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.”

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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.

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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.

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“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.”

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International

Colombia Earthquake Leaves at Least 22 Dead as Rescue Efforts Continue

At least 22 people were killed and dozens more were affected by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday, with the epicenter located near the municipality of San José del Palmar in the northwestern department of Chocó, authorities reported in a preliminary assessment.

The city of Pereira has so far recorded the highest number of fatalities. Mayor Mauricio Salazar told local media that 18 people had died in the city and warned that a large number of buildings had been damaged.

“The situation is critical, and we are moving forward with assessments while assisting people who remain trapped,” Salazar said.

Authorities in Manizales reported two additional deaths, while two more fatalities were confirmed in the department of Valle del Cauca. Several people were also injured, and structural damage was reported in different communities.

“We are just beginning to establish radio communication with the hospitals. We know that we have three injured people in El Cairo, two deaths in Zarzal, the collapse of an academic structure in Calima Darién, and minor structural damage in Cali,” said María Cristina Lesmes, Valle del Cauca’s health secretary.

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Emergency teams were continuing rescue and assessment operations as authorities worked to determine the full extent of the damage and update the number of casualties.

International

Record 230 Migrants Cross English Channel to UK in Single Boat

A record 230 migrants crossed the English Channel overnight Sunday aboard a small inflatable boat bound for the United Kingdom, according to French maritime rescue services and British media, highlighting the growing number of people being packed onto vessels attempting the dangerous crossing.

More than 20 children were among those aboard the inflatable boat when it departed from the northeastern French coast on Sunday night amid chaotic scenes, France’s maritime rescue service SNSM said in an online statement.

The figure surpasses the previous record for the number of people aboard a single boat, set last month when 165 migrants successfully crossed the busy maritime route.

The latest incident comes just days after an inflatable boat carrying more than 150 people capsized in the Channel after its engine caught fire, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation.

Britain’s Home Office did not confirm the exact number of people aboard Sunday’s vessel but condemned what it described as the “reckless and dangerous tactics” used by criminal gangs facilitating the crossings.

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A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham described images of the operation as “shocking,” particularly those showing very young children being placed aboard boats that were not suitable for the journey.

The United Kingdom has spent years attempting to curb these dangerous and politically sensitive Channel crossings. Tens of thousands of migrants have reached the southeastern English coast annually in recent years, keeping the issue at the center of the country’s immigration debate.

International

Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Has Spread to His Bones, Son Hunter Reveals

Former U.S. President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has worsened and spread to his bones and other parts of his body, his son Hunter Biden revealed in a recent interview with the BBC.

Biden disclosed in May 2025, just four months after leaving office as the oldest sitting U.S. president in history, that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones.

The former president subsequently began treatment, including radiation and hormone therapy. In July, while announcing the publication of his memoirs, Biden said the treatment was going “really well.”

However, in an extensive interview broadcast Friday night on the BBC’s Newsnight, Hunter Biden said his father’s condition had progressed despite treatment.

“The cancer has spread and metastasized to his bones and other places,” Hunter Biden said.

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He added that the illness has been “very painful” and, in many ways, “very debilitating,” but said his father continues to remain active.

“He’s still out there. He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter Biden said, emphasizing that his father remains deeply committed to the United States.

The former president’s diagnosis has remained a subject of public attention since it was first announced, particularly because of his age and his decision to continue a public life after leaving the White House.