ALTSCOUT

Meta

Meta Platforms Inc. is a US technology conglomerate listed on NASDAQ, owning Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It has received multiple large GDPR fines totalling over €1.2 billion from European regulators for data handling violations.

EUNon-EU

Brand Identity Data

HQ Country
United States
HQ City
Menlo Park
Founded
2004
EU Headquartered
No
EU Manufactured
No
Ownership Type
public
Stock Exchange
NASDAQ
Tax Domicile
US
Ultimate Parent
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Data Hosting
mixed
CLOUD Act Exposure
Yes ⚠️
AI Trains on User Data
yes
GDPR Status
Fined €2500M
DSA Designation
VLOP
Carbon Neutral
claimed
B Corp Certified
No
Supply Chain
partial
Repair / Recycling
Yes ✓
Ethical Certifications
None verified

Verified on August 2, 2026

Corporate Lineage

2004

Founded

Mark Zuckerberg launches TheFacebook at Harvard University.

2012

IPO and Acquisition

Company completes IPO on NASDAQ; acquires Instagram.

2014

WhatsApp Acquisition

Acquisition of messaging platform WhatsApp for $19 billion.

2021

Rebrand

Facebook, Inc. changes corporate name to Meta Platforms, Inc.

2023

GDPR Fine

Data Protection Commission (Ireland) imposes a record €1.2 billion fine regarding data transfers to the US.

European Alternatives to Meta

M

Mastodon

Mastodon is a German decentralized open-source social network and microblogging platform, operated by Mastodon gGmbH in Berlin. Built on the ActivityPub protocol, it has no algorithmic feeds, no advertising, and no corporate ownership.

Compare Meta vs. Mastodon

Verification Sources

  1. [1]Meta on Wikidata
  2. [2]Meta website