International
Facebook, the groundbreaking social network that altered the world, celebrates its 20th anniversary
Founded 20 years ago as a simple virtual space to share with friends, Facebook has become a giant seasoned by a thousand battles, which, despite being thought of as only for parents and “boomers,” continues to grow and grow.
“I will never forget the day I ran to my high school Mac lab and signed up for Facebook,” said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at Insider Intelligence, to AFP. “You felt at the same time that you were part of this small and exclusive community where your parents, grandparents, and teachers were not, but also part of something much bigger,” she recalls.
Launched as thefacebook.com by Mark Zuckerberg and three friends on February 4, 2004, the portal was only available to Harvard College students. It opened to the general public in 2006.
Facebook became a place to connect with almost everyone, everywhere. In 2023, it reported being used by over 3 billion people monthly, a 3% growth from the previous year.
“When it launched, Facebook was revolutionary,” said Enberg. “It’s hard to exaggerate the impact it has had in shaping everything from pop culture to how we behave on the internet.”
As more users interacted on the social network, displaying photos, comments, and other posts, it could show more ads to make money from the vast amount of information people shared.
Facebook is recognized for helping open a door for content to go viral and driving the trend of purely digital media.
- Advertising Giant –
Facebook gained a reputation for buying or copying its potential rivals. Now, it powers a “family” of platforms that includes Instagram and WhatsApp.
Zuckerberg, still at the helm of the company, stuck to the strategy of investing heavily in gaining users before integrating methods to generate revenue, such as targeted advertising.
“It remains irresistible to advertisers, thanks to its reach and performance,” noted Enberg.
Together with Google, Facebook became an internet advertising giant, with earnings reaching $23 billion in 2022, a year considered bad for the Silicon Valley-based company.
The platform is “part of the digital landscape,” especially for millennials born in the 1980s and 1990s, according to the analyst.
The business model of using personal information to offer more attention-grabbing content to users, as well as targeted advertising, has earned Facebook lawsuits and fines.
From allegations that Russia used the platform to try to influence the outcome of the 2016 US presidential elections to accusations in 2021 that executives prioritized profits over user well-being, Facebook has been in the eye of the storm.
Nevertheless, Facebook continues to grow, allowing it to invest in innovations such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Arguing that Zuckerberg dreamed of a virtual and immersive world he would call the “metaverse,” Facebook changed its parent company’s name to “Meta” in late 2021.
- “No Alternative” –
“It’s possible that we are less involved, but we haven’t left because there really is no alternative,” explained Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
Facebook was in vogue with the addition of “groups,” allowing communities to be formed based on common interests, and gained popularity with Marketplace features for buying or selling products.
Although Enberg considers the best decision was the purchase of Instagram in 2012 as part of the shift towards smartphones. The move removed a rival, provided a new advertising platform, and attracted young users who were losing interest in Facebook.
Currently, over half of Facebook users are between 18 and 34 years old, according to DataReportal research.
How involved users are remains difficult to measure. “I go to Facebook very little, but what I post on Instagram automatically appears on Facebook as well,” says Milanesi. “So I’m certainly counted as ‘active’ (…) The figures may not reflect reality.”
International
German Authorities Investigate More Than 100 New Cases Against Convicted Nurse
German authorities announced Monday that they are investigating more than 100 additional cases involving a nurse who was sentenced to life in prison in November for the murder of 10 patients.
The man, who was 44 at the time of his conviction, worked in palliative care at a hospital in Würselen, near Aachen. He was also found guilty of 27 attempted murders.
Aachen prosecutors are now examining 121 new cases, a spokesperson for the office said.
Prosecutors leading the investigation are preparing a new indictment that could be filed next year. Nearly 40 bodies have so far been exhumed as part of the investigation, which covers alleged incidents dating back to September 2022.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in the city of Cologne are investigating 18 additional cases. According to a spokesperson, the oldest case dates back to 2010.
Before working at the Würselen hospital, the nurse is believed to have worked at a clinic in eastern Cologne, according to local media reports.
At the time of his November conviction, the court ruled that the severity of his crimes was particularly serious, a finding that would make it difficult for him to obtain early release after 15 years in prison.
Between December 2023 and May 2024, the nurse administered overdoses of sedatives or painkillers to terminally ill patients, most of them elderly, according to the indictment in the original case.
His alleged motive was to sedate patients who required care so that he could minimize his workload during night shifts, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, the nurse worked «without enthusiasm» and «without motivation». When faced with patients requiring extensive care, he allegedly became «irritated» and showed a lack of empathy.
The case has revived painful memories in Germany of Niels Högel, a former nurse and serial killer who was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2019 for the murders of at least 85 patients.
International
Venezuela Raises Earthquake Death Toll to 6,301
The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 6,301, while relatives continue searching for missing people among the rubble of collapsed buildings, parliamentary leader Jorge Rodríguez said Monday.
So far, the Venezuelan government has not released an official figure for the number of people missing after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which caused around 190 buildings to collapse, most of them in the coastal state of La Guaira, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Caracas.
The latest figure represents an increase from the 6,125 deaths reported by Venezuelan authorities on August 3.
According to statements made to local media by La Guaira Governor José Alejandro Terán, around 1,400 people were still missing just over a week ago.
Thousands of homes remain at risk
In addition to buildings that completely collapsed, authorities have classified another 9,567 structures as being at «high risk». Meanwhile, 12,411 homes remain under a «restricted» classification.
As a result, many families who lived in these properties have been relocated to temporary shelters or have sought accommodation with relatives and friends.
Nearly 24,000 people left homeless by the disaster are currently living in camps in Caracas and La Guaira, a popular tourist destination whose economy has been severely affected by the earthquakes.
The situation sparked renewed concern among Venezuelans on Monday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, with its epicenter in Colombia, was felt across several regions of Venezuela.
The earthquake in Colombia left at least 111 people dead and dozens injured, according to preliminary figures released by authorities in that country.
International
CEAPI Backs Colombia’s New Government and Calls for Greater Public-Private Cooperation
The Ibero-American Business Alliance Council (CEAPI), led by its president, Núria Vilanova, participated in the inauguration ceremony of Abelardo de la Espriella as Colombia’s new president. The events were held on August 7 in Cali and brought together heads of state and institutional representatives from numerous countries.
CEAPI maintains a strong relationship with Colombia as part of its mission to serve as a meeting point between Ibero-American business leaders and the region’s main institutions and governments. The organization has more than 25 members in Colombia, including Jaime Gilinski, Luis Carlos Sarmiento, Omar González and Diego Urrea. In addition, Colombia hosted the seventh CEAPI Ibero-American Congress, held in Cartagena de Indias in 2024.
During his inauguration speech, President De la Espriella identified confidence and economic stability as key pillars of his administration and emphasized the role of private enterprise in Colombia’s future.
He also reaffirmed his intention to govern for all Colombians and strengthen institutional dialogue, while referring to Spain’s democratic transition and the leadership of former Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez.
Vilanova said she has seen this commitment firsthand during meetings with members of the new government, who have expressed their willingness to work closely with business leaders and the private sector to promote economic growth.
According to CEAPI, the government is considering measures aimed at strengthening legal certainty and business confidence, encouraging investment and promoting formal employment.
For Vilanova, Colombia’s new political and economic stage represents an opportunity to demonstrate that «when the public and private sectors are aligned, they can achieve more».
«Colombia has everything it needs to make it happen. And Ibero-American business leaders are ready to support it», she said, adding that CEAPI is already working with the government to organize a future investment delegation to the country.
The organization said the planned visit would seek to strengthen business ties and identify new investment opportunities in Colombia, reinforcing the role of the private sector in the country’s economic development.
German Authorities Investigate More Than 100 New Cases Against Convicted Nurse
Venezuela Raises Earthquake Death Toll to 6,301
CEAPI Backs Colombia’s New Government and Calls for Greater Public-Private Cooperation
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