Which company owns the social-media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp?
Answer
Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms owns the social-media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The company changed its corporate name from Facebook, Inc. to Meta Platforms, Inc. in October 2021. The rebranding emphasized its interest in building an interconnected digital environment while keeping Facebook as the name of its original social network.
Facebook began in 2004 at Harvard University and expanded rapidly beyond college campuses. Meta later acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, bringing three major global communication services under the same corporate owner.
The company is frequently confused with Facebook because Facebook remains one of its best-known products. Meta is the corporate parent; Facebook is the social-networking service. Meta also develops products such as Messenger, Quest virtual-reality devices, and Threads.