Facebook reaches 500 million users
Thursday, July 22, 2010
- Samsung releases its first tablet computer
- Telstra becomes the first in the world to switch to HSPA+ wireless Internet technology
- Stockholm chief prosecutor quashes arrest warrant for Wikileaks editor-in-chief
- Indonesian goverment bans pornographic sites
- Google to discontinue social networking application Google Wave
Social networking service Facebook, which has been active for six years, has announced that the website reached a total of 500 million users on Wednesday. According to AFP, this number equates to one out of every fourteen people or, according to The Hindu, 8% of the population of the Earth.
Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive officer and founder of Facebook, created a blog post in relation to this milestone. "As of this morning, 500 million people all around the world are actively using Facebook to stay connected with their friends and the people around them," he wrote. "This is an important milestone for all of you who have helped spread Facebook around the world."
To mark the occasion, the California, United States-based company released an application, entitled Facebook Stories, that allows the website's users to "tell the incredible stories of the moving and interesting ways they've used Facebook". Zuckerberg stated that there is a "good chance" of Facebook reaching a total of a billion members in the next three to five years.
Sources
- "Facebook reaches 500 million users" – The Hindu, July 22, 2010
- "Facebook membership hits 500 million mark" – AFP, July 21, 2010
- Sharon Gaudin "Facebook hits milestone: Half a billion users" – Computerworld, July 21, 2010
