Where were you when you first noticed Facebook?
The world´s largest social network is now ten years old. Over this period, Facebook has turned into a major power that connects the world.
Since 2004, Mark Zuckerberg´s creation has crossed the borders of the Harvard University campus where it started and today has more than one billion active members (and rising), encompassing 57% of the world´s adult population and 73% of children aged 12 to 17.
Facebook has introduced features that have become an integral part of our daily lives. Think about the Like button, for example. Although it was not actually invented by Facebook, it has become synonymous with it. Part of its appeal? Modern users are very busy and rarely have time to comment on friends´ posts, but having an option to express virtual approval is a fantastic way to save time and still appreciate what has been posted.
One of the major milestones in Facebook´s development was its mobile version launch and the acquisition of Instagram. Thanks to these moves, Facebook left the homes of its users when they did – accompanying them wherever they went.
But Facebook also has its critics; privacy issues are the biggest controversy surrounding the social network. The sheer amount of data available on Facebook is mind-boggling, and what many people find disconcerting is fact that the social platform often changes its privacy policy, sometimes without much publicity. It is still largely unclear what data Facebook has stored about each user.
Despite such controversies, Facebook still continues to grow, especially in developing countries, and it looks as if its leading position in the world of social media is not going to be challenged for some time.
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