- Business
- Meta Platforms, Inc. (META.NE) develops and operates social media and communication platforms that enable people to connect, share, and build communities worldwide. The company offers Facebook, a social networking site with features including profiles, news feeds, groups, events, marketplace, video streaming, and advertising; Instagram, a photo and video sharing application supporting stories, reels, direct messaging, and advertising; WhatsApp, a messaging service providing text, voice and video calls, group chats, file sharing, and business solutions; Messenger, an instant messaging application with voice and video calls, group chats, games, and business integrations; and Threads, a text-based conversation app. Through its Reality Labs segment, Meta Platforms provides virtual, augmented, and mixed reality hardware such as Meta Quest headsets, software, and content including Horizon Worlds; it also develops artificial intelligence tools like Llama models and Movie Gen for video and audio generation. Advertising services across its platforms and network account for the vast majority of revenue, with operations spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions; founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company rebranded from Facebook, Inc. in 2021 to emphasize metaverse and AI ambitions.
Meta Platforms maintains global offices in over 10 countries, serving billions of monthly active users across consumer and business segments; it invests heavily in research and development, particularly in AI infrastructure, data centers, and immersive technologies.
Recent developments include a $27 billion joint venture with Blue Owl Capital announced in November 2025 to build the Hyperion AI data center campus in Louisiana, Meta's largest such project with Blue Owl owning 80% and Meta retaining 20% while overseeing operations; a multibillion-dollar investment exceeding $10 billion in Scale AI in June 2025, securing a 49% nonvoting stake and hiring CEO Alexandr Wang to lead a new AI research lab; extension of its long-term partnership with EssilorLuxottica in September 2024 for multi-generational smart eyewear like Ray-Ban Meta glasses; advanced talks to acquire AI voice startup PlayAI in June 2025 for talent and technology; launch of AI model Movie Gen in October 2024; and plans for a $10 billion global underwater cable in November 2024 alongside a $10 billion AI data center investment in Louisiana in December 2024.