Key facts
- Meta's revenue increased 28% year-on-year in Q2 2025.
- Meta agreed to an $18 billion settlement with 48 U.S. states over child safety issues.
- Meta was fined $942 million by New Mexico over child safety concerns.
- Meta's user numbers for apps like Instagram and WhatsApp rose 3% year-on-year.
- Meta launched its AI assistant app, Muse, capable of multi-stage tasks.
- Mark Zuckerberg has a 66% unfavorable opinion among Americans, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
Despite facing significant public criticism and numerous lawsuits concerning the impact of its social media platforms on young users, Meta Platforms Inc. continues to see robust growth in user engagement and revenue. CEO Mark Zuckerberg's public image remains unfavorable, with a Pew Research Center poll indicating two-thirds of Americans hold a negative view of him.
Meta has been involved in several high-profile legal battles. In March, a jury awarded $6 million to a woman who claimed mental health harm from Instagram. New Mexico fined the company $942 million for child safety issues, with a judge calling Meta a "public nuisance." Meta is appealing both verdicts. The company also reportedly paid $9 million to settle a case brought by a Kentucky school district and reached an $18 billion settlement with 48 U.S. states and territories over child safety, agreeing to implement daily time limits and other restrictions for young users. Meta denies wrongdoing in these cases and maintains its efforts to enhance platform safety.
These legal challenges and negative press, including a film by Aaron Sorkin portraying Zuckerberg as a "full-on villain," have led some to compare Meta's situation to the "Big Tobacco" era. However, the company's core products are performing well, with user numbers for apps like Instagram and WhatsApp up 3% year-on-year and second-quarter revenue rising 28% compared to the previous year. Analysts like Patrick Moorhead express surprise at Meta's ability to withstand such blowback, suggesting consumers continue to use the products despite dissatisfaction with the company.
Meta is also pushing into artificial intelligence, launching its new AI assistant app, Muse. This agentic chatbot can perform multi-stage tasks over several hours, a capability that impressed a New York Times reporter. However, Muse's effectiveness relies on users sharing personal information, a significant ask given Meta's existing reputation issues.