By Researcher and reporter: Tanjil Fuad Ayesha Akhter
We all use Facebook in one way or another throughout the day, whether it be while waking up in the morning, having breakfast, working through the day, or simply talking with friends before bed. Facebook has developed into an essential aspect of our lives and is no longer just a communication tool. At the moment, 3.07 billion individuals use Facebook globally. As the creator of Facebook, the most widely used social media platform worldwide, Mark Zuckerberg is well-known. Let’s talk about Mark Zuckerberg’s early life, how he started Facebook, and how the social media platform went global.
The very beginning
On May 14, 1984, Mark Zuckerberg was born in New York. His mother Karen Zuckerberg works as a psychiatrist, while his father Edward Zuckerberg is a dentist. The second of four siblings is Mark. Zuckerberg’s father taught him how to use and program computers. When Mark was just eleven years old, his father taught him Atari Basic. In addition, Mark’s tutor was David Newman, a software developer. When Mark was thirteen years old, he built Jacknet, a computer network for his family. He also made a few computer games at this time.
The creation of Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook’s impact in global communication. Photo: Collected
At Harvard University, Mark Zuckerberg started his studies in psychology and computer science. He developed the website “Facemash” in 2003, his sophomore year at Harvard. He used photos from student ID cards to construct this new website by breaking into Harvard’s network. Using side-by-side photo comparisons, website users can decide who is “hot” and who is “not” by using the tool. For this website, Zuckerberg is accused of grave security violations, copyright infringements, and invasions of personal privacy.
Zuckerberg unveiled a brand-new website dubbed “The Facebook” on February 4, 2004. He took inspiration for the site’s name from the directories distributed to university students to assist them get to know one another better. However, six days later, his Harvard seniors Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra claim that Mark created this new website by stealing the concept from their website, “Harvard Connection.” Only Harvard students could access “The Facebook” website at first. As the website grew, Zuckerberg added a few of his coworkers to assist in its expansion. Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskowitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes are those people.
Facebook’s success
Facebook has quickly become quite popular all around the world. About 12 million people were using Facebook in 2006. By 2007, there were fifty million of them. After a year, the figure doubled to 100 million.
Facebook’s Growth in Monthly Active Users: A Journey from 2004 to 2017. | Photo: Collected
Facebook had more than one billion users as of 2012. Facebook’s ability to offer its users something fresh is largely responsible for its success. Facebook keeps updating its features, which started with chat and expanded to include audio-video calls, tales with music, note sharing, and emojis for emotional expression.
The ‘Meta’ era’s beginning
The Start of the ‘Meta’ Era: Facebook’s Vision for the Future. | Photo: Collected
Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Meta platform on October 29, 2021. Popular social media networks including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads are currently included under Meta. Every month, three billion individuals use Facebook. Facebook is used by more than half of all Internet users worldwide, or over one-third of the global population.
The difficulties in maintaining privacy and information security
The security and privacy of user data have been one of Facebook’s greatest problems over the past 20 years. This issue came to light in 2018. Back then, it was made public that Cambridge Analytica had profiled US voters in early 2014 using their personal information, allowing the company to target political advertisements to them. On Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Zuckerberg went to his first congressional hearing. when the security of user data was questioned. In addition to promising to tighten platform privacy policies, Zuckerberg also agreed to pay the punishment there.
Facebook is a well-known social networking site that has completely changed modern communication. Facebook is used for news media, politics, business, and personal communication in addition to other purposes. But there are also worries about data security and privacy as a result of the rise in users. Facebook’s future rests on Zuckerberg’s response to these issues.
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