Started in 2004 as a project to connect Harvard students, Facebook now has 2.74 billion active users worldwide and owns three of the 10 most popular mobile apps — Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
And, state and federal regulators allege, it has grown into a corporate threat that uses its power to scoop up rivals and strangle competition.
Here’s how the social network has evolved:
Feb. 4, 2004
June 2004
July 29, 2004
October 2005
Sept. 26, 2006
Jan. 10, 2007
May 2007
March 2008
February 2009
December 2009
February 2010
Oct. 1, 2010
Oct. 6, 2010
June 28, 2011
Aug. 9, 2011
Nov. 29, 2011
Apr. 3, 2012
April 9, 2012
May 12, 2012
Aug. 22, 2012
October 2012
Jan. 24, 2013
Zuckerberg commented on the National Security Agency’s surveillance tactics during a 2013 interview.
March 2013
Oct. 13, 2013
Fall 2013
Feb. 19, 2014
March 13, 2014
March 25, 2014
April 10, 2014
April 28, 2015
Aug. 5, 2015
Mid-2016
Facebook executives approach the group video chatting network Houseparty about an acquisition and are rebuffed.
October 2016
Oct. 3, 2016
Sheryl Sandberg said in 2016 that Facebook does not think fake news “swayed the election.”
May 18, 2017
June 27, 2017
Zuckerberg in 2017 announced a series of policy changes and efforts to cooperate with the U.S. government to curb election interference.
March 17, 2018
March 26, 2018
April 10, 2018
October 2018
October 2018
Feb. 6, 2019
Zuckerberg addressed Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy on Oct. 17, 2019. He defended Facebook’s “free expression.”
July 24, 2019
Facebook confirms the FTC is investigating the company over alleged antitrust violations.
Sept. 6, 2019
Feb. 11, 2020
May 15, 2020
July 29, 2020
