Meta Platforms is the parent of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The company was called Facebook, Inc. until it changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms, Inc. in October 2021. The rebranding reflected a strategy focused not only on social networking but also on virtual and augmented reality, including products developed through Reality Labs.
Facebook remains the company’s flagship social network, while Instagram and WhatsApp operate as separate major services within the same corporate group. Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, deals that expanded its global reach beyond its original platform.
Meta’s stock-market value is based on the publicly traded parent, not on adding the standalone values of each app. The company’s market capitalization can fluctuate with advertising demand, user growth, investment spending, and investor expectations about future technology businesses.