Facebook is a social networking website founded in February 2004 by Harvard University students Chris Hughes, Andrew McCallum, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg.
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What is Facebook?
Facebook is a social networking website founded in February 2004 by Harvard University students Chris Hughes, Andrew McCallum, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Savarin and Mark Zuckerberg.
The idea behind Facebook was to provide an online book of mouth for connecting and sharing information with university students. It was initially a social network for Harvard and in the following years it spread to any university. It has finally become a social network for anyone anywhere in the world.
The concept of a social network was a newcomer in 2004 and was not entirely unique. Other social networks active during the creation of Facebook are Friendstar, launched in 2002, and MySpace, launched in 2003. Users post information, status updates and pictures of themselves on social networks These items are shared with friends, family and community of interest
Facebook is not just a social networking platform; This is also a business. Facebook made an initial public offering of transactions under the FB symbol on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange on May 18, 2012. On October 28, 2021, the company was rebranded as Meta. From December 1, 2021, Facebook trades under the MVRS symbol.
Facebook is just one of the few technologies that handle meta. In 2012, Facebook acquired social networking site Instagram for 1 billion. Facebook then acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for 19 billion. Facebook later entered virtual reality (VR) hardware in 2014 with a 2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR. With meta, the idea is to create and enable metaverse. It will combine social networking, VR and augmented reality elements to create new types of user interaction and experience.
The main feature of Facebook
Facebook started as a community where users share information about themselves and various topics. Over time, various features have expanded the scope of its capabilities:
Timeline. Displays user profiles and updates known as timelines The timeline is the successor to the Facebook wall, which was the real home of user profiles and updates. The user's timeline includes posts, status updates, friends list, photos, videos, and user activity information.
Friends. An early feature of Facebook is the ability to search and connect with friends and family. The search interface helps users quickly find contacts and suggest possible connections.
Cycle of events. News feeds enable users to see the connections and group news they follow. Users can like or comment on a given post.
Leaves. Pages are business profiles and content pages on Facebook.
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Games. Facebook provides an integrated capability that enables users to play games with themselves or with friends. Ginger Farmville was one of the initial successes of the game on Facebook.
Group. Communities of interest can organize themselves with the Facebook Group feature. It enables sharing of information, pictures and active discussions.
Events. This feature enables users and groups to organize events that their followers can participate in. It helps users send invitations and manage the list of participants.
Marketplace. This is an online yard sale, where users can buy and sell products and services with other Facebook members.
Messenger is an instant messenger that enables friends to communicate in real time via a webchat or mobile app.
Uses for Facebook
Millions of people around the world use Facebook every day to create and grow communities, personal interactions and revenue. There are many uses of Facebook from which individuals, communities and businesses can benefit:
Connect with friends. The primary use of Facebook has always been to connect with people. Facebook is a way to find and connect with friends and stay updated about their activities
Creating communities. Facebook is used to create and organize communities of interest in any subject. It is a platform that enables like-minded people to come together, share ideas, discuss and organize.
Engage with customers. For businesses, Facebook can help with brand building and engaging with customers. Facebook's presence enables businesses to share information about products and services with established and potential customers.
Lose your job Jachen. Facebook is often a way of looking at the personal and professional lives of individuals and organizations to see if there is a cultural fit. Businesses often list jobs available on the app.
Selling goods and services. They can push customers towards their products through advertising.
Facebook Debate
Since its inception, Facebook has been the subject of much controversy. Several scandals were serious enough that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg testified before the US Congress about the company's practices. There are some controversies to note here.
Winklevoss twins
The origins of Facebook itself have been embroiled in controversy with the twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevos, who claimed that Zuckerberg stole the original idea of the site being turned into Facebook. Winklevosses sued Zuckerberg and a settlement was reached in 2008 which included a mixture of cash and shares valued at 65 million.
Beacon advertising system
One of the first controversies involving user privacy occurred in 2007 in an attempt to monetize his site through an advertising system known as Facebook's first beacon. Beacon Systems has shared user activity with advertisers without the user's permission or opt-out. In December 2007, Facebook revoked the feature, and Zuckerberg issued a public apology, promising to do better in protecting user information and privacy.
Facebook Two-Factor Authentication
In September 2018, Facebook acknowledged that it was providing advertisers with user phone numbers. Users basically provide their numbers to enable two-factor authentication. The purpose of this authentication was to provide integrity to the Facebook login process, and to keep user information confidential.
Cambridge Analytica
Cambridge Analytica is a political data analytics firm that is an app used by Facebook users. Cambridge Analytica then accesses user data without the user's consent. The data collected is alleged to have been used to influence the 2016 US election and the Brexit vote in the UK. Zuckerberg appeared before the US Congress to address concerns about the practice of privacy.
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Facebook Papers
Over the years, many whistleblowers on Facebook have brought unfair accusations against the company. Perhaps the most famous of them is Frances Haugen. In 2021, she leaked details of the social media giant's own research on the negative effects of Facebook on teenage girls and others. Haugen testified before Congress on October 5, 2021, about Facebook and its impact on children.
Facial recognition
In November 2021, Facebook announced the closure of some of its facial recognition powers to allay concerns about user privacy. There are multiple issues with the facial recognition that Facebook was using, including tagging users without permission.
Facebook Danger
As a community of users who share information and images, there is no shortage of potential hazards that could put users at risk.
Facebook has acknowledged multiple risks and identified a number of security measures to keep the site safe. Users should think before posting, report suspicious things and never share their passwords.
Social engineer. Users can be deceived into doing things they didn't intend to do with social engineering on Facebook, which could lead to fraud or other potential financial loss.
Harmful app. A Facebook app can access user information, including contacts and activity. This can then put the user at risk of privacy breaches or even malware.
Mark theft. Users typically share personally identifiable information on Facebook, and that information can be misused to create fraudulent identities.
Marketplace scandal. There are numerous scams that occur in the market where users sell products and services. Scams include theft, counterfeit or counterfeit goods, and other forms of fraud.
Social media addiction and mental health. A perpetual danger with Facebook is the social impact on mental health. Facebook's own research shows that its platforms, including Instagram, are harmful to adolescents' mental health With the huge amount of negative and annoying news that can spread on the platform, there can also be a tendency towards doomsday scrolling. This is where users unintentionally scroll through the rim of negative news, which can have a dark effect on mental health.