Meta Platforms is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and has ranked among the world’s largest companies by market capitalization.
The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. It changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms in October 2021, reflecting a strategic focus on building virtual and augmented-reality experiences.
Facebook remains the company’s flagship social-networking service, while Instagram and WhatsApp broaden its reach across photo sharing, messaging, and communications. Meta earns most of its revenue from digital advertising, although Reality Labs develops virtual-reality hardware and software.
Meta’s market capitalization has fluctuated sharply with advertising conditions, technology investment, and investor expectations. The corporate name is Meta Platforms, while “Meta” is the commonly used brand name; Facebook is now the name of one product rather than the whole company.