Which company owns Instagram and WhatsApp, two major social platforms?

Meta Platforms owns Instagram and WhatsApp, two major social platforms.

Meta Platforms, formerly called Facebook, Inc., changed its corporate name in October 2021. The company’s family of applications includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It also develops virtual- and augmented-reality products through its Reality Labs division.

Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. Instagram began as a photo-sharing service and became a large platform for short-form video, creators, messaging, and advertising. WhatsApp is a messaging service widely used for text, voice, video, and group communication, particularly outside the United States.

The company’s name change did not mean that Facebook disappeared; Facebook remains the name of one of its products. Meta’s market capitalization reflects its advertising business, messaging platforms, and technology investments. Meta is also distinct from Meta Platforms’ metaverse branding, which describes a strategic direction rather than a separate publicly traded company.