Meta lost 20 million users last quarter

Meta plans to throw another billion into the AI ​​economy this year, even as it notes that millions of users appear to be abandoning its platforms. In call on WednesdayMeta reported that the number of “Family of daily workers” – a term Meta has created for all people who use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger – decreased by 20 million this quarter compared to the previous three months.

Meta attributes this fall to “internet disruptions in Iran, as well as restrictions access to WhatsApp in Russia.” It’s up to you if you take Meta at its word, because by combining user statistics across all its platforms, we can’t tell who has been affected the most. If I wanted to hide that social network was users who can bleed every daythat’s what I would do.

The decline comes as Meta says it is increasing its 2026 revenue forecast to $125-145 billion, $10 billion more than previously. This increase in revenue is being driven by higher price expectations and, “to a lesser extent,” increased data center capacity expansion costs. This is to improve education, according to Meta’s chief financial officer Susan Li, who said in the investor call that Meta “underestimated our expectations in the past.”

Meta’s revenue also grew rapidly from 2021, rising 33 percent, from $42.3 billion this time last year to $56.3 billion this quarter. Other sectors are not so hot – the Reality Labs division that produces clothing and virtual reality equipment reported a loss of $ 4.03 billion in the third quarter of three months, and the employees of Meta’s Reality Labs were hit. two waves about laid off from January.

Meta’s stock price has dropped by more than seven percent at the time of writing, compared to what the company was receiving before the release.