A number of verified pages on Facebook with blue checkmarks have been impersonating none other than Meta and Google.&nbsp;

The verified Facebook pages appear to have been hacked, with their page name and Facebook URL changed in the past week, Mashable reported.&nbsp;

Some of these pages had millions of followers. They also display a blue verification badge stating "Facebook confirmed this profile is authentic".&nbsp;

The most concerning element of such impersonation is that each hacked page was approved to run advertisements across Facebook's network and every one appears to have been doing so, the Mashable report added.&nbsp;

So far, it remains unclear just how far reaching these scam ads went and how many Facebook users have potentially fallen victim.

<h2>Indian singers Miss Pooja, Babbu Maan's Facebook pages targeted by hacks</h2>

According to Mashable, the largest hacked page appears to have belonged to Miss Pooja, a famous singer in India.&nbsp;

The page has over 7 million followers. On April 29, the page name was changed to "Google AI." The URL was also changed to "facebook.com/Google.BardAI2" that ran Facebook ads leading to a page impersonating as Google.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-takes-down-40-fake-accounts-of-indian-firm-900-from-china-for-phishing-543702">Meta takes down 40 fake accounts of Indian firm, 900 from China for phishing</a>

Other than Miss Pooja, Indian singer Babbu Maan's Facebook page also appears to have been hacked. With 3 million followers, Maan's page was changed to 'Meta Ads, which also ran Facebook ads similar to fake Google page.&nbsp;

At the time of filing this report, the Facebook pages that once belonged to Miss Pooja and Babbu Maan, were not publicly available, and appear to have been removed from the platform.&nbsp;

Miss Pooja and Babbu Maan are famed for their acclaimed singing acumen, mostly in and around the Indian&nbsp;and Pakistani states of Punjab and the vast South Asian diaspora settled around the world. While Pooja has been known for breaking the fortress in the male-dominated Punjabi pop scene, Maan has continued to elevate his&nbsp;fan-base right&nbsp;before the dawn of mobile internet took over the trend of music video cassettes in the world's fifth largest economy.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Hackers use Chatgpt to spread malware on Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp

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The latest hacks show how scammers can take over an existing verified page to trick users.

Facebook now tracks and publicly displays a history of name changes for verified accounts. The feature has been hailed as a welcome bit of transparency but the safeguard still doesn't appear enough to flag some obvious scams.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

A number of verified pages on Facebook with blue checkmarks have been impersonating none other than Meta and Google. The verified Facebook pages appear to have been hacked, with their page name and Facebook URL changed in the past week, Mashable reported.

A number of verified pages on Facebook with blue checkmarks have been impersonating none other than Meta and Google. The verified Facebook pages appear to have been hacked, with their page name and Facebook URL changed in the past week, Mashable reported. Some of these pages had millions of followers. They also display a blue verification badge stating "Facebook confirmed this profile is authentic". The most concerning element of such impersonation is that each hacked page was approved to run advertisements across Facebook's network and every one appears to have been doing so, the Mashable report added. So far, it remains unclear just how far reaching these scam ads went and how many Facebook users have potentially fallen victim. Indian singers Miss Pooja, Babbu Maan's Facebook pages targeted by hacks According to Mashable, the largest hacked page appears to have belonged to Miss Pooja, a famous singer in India. The page has over 7 million followers. On April 29, the page name was changed to "Google AI." The URL was also changed to "facebook.com/Google.BardAI2" that ran Facebook ads leading to a page impersonating as Google. ALSO READ | Meta takes down 40 fake accounts of Indian firm, 900 from China for phishing Other than Miss Pooja, Indian singer Babbu Maan's Facebook page also appears to have been hacked. With 3 million followers, Maan's page was changed to 'Meta Ads, which also ran Facebook ads similar to fake Google page. At the time of filing this report, the Facebook pages that once belonged to Miss Pooja and Babbu Maan, were not publicly available, and appear to have been removed from the platform. Miss Pooja and Babbu Maan are famed for their acclaimed singing acumen, mostly in and around the Indian and Pakistani states of Punjab and the vast South Asian diaspora settled around the world. While Pooja has been known for breaking the fortress in the male-dominated Punjabi pop scene, Maan has continued to elevate his fan-base right before the dawn of mobile internet took over the trend of music video cassettes in the world's fifth largest economy. ALSO WATCH | Hackers use Chatgpt to spread malware on Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp × The latest hacks show how scammers can take over an existing verified page to trick users. Facebook now tracks and publicly displays a history of name changes for verified accounts. The feature has been hailed as a welcome bit of transparency but the safeguard still doesn't appear enough to flag some obvious scams. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Indian singers Miss Pooja, Babbu Maan's Facebook pages hacked to impersonate Meta and Google

A few days after it was revealed that data of over 530 million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook?page=1">Facebook</a> accounts have been sold online, the social media giant has issued a clarification about the apparent "hack".

Facebook, on Tuesday, said that hackers had not gotten into the system but had "scraped" personal data of nearly half a billion users in 2019 by taking undue advantage of a feature that is designed to help people find friends in their contact list.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/data-of-more-than-500-million-facebook-accounts-posted-online-reports-375213">Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports</a>

"It is important to understand that malicious actors obtained this data not through hacking our systems but by scraping it from our platform prior to September 2019," Facebook product management director Mike Clark said in a post.

"This is another example of the ongoing, adversarial relationship technology companies have with fraudsters who intentionally break platform policies to scrape internet services."

The clarification has come a few days after a tech expert revealed that "all 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. 
 
This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. 
 
I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. <a href="https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3">https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3</a> <a href="https://t.co/nM0Fu4GDY8">pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8</a>
— Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnderTheBreach/status/1378314424239460352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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As per reports, the leaked data contained sensitive information such as email address, name, phone number, anniversaries and birthdays, relationship status and more, which has now been posted on an online hackers forum, a cybercrime expert and several media reports claimed.

People can also use&nbsp;Have I Been Pwned online tool&nbsp;to check if their numbers or emails were compromised.

A few days after it was revealed that data of over 530 million Facebook accounts have been sold online, the social media giant has issued a clarification about the apparent "hack".

A few days after it was revealed that data of over 530 million Facebook accounts have been sold online, the social media giant has issued a clarification about the apparent "hack". Facebook, on Tuesday, said that hackers had not gotten into the system but had "scraped" personal data of nearly half a billion users in 2019 by taking undue advantage of a feature that is designed to help people find friends in their contact list. Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports "It is important to understand that malicious actors obtained this data not through hacking our systems but by scraping it from our platform prior to September 2019," Facebook product management director Mike Clark said in a post. "This is another example of the ongoing, adversarial relationship technology companies have with fraudsters who intentionally break platform policies to scrape internet services." The clarification has come a few days after a tech expert revealed that "all 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter. All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3 pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8 — Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) April 3, 2021 × As per reports, the leaked data contained sensitive information such as email address, name, phone number, anniversaries and birthdays, relationship status and more, which has now been posted on an online hackers forum, a cybercrime expert and several media reports claimed. People can also use Have I Been Pwned online tool to check if their numbers or emails were compromised.

Personal data of 533 million users 'scraped', not hacked: Facebook

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's phone number and other details have been leaked in the recent set of the data leak, alleged a security researcher. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/data-of-more-than-500-million-facebook-accounts-posted-online-reports-375213">Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports</a> 
 
The Facebook founder’s private information was in the cache released online, which Facebook dismissed as “very old” and likely not a threat to anyone.&nbsp;

A cybersecurity researcher Dave Walker claimed that this data leak also includes the contact detail of Zuckerberg. His data is among the 32 million users (3.2 crores) in the United States whose data is leaked.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Regarding the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FacebookLeak?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FacebookLeak</a>, of the 533M people in the leak - the irony is that Mark Zuckerberg is regrettably included in the leak as well. 
 
If journalists are struggling to get a statement from <a href="https://twitter.com/Facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@facebook</a>, maybe just give him a call, from the tel in the leak? 📞😂<a href="https://twitter.com/GazTheJourno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GazTheJourno</a> <a href="https://t.co/lrqlwzFMjU">pic.twitter.com/lrqlwzFMjU</a>
— Dave Walker (@Daviey) <a href="https://twitter.com/Daviey/status/1378424183856697348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. 
 
This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. 
 
I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. <a href="https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3">https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3</a> <a href="https://t.co/nM0Fu4GDY8">pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8</a>
— Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnderTheBreach/status/1378314424239460352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Data of over 553 million (53 crores) Facebook users were available in a hacking forum since January. It was found that the hacker made available data that included details like phone numbers and other personal data for free.&nbsp;

This data breach includes details of users from around 106 countries, including India. It is reported that data of 11 million users in the United Kingdom and six million users in India are found in this set of data leak. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's phone number and other details have been leaked in the recent set of the data leak, alleged a security researcher. Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports The Facebook founder’s private information was in the cache released online, which Facebook dismissed as “very old” and likely not a threat to anyone.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's phone number and other details have been leaked in the recent set of the data leak, alleged a security researcher. Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports The Facebook founder’s private information was in the cache released online, which Facebook dismissed as “very old” and likely not a threat to anyone. A cybersecurity researcher Dave Walker claimed that this data leak also includes the contact detail of Zuckerberg. His data is among the 32 million users (3.2 crores) in the United States whose data is leaked. Regarding the #FacebookLeak, of the 533M people in the leak - the irony is that Mark Zuckerberg is regrettably included in the leak as well. If journalists are struggling to get a statement from @facebook, maybe just give him a call, from the tel in the leak? 📞😂@GazTheJourno pic.twitter.com/lrqlwzFMjU — Dave Walker (@Daviey) April 3, 2021 × "All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter. All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3 pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8 — Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) April 3, 2021 × Data of over 553 million (53 crores) Facebook users were available in a hacking forum since January. It was found that the hacker made available data that included details like phone numbers and other personal data for free. This data breach includes details of users from around 106 countries, including India. It is reported that data of 11 million users in the United Kingdom and six million users in India are found in this set of data leak. (With inputs from agencies)

Mark Zuckerberg’s private phone number goes online in Facebook hack

Data of more than 500 million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook?page=1">Facebook</a> users has been posted online. The data from these accounts was originally leaked in 2019.

Sensitive information such as email address, name, phone number, anniversaries and birthdays, relationship status and more has now been posted on an online hackers forum, a cybercrime expert and several media reports claimed.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-rolls-out-feature-to-turn-off-comments-on-posts-374758" hreflang="en">Facebook rolls out feature to turn off comments on posts</a>

"All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. 
 
This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. 
 
I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. <a href="https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3">https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3</a> <a href="https://t.co/nM0Fu4GDY8">pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8</a>
— Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnderTheBreach/status/1378314424239460352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

It has also been claimed that some of the leaked information is current, meaning the users are still using the same phone numbers etc.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asian-americans-and-blacks-experienced-increased-online-harassment-in-2020-survey-372852" hreflang="en">Asian Americans and Blacks experienced increased online harassment in 2020: Survey</a>

"This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked," Gal claimed.

However, Facebook has denied this, claiming the issue was fixed in 2019 itself.

"This is old data that was previously reported on in 2019," Facebook's spokesperson was quoted by AFP. "We found and fixed this issue in August 2019."

Gal, on the other hand, claims nearly 32 million American accounts and 20 million French accounts were up for sale in January.

"Bad actors will certainly use the information for social engineering, scamming, hacking and marketing," he tweeted.

Data of more than 500 million Facebook users has been posted online. The data from these accounts was originally leaked in 2019. Sensitive information such as email address, name, phone number, anniversaries and birthdays, relationship status and more has now been posted on an online hackers forum, a cybercrime expert and several media reports claimed.

Data of more than 500 million Facebook users has been posted online. The data from these accounts was originally leaked in 2019. Sensitive information such as email address, name, phone number, anniversaries and birthdays, relationship status and more has now been posted on an online hackers forum, a cybercrime expert and several media reports claimed. Also read | Facebook rolls out feature to turn off comments on posts "All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter. All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3 pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8 — Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) April 3, 2021 × It has also been claimed that some of the leaked information is current, meaning the users are still using the same phone numbers etc. Also read | Asian Americans and Blacks experienced increased online harassment in 2020: Survey "This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked," Gal claimed. However, Facebook has denied this, claiming the issue was fixed in 2019 itself. "This is old data that was previously reported on in 2019," Facebook's spokesperson was quoted by AFP. "We found and fixed this issue in August 2019." Gal, on the other hand, claims nearly 32 million American accounts and 20 million French accounts were up for sale in January. "Bad actors will certainly use the information for social engineering, scamming, hacking and marketing," he tweeted.

Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports

Facebook shares came under heavy selling pressure Thursday as the latest earnings report for the leading social network highlighted mushrooming costs in dealing with privacy, abuse and misinformation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-sued-in-us-federal-court-for-alleged-anti-competitive-conduct-274773">Also Read:&nbsp;Facebook sued in US federal court for alleged anti competitive conduct</a>

Shares plunged seven per cent in opening trade to $207.57 as investors soured on Facebook even after a fourth quarter update largely in line with analyst estimates.

Profit rose seven per cent from a year ago to $7.3 billion, while revenue increased 25 per cent to $21 billion in the final three months of last year, the update showed.

The number of people using Facebook monthly climbed eight per cent to 2.5 billion. For all its apps including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, the figure was 2.89 billion.

Some analysts said the results pointed to weaker growth ahead for Facebook.

"The spectre of slowing growth took the edge off what has been an excellent run for the shares during 2019," said independent analyst Richard Windsor on his Radio Free Mobile blog.

"Despite the seemingly endless series of leaks and scandals, growth had remained strong, but some cracks are finally beginning to show."

Highlighting those concerns, Facebook acknowledged it agreed to pay a $550 million settlement in a class action suit based on allegations that users' biometric data was illegally gathered using photo-scanning technology and then stored.&nbsp;

The lawsuit stemmed from an Illinois law on biometric privacy, underscoring concerns on the costs of dealing with a range of data protection measures in Europe, California and elsewhere.

Analyst Michael Levine of Pivotal Research Group downgraded Facebook after the earnings reporting, citing weaker-than-expected ad revenues and "headwinds" that could limit its ability to collect data for targeted ads, the largest source of revenue.

"More of the headwinds are ahead of us rather than behind us," Levine said in a research note.

Investors appear concerned about the continuing increases in the amount of money Facebook spends as it pours resources into protecting privacy and preventing the network from being used as a platform for hate speech, abuse, and disinformation.

Costs in the recently ended fourth quarter rose 34 percent to $12.2 billion. Facebook ended the year with its employee ranks up 26 per cent to nearly 45,000.

Facebook is likely to see pressure from privacy rules hobbling the company's ability to effectively target its money-making ads.

Chief financial officer David Wehner told analysts the company expects revenue growth to slow, in part due to regulations and "other ad-targeting related headwinds."

Recent data privacy regulations in Europe and California as well as enhancements to browser or operating system software from Google and Apple, along with tools added by Facebook itself, are expected to limit the ability of the social network to use "signals" from third-party websites to more finely target ads, Wehner said.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg welcomed what he called "a good quarter and a strong end to the year" while noting that the company had much work to do.

He said Facebook was ramping up efforts to comply with a record $5 billion settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission on privacy controls while also fighting manipulation efforts during the US election campaign.

"As part of our FTC settlement, we committed to building privacy controls and auditing that will set a new standard for our industry -- going beyond anything that's required by law today," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page.

"We're very focused on election integrity -- and this is an area where I'm proud of the progress we've made preventing foreign interference.&nbsp;

"We were behind in 2016, but after working to protect elections in countries across the world from the EU to India to Mexico to the US midterms for the past few years, we think our systems are now more advanced than any other company."

- Some still upbeat - 
Some analysts remained upbeat on Facebook, noting that advertising revenues, &nbsp;the vast majority of cash it generates, rose 25 percent at $20.7 billion in the quarter.&nbsp;

Morningstar analyst Ali Mogharabi said Facebook still has a "moat" as the largest social network, which will attract advertisers.

"The growth in users and user engagement, along with the valuable data that they generate, makes Facebook attractive to advertisers in the short and long term," Mogharabi said in a note to clients.

Debra Aho Williamson said Facebook has been able to maintain momentum despite a barrage of criticism and regulatory issues.

"Despite all of the concerns that have been swirling around the company in the past two years, it beat expectations on revenue, and it demonstrated continued growth in its user base," she said.

Facebook shares came under heavy selling pressure Thursday as the latest earnings report for the leading social network highlighted mushrooming costs in dealing with privacy, abuse and misinformation.

Facebook shares came under heavy selling pressure Thursday as the latest earnings report for the leading social network highlighted mushrooming costs in dealing with privacy, abuse and misinformation. Also Read: Facebook sued in US federal court for alleged anti competitive conduct Shares plunged seven per cent in opening trade to $207.57 as investors soured on Facebook even after a fourth quarter update largely in line with analyst estimates. Profit rose seven per cent from a year ago to $7.3 billion, while revenue increased 25 per cent to $21 billion in the final three months of last year, the update showed. The number of people using Facebook monthly climbed eight per cent to 2.5 billion. For all its apps including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, the figure was 2.89 billion. Some analysts said the results pointed to weaker growth ahead for Facebook. "The spectre of slowing growth took the edge off what has been an excellent run for the shares during 2019," said independent analyst Richard Windsor on his Radio Free Mobile blog. "Despite the seemingly endless series of leaks and scandals, growth had remained strong, but some cracks are finally beginning to show." Highlighting those concerns, Facebook acknowledged it agreed to pay a $550 million settlement in a class action suit based on allegations that users' biometric data was illegally gathered using photo-scanning technology and then stored. The lawsuit stemmed from an Illinois law on biometric privacy, underscoring concerns on the costs of dealing with a range of data protection measures in Europe, California and elsewhere. Analyst Michael Levine of Pivotal Research Group downgraded Facebook after the earnings reporting, citing weaker-than-expected ad revenues and "headwinds" that could limit its ability to collect data for targeted ads, the largest source of revenue. "More of the headwinds are ahead of us rather than behind us," Levine said in a research note. Investors appear concerned about the continuing increases in the amount of money Facebook spends as it pours resources into protecting privacy and preventing the network from being used as a platform for hate speech, abuse, and disinformation. Costs in the recently ended fourth quarter rose 34 percent to $12.2 billion. Facebook ended the year with its employee ranks up 26 per cent to nearly 45,000. Facebook is likely to see pressure from privacy rules hobbling the company's ability to effectively target its money-making ads. Chief financial officer David Wehner told analysts the company expects revenue growth to slow, in part due to regulations and "other ad-targeting related headwinds." Recent data privacy regulations in Europe and California as well as enhancements to browser or operating system software from Google and Apple, along with tools added by Facebook itself, are expected to limit the ability of the social network to use "signals" from third-party websites to more finely target ads, Wehner said. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg welcomed what he called "a good quarter and a strong end to the year" while noting that the company had much work to do. He said Facebook was ramping up efforts to comply with a record $5 billion settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission on privacy controls while also fighting manipulation efforts during the US election campaign. "As part of our FTC settlement, we committed to building privacy controls and auditing that will set a new standard for our industry -- going beyond anything that's required by law today," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. "We're very focused on election integrity -- and this is an area where I'm proud of the progress we've made preventing foreign interference. "We were behind in 2016, but after working to protect elections in countries across the world from the EU to India to Mexico to the US midterms for the past few years, we think our systems are now more advanced than any other company." - Some still upbeat - Some analysts remained upbeat on Facebook, noting that advertising revenues, the vast majority of cash it generates, rose 25 percent at $20.7 billion in the quarter. Morningstar analyst Ali Mogharabi said Facebook still has a "moat" as the largest social network, which will attract advertisers. "The growth in users and user engagement, along with the valuable data that they generate, makes Facebook attractive to advertisers in the short and long term," Mogharabi said in a note to clients. Debra Aho Williamson said Facebook has been able to maintain momentum despite a barrage of criticism and regulatory issues. "Despite all of the concerns that have been swirling around the company in the past two years, it beat expectations on revenue, and it demonstrated continued growth in its user base," she said.

Facebook shares plunge over surge in quarterly expenses

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Indian singers Miss Pooja, Babbu Maan's Facebook pages hacked to impersonate Meta and Google

Personal data of 533 million users 'scraped', not hacked: Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg’s private phone number goes online in Facebook hack

Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports

Facebook shares plunge over surge in quarterly expenses