October 05, 2021
Chaos ensued globally this week when Facebook – and Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Instagram – went dark. That's because the world's biggest social media platform now reaches more than 3.5 billion people a month. In many places around the globe, these apps are literally a lifeline: many small businesses rely on Facebook to sell their products, families use WhatsApp to keep in touch, and young people are hooked on Instagram. Indeed, if nothing else this week's turmoil reveals the massive extent to which Facebook Inc. influences people's lives — and livelihoods. We take a look at where these three platforms are used most around the world.
From Your Site Articles
More For You
- YouTube
At the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), explores whether artificial intelligence can help countries make progress amid growing development challenges and shrinking resources.
Most Popular
- YouTube
At the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, Frederic Werner, AI for Good co-creator and chief of strategic engagement at ITU, explains why optimism about artificial intelligence is growing across many developing countries even as skepticism rises in Europe and North America.
- YouTube
In his latest Quick Take, Ian Bremmer weighs in on President Trump’s intervention with FIFA after US star Flo Balogun received a red card suspension ahead of the team’s match against Belgium.
How do the choices of the past help us navigate the future? Microsoft's new video series explores pivotal moments in US history and the decisions that helped shape innovation, opportunity, and progress. By connecting historical turning points to today's technology and policy questions, the series offers a perspective on the choices that continue to shape what comes next. Watch the first episode here.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.