Zuckerberg, Mark (1984-…), an American computer programmer, cofounded the popular social networking website Facebook. A social networking website is an internet site that creates a virtual community among its users. Profits from the site made Zuckerberg one of the richest people in the world by his mid-20’s.
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born May 14, 1984, in White Plains, New York. In 2002, he began attending Harvard University. Harvard student houses had online photographs of their residents—called “facebooks”—to help residents in the house connect. Zuckerberg developed a website called Facemash that used the photographs without the students’ permission. The site was soon shut down after students and the administration objected.
In February 2004, Zuckerberg launched thefacebook.com. The site was originally intended for use only by Harvard students. With the help of a friend, Zuckerberg extended the service to other university campuses and, later, to high schools.
By June 2004, Facebook, Inc. (now called Meta Platforms, Inc.), had officially incorporated as a private business. Zuckerberg left Harvard and moved to Palo Alto, California. He established headquarters there and became the company’s chief executive officer. Facebook became a profitable business supported by advertising revenues. Zuckerberg remained active in developing products and services for the website. He also donated to and supported a variety of educational causes.
A 2010 film called The Social Network portrayed Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook. It was based on the book The Accidental Billionaires (2009) by Ben Mezrich. The film featured an unflattering portrayal of Zuckerberg. Facebook employees and other people who knew Zuckerberg have challenged its accuracy.
In March 2018, a former employee of the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica publicly revealed information about the firm’s unauthorized use of private Facebook data. The data was obtained from millions of Facebook users through a third-party app (application). News of this unauthorized use of user data created a public backlash against Facebook and against Zuckerberg. In April 2018, Zuckerberg testified at two U.S. congressional hearings about the company’s privacy policies.
See also Facebook ; Social media .
