Jun 27, 2017

Facebook now has 2 billion users

Noah Berger / AP

Social networking behemoth Facebook said it has reached a new milestone: 2 billion monthly active users.

Notable: Just last year, there were no Internet services or platforms with this many users, as VentureBeat's Emil Protalinski points out.

To put the number in context, 2 billion is:

The same number of users as Android
About two thirds of the world's internet-connected population
More than a quarter of the world's population
More than six times the U.S. population

Why it matters: Facebook users are very engaged, particularly on mobile, giving the platform major dominance (along with Google) in online advertising. But as companies grow in size and power, targets are often painted on their backs. In Europe, regulators are increasing scrutiny, and today hit Google with a record fine for what they see as anticompetitive behavior.

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