Understanding Meta Platforms

Lesson 1 of 3

Advertising and social platforms

Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and the large majority of its revenue comes from advertising shown across these platforms. Businesses pay to reach Meta's billions of users, often using detailed targeting based on user interests and behavior. Because advertising is Meta's core revenue source, ad spending trends — which rise and fall with the broader economy and with how much time people spend on its apps — directly affect its results.

• •Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are Meta's core platforms.
• •The large majority of revenue comes from advertising.
• •Ad spending is tied to the broader economy and to user engagement on Meta's apps.