Which company operates the world’s largest social network by monthly active users?

Meta Platforms operates the world’s largest social network by monthly active users through Facebook.

Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes in 2004. It grew from a university-focused service into a global social network, while Meta later assembled a broader family of products including Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

The parent company changed its name from Facebook, Inc. to Meta Platforms, Inc. in October 2021. The rebranding highlighted Meta’s interest in the metaverse, although advertising across its social platforms remains its principal commercial engine.

The phrase “largest social network” can depend on the metric used. Monthly active users, daily active users, registered accounts, and time spent are different measurements. Meta’s market capitalization reflects investor expectations for the entire company, not only Facebook, and can move sharply when advertising demand, privacy changes, or spending on new technologies affects its outlook.