Facebook reached one billion monthly active users in October 2012, according to the company.
This milestone marked the first time Facebook reported a billion people using the service each month. Mark Zuckerberg announced it on October 4, 2012, describing the achievement as an important moment for the company and its community.
The figure referred to monthly active users, not necessarily people online at the same time. Facebook defined a monthly active user as someone who accessed Facebook during the preceding 30-day period, using the website or a mobile device.
The milestone came several months after Facebook’s initial public offering. It also preceded the company’s later global expansion and its transition to the corporate name Meta Platforms in 2021.