=April 11, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYigm8R2ep8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/eYigm8R2ep8 |archive-date=December 19, 2021 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=April 15, 2021}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite news|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|date=April 12, 2021|title=How Facebook let fake engagement distort global politics: a whistleblower's account|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/12/facebook-fake-engagement-whistleblower-sophie-zhang|access-date=April 15, 2021|issn=0261-3077}}{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/12/facebook-loophole-state-backed-manipulation|title=Revealed: the Facebook loophole that lets world leaders deceive and harass their citizens|date=April 12, 2021|website=the Guardian}}

In 2018, Facebook said that during 2018 they had identified "coordinated inauthentic behavior" in "many Pages, Groups and accounts created to stir up political debate, including in the US, the Middle East, Russia and the UK."{{cite web|last1=Gleicher|first1=Nathaniel|last2=Rodriguez|first2=Oscar|title=Removing Additional Inauthentic Activity from Facebook|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/10/removing-inauthentic-activity/|publisher=Facebook Newsroom|access-date=May 27, 2019|date=October 11, 2018}}

Campaigns operated by the British intelligence agency unit, called Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group, have broadly fallen into two categories; cyber attacks and propaganda efforts. The propaganda efforts utilize "mass messaging" and the "pushing [of] stories" via social media sites like Facebook.{{cite web|title=Snowden Docs: British Spies Used Sex and 'Dirty Tricks'|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/snowden-docs-british-spies-used-sex-dirty-tricks-n23091|work=NBC News|date=February 7, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Snowden leaks: GCHQ 'attacked Anonymous' hackers|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26049448|work=BBC News|date=February 5, 2014}} Israel's Jewish Internet Defense Force, the Chinese Communist Party's 50 Cent Party and Turkey's AK Trolls also focus their attention on social media platforms like Facebook.{{cite news|title=China's 'troll factory' targeting Taiwan with disinformation prior to election|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3568146|work=Taiwan News|date=May 11, 2018}}{{cite news|title=Trolls, bots and shutdowns: This is how Turkey manipulates public opinion|url=https://ahvalnews.com/freedoms/trolls-bots-and-shutdowns-how-turkey-manipulates-public-opinion|work=Ahval|date=November 17, 2017|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111190541/https://ahvalnews.com/freedoms/trolls-bots-and-shutdowns-how-turkey-manipulates-public-opinion|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Jewish Internet Defense Force 'seizes control' of anti-Israel Facebook group|url=https://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Jewish-Internet-Defense-Force-seizes-control-of-anti-Israel-Facebook-group|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=July 29, 2008}}{{cite news

|last=Morrison

|first=Sarah

|title=Jewish Activist Battles For Israel on Facebook

|newspaper=Israel National News

|date=March 4, 2008

|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125783

}}{{better source needed|date=July 2022}} In July 2018, Samantha Bradshaw, co-author of the report from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) at Oxford University, said that "The number of countries where formally organised social media manipulation occurs has greatly increased, from 28 to 48 countries globally. The majority of growth comes from political parties who spread disinformation and junk news around election periods."{{cite news|title=Social media manipulation rising globally, new report warns|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-07-20-social-media-manipulation-rising-globally-new-report-warns|publisher=University of Oxford|date=July 20, 2018}} In October 2018, The Daily Telegraph reported that Facebook "banned hundreds of pages and accounts that it says were fraudulently flooding its site with partisan political content – although they came from the United States instead of being associated with Russia."{{cite news|title=Facebook: Most political trolls are American, not Russian|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/10/11/facebook-political-trolls-american-not-russian/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/10/11/facebook-political-trolls-american-not-russian/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Telegraph|date=October 12, 2018}}{{cbignore}}

In December 2018, The Washington Post reported that "Facebook has suspended the account of Jonathon Morgan, the chief executive of a top social media research firm" New Knowledge, "after reports that he and others engaged in an operation to spread disinformation" on Facebook and Twitter during the 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama.{{cite news |title=Facebook suspends five accounts, including that of a social media researcher, for misleading tactics in Alabama election |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/12/22/facebook-suspends-five-accounts-including-social-media-researcher-misleading-tactics-alabama-election/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 22, 2018}}{{cite news |title=Democratic operatives created fake Russian bots designed to link Kremlin to Roy Moore in Alabama race |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democratic-operatives-created-fake-russian-bots-in-alabama-race-designed-to-link-kremlin-to-republican-roy-moore |work=Fox News |date=December 20, 2018}} In January 2019, Facebook said it has removed 783 Iran-linked accounts, pages and groups for engaging in what it called "coordinated inauthentic behaviour".{{cite news|title=Facebook Says It Removed 783 Accounts Tied to an Iranian Manipulation Campaign|url=http://fortune.com/2019/01/31/facebook-manipulation-campaign-iran-fake-news/|work=Fortune|date=January 31, 2019}} In March 2019, Facebook sued four Chinese firms for selling "fake accounts, likes and followers" to amplify Chinese state media outlets.{{Cite news |date=April 20, 2019 |title=China is using Facebook to build a huge audience around the world |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/04/20/china-is-using-facebook-to-build-a-huge-audience-around-the-world |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 19, 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |quote=Facebook pages usually gain followers when people share posts with their friends. Chinese outlets receive far fewer shares than Western ones do, which implies that they use some other tactic to amass fans. Facebook has already accused Chinese actors of skullduggery. In March it sued four Chinese firms, which it said had sold "fake accounts, likes and followers".}}

In May 2019, Tel Aviv-based private intelligence agency Archimedes Group was banned from Facebook for "coordinated inauthentic behavior" after Facebook found fake users in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48349671|title=Is Facebook undermining democracy in Africa?|last=Madowo|first=Larry|date=May 24, 2019|access-date=June 8, 2019}} Facebook investigations revealed that Archimedes had spent some $1.1 million (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1100000|2019}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) on fake ads, paid for in Brazilian reais, Israeli shekels and US dollars.{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/change-reality-facebook-busts-israel-based-campaign-to-disrupt-elections-20190517-p51oad.html|title='Change reality': Facebook busts Israel-based campaign to disrupt elections|last1=Debre|first1=Isabel|last2=Satter|first2=Raphael|date=May 16, 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=June 8, 2019}} Facebook gave examples of Archimedes Group political interference in Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Angola, Niger and Tunisia.{{cite web|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2019/05/removing-coordinated-inauthentic-behavior-from-israel/|title=Removing Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior From Israel {{!}} Facebook Newsroom|date=May 16, 2019|access-date=June 8, 2019}} The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab said in a report that "The tactics employed by Archimedes Group, a private company, closely resemble the types of information warfare tactics often used by governments, and the Kremlin in particular."{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/16/tech/facebook-takedown-israeli-company/index.html|title=Facebook says Israeli company used fake accounts to target African elections|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=Donie|last2=Gold|first2=Hadas|department=CNN Business|website=CNN|date=May 16, 2019|access-date=June 8, 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-bans-israeli-firm-over-fake-political-activity-11558030115|title=Facebook Bans Israeli Firm Over Fake Political Activity|last=Needleman|first=Sarah E.|date=May 16, 2019|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=June 8, 2019|issn=0099-9660}}

On May 23, 2019, Facebook released its Community Standards Enforcement Report highlighting that it has identified several fake accounts through artificial intelligence 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. The number of fake accounts was reported to be more than 2.4 billion real people on the platform.{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/726353723/facebook-removed-nearly-3-2-billion-fake-accounts-in-last-six-months|title=Facebook Removed Nearly 3.4 Billion Fake Accounts in 6 Months|newspaper=NPR|date=May 23, 2019|access-date=May 23, 2019|publisher=NPR|last1=Romo|first1=Vanessa|last2=Held|first2=Amy}}

In July 2019, Facebook advanced its measures to counter deceptive political propaganda and other abuse of its services. The company removed more than 1,800 accounts and pages that were being operated from Russia, Thailand, Ukraine and Honduras.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-accounts/facebook-removes-fake-accounts-from-thailand-russia-ukraine-honduras-idUSKCN1UK0KE|title=Facebook removes fake accounts from Thailand, Russia, Ukraine, Honduras|access-date=July 25, 2019|work=Reuters}} After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it was announced that the internet regulatory committee would block access to Facebook.{{cite web |date=March 4, 2022 |title=Russia blocks access to Facebook |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/04/russia-blocks-facebook/ |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} On October 30, 2019, Facebook deleted several accounts of the employees working at the Israeli NSO Group, stating that the accounts were "deleted for not following our terms". The deletions came after WhatsApp sued the Israeli surveillance firm for targeting 1,400 devices with spyware.{{cite web|url=https://qudsnen.co/facebook-deletes-accounts-of-workers-at-nso-israeli-firm/|title=Facebook deletes accounts of workers at NSO Israeli firm|access-date=November 1, 2019|website=Quds News Network|date=November 2019|archive-date=August 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817171324/https://qudsnen.co/facebook-deletes-accounts-of-workers-at-nso-israeli-firm/|url-status=dead}}

{{anchor|American Edge}}

In 2020, Facebook helped found American Edge, an anti-regulation lobbying firm to fight anti-trust probes.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/12/facebook-lobbying-american-edge/ |title=Facebook Helps Launch American Edge, a Dark-Money Advocacy Group for Big Tech |date=May 12, 2020 |access-date=May 12, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US |last=Romm |first=Tony}} The group runs ads that "fail to mention what legislation concerns them, how those concerns could be fixed, or how the horrors they warn of could actually happen", and do not clearly disclose that they are funded by Facebook.{{cite web |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/history-repeats-itself-with-big-techs-misleading-advertising/ |accessdate=August 26, 2023 |title=History repeats itself with Big Tech's misleading advertising |first=Tom |last=Wheeler |date=June 15, 2022 |publisher=Brookings Institution}}

In 2020, the government of Thailand forced Facebook to take down a Facebook group called Royalist Marketplace with one million members following potentially illegal posts shared. The authorities have also threatened Facebook with legal action. In response, Facebook is planning to take legal action against the Thai government for suppression of freedom of expression and violation of human rights.{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/24/tech/facebook-blocks-thailand-group/index.html|title=Facebook prepares legal action against Thai government's order to block group|access-date=August 25, 2020|website=CNN International|date=August 24, 2020 }} In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook found that troll farms from North Macedonia and the Philippines pushed coronavirus disinformation. The publisher, which used content from these farms, was banned.{{cite news|last1=Collins|first1=Ben|last2=Zadrozny|first2=Brandy|author-link2=Brandy Zadrozny|date=May 20, 2020|title=Troll farms from North Macedonia and the Philippines pushed coronavirus disinformation on Facebook|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/troll-farms-macedonia-philippines-pushed-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-n1218376}}

In the run-up to the 2020 United States elections, Eastern European troll farms operated popular Facebook pages showing content related to Christians and Blacks in America. They included more than 15,000 pages combined and were viewed by 140 million US users per month. This was in part due to how Facebook's algorithm and policies allow unoriginal viral content to be copied and spread in ways that still drive up user engagement. As of September 2021, some of the most popular pages were still active on Facebook despite the company's efforts to take down such content.{{cite web |title=Troll farms reached 140 million Americans a month on Facebook before 2020 election, internal report shows |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/09/16/1035851/facebook-troll-farms-report-us-2020-election/ |website=MIT Technology Review |language=en}}

In February 2021, Facebook removed the main page of the Myanmar military, after two protesters were shot and killed during the anti-coup protests. Facebook said that the page breached its guidelines that prohibit the incitement of violence.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-21/facebook-removes-main-page-of-myanmar-military/13176760|title=Facebook removes main page of Myanmar military for 'incitement of violence'|access-date=February 21, 2021|website=ABC News|date=February 21, 2021}} On February 25, Facebook announced to ban all accounts of the Myanmar military, along with the "Tatmadaw-linked commercial entities". Citing the "exceptionally severe human rights abuses and the clear risk of future military-initiated violence in Myanmar", the tech giant also implemented the move on its subsidiary, Instagram.{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210225-facebook-bans-myanmar-military-accounts-from-its-platforms-citing-coup|title=Facebook bans Myanmar military accounts from its platforms, citing coup|access-date=February 25, 2021|website=France 24|date=February 25, 2021}} In March 2021, The Wall Street Journal{{'s}} editorial board criticized Facebook's decision to fact-check its op-ed titled "We'll Have Herd immunity by April" written by surgeon Marty Makary, calling it "counter-opinion masquerading as fact checking."{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=March 5, 2021|title=Opinion: Fact-Checking Facebook's Fact Checkers |work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/fact-checking-facebooks-fact-checkers-11614987375|access-date=March 7, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}

Facebook guidelines allow users to call for the death of public figures, they also allow praise of mass killers and 'violent non-state actors' in some situations.{{cite web |date=March 23, 2021 |title=Facebook guidelines allow for users to call for death of public figures |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/23/facebook-guidelines-allow-for-users-to-call-for-death-of-public-figures |access-date=March 23, 2021 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}{{cite web|date=March 23, 2021|title=Facebook leak underscores strategy to operate in repressive regimes|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/23/facebook-leak-underscore-strategy-operate-repressive-regimes|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}} In 2021, former Facebook analyst within the Spam and Fake Engagement teams, Sophie Zhang, reported on more than 25 political subversion operations she uncovered while in Facebook, and the general laissez-faire by the private enterprise.

In 2021, Facebook was cited as playing a role in the fomenting of the 2021 United States Capitol attack.{{cite web |last=Brewster |first=Thomas |date=February 7, 2021 |title=Sheryl Sandberg Downplayed Facebook's Role In The Capitol Hill Siege—Justice Department Files Tell A Very Different Story |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/02/07/sheryl-sandberg-downplayed-facebooks-role-in-the-capitol-hill-siege-justice-department-files-tell-a-very-different-story/ |access-date=March 9, 2022 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite news |last1=Timberg |first1=Craig |last2=Dwoskin |first2=Elizabeth |last3=Albergotti |first3=Reed |date=October 22, 2021 |title=Inside Facebook, Jan. 6 violence fueled anger, regret over missed warning signs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/22/jan-6-capitol-riot-facebook/ |access-date=March 9, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en}}

{{See also|Internet Research Agency|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections}}

In 2018, Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian organizations for "engaging in operations to interfere with U.S. political and electoral processes, including the 2016 presidential election."{{cite news|title=Internet Research Agency indicted: Who is the Russian company behind the fake Facebook ads?|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/internet-research-agency-indicted-who-is-the-russian-company-behind-the-fake-facebook-ads|work=Fox News|date=February 16, 2018}}{{cite news|title=13 Russians Indicted as Mueller Reveals Effort to Aid Trump Campaign|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/russians-indicted-mueller-election-interference.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216182422/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/russians-indicted-mueller-election-interference.html |archive-date=February 16, 2018 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The New York Times|date=February 16, 2018}}{{cite web|title=Exposing Russia's Effort to Sow Discord Online: The Internet Research Agency and Advertisements|url=https://intelligence.house.gov/social-media-content/|website=intelligence.house.gov|publisher=Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128044519/https://intelligence.house.gov/social-media-content/|url-status=dead}}

Mueller contacted Facebook subsequently to the company's disclosure that it had sold more than $100,000 (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|100000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) worth of ads to a company (Internet Research Agency, owned by Russian billionaire and businessman Yevgeniy Prigozhin) with links to the Russian intelligence community before the 2016 United States presidential election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-gave-special-counsel-robert-mueller-more-details-on-russian-ad-buys-than-congress-1505514552|title=Facebook Gave Special Counsel Robert Mueller More Details on Russian Ad Buys Than Congress|last1=Seetharaman|first1=Deepa|date=September 15, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=September 15, 2017|last2=Tau|first2=Byron|issn=0099-9660|last3=Harris|first3=Shane}}{{cite news|title=Facebook sold $100,000 of political ads to fake Russian accounts during 2016 US election|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-russia-ads-us-election-political-adverts-trump-putin-fake-news-a7933461.html|access-date=May 24, 2019|work=The Independent|date=September 6, 2017 }} 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."{{cite magazine|title=Facebook Says Russian Accounts Bought $100,000 in Ads During the 2016 Election|url=https://time.com/4930532/facebook-russian-accounts-2016-election/|magazine=Time|date=September 6, 2017}} Clinton and Trump campaigns spent $81 million (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|81000000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) on Facebook ads.{{cite news|title=New Studies Show Pundits Are Wrong About Russian Social-Media Involvement in US Politics|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/russiagate-elections-interference/|work=The Nation|date=December 28, 2018|access-date=June 2, 2019|archive-date=June 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603215617/https://www.thenation.com/article/russiagate-elections-interference/|url-status=dead}}

The company pledged full cooperation in Mueller's investigation, and provided all information about the Russian advertisements.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/06/facebook-gave-special-counsel-robert-mueller-data-on-russian-ads-report-says.html|title=Facebook gave special counsel Robert Mueller data on Russian ads, report says|last=Castillo|first=Michelle|website=CNBC|date=September 6, 2017|access-date=September 7, 2017}} Members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have claimed that Facebook had withheld information that could illuminate the Russian propaganda campaign.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/facebooks-openness-on-russia-questioned-by-congressional-investigators/2017/09/18/060e1ee4-9c90-11e7-9083-fbfddf6804c2_story.html|title=Facebook's openness on Russia questioned by congressional investigators|last1=Leonnig|first1=Carol D.|date=September 18, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 19, 2017|last2=Dwoskin|first2=Elizabeth|issn=0190-8286|last3=Timberg|first3=Craig}} Russian operatives have used Facebook polarize the American public discourses, organizing both Black Lives Matter rallies{{cite news|title=Russians trolls organized a protest in the US|url=https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/06/25/russia-protest-philando-castile-distorting-truth-orig.cnn/video/playlists/russian-trolls-exploit-philando-castiles-death/|work=CNN|date=June 25, 2018}}{{cite news|title=Did Russian hackers organize Philando Castile protest? Activists say no|url=http://www.startribune.com/local-organizers-doubt-reports-of-russian-ties-to-castile-protest/454368633/|work=Star Tribune|date=November 1, 2017}} and anti-immigrant rallies on U.S. soil,{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/exclusive-russia-used-facebook-events-to-organize-anti-immigrant-rallies-on-us-soil|title=Exclusive: Russia Used Facebook Events to Organize Anti-Immigrant Rallies on U.S. Soil|last1=Collins|first1=Ben|last2=Poulsen|first2=Kevin|last3=Ackerman|first3=Spencer|date=September 12, 2017|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=September 12, 2017}} as well as anti-Clinton rallies{{Cite news|url=https://businessinsider.com/facebook-group-russia-texas-anti-immigrant-rallies-2017-9|title=Shuttered Facebook group that organized anti-Clinton, anti-immigrant rallies across Texas was linked to Russia|work=Business Insider|access-date=September 14, 2017|archive-date=September 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913202902/https://businessinsider.com/facebook-group-russia-texas-anti-immigrant-rallies-2017-9|url-status=dead}} and rallies both for and against Donald Trump."[http://fortune.com/2018/02/17/russian-organized-rallies-election-meddling/ Russians Staged Rallies For and Against Trump to Promote Discord, Indictment Says]". Fortune. February 17, 2018.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/russians-appear-to-use-facebook-to-push-pro-trump-flash-mobs-in-florida|title=Exclusive: Russians Appear to Use Facebook to Push Trump Rallies in 17 U.S. Cities|last1=Collins|first1=Ben|last2=Resnick|first2=Gideon|last3=Poulsen|first3=Kevin|last4=Ackerman|first4=Spencer|date=September 20, 2017|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=September 20, 2017}} Facebook ads have also been used to exploit 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/russian-operatives-used-facebook-ads-to-exploit-divisions-over-black-political-activism-and-muslims/2017/09/25/4a011242-a21b-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html|title=Russian operatives used Facebook ads to exploit divisions over black political activism and Muslims|last1=Entous|first1=Adam|last2=Timberg|first2=Craig|last3=Dwoskin|first3=Elizabeth|date=September 25, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 25, 2017|issn=0190-8286}}"[https://money.cnn.com/2017/09/27/media/facebook-black-lives-matter-targeting/index.html Exclusive: Russian-bought Black Lives Matter ad on Facebook targeted Baltimore and Ferguson]". CNN. September 28, 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/exclusive-russians-impersonated-real-american-muslims-to-stir-chaos-on-facebook-and-instagram|title=Exclusive: Russians Impersonated Real American Muslims to Stir Chaos on Facebook and Instagram|last1=Collins|first1=Ben|last2=Poulsen|first2=Kevin|last3=Ackerman|first3=Spencer|date=September 27, 2017|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=September 28, 2017}} Zuckerberg has stated that he regrets having dismissed concerns over Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/27/mark-zuckerberg-says-facebook-impact-on-2016-election-went-beyond-ads.html|title=Mark Zuckerberg responds to Trump, regrets he dismissed election concerns|last=Shinal|first=John|date=September 27, 2017|work=CNBC|access-date=September 27, 2017}}

Russian-American billionaire Yuri Milner, who befriended Zuckerberg"[https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/kremlin-owned-firms-linked-major-twitter-facebook-investments-icij/ Kremlin-owned Firms Linked to Major Investments in Twitter and Facebook]". International Consortium of Investigative Journalists – ICIJ. November 5, 2017. between 2009 and 2011, had Kremlin backing for his investments in Facebook and Twitter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/world/yuri-milner-facebook-twitter-russia.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105190211/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/world/yuri-milner-facebook-twitter-russia.html |archive-date=November 5, 2017 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Kremlin Cash Behind Billionaire's Twitter and Facebook Investments|last=Drucker|first=Jesse|date=November 5, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 6, 2017|issn=0362-4331}} In January 2019, Facebook removed 289 pages and 75 coordinated accounts linked to the Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik which had misrepresented themselves as independent news or general interest pages.{{cite web|title=Disinformation and 'fake news': Final Report|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcumeds/1791/179109.htm|website=publications.parliament.uk|publisher=Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee – House of Commons|access-date=May 24, 2019}}{{cite web|last=Gleicher|first=Nathaniel|title=Removing Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior from Russia|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2019/01/removing-cib-from-russia/|publisher=Facebook Newsroom|access-date=May 24, 2019|date=January 17, 2019}} Facebook later identified and removed an additional 1,907 accounts linked to Russia found to be engaging in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour".{{cite news|last=Cuthbertson|first=Antony|title=Facebook removes thousands more Russian accounts|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-russia-bots-brexit-account-iran-instagram-a8840256.html|access-date=May 24, 2019|work=The Independent|date=March 26, 2019 }} In 2018, a UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee report had criticized Facebook for its reluctance to investigate abuse of its platform by the Russian government, and for downplaying the extent of the problem, referring to the company as 'digital gangsters'.{{cite web|title=Disinformation and 'fake news': Interim Report|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcumeds/363/36308.htm|website=publications.parliament.uk|publisher=Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee – House of Commons}}{{cite news|last=Cadwalladr|first=Carole|author-link=Carole Cadwalladr|title=A withering verdict: MPs report on Zuckerberg, Russia and Cambridge Analytica|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/28/dcms-report-fake-news-disinformation-brexit-facebook-russia|access-date=May 24, 2019|work=The Observer|date=July 28, 2018}}{{cite web|date=February 18, 2019|title=Facebook labelled 'digital gangsters' by report on fake news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/18/facebook-fake-news-investigation-report-regulation-privacy-law-dcms|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

"Democracy is at risk from the malicious and relentless targeting of citizens with disinformation and personalised 'dark adverts' from unidentifiable sources, delivered through the major social media platforms we use every day," Damian Collins, DCMS Committee Chair

{{See also|Persecution of Muslims in Myanmar}}

In 2018, Facebook took down 536 Facebook pages, 17 Facebook groups, 175 Facebook accounts, and 16 Instagram accounts linked to the Myanmar military. Collectively these were followed by over 10 million people.{{cite web|title=Removing Myanmar Military Officials From Facebook|date=August 28, 2018|url=https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/08/removing-myanmar-officials/|publisher=Facebook Newsroom|access-date=May 27, 2019 }} The New York Times reported that:{{cite news|last=Mozur|first=Paul|title=A Genocide Incited on Facebook, With Posts From Myanmar's Military|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/technology/myanmar-facebook-genocide.html|access-date=May 27, 2019|work=The New York Times|date=October 15, 2018}}

{{blockquote|after months of reports about anti-Rohingya propaganda on Facebook, the company acknowledged that it had been too slow to act in Myanmar. By then, more than 700,000 Rohingya had fled the country in a year, in what United Nations officials called "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing".}}

A 2019 book titled The Real Face of Facebook in India, co-authored by the journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Cyril Sam, alleged that Facebook helped enable and benefited from the rise of Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India.{{cite web|title=The Past and Future of Facebook and BJP's Mutually Beneficial Relationship|url=https://thewire.in/politics/bjp-facebook-india-modi|website=The Wire}} Ankhi Das, Facebook's policy director for India and South and Central Asia, apologized publicly in August 2020 for sharing a Facebook post which called Muslims in India a "degenerate community". She said she shared the post "to reflect my deep belief in celebrating feminism and civic participation".{{cite web|title=A Facebook Executive Who Shared An Anti-Muslim Post Has Apologized To Employees|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/facebook-executive-apologies-anti-muslim-post|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426173931/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/facebook-executive-apologies-anti-muslim-post|archive-date=April 26, 2023|access-date=September 2, 2020|website=BuzzFeed News|date=August 24, 2020 |language=en}} She is reported to have prevented action by Facebook against anti-Muslim content{{Cite news|last1=Ellis-Petersen|first1=Hannah|last2=Rahman|first2=Shaikh Azizur|date=September 1, 2020|title=Facebook faces grilling by MPs in India over anti-Muslim hate speech|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/01/facebook-faces-grilling-by-mps-in-india-over-anti-muslim-hate-speech|access-date=September 2, 2020|issn=0261-3077}} and supported the BJP in internal Facebook messages.{{Cite news|last1=Horwitz|first1=Jeff|last2=Purnell|first2=Newley|date=August 30, 2020|title=Facebook Executive Supported India's Modi, Disparaged Opposition in Internal Messages|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-executive-supported-indias-modi-disparaged-opposition-in-internal-messages-11598809348|access-date=September 1, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}{{cite web|title=New Report Says Facebook's Ankhi Das Supported Modi, Hoped for BJP's Victory|url=https://thewire.in/tech/facebook-ankhi-das-modi-bjp-support-wsj-new-report|access-date=September 1, 2020|website=The Wire}}

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. Singh had said on Facebook that Rohingya Muslim immigrants should be shot and had threatened to destroy mosques. Current and former Facebook employees told The Wall Street Journal that the decision was part of a pattern of favoritism by Facebook toward the BJP as it seeks more business in India.{{cite web|title=Watch {{!}} Why Did Facebook Not Remove BJP-Linked Anti-Muslim Hate Posts?|url=https://thewire.in/video/watch-facebook-bjp-hate-posts-wall-street-journal-raja-singh|access-date=September 1, 2020|website=The Wire}} Facebook also took no action after BJP politicians made posts accusing Muslims of intentionally spreading COVID-19, an employee said.{{Cite news|last1=Purnell|first1=Newley|last2=Horwitz|first2=Jeff|date=August 14, 2020|title=Facebook's Hate-Speech Rules Collide With Indian Politics|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-hate-speech-india-politics-muslim-hindu-modi-zuckerberg-11597423346|access-date=August 16, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}

In 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".{{Cite news|author=Staff Reporter|date=August 31, 2020|title=Assembly panel alleges role of Facebook in Delhi riots|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/assembly-panel-alleges-role-of-facebook-in-delhi-riots/article32488223.ece|access-date=September 2, 2020|issn=0971-751X}}{{cite web|last=Deol|first=Taran|date=August 31, 2020|title=Delhi assembly panel wants Facebook named co-accused in communal riots, hints at 'conspiracy'|url=https://theprint.in/india/governance/delhi-assembly-panel-wants-facebook-named-co-accused-in-communal-riots-hints-at-conspiracy/492793/|access-date=September 2, 2020|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}} Following a summons by a Delhi Assembly Committee, Facebook India vice-president and managing director Ajit Mohan moved the Supreme Court,{{cite web|date=September 22, 2020|title=Facebook India VP moves Supreme Court against Delhi Assembly panel summoning him|url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/fb-india-vp-moves-supreme-court-against-delhi-assembly-panel-summoning-him-11600785870396.html|access-date=July 5, 2021|website=mint|language=en}} which granted him relief and ordered a stay to the summons.{{Cite news|date=September 23, 2020|title=Delhi riots {{!}} Supreme Court grants relief to Facebook official|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/delhi-riots-no-coercive-action-against-facebook-vp-till-oct-15-over-assembly-panel-summons-says-sc/article32677366.ece|access-date=July 5, 2021|issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite news|date=September 23, 2020|title=SC orders stay on summons to Facebook India V–P by Delhi Assembly panel on riots|work=ThePrint|url=https://theprint.in/judiciary/sc-orders-stay-on-summons-to-facebook-india-v-p-by-delhi-assembly-panel-on-riots/509050/}}{{Cite news|title=Centre backs Facebook in SC row with Delhi Assembly over summons|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/centre-backs-facebook-in-sc-row-with-delhi-assembly-over-summons/articleshow/78684769.cms|access-date=July 5, 2021}} The Central government later backed the decision, and submitted in the court that Facebook could not be made accountable before any state assembly and the committee formed was unconstitutional.{{cite web|date=February 18, 2021|title='Facebook, Twitter can't be accountable to state assemblies': Centre to SC|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/facebook-twitter-can-t-be-accountable-to-state-assemblies-government-101613610284320.html|access-date=July 9, 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}{{cite web|title=[Delhi Riots] Committee formed by Delhi Assembly to probe social media giants' omissions unconstitutional: Centre, Facebook tell Supreme Court|url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/peace-harmony-committee-constituted-delhi-state-assembly-probe-delhi-riots-unconstitutional-centre-facebook-supreme-court|access-date=July 9, 2021|website=Bar and Bench – Indian Legal news|date=February 2, 2021 |language=en}} Following a fresh notice by the Delhi Assembly panel in 2021 for failing to appear before it as a witness, Mohan challenged it saying that the 'right to silence' is a virtue in present 'noisy times' and the legislature had no authority to examine him in a law and order case.{{cite web|title="Expansion Of Power Through Backdoor": Facebook Boss On Delhi Summons|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/facebook-md-ajit-mohan-to-supreme-court-right-to-silence-is-virtue-in-noisy-times-2377893|access-date=July 9, 2021|website=NDTV.com}} In July 2021, the Supreme Court refused to quash the summons and asked Facebook to appear before the Delhi assembly panel.{{cite web|date=July 8, 2021|title=Facebook asked to appear before Delhi assembly panel, Supreme Court refuses to quash summons|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-riots-sc-rejects-facebook-india-vp-ajit-mohan-plea-summons-assembly-committee-7395029/|access-date=July 9, 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}

On September 23, 2023, it was reported that Facebook had delayed for about a year when in 2021, it removed a network of accounts ran by India's Chinar Corps which spread disinformation that would put Kashmiri journalists in danger. The delay and the previously not publicized takedown action were due a fear that its local employees would be targeted by authorities, and that it would hurt business prospects in the country.{{Cite news |last1=Menn |first1=Joseph |last2=Shih |first2=Gerry |date=September 26, 2023 |title=Under India's pressure, Facebook let propaganda and hate speech thrive |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/26/india-facebook-propaganda-hate-speech/ |url-access=registration}}

Early Facebook investor and former Zuckerberg mentor Roger McNamee described Facebook as having "the most centralized decision-making structure I have ever encountered in a large company."{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/books/review/roger-mcnamee-zucked.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129162648/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/books/review/roger-mcnamee-zucked.html |archive-date=January 29, 2019 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=An Anti-Facebook Manifesto, by an Early Facebook Investor|first=Tom|last=Bissell|newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 29, 2019}} Nathan Schneider, a professor of media studies at the University of Colorado Boulder argued in 2018 for transforming Facebook into a platform cooperative owned and governed by the users.{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvxbgq/its-time-for-mark-zuckerberg-to-give-up-control-of-facebook|title=It's Time for Mark Zuckerberg to Give Up Control of Facebook|first1=Nathan|last1=Schneider|first2=Harry|last2=Cheadle|date=March 27, 2018 |website=Vice |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103090705/https://www.vice.com/en/article/qvxbgq/its-time-for-mark-zuckerberg-to-give-up-control-of-facebook |archive-date= November 3, 2023 }}

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes stated in 2019 that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has too much power, that the company is now a monopoly, and that, as a result, it should be split into multiple smaller companies. He called for the breakup of Facebook in an op-ed in The New York Times. Hughes says he is concerned that Zuckerberg has surrounded himself with a team that does not challenge him and that as a result, it is the U.S. government's job to hold him accountable and curb his "unchecked power".{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-co-founder-chris-hughes-calls-for-companys-breakup-zuckerberg/|title=Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes calls for company's breakup|first=Shelby|last=Brown|website=CNET |date=May 9, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428144947/https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/facebook-co-founder-chris-hughes-calls-for-companys-breakup-zuckerberg/ |archive-date= April 28, 2023 }} Hughes also said that "Mark's power is unprecedented and un-American."{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/opinion/sunday/chris-hughes-facebook-zuckerberg.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509103054/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/opinion/sunday/chris-hughes-facebook-zuckerberg.html |archive-date=May 9, 2019 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=It's Time to Break Up Facebook|first=Chris|last=Hughes|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 9, 2019}} Several U.S. politicians agree with Hughes.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/more-politicians-side-with-chris-hughes-and-are-ready-to-split-up-facebook/|title=More politicians side with Facebook co-founder on breaking up company|first=Shelby|last=Brown|website=CNET}} EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager has stated that splitting Facebook should only be done as "a remedy of the very last resort", and that splitting Facebook would not solve Facebook's underlying problems.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/eu-competition-commissioner-facebook-breakup-would-be-last-resort/|title=EU competition commissioner: Facebook breakup would be 'last resort'|first=Katie|last=Collins|website=CNET}}

Facebook has been criticized for its lack of human customer support.{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Emily |title=The death of the customer service hotline |url=https://www.vox.com/23571375/no-call-center-phone-number-frontier-facebook |access-date=23 June 2024 |work=Vox |date=26 January 2023}} When users personal and business accounts are breached, many are forced to go through small claims court to regain access and restitution.{{cite news |title=How small claims court became Meta's customer service hotline |url=https://www.engadget.com/how-small-claims-court-became-metas-customer-service-hotline-160224479.html |access-date=23 June 2024 |work=Engadget |date=20 June 2024}}

{{Further|Lawsuits involving Meta Platforms}}

The company has been subject to repeated litigation.{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/appeals-court-upholds-deal-allowing-kids-images-in-facebook-ads/|title=Appeals court upholds deal allowing kids' images in Facebook ads|last=Farivar|first=Cyrus|date=January 7, 2016|website=Ars Technica|publisher=Condé Nast|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yahoo-facebook-lawsuit-idUSBRE82B18M20120312|title=Yahoo sues Facebook for infringing 10 patents|last1=Levine|first1=Dan|last2=Oreskovic|first2=Alexei|date=March 12, 2012|website=Reuters|publisher=Thomson Reuters|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.recode.net/2017/2/1/14476500/facebook-oculus-zenimax-lawsuit-500-million|title=Facebook lost its Oculus lawsuit and has to pay $500 million|last=Wagner|first=Kurt|date=February 1, 2017|website=Recode|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/19/11712804/facebook-private-message-scanning-privacy-lawsuit|title=Lawsuit claims Facebook illegally scanned private messages|last=Brandom|first=Rusell|date=May 19, 2016|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=June 3, 2017}} Its most prominent case addressed allegations that Zuckerberg broke an oral contract with Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra to build the then-named "HarvardConnection" social network in 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/25/digitalmedia.usnews|title=Facebook in court over ownership|last=Tryhorn|first=Chris|date=July 25, 2007|website=The Guardian|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3391856|title=Facebook Founder Accused of Stealing Idea for Site|last=Michels|first=Scott|date=July 20, 2007|website=ABC News|publisher=ABC|access-date=June 3, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-hacked-connectu-2010-3|title=How Mark Zuckerberg Hacked into Rival ConnectU In 2004|last=Carlson|first=Nicholas|date=March 5, 2010|website=Business Insider|publisher=Axel Springer SE|access-date=June 3, 2017}}

On March 6, 2018, BlackBerry sued Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp subdivision for ripping off key features of its messaging app.{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/blackberry-to-facebook-you-stole-our-messaging-technology/|title=BlackBerry to Facebook: You stole our messaging technology|date=March 7, 2018|work=Fox News|access-date=March 8, 2018}} In October 2018, a Texan woman sued Facebook, claiming she had been recruited into the sex trade at the age of 15 by a man who "friended" her on the social media network. Facebook responded that it works both internally and externally to ban sex traffickers.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sex-trafficking-facebook-lawsuit/woman-sues-facebook-claims-site-enabled-sex-trafficking-idUSKCN1MD080|title=Woman sues Facebook, claims site enabled sex trafficking|last=Whitcomb|first=Dan|work=Reuters|access-date=October 4, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sex-trafficking-facebook-lawsuit/facebook-responding-to-lawsuit-says-sex-trafficking-banned-on-site-idUSKCN1ME038|title=Facebook, responding to lawsuit, says sex trafficking banned on site|last=Whitcomb|first=Dan|work=Reuters|access-date=October 4, 2018}}

In 2019, British solicitors representing a bullied Syrian schoolboy, sued Facebook over false claims. They claimed that Facebook protected prominent figures from scrutiny instead of removing content that violates its rules and that the special treatment was financially driven.{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/refugee-waterboarded-bullies-sue-facebook-13885978|title=Refugee 'waterboarded' by bullies to sue Facebook over Tommy Robinson claims|last=Jolly|first=Bradley|date=January 21, 2019|work=Mirror}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/21/bullied-syrian-schoolboy-to-sue-facebook-over-tommy-robinson-claims|title=Bullied Syrian schoolboy to sue Facebook over Tommy Robinson claims|last=Halliday|first=Josh|date=January 21, 2019|work=The Guardian}} The Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of New York state and 47 other state and regional governments filed separate suits against Facebook on December 9, 2020, seeking antitrust action based on its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsUp among other companies, calling these practices as anticompetitive. The suits also assert that in acquiring these products, they weakened their privacy measures for their users. The suits, besides other fines, seek to unwind the acquisitions from Facebook.{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/9/22158483/facebook-antitrust-lawsuit-anti-competition-behavior-attorneys-general | title = The FTC is suing Facebook to unwind its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp |first1= Nick | last1= Statt | first2= Russell |last2=Brandom | date = December 9, 2020 | access-date = December 9, 2020 | work = The Verge }}{{cite web | url = https://www.marketwatch.com/story/facebook-hit-with-antitrust-suit-from-ftc-and-48-states-targeted-at-acquisitions-11607543049 | title = Facebook hit with antitrust suits from FTC, 48 AGs to 'unwind' Instagram, WhatsApp transactions | first = Jon | last = Swartz |date = December 9, 2020 | access-date = December 9, 2020 | work = Marketwatch }}

On January 6, 2022, France's data privacy regulatory body CNIL fined Facebook a 60 million euros for not allowing its internet users an easy refusal of cookies along with Google.{{Cite news|last=Rosemain|first=Mathieu|date=January 6, 2022|title=Google hit with 150 mln euro French fine for cookie breaches|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-imposes-fines-facebook-ireland-google-2022-01-06/|access-date=January 6, 2022}} On December 22, 2022, the Quebec Court of Appeal approved a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Facebook users who claim they were discriminated against because the platform allows advertisers to target both job and housing advertisements based on various factors, including age, gender, and even race.{{cite news|last =Thompson |first =Elizabeth |title =Class-action lawsuit against Facebook claiming discrimination gets the green light|newspaper =Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|location =Quebec|language =English |publisher =CBC|date =January 4, 2023|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/facebook-lawsuit-discrimination-ads-1.6702606|access-date =January 10, 2023 }} The lawsuit centers on the platform's practice of "micro targeting ads", claiming ads are ensured to appear only in the feeds of people who belong to certain targeted groups. Women, for example, would not see ads targeting men, while older generation men would not see an ad aimed at people between 18 and 45.

The class action could include thousands of Quebec residents who have been using the platform as early as April 2016, who were seeking jobs or housing during that period. Facebook has 60 days after the court's December 22 ruling to decide to appeal the case to the Supreme Court of Canada. If it does not appeal, the case returns to the Quebec Superior Court. On September 21, 2023, the California Courts of Appeal ruled that Facebook could be sued for discriminatory advertising under the Unruh Civil Rights Act.{{cite news |last1=Roth |first1=Emma |title=Facebook can be sued over biased ad algorithm, says court |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/25/23889747/facebook-biased-ad-algorithm-aclu-court |access-date=23 June 2024 |work=The Verge |date=25 September 2023 |language=en}}

File:Ad-tech London 2010 (5).JPG 2010 in London]]

A commentator in The Washington Post noted that Facebook constitutes a "massive depository of information that documents both our reactions to events and our evolving customs with a scope and immediacy of which earlier historians could only dream". Especially for anthropologists, social researchers, and social historians—and subject to proper preservation and curation—the website "will preserve images of our lives that are vastly crisper and more nuanced than any ancestry record in existence".{{cite news|last=Gebelhoff|first=Robert|title=Facebook is becoming a vast digital graveyard – and a gift to the future|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/08/facebook-is-becoming-vast-digital-graveyard-gift-future/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508220055/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/08/facebook-is-becoming-vast-digital-graveyard-gift-future/|archive-date=May 8, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=July 16, 2019 }}

Economists have noted that Facebook offers many non-rivalrous services that benefit as many users as are interested without forcing users to compete with each other. By contrast, most goods are available to a limited number of users. E.g., if one user buys a phone, no other user can buy that phone. Three areas add the most economic impact: platform competition, the market place and user behavior data.{{cite book|doi=10.1017/CBO9781139060011.003|chapter=The Economics of Internet Markets|title=Advances in Economics and Econometrics|pages=48–75|year=2013|last=Levin|first=Jonathan|s2cid=37187854|isbn=978-1-139-06001-1|url=http://www-siepr.stanford.edu/repec/sip/10-018.pdf|editor1-last=Acemoglu|editor1-first=Daron|editor2-last=Arellano|editor2-first=Manuel|editor3-last=Dekel|editor3-first=Eddie|access-date=September 2, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808002527/http://www-siepr.stanford.edu/repec/sip/10-018.pdf|url-status=dead}} Facebook began to reduce its carbon impact after Greenpeace attacked it for its long-term reliance on coal and resulting carbon footprint.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/12/greenpeace-declares-victory-over-facebook-data-centers/|title=Greenpeace Declares Victory Over Facebook Data Centers|magazine=Wired|date= December 15, 2011|access-date=August 14, 2018}} In 2021 Facebook announced that their global operations are supported by 100 percent renewable energy and they have reached net zero emissions, a goal set in 2018.{{cite news|url=https://tech.fb.com/renewable-energy/|title=Achieving our goal: 100% renewable energy for our global operations|date=April 15, 2021|newspaper=Tech at Meta}}{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/facebook-reaches-renewable-energy-target-094057219.html|title=Facebook reaches its target of using 100 percent renewable energy|website=Engadget|date=April 15, 2021 }}

Facebook provides a development platform for many social gaming, communication, feedback, review, and other applications related to online activities. This platform spawned many businesses and added thousands of jobs to the global economy. Zynga Inc., a leader in social gaming, is an example of such a business. An econometric analysis found that Facebook's app development platform added more than 182,000 jobs in the U.S. economy in 2011. The total economic value of the added employment was about $12 billion (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|12000000000|2011}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}).{{cite web|title=The Facebook App Economy|date=September 19, 2011|publisher=University of Maryland|url=https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/files/Documents/Centers/DIGITS/AppEconomyImpact091911.pdf|access-date=June 25, 2017|archive-date=March 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301183356/https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/files/Documents/Centers/DIGITS/AppEconomyImpact091911.pdf|url-status=dead}}

{{See also|Social networking service#Social impact|Sociology of the Internet#Social networking and entertainment|Social capital}}

Facebook was one of the first large-scale social networks. In The Facebook Effect, David Kirkpatrick said that Facebook's structure makes it difficult to replace, because of its "network effects".{{cn|date=December 2024}} {{As of|2016}}, it was estimated 44% of Americans get news through Facebook.{{cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/facebook-extends-lead-as-news-gateway-study/articleshow/52456528.cms|title=Facebook extends lead as news gateway: Study – The Economic Times|newspaper=The Economic Times|access-date=May 27, 2016|date=May 26, 2016 }} 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.{{cite journal | pmc=10390321 | date=2023 | last1=Acampa | first1=S. | last2=Crescentini | first2=N. | last3=Padricelli | first3=G. M. | title=Between alternative and traditional social platforms: The case of gab in exploring the narratives on the pandemic and vaccines | journal=Frontiers in Sociology | volume=8 | doi=10.3389/fsoc.2023.1143263 | pmid=37534329 | doi-access=free }}

{{See also|Social media and suicide}}

Studies have associated social networks with positive{{Cite journal| doi=10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x|title = The Benefits of Facebook "Friends:" Social Capital and College Students' Use of Online Social Network Sites| journal=Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication| volume=12| issue=4| pages=1143–1168|year = 2007|last1 = Ellison|first1 = Nicole B.| last2=Steinfield| first2=Charles| last3=Lampe| first3=Cliff| doi-access=free}} and negative impacts{{cite web|last=Marche|first=Stephen|title=Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/8930/|work=The Atlantic|date=May 2012 |accessdate=December 3, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531223919/http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/8930/|archivedate= May 31, 2012|url-status=dead}}{{cite magazine|first=Maria|last=Konnikova|title=How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy|url=https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-facebook-makes-us-unhappy|magazine=The New Yorker|publisher=Condé Nast|date=September 10, 2013|access-date=December 15, 2017}}{{cite news|first=Grace|last=Dent|title=Social media is full of sad, lonely people pretending they're OK and perfectly fine attention-seekers pretending to be sad|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/facebook-instagram-twitter-social-media-makes-sad-lonely-attention-seekers-a7614396.html|website=The Independent|date=March 6, 2017|access-date=December 15, 2017}}{{cite magazine|first=Alexandra|last=Sifferlin|title=Why Facebook Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself|url=https://healthland.time.com/2013/01/24/why-facebook-makes-you-feel-bad-about-yourself/|magazine=Time|date=January 24, 2013|access-date=December 15, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Katherine|last=Hobson|title=Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time On Social Media May Be Why|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/06/518362255/feeling-lonely-too-much-time-on-social-media-may-be-why|website=NPR|date=March 6, 2017|access-date=December 15, 2017}} on emotional health.

Studies have associated Facebook with feelings of envy, often triggered by vacation and holiday photos. Other triggers include posts by friends about family happiness and images of physical beauty—such feelings leave people dissatisfied with their own lives. A joint study by two German universities discovered that one out of three people were more dissatisfied with their lives after visiting Facebook,{{cite web|first=Belinda|last=Goldsmith|title=RPT-Is Facebook envy making you miserable?|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/facebook-envy-idUSL6N0AR8D820130122|website=Reuters|publisher=Thomson Reuters|date=January 22, 2013|access-date=July 13, 2017}} and another study by Utah Valley University found that college students felt worse about themselves following an increase in time on Facebook.{{cite web|first=Heather|last=Kelly|title=Study: Using Facebook can make you sad|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/15/tech/social-media/study-facebook-blues/index.html|website=CNN|date=August 15, 2013|access-date=July 13, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Flacy|title=Study: Why Facebook is making people sad|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/study-why-facebook-is-making-people-sad/|website=Digital Trends|date=January 22, 2012|access-date=July 13, 2017}}{{cite web|first=Wendy|last=Sachs|title=Facebook Envy: How Cruising Can Kill Self Esteem|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-sachs/facebook_b_1262681.html|website=HuffPost|publisher=AOL|date=February 8, 2012|access-date=July 13, 2017}} Professor Larry D. Rosen stated that teenagers on Facebook exhibit more narcissistic tendencies, while young adults show signs of antisocial behavior, mania and aggressiveness{{Citation needed|date=February 2025|reason=Mania is the result of bipolar disorder, which is not only rare in the population, but nearly impossible to study in a systematic way that would allow Larry D Rosen (whoever that is) to examine the relationship between Mania and social media. A bipolar individual might go years before their next manic episode, so the idea that Larry Rosen conducted a decade-long study to collect the sample necessary for this conclusion is extremely dubious}}.

Positive effects include signs of "virtual empathy" with online friends and helping introverted persons learn social skills.{{cite web|first=Ysolt|last=Usigan|title=Facebook makes teens narcissistic, anxious and depressed – but also nice, social and engaged|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-makes-teens-narcissistic-anxious-and-depressed-but-also-nice-social-and-engaged/|website=CBS News|publisher=CBS|date=August 29, 2011|access-date=December 15, 2017}} A 2020 experimental study in the American Economic Review found that deactivating Facebook led to increased subjective well-being.{{Cite journal|last1=Allcott|first1=Hunt|last2=Braghieri|first2=Luca|last3=Eichmeyer|first3=Sarah|last4=Gentzkow|first4=Matthew|date=2020|title=The Welfare Effects of Social Media|journal=American Economic Review|language=en|volume=110|issue=3|pages=629–676|doi=10.1257/aer.20190658|issn=0002-8282|doi-access=free|url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w25514.pdf}} In a blog post in December 2017, the company highlighted research that has shown "passively consuming" the News Feed, as in reading but not interacting, left users with negative feelings, whereas interacting with messages pointed to improvements in well-being.{{cite web|first=Casey|last=Newton|title=Facebook says 'passively consuming' the News Feed will make you feel worse about yourself|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/15/16781448/facebook-makes-you-feel-bad-study-research|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=December 15, 2017|access-date=December 15, 2017}}

{{Broader|Social media in politics}}

{{Further|Social media and political communication in the United States|Social media in the 2016 U.S. Presidential campaign|WhatsApp#Hoaxes and fake news}}

In February 2008, a Facebook group called "One Million Voices Against FARC" organized an event in which hundreds of thousands of Colombians marched in protest against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).{{cite news|access-date=August 1, 2010|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2008/0204/p04s02-woam.html|title=Facebook used to target Colombia's FARC with global rally|work=The Christian Science Monitor|location=Boston|date=February 4, 2008|author=Brodzinsky, Sibylla}} In August 2010, one of North Korea's official government websites and the country's official news agency, Uriminzokkiri, joined Facebook.{{cite news|first=Laura|last=Roberts|title=North Korea joins Facebook|date=August 21, 2010|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7957222/North-Korea-joins-Facebook.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7957222/North-Korea-joins-Facebook.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Telegraph|access-date=August 22, 2010|location=London}}{{cbignore}}

File:2011 Egyptian protests Facebook & jan25 card.jpg

During the Arab Spring many journalists claimed Facebook played a major role in the 2011 Egyptian revolution.{{cite news|author=Sutter, John D.|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/02/21/egypt.internet.revolution/index.html|title=The faces of Egypt's 'Revolution 2.0'|work=CNN|date=February 21, 2011|access-date=June 7, 2013}}{{cite magazine|last=Hauslohner|first=Abigail|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2044142,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125022244/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2044142,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 25, 2011|title=Is Egypt About to Have a Facebook Revolution?|magazine=Time|location=New York|date=January 24, 2011|access-date=June 7, 2013}} On January 14, the Facebook page of "We are all Khaled Said" was started by Wael Ghoniem to invite the Egyptian people to "peaceful demonstrations" on January 25. In Tunisia and Egypt, Facebook became the primary tool for connecting protesters and led the Egyptian government to ban it, Twitter and other sites.{{cite news|author=Kessler, Sarah|url=http://mashable.com/2011/01/26/facebook-blocked-in-egypt/|title=Facebook & Twitter Both Blocked in Egypt|work=Mashable|date=January 26, 2011|access-date=June 7, 2013}} After 18 days, the uprising forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign.

In a Bahraini uprising that started on February 14, 2011, Facebook was utilized by the Bahraini regime and regime loyalists to identify, capture and prosecute citizens involved in the protests. A 20-year-old woman named Ayat Al Qurmezi was identified as a protester using Facebook and imprisoned.{{cite news|title=Facebook 'used to hunt down Bahrain dissidents'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/8681230/Facebook-used-to-hunt-down-Bahrain-dissidents.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/8681230/Facebook-used-to-hunt-down-Bahrain-dissidents.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=September 24, 2015|date=August 4, 2011|last=Agencies|first=Suzi Dixon and }}{{cbignore}} In 2011, Facebook filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to form a political action committee under the name FB PAC.{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/26/facebook-forms-its-own-pac_n_982053.html|title=Facebook forms its own Political Action Committee|date=September 26, 2011|work=HuffPost|access-date=September 27, 2011|first=Luke|last=Johnson}} In an email to The Hill, a spokesman for Facebook said "Facebook Political Action Committee will give our employees a way to make their voice heard in the political process by supporting candidates who share our goals of promoting the value of innovation to our economy while giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected."{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/173847-facebook-to-form-its-own-pac-to-back-political-candidates/|title=Facebook to form its own PAC to back political candidates|first=Gautham|last=Nagesh|date=September 26, 2011|work=The Hill|access-date=September 27, 2011|location=Washington DC}}

During the Syrian civil war, the YPG, a libertarian army for Rojava recruited westerners through Facebook in its fight against ISIL.{{cite news |title=Kobani Kurds Use Facebook To Recruit Foreign Fighters in Struggle Against IS |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/islamic-state-ypg-foreign-fighters/26690432.html |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=November 13, 2014}} Dozens joined its ranks. The Facebook page's name "The Lions of Rojava" comes from a Kurdish saying which translates as "A lion is a lion, whether it's a female or a male", reflecting the organization's feminist ideology.{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/frontline-isis-real-story-narin-afrini-kurdish-female-lions-terrorising-islamic-front-1470119|title=Frontline Isis: The Real Story of Narin Afrini and the Kurdish Female 'Lions' Terrorising Islamic State|work=International Business Times UK|date=October 15, 2014 }}

In recent years, Facebook's News Feed algorithms have been identified as a cause of political polarization, for which it has been criticized.{{cite journal|last1=Quattrociocchi|first1=Walter|last2=Uzzi|first2=Brian|last3=Caldarelli|first3=Guido|last4=Scala|first4=Antonio|last5=Puliga|first5=Michelangelo|last6=Vicario|first6=Michela Del|last7=Zollo|first7=Fabiana|last8=Bessi|first8=Alessandro|title=Users Polarization on Facebook and Youtube|journal=PLOS ONE|date=August 23, 2016|volume=11|issue=8|pages=e0159641|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0159641|pmid=27551783|pmc=4994967|issn=1932-6203|arxiv=1604.02705|bibcode=2016PLoSO..1159641B |doi-access=free}}{{cite news|last=Solon|first=Olivia|title=Facebook's failure: did fake news and polarized politics get Trump elected?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/10/facebook-fake-news-election-conspiracy-theories|access-date=May 24, 2019|work=The Guardian|date=November 10, 2016}} It has likewise been accused of amplifying the reach of 'fake news' and extreme viewpoints, as when it may have enabled conditions which led to the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis.{{cite news|title=The country where Facebook posts whipped up hate|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-45449938|work=BBC News|access-date=May 24, 2019|date=September 12, 2018}}{{cite news|last=Mozur|first=Paul|title=A Genocide Incited on Facebook, With Posts From Myanmar's Military|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/technology/myanmar-facebook-genocide.html|access-date=May 24, 2019|work=The New York Times|date=October 15, 2018}} Facebook first played a role in the American political process in January 2008, shortly before the New Hampshire primary. Facebook teamed up with ABC and Saint Anselm College to allow users to give live feedback about the "back to back" January 5 Republican and Democratic debates.{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Politics/story?id=3899006&page=1|title=ABC News Joins Forces With Facebook|work=ABC News|date=December 18, 2007|access-date=March 23, 2010}}{{cite web|first=Doug|last=Minor|url=http://blogs.anselm.edu/blog/2007/11/29/abcdebates/|title=Saint Anselm to Host ABC Debates Jan. 5|publisher=Saint Anselm College blog|date=November 29, 2007|access-date=July 18, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009210810/http://blogs.anselm.edu/blog/2007/11/29/abcdebates/|archive-date=October 9, 2017 }}{{cite news|first=Tahman|last=Bradley|url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/abc_wmur_and_facebook_debates/index.html|title=Republicans Lead off ABC News, WMUR-TV and Facebook Back-To-Back Debates in New Hampshire|publisher=ABC News|work=Political Radar blog|date=December 12, 2007|access-date=March 23, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511122929/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/abc_wmur_and_facebook_debates/index.html|archive-date=May 11, 2011}} Facebook users took part in debate groups on specific topics, voter registration and message questions.{{cite web|first=Ezra|last=Callahan|url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=8183627130|title=Tune in to the ABC News/Facebook Debates, Tonight 7 pm/6c on ABC|publisher=Facebook Blog|date=January 5, 2008|access-date=March 23, 2010}}

Over a million people installed the Facebook application "US Politics on Facebook" in order to take part which measured responses to specific comments made by the debating candidates.{{cite news|first=Russell|last=Goldman|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4091460&page=1|title=Facebook Gives Snapshot of Voter Sentiment|work=ABC News|date=January 5, 2007|access-date=March 23, 2010}} A poll by CBS News, UWIRE and The Chronicle of Higher Education claimed to illustrate how the "Facebook effect" had affected youthful voters, increasing voting rates, support of political candidates, and general involvement.{{cite news|first=Michelle|last=Sullivan|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-effect-mobilizes-youth-vote/|title=Facebook Effect Mobilizes Youth Vote|work=CBS News|date=November 3, 2008|access-date=March 23, 2010}} The new social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, connected hundreds of millions of people. By 2008, politicians and interest groups were experimenting with systematic use of social media to spread their message.{{Cite journal|last1=Carlisle|first1=Juliet E.|last2=Patton|first2=Robert C.|s2cid=154739808|date=January 1, 2013|title=Is Social Media Changing How We Understand Political Engagement? An Analysis of Facebook and the 2008 Presidential Election|jstor=23612065|journal=Political Research Quarterly|volume=66|issue=4|pages=883–895|doi=10.1177/1065912913482758}}{{Cite journal|last1=Skogerbø|first1=Eli|last2=Krumsvik|first2=Arne H.|s2cid=145344499|date=May 4, 2015|title=Newspapers, Facebook and Twitter|journal=Journalism Practice|volume=9|issue=3|pages=350–366|doi=10.1080/17512786.2014.950471|hdl=10852/41249 |url=https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/10852/41249/3/SkogerboKrumsvik_JP_final.pdf|hdl-access=free}} By the 2016 election, political advertising to specific groups had become normalized. Facebook offered the most sophisticated targeting and analytics platform.{{Cite journal|last=Bossetta|first=Michael|date=March 2018|title=The Digital Architectures of Social Media: Comparing Political Campaigning on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat in the 2016 U.S. Election|journal=Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly|volume=95|issue=2|pages=471–496|doi=10.1177/1077699018763307|arxiv=1904.07333|url=https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/the-digital-architectures-of-social-media-comparing-political-campaigning-on-facebook-twitter-instagram-and-snapchat-in-the-2016-us-election(38ec7c51-c55d-4902-8066-5b3149619644).html|doi-access=free}} ProPublica noted that their system enabled advertisers to direct their pitches to almost 2,300 people who expressed interest in the topics of "Jew hater", "How to burn Jews", or, "History of 'why Jews ruin the world".{{cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-enabled-advertisers-to-reach-jew-haters|title=Facebook Enabled Advertisers to Reach 'Jew Haters' – ProPublica|date=September 14, 2017|website=ProPublica|first1=Julia|last1=Angwin|first2=Madeleine|last2=Varner|first3=Ariana|last3=Tobin|access-date=September 14, 2017}}

Facebook has used several initiatives to encourage its users to register to vote and vote. An experiment in 2012 involved showing Facebook users pictures of their friends who reported that they had voted; users who were shown the pictures were about 2% more likely to report that they had also voted compared to the control group, which was not encouraged to vote.{{Cite journal|last=Brady|first=Henry E.|date=May 11, 2019|title=The Challenge of Big Data and Data Science|journal=Annual Review of Political Science|language=en|volume=22|issue=1|pages=297–323|doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-090216-023229| doi-access=free|issn=1094-2939}} In 2020, Facebook announced the goal of helping four million voters register in the US, saying that it had registered 2.5 million by September.{{cite web|url=https://about.fb.com/news/2020/09/national-voter-registration-day/| title=Celebrating National Voter Registration Day With a Week of Action| website=Facebook| date=September 21, 2020| access-date=September 24, 2020| first=Naomi| last=Gleit | author-link=Naomi Gleit }}

The Cambridge Analytica data scandal offered another example of the perceived attempt to influence elections.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article205653624.html|title=Facebook bans Trump-affiliated data firm Cambridge Analytica|work=newsobserver|access-date=March 17, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317234505/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article205653624.html|archive-date=March 17, 2018 }} The Guardian claimed that Facebook knew about the security breach for two years, but did nothing to stop it until it became public.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/data-war-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump|title='I made Steve Bannon's psychological warfare tool': meet the data war whistleblower|last=Cadwalladr|first=Carole|date=March 18, 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=March 18, 2018|issn=0261-3077}} Facebook banned political ads to prevent the manipulation of voters in the US's November's election. Industry experts suggested{{clarify|date=April 2022}} that there are several other ways for misinformation to reach voters on social media platforms and blocking political ads will not serve as a proven solution to the problem.{{cite web|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/09/06/1008192/why-facebooks-political-ad-ban-is-taking-on-the-wrong-problem/|title=Why Facebook's political-ad ban is taking on the wrong problem|access-date=September 6, 2020|website=Technology Review}}

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. He spoke after President Biden said he was ready to sign legislation that would require TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the video platform or face a ban in the US.{{Cite web |last=Swint |first=Brian |date=March 11, 2024 |title=Trump Complicates the Story on TikTok. Meta Platforms Stock Is Falling. |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/kotich-tiktok-trump-congress-c4a48236?mod |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=Barron's}}

Ahead of the 2019 general elections in India, Facebook has removed 103 pages, groups and accounts on Facebook and Instagram platforms originating from Pakistan. Facebook said its investigation found a Pakistani military link, along with a mix of real accounts of ISPR employees, and a network of fake accounts created by them that have been operating military fan pages, general interest pages but were posting content about Indian politics while trying to conceal their identity.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/facebook-takes-down-pakistan-military-backed-pages-targeting-india-ahead-of-ls-polls/articleshow/68668722.cms|title=Facebook takes down Pakistan military backed pages targeting India ahead of LS polls|last=Ananth|first=Venkat|date=April 1, 2019|work=The Economic Times|access-date=April 1, 2019}} Owing to the same reasons, Facebook also removed 687 pages and accounts of Congress because of coordinated inauthentic behavior on the platform.{{cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/facebook-removes-nearly-700-pages-linked-to-congress-ahead-of-polls-2084823.html|title=Facebook Removes Nearly 700 Pages Linked to Congress Ahead of Polls|website=News18|date=April 2019|access-date=April 1, 2019}}

File:SF Pride 2014 - Stierch 7.jpg in San Francisco Pride 2014]]

Facebook and Zuckerberg have been the subject of music, books, film and television. The 2010 film The Social Network, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, stars Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg and went on to win three Academy Awards and four Golden Globes.

In 2008, Collins English Dictionary declared "Facebook" as its new Word of the Year.{{cite web|author=Nicole, Kristen|url=http://mashable.com/2007/12/21/facebook-noun-verb-collins-english-dictionary/|title=I Can So "Facebook" You Now (and be {{sic|nolink=y|gramatically|expected=grammatically}} correct)|work= Mashable|date=December 21, 2007|access-date=March 23, 2010}} In December 2009, the New Oxford American Dictionary declared its word of the year to be the verb "unfriend", defined as "To remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook".{{cite news|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2009/11/unfriend-is-new-oxford-dictionarys-word-of-the-year-/1|title=Unfriend is New Oxford dictionary's Word of the Year|work=USA Today|location=Washington DC|access-date=July 12, 2010|date=November 17, 2009}}

{{Main|Internet.org}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://info.internet.org/en/mission/|title=Internet.org|date=August 25, 2015|website=English|access-date=February 14, 2019}} The service, called Free Basics, includes various low-bandwidth applications such as AccuWeather, BabyCenter, BBC News, ESPN, and Bing.{{cite web |title=Facebook's Internet.org has connected almost 100M to the 'internet' |url=http://techcrunch.com/2018/04/25/internet-org-100-million/ |access-date=May 13, 2019 |website=TechCrunch}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/27/facebook-free-basics-developing-markets|title='It's digital colonialism': how Facebook's free internet service has failed its users|last=Solon|first=Olivia|date=July 27, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=May 13, 2019|issn=0261-3077}} There was severe opposition to Internet.org in India, where the service started in partnership with Reliance Communications in 2015 was banned a year later by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). 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."

Facebook announced in 2021 that it will make an effort to stop disinformation about climate change. The company will use George Mason University, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the University of Cambridge as sources of information. The company will expand its information hub on climate to 16 countries. Users in other countries will be directed to the site of the United Nations Environment Programme for information.{{cite news |last1=Rodriguez |first1=Salvador |title=Facebook will debunk myths about climate change, stepping further into 'arbiter of truth' role |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/18/facebook-will-debunk-myths-about-climate-change.html |access-date=February 19, 2021 |publisher=CNBC|date=February 18, 2021}}

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