Facebook at 15

A titan with grown-up woes

Fifteen years after its founding, Facebook has made strides toward Mark Zuckerberg’s goal of connecting the world. But it has also made some huge missteps that have turned some of its cheerleaders into vocal detractors. The online social network founded on February 4, 2004 in Zuckerberg’s Harvard University dorm heads into adolescence with the grown-up burdens of being held accountable for its behavior and playing in a world where people may not always have the purest intentions.

Facebook has seen unprecedented success by amassing more than 2.3 billion people worldwide who actively use the platform to share updates, obtain information and connect with new people. But it has also been battered by criticism that it was more focused on growth than protecting users or thwarting deception, bullying and harassment.

 

Facebook at 15

A titan with grown-up woes

Fifteen years after its founding, Facebook has made strides toward Mark Zuckerbergs goal of connecting the world. But it has also made some huge missteps that have turned some of its cheerleaders into vocal detractors. The online social network founded on February 4, 2004 in Zuckerbergs Harvard University dorm heads into adolescence with the grown-up burdens of being held accountable for its behavior and playing in a world where people may not always have the purest intentions. Facebook has seen unprecedented success by amassing more than 2.3 billion people worldwide who actively use the platform to share updates, obtain information and connect with new people. But it has also been battered by criticism that it was more focused on growth than protecting users or thwarting deception, bullying and harassment.