UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
__________________________
FORM 10-K
__________________________
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 001-35551
__________________________
Facebook, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
__________________________
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
20-1665019
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025
(Address of principal executive offices and Zip Code)
(650) 543-4800
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
__________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act
Title of each class
Class A Common Stock, $0.000006 par value
Trading symbol(s)
FB
Name of each exchange on which registered
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) during the preceding
12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the
definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
☒
☐
Accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
☐
☐
☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting
standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under
Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2020, the last business day of the registrant's most recently
completed second fiscal quarter, was $563 billion based upon the closing price reported for such date on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. On January 22, 2021, the registrant
had 2,405,448,410 shares of Class A common stock and 442,221,541 shares of Class B common stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant's Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated herein by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to
the extent stated herein. Such proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of the registrant's fiscal year ended December 31,
2020.
Facebook, Inc.
Form 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Note About Forward-Looking Statements
Limitations of Key Metrics and Other Data
PART I
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 1B.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
PART II
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 8.
Item 9.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.
PART III
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
Item 13.
Item 14.
PART IV
Item 15.
Item 16.
Signatures
Business
Risk Factors
Unresolved Staff Comments
Properties
Legal Proceedings
Mine Safety Disclosures
Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Selected Financial Data
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
Form 10-K Summary
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NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K other than statements
of historical fact, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, our business strategy and plans, and our objectives for
future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and
projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term
business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions,
including those described in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing
environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our
business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may not
occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.
We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Given
these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
Unless expressly indicated or the context requires otherwise, the terms "Facebook," "company," "we," "us," and "our" in this document refer to Facebook,
Inc., a Delaware corporation, and, where appropriate, its subsidiaries. The term "Facebook" may also refer to our products, regardless of the manner in which they
are accessed. The term "Family" refers to our Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp products. For references to accessing Facebook or our other
products on the "web" or via a "website," such terms refer to accessing such products on personal computers. For references to accessing Facebook or our other
products on "mobile," such term refers to accessing such products via a mobile application or via a mobile-optimized version of our websites such as
m.facebook.com, whether on a mobile phone or tablet.
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LIMITATIONS OF KEY METRICS AND OTHER DATA
The numbers for our key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity of user accounts. We have historically reported the
numbers of our daily active users (DAUs), monthly active users (MAUs), and average revenue per user (ARPU) (collectively, our "Facebook metrics") based on
user activity only on Facebook and Messenger and not on our other products. Beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2019, we also report our estimates of the numbers of our daily active people (DAP), monthly active people (MAP), and average revenue per person (ARPP)
(collectively, our "Family metrics") based on the activity of users who visited at least one of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp (collectively, our
"Family" of products) during the applicable period of measurement. We believe our Family metrics better reflect the size of our community and the fact that many
people are using more than one of our products. As a result, over time we intend to report our Family metrics as key metrics in place of DAUs, MAUs, and ARPU
in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
While these numbers are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates of our user base for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent
challenges in measuring usage of our products across large online and mobile populations around the world. The methodologies used to measure these metrics
require significant judgment and are also susceptible to algorithm or other technical errors. In addition, we are continually seeking to improve our estimates of our
user base, and such estimates may change due to improvements or changes in our methodology. We regularly review our processes for calculating these metrics,
and from time to time we discover inaccuracies in our metrics or make adjustments to improve their accuracy, which can result in adjustments to our historical
metrics. Our ability to recalculate our historical metrics may be impacted by data limitations or other factors that require us to apply different methodologies for
such adjustments. We generally do not intend to update previously disclosed Family metrics for any such inaccuracies or adjustments that are within the error
margins disclosed below.
In addition, our Facebook metrics and Family metrics estimates will differ from estimates published by third parties due to differences in methodology.
Facebook Metrics
We regularly evaluate our Facebook metrics to estimate the number of "duplicate" and "false" accounts among our MAUs. A duplicate account is one that a
user maintains in addition to his or her principal account. We divide "false" accounts into two categories: (1) user-misclassified accounts, where users have created
personal profiles for a business, organization, or non-human entity such as a pet (such entities are permitted on Facebook using a Page rather than a personal profile
under our terms of service); and (2) violating accounts, which represent user profiles that we believe are intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of
service, such as bots and spam. The estimates of duplicate and false accounts are based on an internal review of a limited sample of accounts, and we apply
significant judgment in making this determination. For example, to identify duplicate accounts we use data signals such as identical IP addresses and similar user
names, and to identify false accounts we look for names that appear to be fake or other behavior that appears inauthentic to the reviewers. Any loss of access to
data signals we use in this process, whether as a result of our own product decisions, actions by third-party browser or mobile platforms, regulatory or legislative
requirements, limitations while our personnel work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, or other factors, also may impact the stability or accuracy of our
estimates of duplicate and false accounts. Our estimates also may change as our methodologies evolve, including through the application of new data signals or
technologies or product changes that may allow us to identify previously undetected duplicate or false accounts and may improve our ability to evaluate a broader
population of our users. Duplicate and false accounts are very difficult to measure at our scale, and it is possible that the actual number of duplicate and false
accounts may vary significantly from our estimates.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, we estimated that duplicate accounts may have represented approximately 11% of our worldwide MAUs. We believe the
percentage of duplicate accounts is meaningfully higher in developing markets such as the Philippines and Vietnam, as compared to more developed markets. In
the fourth quarter of 2020, we estimated that false accounts may have represented approximately 5% of our worldwide MAUs. Our estimation of false accounts can
vary as a result of episodic spikes in the creation of such accounts, which we have seen originate more frequently in specific countries such as Indonesia and
Vietnam. From time to time, we disable certain user accounts, make product changes, or take other actions to reduce the number of duplicate or false accounts
among our users, which may also reduce our DAU and MAU estimates in a particular period. We intend to disclose our estimates of the number of duplicate and
false accounts among our MAUs on an annual basis.
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The numbers of DAUs and MAUs discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as ARPU, do not include users on Instagram, WhatsApp, or our
other products, unless they would otherwise qualify as DAUs or MAUs, respectively, based on their other activities on Facebook.
Family Metrics
Many people in our community have user accounts on more than one of our products, and some people have multiple user accounts within an individual
product. Accordingly, for our Family metrics, we do not seek to count the total number of user accounts across our products because we believe that would not
reflect the actual size of our community. Rather, our Family metrics represent our estimates of the number of unique people using at least one of Facebook,
Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. We do not require people to use a common identifier or link their accounts to use multiple products in our Family, and
therefore must seek to attribute multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people. To calculate these metrics, we rely upon complex
techniques, algorithms and machine learning models that seek to count the individual people behind user accounts, including by matching multiple user accounts
within an individual product and across multiple products when we believe they are attributable to a single person, and counting such group of accounts as one
person. These techniques and models require significant judgment, are subject to data and other limitations discussed below, and inherently are subject to statistical
variances and uncertainties. We estimate the potential error in our Family metrics primarily based on user survey data, which itself is subject to error as well. While
we expect the error margin for our Family metrics to vary from period to period, we estimate that such margin generally will be approximately 4% of our
worldwide MAP. At our scale, it is very difficult to attribute multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people, and it is possible that the
actual numbers of unique people using our products may vary significantly from our estimates, potentially beyond our estimated error margins. As a result, it is
also possible that our Family metrics may indicate changes or trends in user numbers that do not match actual changes or trends.
To calculate our estimates of Family DAP and MAP, we currently use a series of machine learning models that are developed based on internal reviews of
limited samples of user accounts and calibrated against user survey data. We apply significant judgment in designing these models and calculating these estimates.
For example, to match user accounts within individual products and across multiple products, we use data signals such as similar device information, IP addresses,
and user names. We also calibrate our models against data from periodic user surveys of varying sizes and frequency across our products, which are inherently
subject to error. The timing and results of such user surveys have in the past contributed, and may in the future contribute, to changes in our reported Family
metrics from period to period. In addition, our data limitations may affect our understanding of certain details of our business and increase the risk of error for our
Family metrics estimates. Our techniques and models rely on a variety of data signals from different products, and we rely on more limited data signals for some
products compared to others. For example, as a result of limited visibility into encrypted products, we have fewer data signals from WhatsApp user accounts and
primarily rely on phone numbers and device information to match WhatsApp user accounts with accounts on our other products. Similarly, although Messenger
Kids users are included in our Family metrics, we do not seek to match their accounts with accounts on our other applications for purposes of calculating DAP and
MAP. Any loss of access to data signals we use in our process for calculating Family metrics, whether as a result of our own product decisions, actions by third-
party browser or mobile platforms, regulatory or legislative requirements, limitations while our personnel work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, or other
factors, also may impact the stability or accuracy of our reported Family metrics. Our estimates of Family metrics also may change as our methodologies evolve,
including through the application of new data signals or technologies, product changes, or other improvements in our user surveys, algorithms, or machine learning
that may improve our ability to match accounts within and across our products or otherwise evaluate the broad population of our users. In addition, such evolution
may allow us to identify previously undetected violating accounts (as defined below).
We regularly evaluate our Family metrics to estimate the percentage of our MAP consisting solely of "violating" accounts. We define "violating" accounts
as accounts which we believe are intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of service, including bots and spam. In the fourth quarter of 2020, we
estimated that approximately 3% of our worldwide MAP consisted solely of violating accounts. Such estimation is based on an internal review of a limited sample
of accounts, and we apply significant judgment in making this determination. For example, we look for account information and behaviors associated with
Facebook and Instagram accounts that appear to be inauthentic to the reviewers, but we have limited visibility into WhatsApp user activity due to encryption. In
addition, if we believe an individual person has one or more violating accounts, we do not include such person in our violating accounts estimation as long as we
believe they have one account that does not constitute a violating account. From time to time, we disable certain user accounts, make product changes, or take other
actions to reduce the number of violating accounts among our users, which may also reduce our DAP and MAP estimates in a particular period. We intend to
disclose our estimates of the percentage of our MAP consisting solely
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of violating accounts on an annual basis. Violating accounts are very difficult to measure at our scale, and it is possible that the actual number of violating accounts
may vary significantly from our estimates.
The numbers of Family DAP and MAP discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as ARPP, do not include users on our other products, unless
they would otherwise qualify as DAP or MAP, respectively, based on their other activities on our Family products.
User Geography
Our data regarding the geographic location of our users is estimated based on a number of factors, such as the user's IP address and self-disclosed location.
These factors may not always accurately reflect the user's actual location. For example, a user may appear to be accessing Facebook from the location of the proxy
server that the user connects to rather than from the user's actual location. The methodologies used to measure our metrics are also susceptible to algorithm or other
technical errors, and our estimates for revenue by user location and revenue by user device are also affected by these factors.
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PART I
Item 1. Business
Overview
Our mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.
We build useful and engaging products that enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual
reality headsets, and in-home devices. We also help people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enable people to share their
opinions, ideas, photos and videos, and other activities with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large, and stay
connected everywhere by accessing our products, including:
•
•
•
•
•
Facebook. Facebook enables people to connect, share, discover, and communicate with each other on mobile devices and personal computers. There
are a number of different ways to engage with people on Facebook and build community, including Facebook News Feed, Stories, Groups, Shops,
Marketplace, News, and Watch.
Instagram. Instagram brings people closer to the people and things they love. It is a place where people can express themselves through photos,
videos, and private messaging, and connect with and shop from their favorite businesses and creators. They can do this through Instagram Feed,
Stories, Reels, IGTV, Live, Shops, and messaging.
Messenger. Messenger is a simple yet powerful messaging application for people to connect with friends, family, groups, and businesses across
platforms and devices through chat, video, and Rooms.
WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a simple, reliable, and secure messaging application that is used by people and businesses around the world to communicate
and transact in a private way.
Facebook Reality Labs. Facebook Reality Labs' augmented and virtual reality products help people feel connected, anytime, anywhere. Oculus Quest
lets people defy distance with cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) hardware, software, and content, while Portal helps friends and families stay connected
and share the moments that matter in meaningful ways.
We generate substantially all of our revenue from selling advertising placements to marketers. Our ads enable marketers to reach people based on a variety
of factors including age, gender, location, interests, and behaviors. Marketers purchase ads that can appear in multiple places including on Facebook, Instagram,
Messenger, and third-party applications and websites.
Competition
Our business is characterized by innovation, rapid change, and disruptive technologies. We compete with companies providing connection and
communication products and services to users online, as well as companies that sell advertising to businesses looking to reach consumers and/or develop tools and
systems for managing and optimizing advertising campaigns. We face significant competition in every aspect of our business, including, but not limited to,
companies that facilitate the ability of users to share, communicate, and discover content and information online or enable marketers to reach their existing or
prospective audiences, including, for example, Google, Apple, YouTube, Tencent, Snap, Twitter, ByteDance, Microsoft, and Amazon. We compete to attract,
engage, and retain people who use our products, to attract and retain businesses who use our free or paid business and advertising services, and to attract and retain
developers to build compelling mobile and web applications that integrate with our products. We also compete with companies that develop and deliver consumer
hardware and virtual reality products and services. As we introduce or acquire new products, as our existing products evolve, or as other companies introduce new
products and services, we may become subject to additional competition.
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Technology
Our product development philosophy is centered on continuous innovation in creating and improving products that are social by design, which means that
our products are designed to place people and their social interactions at the core of the product experience. As our user base grows, as engagement with products
like video and VR increases, and as we deepen our investment in new technologies like artificial intelligence, our computing needs continue to expand. We make
significant investments in technology both to improve our existing products and services and to develop new ones, as well as for our marketers and developers. We
are also investing in protecting the security, privacy, and integrity of our platform by investing in both people and technology to strengthen our systems against
abuse.
Sales and Operations
The majority of our marketers use our self-service ad platform to launch and manage their advertising campaigns. We also have a global sales force that is
focused on attracting and retaining advertisers and providing support to them throughout the stages of the marketing cycle from pre-purchase decision-making to
real-time optimizations to post-campaign analytics. We work directly with these advertisers, as well as through advertising agencies and resellers. We operate in
more than 80 cities around the globe, the majority of which have a sales presence. We also invest in and rely on self-service tools to provide direct customer
support to our users and partners.
Marketing
Historically, our communities have generally grown organically with people inviting their friends to connect with them, supported by internal efforts to
stimulate awareness and interest. In addition, we have invested and will continue to invest in marketing our products and services to grow our brand and help build
community around the world.
Intellectual Property
To establish and protect our proprietary rights, we rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, including know-how, license
agreements, confidentiality procedures, non-disclosure agreements with third parties, employee disclosure and invention assignment agreements, and other
contractual rights. In addition, to further protect our proprietary rights, from time to time we have purchased patents and patent applications from third parties. We
do not believe that our proprietary technology is dependent on any single patent or copyright or groups of related patents or copyrights. We believe the duration of
our patents is adequate relative to the expected lives of our products.
Government Regulation
We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and abroad that involve matters central to our business, many of which are still
evolving and being tested in courts, and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business. These laws and regulations involve matters including privacy,
data use, data protection and personal information, rights of publicity, content, intellectual property, advertising, marketing, distribution, data security, data
retention and deletion, data localization and storage, data disclosure, artificial intelligence, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, protection
of minors, consumer protection, telecommunications, product liability, e-commerce, taxation, economic or other trade prohibitions or sanctions, anti-corruption
and political law compliance, securities law compliance, and online payment services. In particular, we are subject to federal, state, and foreign laws regarding
privacy and protection of people's data. Foreign data protection, privacy, content, competition, and other laws and regulations can impose different obligations or
be more restrictive than those in the United States.
These U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government entities,
are constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often
uncertain, particularly in the new and rapidly evolving industry in which we operate, and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country and
inconsistently with our current policies and practices. For example, regulatory or legislative actions affecting the manner in which we display content to our users
or obtain consent to various practices, or otherwise relating to content that is made available on our products, could adversely affect our financial results. In the
United States, there have been, and continue to be, various efforts to remove or restrict the scope of the protections available to online platforms under Section 230
of the Communications Decency Act, and any such changes may increase our costs or require significant changes to our products, business practices, or operations,
which could adversely affect our business and financial results.
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We are also subject to evolving laws and regulations that dictate whether, how, and under what circumstances we can transfer, process and/or receive
certain data that is critical to our operations, including data shared between countries or regions in which we operate and data shared among our products and
services. If we are unable to transfer data between and among countries and regions in which we operate, or if we are restricted from sharing data among our
products and services, it could affect our ability to provide our services, the manner in which we provide our services or our ability to target ads, which could
adversely affect our financial results. For example, the Privacy Shield, a transfer framework we relied upon for data transferred from the European Union to the
United States, was invalidated in July 2020 by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). In addition, the other bases upon which Facebook relies to
transfer such data, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), have been subjected to regulatory and judicial scrutiny. In August 2020, we received a
preliminary draft decision from the Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) that preliminarily concluded that Facebook Ireland's reliance on SCCs in respect of
European user data does not achieve compliance with the GDPR and preliminarily proposed that such transfers of user data from the European Union to the United
States should therefore be suspended. Facebook Ireland challenged procedural aspects of this IDPC inquiry in a judicial review commenced in the Irish High Court
in September 2020. While we also rely upon alternative legal bases for data transfers, if a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are
unable to continue to rely on SCCs or validly rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we may be unable to operate
material portions of our business in Europe as a result of the CJEU's invalidation of the Privacy Shield and any final decision of IDPC, which would materially and
adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Proposed or new legislation and regulations could also significantly affect our business. For example, the European General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR) took effect in May 2018 and applies to all of our products and services used by people in Europe. The GDPR includes operational requirements for
companies that receive or process personal data of residents of the European Union that are different from those previously in place in the European Union, and
includes significant penalties for non-compliance. The Brazilian General Data Protection Law recently took effect and imposes data privacy-related requirements
similar to GDPR on products and services offered to users in Brazil. The California Consumer Privacy Act, which took effect in January 2020, also establishes
certain transparency rules and creates new data privacy rights for users. In addition, effective December 2020, the European Union's ePrivacy Directive includes
additional limitations on the use of data across messaging products and includes significant penalties for non-compliance. Changes to our products or business
practices as a result of these developments may adversely affect our advertising business. Similarly, there are a number of legislative proposals in the European
Union, the United States, at both the federal and state level, as well as other jurisdictions that could impose new obligations or limitations in areas affecting our
business, such as liability for copyright infringement. In addition, some countries are considering or have passed legislation implementing data protection
requirements or requiring local storage and processing of data or similar requirements that could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services.
We are, and expect to continue to be, the subject of investigations, inquiries, data requests, requests for information, actions, and audits by government
authorities and regulators in the United States, Europe, and around the world, particularly in the areas of privacy, data protection, law enforcement, consumer
protection, and competition, as we continue to grow and expand our operations. We are also currently, and may in the future be, subject to regulatory orders or
consent decrees, including the modified consent order we entered into with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which took effect in April 2020 and, among
other matters, requires us to implement a comprehensive expansion of our privacy program. Orders issued by, or inquiries or enforcement actions initiated by,
government or regulatory authorities could cause us to incur substantial costs, expose us to unanticipated civil and criminal liability or penalties (including
substantial monetary remedies), interrupt or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business, result in negative publicity
and reputational harm, divert resources and the time and attention of management from our business, or subject us to other structural or behavioral remedies that
adversely affect our business.
For additional information about government regulation applicable to our business, see Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-
K.
Human Capital
At Facebook, we design products to bring the world closer together, one connection at a time. As a company, we believe that people are at the heart of every
connection we build. We are proud of our unique company culture where ideas, innovation, and impact win, and we work hard to build strong teams across
engineering, product design, marketing, and other areas to further our mission.
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We had a global workforce of 58,604 employees as of December 31, 2020, which represents a 30% year-over-year increase in employee headcount. We
expect headcount growth to continue for the foreseeable future, particularly as we continue to focus on recruiting employees in technical functions. In addition, we
plan to continue to hire a number of employees and contractors to continue to bolster various privacy, safety, security, and content review initiatives as well as
other functions to support our expected growth.
Our headquarters are located in Menlo Park, California and we have offices in more than 80 cities around the globe. The vast majority of our personnel are
currently working remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the long term, we expect some personnel to transition to working remotely on a regular
basis.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are core to our work at Facebook. We seek to build a diverse and inclusive workplace where we can leverage our collective
cognitive diversity to build the best products and make the best decisions for the global community we serve. While we have made progress, we still have more
work to do.
We publish our global gender diversity and U.S. ethnic diversity workforce data annually. In 2020, we announced that as of June 30, 2020, our global
employee base was comprised of 37% females and 63% males, and our U.S. employee base was comprised of the following ethnicities: 44.4% Asian, 41% White,
6.3% Hispanic, 4% two or more ethnicities, 3.9% Black, and 0.4% additional groups (including American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander). We also announced our goals to have 50% of our workforce made up of underrepresented populations by 2024, and to increase the representation
of people of color in leadership positions in the United States, including Black leadership, by 30% from 2020 to 2025. We will also continue our ongoing efforts to
increase the representation of women in leadership.
We work to support our goals of diversifying our workforce through recruiting, retention, people development, and inclusion. We employ our Diverse
Slate Approach in our global recruitment efforts, which ensures that teams and hiring managers have the opportunity to consider qualified people from
underrepresented groups for open roles. We have seen steady increases in hiring rates of people from underrepresented groups since we started testing this
approach in 2015. We also continue to provide diversity and inclusion training for our recruiting team and develop inclusive internship programs. Facebook
University, our training program for college freshmen and sophomores with an interest in Computer Science, also utilizes a proactive and inclusive approach to
promote participation by people from underrepresented groups. To help build community among our people and support their professional development, we invest
in our internal Facebook Resource Groups and our annual Community events such as Women's Community Summit, Black Community Summit, Latin Community
Summit, and Pride Community Summit. We also offer Managing Unconscious Bias, Managing Inclusion, and Be the Ally trainings to promote an inclusive
workplace by helping people understand the issues that affect underrepresented communities and how to reduce the effects of bias in the workplace.
Compensation and Benefits
We offer competitive compensation to attract and retain the best people, and we help care for our people so they can focus on our mission. Our employees'
total compensation package includes market-competitive salary, bonuses or sales commissions, and equity. We generally offer full-time employees equity at the
time of hire and through annual equity grants because we want them to be owners of the company and committed to our long-term success. We have conducted pay
equity analyses for many years, and continue to be committed to pay equity. In 2020, we announced that our analyses indicate that we continue to have pay equity
across gender globally and race in the United States for people in similar jobs, accounting for factors such as location, role, and level.
Through Life@ Facebook, our holistic approach to benefits, we provide our employees and their loved ones resources to help them thrive. We offer a wide
range of benefits across areas such as health, family, finance, community, and time away, including healthcare and wellness benefits, adoption and surrogacy
assistance, family care resources, a 401(k) plan, access to tax and legal services, Facebook Resource Groups to build community at Facebook, family leave, and
paid time off.
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Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Delaware in July 2004. We completed our initial public offering in May 2012 and our Class A common stock is listed on The
Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "FB." Our principal executive offices are located at 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, and our
telephone number is (650) 543-4800.
Facebook, the Facebook logo, FB, the Like button, Instagram, Oculus, WhatsApp, and our other registered or common law trademarks, service marks, or
trade names appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of Facebook, Inc. or its affiliates. Other trademarks, service marks, or trade names
appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K are the property of their respective owners.
Available Information
Our website address is www.facebook.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and
amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), are filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and file or furnish reports, proxy statements,
and other information with the SEC. Such reports and other information filed by us with the SEC are available free of charge on our website at investor.fb.com
when such reports are available on the SEC's website. We use our investor.fb.com and about.fb.com/news/ websites as well as Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Page
(https://www.facebook.com/zuck) as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.
The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically
with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
The contents of the websites referred to above are not incorporated into this filing. Further, our references to the URLs for these websites are intended to be
inactive textual references only.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
Certain factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. You should consider carefully the risks and
uncertainties described below, in addition to other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and
related notes. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we
currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business,
financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our Class A common
stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks, including risks that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may adversely affect our
business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects. These risks are discussed more fully below and include, but are not limited to, risks
related to:
Risks Related to Our Product Offerings
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our ability to add and retain users and maintain levels of user engagement with our products;
the loss of, or reduction in spending by, our marketers;
reduced availability of data signals used by our ad targeting and measurement tools;
ineffective operation with mobile operating systems or changes in our relationships with mobile operating system partners;
failure of our new products, or changes to our existing products, to attract or retain users or generate revenue;
Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Financial Results
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the COVID-19 pandemic, including its impact on our advertising business;
our ability to compete effectively;
unfavorable media coverage and other risks affecting our ability to maintain and enhance our brands;
volatile or slower user and revenue growth rates in the future;
acquisitions and our ability to successfully integrate our acquisitions;
our ability to build, maintain, and scale our technical infrastructure, and risks associated with disruptions in our service;
operating our business in multiple countries around the world;
litigation, including class action lawsuits;
Risks Related to Government Regulation and Enforcement
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government restrictions on access to Facebook or our other products, or other actions that impair our ability to sell advertising, in their countries;
complex and evolving U.S. and foreign privacy, data use and data protection, content, competition, consumer protection, and other laws and regulations;
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the impact of government investigations, enforcement actions, and settlements, including litigation and investigations by privacy and competition
authorities;
our ability to comply with regulatory and legislative privacy requirements, including our consent order with the Federal Trade Commission;
Risks Related to Data, Security, and Intellectual Property
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the occurrence of security breaches, improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, and other cyber incidents or undesirable activity on our
platform;
our ability to obtain, maintain, protect, and enforce our intellectual property rights; and
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock
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limitations on the ability of holders of our Class A Common Stock to influence corporate matters due to the dual class structure of our common stock and
the control of a majority of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock by our founder, Chairman, and CEO.
Risks Related to Our Product Offerings
If we fail to retain existing users or add new users, or if our users decrease their level of engagement with our products, our revenue, financial results, and
business may be significantly harmed.
The size of our user base and our users' level of engagement are critical to our success. Our financial performance has been and will continue to be
significantly determined by our success in adding, retaining, and engaging active users of our products, particularly for Facebook and Instagram. We anticipate that
our active user growth rate will generally decline over time as the size of our active user base increases, and we expect that the size of our active user base will
fluctuate or decline in one or more markets from time to time, particularly in markets where we have achieved higher penetration rates. For example, beginning in
the first quarter of 2020, we experienced significant increases in the size and engagement of our active user base across a number of regions as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, we have seen user growth and engagement returning to pre-pandemic trends, and in each of the third and fourth quarters of
2020, we experienced slight declines on a quarter-over-quarter basis in the number of daily active users on Facebook in the United States & Canada region. We are
unable to predict the impact of the pandemic on user growth and engagement with any certainty, and we expect these trends to continue to be subject to volatility.
If people do not perceive our products to be useful, reliable, and trustworthy, we may not be able to attract or retain users or otherwise maintain or increase the
frequency and duration of their engagement. A number of other social networking companies that achieved early popularity have since seen their active user bases
or levels of engagement decline, in some cases precipitously. There is no guarantee that we will not experience a similar erosion of our active user base or
engagement levels. Our user engagement patterns have changed over time, and user engagement can be difficult to measure, particularly as we introduce new and
different products and services. Any number of factors can negatively affect user retention, growth, and engagement, including if:
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users increasingly engage with other competitive products or services;
we fail to introduce new features, products, or services that users find engaging or if we introduce new products or services, or make changes to
existing products and services, that are not favorably received;
users feel that their experience is diminished as a result of the decisions we make with respect to the frequency, prominence, format, size, and quality
of ads that we display;
users have difficulty installing, updating, or otherwise accessing our products on mobile devices as a result of actions by us or third parties that we
rely on to distribute our products and deliver our services;
user behavior on any of our products changes, including decreases in the quality and frequency of content shared on our products and services;
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we are unable to continue to develop products for mobile devices that users find engaging, that work with a variety of mobile operating systems and
networks, and that achieve a high level of market acceptance;
there are decreases in user sentiment due to questions about the quality or usefulness of our products or our user data practices, concerns about the
nature of content made available on our products, or concerns related to privacy, safety, security, well-being, or other factors;
we are unable to manage and prioritize information to ensure users are presented with content that is appropriate, interesting, useful, and relevant to
them;
we are unable to obtain or attract engaging third-party content;
we are unable to successfully maintain or grow usage of and engagement with mobile and web applications that integrate with Facebook and our
other products;
users adopt new technologies where our products may be displaced in favor of other products or services, or may not be featured or otherwise
available;
there are changes mandated by legislation, government and regulatory authorities, or litigation that adversely affect our products or users;
we are unable to operate material portions of our business in Europe, or are otherwise limited in such operations, as a result of European regulators,
courts, or legislative bodies determining that our reliance on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or other legal bases we rely upon to transfer user
data from the European Union to the United States is invalid;
there is decreased engagement with our products, or failure to accept our terms of service, as part of privacy-focused changes that we have
implemented or may implement in the future, whether voluntarily, in connection with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the European
Union's ePrivacy Directive, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), or other laws, regulations, or regulatory actions, or otherwise;
technical or other problems prevent us from delivering our products in a rapid and reliable manner or otherwise affect the user experience, such as
security breaches or failure to prevent or limit spam or similar content;
we adopt terms, policies, or procedures related to areas such as sharing, content, user data, or advertising, or take actions to enforce our policies, that
are perceived negatively by our users or the general public, including as a result of decisions or recommendations from the independent Oversight
Board regarding content on our platform;
we elect to focus our product decisions on longer-term initiatives that do not prioritize near-term user growth and engagement;
we make changes in how we promote different products and services across our family of products;
initiatives designed to attract and retain users and engagement are unsuccessful or discontinued, whether as a result of actions by us, third parties, or
otherwise;
third-party initiatives that may enable greater use of our products, including low-cost or discounted data plans, are discontinued;
there is decreased engagement with our products as a result of taxes imposed on the use of social media or other mobile applications in certain
countries, internet shutdowns, or other actions by governments that affect the accessibility of our products in their countries;
we fail to provide adequate customer service to users, marketers, developers, or other partners;
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we, developers whose products are integrated with our products, or other partners and companies in our industry are the subject of adverse media
reports or other negative publicity, including as a result of our or their user data practices; or
our current or future products, such as our development tools and application programming interfaces that enable developers to build, grow, and
monetize mobile and web applications, reduce user activity on our products by making it easier for our users to interact and share on third-party
mobile and web applications.
From time to time, certain of these factors have negatively affected user retention, growth, and engagement to varying degrees. If we are unable to maintain
or increase our user base and user engagement, particularly for our significant revenue-generating products like Facebook and Instagram, our revenue and financial
results may be adversely affected. Any significant decrease in user retention, growth, or engagement could render our products less attractive to users, marketers,
and developers, which is likely to have a material and adverse impact on our revenue, business, financial condition, and results of operations. If our active user
growth rate continues to slow, we will become increasingly dependent on our ability to maintain or increase levels of user engagement and monetization in order to
drive revenue growth.
We generate substantially all of our revenue from advertising. The loss of marketers, or reduction in spending by marketers, could seriously harm our
business.
Substantially all of our revenue is currently generated from third parties advertising on Facebook and Instagram. As is common in the industry, our
marketers do not have long-term advertising commitments with us. Many of our marketers spend only a relatively small portion of their overall advertising budget
with us. Marketers will not continue to do business with us, or they will reduce the budgets they are willing to commit to us, if we do not deliver ads in an effective
manner, or if they do not believe that their investment in advertising with us will generate a competitive return relative to other alternatives. We have implemented,
and we will continue to implement, changes to our user data practices. Some of these changes reduce our ability to effectively target ads, which has to some extent
adversely affected, and will continue to adversely affect, our advertising business. If we are unable to provide marketers with a suitable return on investment, the
pricing of our ads may not increase, or may decline, in which case our revenue and financial results may be harmed.
Our advertising revenue can also be adversely affected by a number of other factors, including:
decreases in user engagement, including time spent on our products;
our inability to continue to increase user access to and engagement with our products;
product changes or inventory management decisions we may make that change the size, format, frequency, or relative prominence of ads displayed
on our products or of other unpaid content shared by marketers on our products;
our inability to maintain or increase marketer demand, the pricing of our ads, or both;
our inability to maintain or increase the quantity or quality of ads shown to users;
changes to third-party policies that limit our ability to deliver, target, or measure the effectiveness of advertising, including changes by mobile
operating system and browser providers such as Apple and Google;
adverse government actions or legislative, regulatory, or other legal developments relating to advertising, including developments that may impact
our ability to deliver, target, or measure the effectiveness of advertising;
user behavior or product changes that may reduce traffic to features or products that we successfully monetize, including as a result of increased
usage of the Stories format or our messaging products;
reductions of advertising by marketers due to our efforts to implement or enforce advertising policies that protect the security and integrity of our
platform;
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the availability, accuracy, utility, and security of analytics and measurement solutions offered by us or third parties that demonstrate the value of our
ads to marketers, or our ability to further improve such tools;
loss of advertising market share to our competitors, including if prices to purchase our ads increase or if competitors offer lower priced, more
integrated, or otherwise more effective products;
limitations on our ability to operate material portions of our business in Europe as a result of European regulators, courts, or legislative bodies
determining that our reliance on SCCs or other legal bases we rely upon to transfer user data from the European Union to the United States is invalid;
changes in our marketing and sales or other operations that we are required to or elect to make as a result of risks related to complying with foreign
laws or regulatory requirements or other government actions;
decisions by marketers to reduce their advertising as a result of adverse media reports or other negative publicity involving us, our user data practices,
our advertising metrics or tools, content on our products, our efforts to implement or enforce policies relating to content on our products (including as
a result of decisions or recommendations from the independent Oversight Board), developers with mobile and web applications that are integrated
with our products, or other companies in our industry;
reductions of advertising by marketers due to objectionable content made available on our products by third parties, questions about our user data
practices, concerns about brand safety or potential legal liability, or uncertainty regarding their own legal and compliance obligations (for example, a
number of marketers announced that they paused advertising with us in July 2020 due to concerns about content on our products);
the effectiveness of our ad targeting or degree to which users opt out of the use of data for ads, including as a result of product changes and controls
that we have implemented or may implement in the future in connection with the GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, California Consumer Privacy Act
(CCPA), other laws, regulations, or regulatory actions, or otherwise, that impact our ability to use data for advertising purposes;
the degree to which users cease or reduce the number of times they engage with our ads;
changes in the way advertising on mobile devices or on personal computers is measured or priced;
the success of technologies designed to block the display of ads or ad measurement tools;
changes in the composition of our marketer base or our inability to maintain or grow our marketer base; and
the impact of macroeconomic conditions, whether in the advertising industry in general, or among specific types of marketers or within particular
geographies.
From time to time, certain of these factors have adversely affected our advertising revenue to varying degrees. The occurrence of any of these or other
factors in the future could result in a reduction in demand for our ads, which may reduce the prices we receive for our ads, or cause marketers to stop advertising
with us altogether, either of which would negatively affect our revenue and financial results. For example, macroeconomic conditions have affected, and may in
the future affect, marketers' ability or willingness to spend with us, as we have seen with the regional and worldwide economic disruption related to the COVID-19
pandemic and associated declines in advertising activity on our products. The effects of the pandemic previously resulted in reduced demand for our ads, a related
decline in pricing of our ads, and additional demands on our technical infrastructure as a result of increased usage of our services, and any similar occurrences in
the future may impair our ability to maintain or increase the quantity or quality of ads shown to users and adversely affect our revenue and financial results.
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Our advertising revenue is dependent on targeting and measurement tools that incorporate data signals from user activity on websites and services that we do
not control, and changes to the regulatory environment, third-party mobile operating systems and browsers, and our own products have impacted, and we
expect will continue to impact, the availability of such signals, which will adversely affect our advertising revenue.
We rely on data signals from user activity on websites and services that we do not control in order to deliver relevant and effective ads to our users. Our
advertising revenue is dependent on targeting and measurement tools that incorporate these signals, and any changes in our ability to use such signals will
adversely affect our business. For example, legislative and regulatory developments, such as the GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, and CCPA, have impacted, and we
expect will continue to impact, our ability to use such signals in our ad products. In particular, we have seen an increasing number of users opt out of certain types
of ad targeting in Europe following adoption of the GDPR, and we have introduced product changes that limit data signal use for certain users in California
following adoption of the CCPA. Regulatory guidance or decisions or new legislation may require us to make additional changes to our products in the future that
further reduce our ability to use these signals. In addition, mobile operating system and browser providers, such as Apple and Google, have announced product
changes as well as future plans to limit the ability of application developers to collect and use these signals to target and measure advertising. For example, in June
2020, Apple announced that it plans to make certain changes to its products and data use policies in connection with the release of its iOS 14 operating system that
will reduce our and other iOS developers' ability to target and measure advertising, which we expect will in turn reduce the budgets marketers are willing to
commit to us and other advertising platforms. In addition, we have implemented, and may continue to implement, product changes that give users the ability to
limit our use of such data signals to improve ads and other experiences on our products and services, including our Off-Facebook Activity tool and our worldwide
offering of certain product changes we implemented in connection with the GDPR. These developments have limited our ability to target and measure the
effectiveness of ads on our platform, and negatively impacted our advertising revenue, and if we are unable to mitigate these developments as they take further
effect in the future, our targeting and measurement capabilities will be materially and adversely affected, which would in turn significantly impact our future
advertising revenue growth.
Our user growth, engagement, and monetization on mobile devices depend upon effective operation with mobile operating systems, networks, technologies,
products, and standards that we do not control.
The substantial majority of our revenue is generated from advertising on mobile devices. There is no guarantee that popular mobile devices will continue to
feature Facebook or our other products, or that mobile device users will continue to use our products rather than competing products. We are dependent on the
interoperability of Facebook and our other products with popular mobile operating systems, networks, technologies, products, and standards that we do not control,
such as the Android and iOS operating systems and mobile browsers. Any changes, bugs, or technical issues in such systems, or changes in our relationships with
mobile operating system partners, handset manufacturers, browser developers, or mobile carriers, or in their terms of service or policies that degrade our products'
functionality, reduce or eliminate our ability to update or distribute our products, give preferential treatment to competitive products, limit our ability to deliver,
target, or measure the effectiveness of ads, or charge fees related to the distribution of our products or our delivery of ads could adversely affect the usage of
Facebook or our other products and monetization on mobile devices. For example, Apple previously released an update to its Safari browser that limits the use of
third-party cookies, which reduces our ability to provide the most relevant ads to our users and impacts monetization, and more recently announced changes to
iOS 14 that will limit our ability to target and measure ads effectively. We expect that any similar changes to its, Google's, or other browser or mobile platforms
will further limit our ability to target and measure the effectiveness of ads and impact monetization. Additionally, in order to deliver high quality mobile products,
it is important that our products work well with a range of mobile technologies, products, systems, networks, and standards that we do not control, and that we have
good relationships with handset manufacturers, mobile carriers, and browser developers. We may not be successful in maintaining or developing relationships with
key participants in the mobile ecosystem or in developing products that operate effectively with these technologies, products, systems, networks, or standards. In
the event that it is more difficult for our users to access and use Facebook or our other products on their mobile devices, or if our users choose not to access or use
Facebook or our other products on their mobile devices or use mobile products that do not offer access to Facebook or our other products, our user growth and user
engagement could be harmed. From time to time, we may also take actions regarding the distribution of our products or the operation of our business based on
what we believe to be in our long-term best interests. Such actions may adversely affect our users and our relationships with the operators of mobile operating
systems, handset manufacturers, mobile carriers, browser developers, other business partners, or advertisers, and there is no assurance that these actions will result
in the anticipated long-term benefits. In the event that our users are adversely affected by these actions or if our relationships with such third parties deteriorate, our
user growth, engagement, and monetization could be adversely affected
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and our business could be harmed. We have in the past experienced challenges in operating with mobile operating systems, networks, technologies, products, and
standards that we do not control, and any such occurrences in the future may negatively impact our user growth, engagement, and monetization on mobile devices,
which may in turn materially and adversely affect our business and financial results.
Our new products and changes to existing products could fail to attract or retain users or generate revenue and profits.
Our ability to retain, increase, and engage our user base and to increase our revenue depends heavily on our ability to continue to evolve our existing
products and to create successful new products, both independently and in conjunction with developers or other third parties. We may introduce significant changes
to our existing products or acquire or introduce new and unproven products, including using technologies with which we have little or no prior development or
operating experience. For example, we do not have significant experience with consumer hardware products or virtual or augmented reality technology, which may
adversely affect our ability to successfully develop and market these products and technologies. We continue to incur substantial costs, and we may not be
successful in generating profits, in connection with these efforts. In addition, the introduction of new products, or changes to existing products, may result in new
or enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, or other complications that could adversely affect our business and financial results. We have also
invested, and expect to continue to invest, significant resources in growing our WhatsApp and Messenger products to support increasing usage of such products.
We have historically monetized messaging in only a limited fashion, and we may not be successful in our efforts to generate meaningful revenue or profits from
messaging over the long term. In addition, we are moving forward with plans to implement end-to-end encryption across our messaging services, as well as
facilitate cross-app communication between these platforms, which plans have drawn governmental and regulatory scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. If our new or
enhanced products fail to engage users, marketers, or developers, or if our business plans are unsuccessful, we may fail to attract or retain users or to generate
sufficient revenue, operating margin, or other value to justify our investments, and our business may be adversely affected.
We make product and investment decisions that may not prioritize short-term financial results and may not produce the long-term benefits that we expect.
We frequently make product and investment decisions that may not prioritize short-term financial results if we believe that the decisions are consistent with
our mission and benefit the aggregate user experience and will thereby improve our financial performance over the long term. For example, we have implemented,
and we will continue to implement, changes to our user data practices. Some of these changes reduce our ability to effectively target ads, which has to some extent
adversely affected, and will continue to adversely affect, our advertising business. For example, our Off-Facebook Activity tool enables users to place limits on our
storage and use of information about their interactions with advertisers' apps and websites, which reduces our ability to deliver the most relevant and effective ads
to our users. Similarly, from time to time we update our News Feed ranking algorithm to optimize the user experience, and these changes have had, and may in the
future have, the effect of reducing time spent and some measures of user engagement with Facebook, which could adversely affect our financial results. From time
to time, we may also change the size, frequency, or relative prominence of ads in order to improve ad quality and overall user experience. In addition, we have
made, and we expect to continue to make, other changes to our products which may adversely affect the distribution of content of publishers, marketers, and
developers, and could reduce their incentive to invest in their efforts on Facebook or our other products. We also may introduce new features or other changes to
existing products, or introduce new stand-alone products, that attract users away from properties, formats, or use cases where we have more proven means of
monetization. For example, we previously introduced the Stories format, which we do not currently monetize at the same rate as News Feed. In addition, as we
focus on growing users and engagement across our family of products, from time to time these efforts have reduced, and may in the future reduce, engagement
with one or more products and services in favor of other products or services that we monetize less successfully or that are not growing as quickly. These decisions
may adversely affect our business and results of operations and may not produce the long-term benefits that we expect.
If we are not able to maintain and enhance our brands, our ability to expand our base of users, marketers, and developers may be impaired, and our business
and financial results may be harmed.
We believe that our brands have significantly contributed to the success of our business. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing our brands is
critical to expanding our base of users, marketers, and developers. Many of our new users are referred by existing users. Maintaining and enhancing our brands will
depend largely on our ability to continue to provide useful, reliable, trustworthy, and innovative products, which we may not do successfully. We may introduce
new
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products or terms of service or policies that users do not like, which may negatively affect our brands. Additionally, the actions of our developers or advertisers
may affect our brands if users do not have a positive experience using third-party mobile and web applications integrated with our products or interacting with
parties that advertise through our products. We will also continue to experience media, legislative, or regulatory scrutiny of our actions or decisions regarding user
privacy, data use, encryption, content, advertising, competition, and other issues, including actions or decisions in connection with elections or the COVID‑19
pandemic, which has in the past adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, our reputation and brands. For example, in March 2018, we announced
developments regarding the misuse of certain data by a developer that shared such data with third parties in violation of our terms and policies. We also may fail to
respond expeditiously or appropriately to the sharing of objectionable content on our services or objectionable practices by advertisers or developers, or to
otherwise address user concerns, which has occurred in the past and which could erode confidence in our brands. Our brands may also be negatively affected by
the actions of users that are deemed to be hostile or inappropriate to other users, by the actions of users acting under false or inauthentic identities, by the use of our
products or services to disseminate information that is deemed to be misleading (or intended to manipulate opinions), by perceived or actual efforts by
governments to obtain access to user information for security-related purposes or to censor certain content on our platform, by the use of our products or services
for illicit or objectionable ends, including, for example, any such actions around the pandemic or elections in the United States and around the world, by decisions
or recommendations regarding content on our platform from the independent Oversight Board, or by our decisions to remove content or suspend participation on
our platform by persons who violate our community standards or terms of service. Maintaining and enhancing our brands will require us to make substantial
investments and these investments may not be successful. Certain of our past actions, such as the foregoing matter regarding developer misuse of data and concerns
around our handling of political speech and advertising, hate speech, and other content, have eroded confidence in our brands, and if we fail to successfully
promote and maintain our brands or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business and financial results may be adversely affected.
We may not be able to continue to successfully maintain or grow usage of and engagement with mobile and web applications that integrate with Facebook and
our other products.
We have made and are continuing to make investments to enable developers to build, grow, and monetize mobile and web applications that integrate with
Facebook and our other products. Such existing and prospective developers may not be successful in building, growing, or monetizing mobile and/or web
applications that create and maintain user engagement. Additionally, developers may choose to build on other platforms, including mobile platforms controlled by
third parties, rather than building products that integrate with Facebook and our other products. We are continuously seeking to balance the distribution objectives
of our developers with our desire to provide an optimal user experience, and we may not be successful in achieving a balance that continues to attract and retain
such developers. For example, from time to time, we have taken actions to reduce the volume of communications from these developers to users on Facebook and
our other products with the objective of enhancing the user experience, and such actions have reduced distribution from, user engagement with, and our
monetization opportunities from, mobile and web applications integrated with our products. In addition, as part of our efforts related to privacy, safety, and
security, we conduct investigations and audits of platform applications from time to time, and we also have announced several product changes that restrict
developer access to certain user data. In some instances, these actions, as well as other actions to enforce our policies applicable to developers, have adversely
affected, or will adversely affect, our relationships with developers. If we are not successful in our efforts to maintain or grow the number of developers that
choose to build products that integrate with Facebook and our other products or if we are unable to continue to build and maintain good relations with such
developers, our user growth and user engagement and our financial results may be adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Financial Results
The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may in the future have, a significant adverse impact on our advertising revenue and also exposes our business to other
risks.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in authorities implementing numerous preventative measures to contain or mitigate the outbreak of the virus, such
as travel bans and restrictions, limitations on business activity, quarantines, and shelter-in-place orders. These measures have caused, and are continuing to cause,
business slowdowns or shutdowns in affected areas, both regionally and worldwide, which have significantly impacted our business and results of operations. For
example, in the second quarter of 2020, our advertising revenue grew 10% year-over-year, which was the slowest growth rate for any fiscal quarter since our initial
public offering. While our advertising revenue growth rate improved in subsequent
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quarters, there can be no assurance that it will not decrease again as a result of the effects of the pandemic. In addition, we believe that the pandemic has
contributed to an acceleration in the shift of commerce from offline to online, as well as increasing consumer demand for purchasing products as opposed to
services, which in turn have increased demand for our advertising services; however, it is possible that this increased demand may not continue in future periods
and may even recede as the effects of the pandemic subside, which could adversely affect our advertising revenue growth. The demand for and pricing of our
advertising services may be materially and adversely impacted by the pandemic for the foreseeable future, and we are unable to predict the duration or degree of
such impact with any certainty. In addition to the impact on our advertising business, the pandemic exposes our business, operations, and workforce to a variety of
other risks, including:
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volatility in the size of our user base and user engagement, particularly for our messaging products, whether as a result of shelter-in-place measures
or other factors;
decreased user engagement as a result of users' inability to purchase data packs or devices to access our products and services;
interruptions in the accessibility or performance of our products and services due to capacity constraints from increased usage, or product changes we
implement to maintain accessibility of our services, such as reducing the quality of video to reduce bandwidth usage;
delays in product development or releases, or reductions in manufacturing production and sales of consumer hardware, as a result of inventory
shortages, supply chain or labor shortages, or diversion of our efforts and resources to projects related to COVID-19;
increased misuse of our products and services or user data by third parties, including improper advertising practices or other activity inconsistent with
our terms, contracts, or policies, misinformation or other illicit or objectionable material on our platforms, election interference, or other undesirable
activity;
adverse impacts to our efforts to combat misuse of our products and services and user data as a result of limitations on our safety, security, and
content review efforts while our workforce is working remotely, such as the necessity to rely more heavily on artificial intelligence to perform tasks
that our workforce is unable to perform;
our inability to recognize revenue, collect payment, or generate future revenue from marketers, including from those that have been or may be forced
to close their businesses or are otherwise impacted by the economic downturn;
increased expenses resulting from our initiatives or donations related to the pandemic;
significant volatility and disruption of global financial markets, which could cause fluctuations in currency exchange rates or negatively impact our
ability to access capital in the future;
negative impact on our workforce productivity, product development, and research and development due to difficulties resulting from our personnel
working remotely;
illnesses to key employees, or a significant portion of our workforce, which may result in inefficiencies, delays, and disruptions in our business; and
increased volatility and uncertainty in the financial projections we use as the basis for estimates used in our financial statements.
Any of these developments may adversely affect our business, harm our reputation, or result in legal or regulatory actions against us. The persistence of
COVID-19, and the preventative measures implemented to help limit the spread of the illness, have impacted, and will continue to impact, our ability to operate
our business and may materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our business is highly competitive. Competition presents an ongoing threat to the success of our business.
We compete with companies providing connection and communication products and services to users online, as well as companies that sell advertising to
businesses looking to reach consumers and/or develop tools and systems for managing
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and optimizing advertising campaigns. We face significant competition in every aspect of our business, including, but not limited to, companies that facilitate the
ability of users to share, communicate, and discover content and information online or enable marketers to reach their existing or prospective audiences, including,
for example, Google, Apple, YouTube, Tencent, Snap, Twitter, ByteDance, Microsoft, and Amazon. We compete to attract, engage, and retain people who use our
products, to attract and retain businesses that use our free or paid business and advertising services, and to attract and retain developers who build compelling
mobile and web applications that integrate with our products. We also compete with companies that develop and deliver consumer hardware and virtual reality
products and services. As we introduce or acquire new products, as our existing products evolve, or as other companies introduce new products and services, we
may become subject to additional competition.
Some of our current and potential competitors may have greater resources or stronger competitive positions in certain product segments, geographic regions,
or user demographics than we do. For example, some of our competitors may be domiciled in different countries and subject to political, legal, and regulatory
regimes that enable them to compete more effectively than us. These factors may allow our competitors to respond more effectively than us to new or emerging
technologies and changes in market conditions. We believe that some users, particularly younger users, are aware of and actively engaging with other products and
services similar to, or as a substitute for, our products and services, and we believe that some users have reduced their use of and engagement with our products
and services in favor of these other products and services. In the event that users increasingly engage with other products and services, we may experience a
decline in use and engagement in key user demographics or more broadly, in which case our business would likely be harmed.
Our competitors may develop products, features, or services that are similar to ours or that achieve greater acceptance, may undertake more far-reaching and
successful product development efforts or marketing campaigns, or may adopt more aggressive pricing policies. Some competitors may gain a competitive
advantage against us in areas where we operate, including: by making acquisitions; by limiting our ability to deliver, target, or measure the effectiveness of ads; by
imposing fees or other charges related to our delivery of ads; by making access to our products more difficult or impossible; by making it more difficult to
communicate with our users; or by integrating competing platforms, applications, or features into products they control such as mobile device operating systems,
search engines, browsers, or e-commerce platforms. For example, each of Apple and Google have integrated competitive products with iOS and Android,
respectively. In addition, Apple has announced changes to iOS 14 that will limit our ability, and the ability of others in the digital advertising industry, to target and
measure ads effectively. As a result, our competitors may, and in some cases will, acquire and engage users or generate advertising or other revenue at the expense
of our own efforts, which would negatively affect our business and financial results. In addition, from time to time, we may take actions in response to competitive
threats, but we cannot assure you that these actions will be successful or that they will not negatively affect our business and financial results.
We believe that our ability to compete effectively depends upon many factors both within and beyond our control, including:
the popularity, usefulness, ease of use, performance, and reliability of our products compared to our competitors' products;
the size and composition of our user base;
the engagement of users with our products and competing products;
our ability to attract and retain businesses who use our free or paid business and advertising services;
the timing and market acceptance of products, including developments and enhancements to our or our competitors' products;
our safety and security efforts and our ability to protect user data and to provide users with control over their data;
our ability to distribute our products to new and existing users;
our ability to monetize our products;
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the frequency, size, format, quality, and relative prominence of the ads displayed by us or our competitors;
customer service and support efforts;
marketing and selling efforts, including our ability to measure the effectiveness of our ads and to provide marketers with a compelling return on their
investments;
our ability to establish and maintain developers' interest in building mobile and web applications that integrate with Facebook and our other products;
our ability to establish and maintain publisher interest in integrating their content with Facebook and our other products;
changes mandated by legislation, regulatory authorities, or litigation, some of which may have a disproportionate effect on us;
acquisitions or consolidation within our industry, which may result in more formidable competitors;
our ability to attract, retain, and motivate talented employees, particularly software engineers, designers, and product managers;
our ability to cost-effectively manage and grow our operations; and
our reputation and brand strength relative to those of our competitors.
If we are not able to compete effectively, our user base and level of user engagement may decrease, we may become less attractive to developers and
marketers, and our revenue and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Unfavorable media coverage negatively affects our business from time to time.
We receive a high degree of media coverage around the world. Unfavorable publicity regarding, for example, our privacy practices, terms of service,
advertising policies, product changes, product quality, litigation or regulatory activity, government surveillance, the actions of our advertisers, the actions of our
developers whose products are integrated with our products, the use of our products or services for illicit or objectionable ends, the substance or enforcement of our
community standards, the actions of our users, the quality and integrity of content shared on our platform, or the actions of other companies that provide similar
services to ours, has in the past, and could in the future, adversely affect our reputation. For example, we have been the subject of significant media coverage
involving concerns around our handling of political speech and advertising, hate speech, and other content, and we continue to receive negative publicity related to
these topics. In addition, we have been, and may in the future be, subject to negative publicity in connection with our handling of misinformation and other illicit or
objectionable use of our products or services, including in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic and elections in the United States and around the world. Any
such negative publicity could have an adverse effect on the size, engagement, and loyalty of our user base and marketer demand for advertising on our products,
which could result in decreased revenue and adversely affect our business and financial results, and we have experienced such adverse effects to varying degrees
from time to time.
Our financial results will fluctuate from quarter to quarter and are difficult to predict.
Our quarterly financial results have fluctuated in the past and will fluctuate in the future. Additionally, we have a limited operating history with the current
scale of our business, which makes it difficult to forecast our future results. As a result, you should not rely upon our past quarterly financial results as indicators of
future performance. You should take into account the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in rapidly evolving markets. Our financial
results in any given quarter can be influenced by numerous factors, many of which we are unable to predict or are outside of our control, including:
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our ability to attract and retain marketers in a particular period;
our ability to recognize revenue or collect payments from marketers in a particular period, including as a result of the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic;
fluctuations in spending by our marketers due to seasonality, such as historically strong spending in the fourth quarter of each year, episodic regional
or global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, or other factors;
the frequency, prominence, size, format, and quality of ads shown to users;
the success of technologies designed to block the display of ads;
changes to third-party policies that limit our ability to deliver, target, or measure the effectiveness of advertising, including changes by mobile
operating system and browser providers such as Apple and Google;
the pricing of our ads and other products;
the diversification and growth of revenue sources beyond advertising on Facebook and Instagram;
our ability to generate revenue from Payments, or the sale of our consumer hardware products or other products we may introduce in the future;
changes to existing products or services or the development and introduction of new products or services by us or our competitors;
user behavior or product changes that may reduce traffic to features or products that we successfully monetize;
increases in marketing, sales, and other operating expenses that we will incur to grow and expand our operations and to remain competitive, including
costs related to our data centers and technical infrastructure;
costs related to our privacy, safety, security, and content review efforts, including as a result of implementing changes to our practices, whether
voluntarily, in connection with laws, regulations, regulatory actions, or decisions or recommendations from the independent Oversight Board, or
otherwise;
costs and expenses related to the development and delivery of our consumer hardware products;
our ability to maintain gross margins and operating margins;
costs related to acquisitions, including costs associated with amortization and additional investments to develop the acquired technologies;
charges associated with impairment of any assets on our balance sheet;
our ability to obtain equipment, components, and labor for our data centers and other technical infrastructure in a timely and cost-effective manner;
system failures or outages or government blocking, which could prevent us from serving ads for any period of time;
breaches of security or privacy, and the costs associated with any such breaches and remediation;
changes in the manner in which we distribute our products or inaccessibility of our products due to third-party actions;
fees paid to third parties for content or the distribution of our products;
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refunds or other concessions provided to advertisers;
share-based compensation expense, including acquisition-related expense;
adverse litigation judgments, settlements, or other litigation-related costs;
changes in the legislative or regulatory environment, including with respect to privacy and data protection, or actions by governments or regulators,
including fines, orders, or consent decrees;
the overall tax rate for our business, which is affected by the mix of income we earn in the U.S. and in jurisdictions with different tax rates, the effects
of share-based compensation, the effects of integrating intellectual property from acquisitions, the effects of changes in our business or structure, and
the effects of discrete items such as legal and tax settlements and tax elections;
the impact of changes in tax laws or judicial or regulatory interpretations of tax laws, which are recorded in the period such laws are enacted or
interpretations are issued, and may significantly affect the effective tax rate of that period;
tax obligations that may arise from resolutions of tax examinations, including the examination we are currently under by the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS), that materially differ from the amounts we have anticipated;
fluctuations in currency exchange rates and changes in the proportion of our revenue and expenses denominated in foreign currencies;
trading activity in our share repurchase program;
fluctuations in the market values of our investments in marketable securities, in the valuation of our equity investments, and in interest rates;
changes in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; and
changes in regional or global business or macroeconomic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may impact the other
factors described above.
We expect our rates of growth to be volatile in the near term as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and to decline over time in the future.
We expect our user and revenue growth rates to be volatile in the near term as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, although we are unable to predict the
duration or degree of such volatility with any certainty. In the long term, we expect that our user growth rate will generally decline over time as the size of our
active user base increases, and the size of our active user base may fluctuate or decline in one or more markets, particularly as we achieve greater market
penetration. We also expect our revenue growth rate will continue to decline over time as our revenue increases to higher levels. As our growth rates experience
volatility or decline, investors' perceptions of our business may be adversely affected and the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline.
Our costs are continuing to grow, and some of our investments, particularly our investments in virtual and augmented reality, have the effect of reducing our
operating margin and profitability. If our investments are not successful longer-term, our business and financial performance will be harmed.
Operating our business is costly, and we expect our expenses to continue to increase in the future as we broaden our user base, as users increase the amount
and types of content they consume and the data they share with us, for example with respect to video, as we develop and implement new products, as we market
new and existing products and promote our brands, as we continue to expand our technical infrastructure, as we continue to invest in new and unproven
technologies, and as we continue to hire additional employees and contractors to support our expanding operations, including our efforts to focus on privacy,
safety, security, and content review. In addition, from time to time we are subject to settlements, judgments,
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fines, or other monetary penalties in connection with legal and regulatory developments that may be material to our business. We are also continuing to increase
our investments in new platforms and technologies. Some of these investments, particularly our significant investments in virtual and augmented reality, have
generated only limited revenue and reduced our operating margin and profitability, and we expect the adverse financial impact of such investments to continue for
the foreseeable future. If our investments are not successful longer-term, our business and financial performance will be harmed.
We plan to continue to make acquisitions and pursue other strategic transactions, which could harm our financial condition or results of operations and may
adversely affect the price of our common stock.
As part of our business strategy, we have made and intend to continue to make acquisitions to add specialized employees and complementary companies,
products, or technologies, and from time to time may enter into other strategic transactions such as investments and joint ventures. We may not be able to find
suitable acquisition candidates, and we may not be able to complete acquisitions or other strategic transactions on favorable terms, if at all, including as a result of
regulatory challenges. In some cases, the costs of such acquisitions or other strategic transactions may be substantial, and there is no assurance that we will receive
a favorable return on investment for our acquisitions or other strategic transactions.
We may pay substantial amounts of cash or incur debt to pay for acquisitions or other strategic transactions, which has occurred in the past and could
adversely affect our liquidity. The incurrence of indebtedness would also result in increased fixed obligations and increased interest expense, and could also
include covenants or other restrictions that would impede our ability to manage our operations. We may also issue equity securities to pay for acquisitions and we
regularly grant RSUs to retain the employees of acquired companies, which could increase our expenses, adversely affect our financial results, and result in
dilution to our stockholders. In addition, any acquisitions or other strategic transactions we announce could be viewed negatively by users, marketers, developers,
or investors, which may adversely affect our business or the price of our Class A common stock.
We may also discover liabilities, deficiencies, or other claims associated with the companies or assets we acquire that were not identified in advance, which
may result in significant unanticipated costs. The effectiveness of our due diligence review and our ability to evaluate the results of such due diligence are
dependent upon the accuracy and completeness of statements and disclosures made or actions taken by the companies we acquire or their representatives, as well
as the limited amount of time in which acquisitions are executed. In addition, we may fail to accurately forecast the financial impact of an acquisition or other
strategic transaction, including tax and accounting charges. Acquisitions or other strategic transactions may also result in our recording of significant additional
expenses to our results of operations and recording of substantial finite-lived intangible assets on our balance sheet upon closing. Any of these factors may
adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
We may not be able to successfully integrate our acquisitions, and we incur significant costs to integrate and support the companies we acquire.
The integration of acquisitions requires significant time and resources, and we may not manage these processes successfully. Our ability to successfully
integrate complex acquisitions is unproven, particularly with respect to companies that have significant operations or that develop products where we do not have
prior experience. We continue to make substantial investments of resources to support our acquisitions, which will result in significant ongoing operating expenses
and may divert resources and management attention from other areas of our business. We cannot assure you that these investments will be successful. If we fail to
successfully integrate the companies we acquire, we may not realize the benefits expected from the transaction and our business may be harmed.
Our business is dependent on our ability to maintain and scale our technical infrastructure, and any significant disruption in our service, including as a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic, could damage our reputation, result in a potential loss of users and engagement, and adversely affect our financial results.
Our reputation and ability to attract, retain, and serve our users is dependent upon the reliable performance of our products and our underlying technical
infrastructure. We have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, interruptions in the availability or performance of our products from time to
time. Our systems may not be adequately designed or may not operate with the reliability and redundancy necessary to avoid performance delays or outages that
could be harmful to our business. If our products are unavailable when users attempt to access them, or if they do not load as quickly as expected, users may not
use our products as often in the future, or at all, and our ability to serve ads may be
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disrupted, any of which could adversely affect our business and financial performance. As the amount and types of information shared on Facebook and our other
products continue to grow and evolve, as the usage patterns of our global community continue to evolve, and as our internal operational demands continue to grow,
we will need an increasing amount of technical infrastructure, including network capacity and computing power, to continue to satisfy our needs. It is possible that
we may fail to continue to effectively scale and grow our technical infrastructure to accommodate these increased demands, which may adversely affect our user
engagement and advertising revenue growth. In addition, our business may be subject to interruptions, delays, or failures resulting from earthquakes, adverse
weather conditions, other natural disasters, power loss, terrorism, geopolitical conflict, other physical security threats, cyber-attacks, or other catastrophic events. If
such an event were to occur, users may be subject to service disruptions or outages and we may not be able to recover our technical infrastructure and user data in a
timely manner to restart or provide our services, which may adversely affect our financial results.
For example, the increase in the use of our products as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic increased demands on our technical infrastructure. Additional
product development efforts during this time have put additional pressure on our technical infrastructure. We may not be able to accommodate these demands,
including as a result of our reduced data center operations and personnel working remotely during the pandemic.
A substantial portion of our network infrastructure is provided by third parties. Any disruption or failure in the services we receive from these providers
could harm our ability to handle existing or increased traffic and could significantly harm our business. Any financial or other difficulties these providers face may
adversely affect our business, and we exercise little control over these providers, which increases our vulnerability to problems with the services they provide. The
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the risk of supply or labor shortages or other disruptions in logistics or the supply chain for our technical
infrastructure. As a result, we may not be able to procure sufficient equipment or services from third parties to satisfy our needs, or we may be required to procure
such services or equipment on unfavorable terms.
Any of these developments may result in interruptions in the availability or performance of our products, require unfavorable changes to existing products,
delay the introduction of future products, or otherwise adversely affect our business and financial results.
We could experience unforeseen difficulties in building and operating key portions of our technical infrastructure.
We have designed and built our own data centers and key portions of our technical infrastructure through which we serve our products, and we plan to
continue to significantly expand the size of our infrastructure primarily through data centers, subsea and terrestrial fiber optic cable systems, and other projects.
The infrastructure expansion we are undertaking is complex and involves projects in multiple locations around the world, including in emerging markets that
expose us to increased risks relating to anti-corruption compliance and political challenges, among others. We have in the past suspended, and may in the future
suspend, certain of these projects as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional unanticipated delays or disruptions in the completion of these projects,
including due to any shortage of labor necessary in building portions of such projects, or availability of components, challenges in obtaining required government
or regulatory approvals, or other geopolitical challenges or actions by governments, whether as a result of the pandemic, trade disputes, or otherwise, may lead to
increased project costs, operational inefficiencies, interruptions in the delivery or degradation of the quality or reliability of our products, or impairment of assets
on our balance sheet. In addition, there may be issues related to this infrastructure that are not identified during the testing phases of design and implementation,
which may only become evident after we have started to fully utilize the underlying equipment, that could further degrade the user experience or increase our costs.
Further, much of our technical infrastructure is located outside the United States, and it is possible that action by a foreign government, or our response to such
government action, could result in the impairment of a portion of our technical infrastructure, which may interrupt the delivery or degrade the quality or reliability
of our products and lead to a negative user experience or increase our costs. Any of these events could adversely affect our business, reputation, or financial results.
Real or perceived inaccuracies in our community and other metrics may harm our reputation and negatively affect our business.
The numbers for our key metrics, which include our Facebook metrics (DAUs, MAUs, and average revenue per user (ARPU)) and Family metrics (DAP,
MAP, and average revenue per person (ARPP)), are calculated using internal company data based on the activity of user accounts. While these numbers are based
on what we believe to be reasonable estimates of our user base for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring usage of our
products across large online and mobile populations around the world. The methodologies used to measure these metrics require
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significant judgment and are also susceptible to algorithm or other technical errors. In addition, we are continually seeking to improve our estimates of our user
base, and such estimates may change due to improvements or changes in our methodology. We regularly review our processes for calculating these metrics, and
from time to time we discover inaccuracies in our metrics or make adjustments to improve their accuracy, which can result in adjustments to our historical metrics.
Our ability to recalculate our historical metrics may be impacted by data limitations or other factors that require us to apply different methodologies for such
adjustments. We generally do not intend to update previously disclosed Family metrics for any such inaccuracies or adjustments that are within the error margins
disclosed below.
In addition, our Facebook metrics and Family metrics estimates will differ from estimates published by third parties due to differences in methodology.
We regularly evaluate our Facebook metrics to estimate the number of "duplicate" and "false" accounts among our MAUs. A duplicate account is one that a
user maintains in addition to his or her principal account. We divide "false" accounts into two categories: (1) user-misclassified accounts, where users have created
personal profiles for a business, organization, or non-human entity such as a pet (such entities are permitted on Facebook using a Page rather than a personal profile
under our terms of service); and (2) violating accounts, which represent user profiles that we believe are intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of
service, such as bots and spam. The estimates of duplicate and false accounts are based on an internal review of a limited sample of accounts, and we apply
significant judgment in making this determination. For example, to identify duplicate accounts we use data signals such as identical IP addresses and similar user
names, and to identify false accounts we look for names that appear to be fake or other behavior that appears inauthentic to the reviewers. Any loss of access to
data signals we use in this process, whether as a result of our own product decisions, actions by third-party browser or mobile platforms, regulatory or legislative
requirements, limitations while our personnel work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, or other factors, also may impact the stability or accuracy of our
estimates of duplicate and false accounts. Our estimates also may change as our methodologies evolve, including through the application of new data signals or
technologies or product changes that may allow us to identify previously undetected duplicate or false accounts and may improve our ability to evaluate a broader
population of our users. Duplicate and false accounts are very difficult to measure at our scale, and it is possible that the actual number of duplicate and false
accounts may vary significantly from our estimates.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, we estimated that duplicate accounts may have represented approximately 11% of our worldwide MAUs. We believe the
percentage of duplicate accounts is meaningfully higher in developing markets such as the Philippines and Vietnam, as compared to more developed markets. In
the fourth quarter of 2020, we estimated that false accounts may have represented approximately 5% of our worldwide MAUs. Our estimation of false accounts can
vary as a result of episodic spikes in the creation of such accounts, which we have seen originate more frequently in specific countries such as Indonesia and
Vietnam. From time to time, we disable certain user accounts, make product changes, or take other actions to reduce the number of duplicate or false accounts
among our users, which may also reduce our DAU and MAU estimates in a particular period. We intend to disclose our estimates of the number of duplicate and
false accounts among our MAUs on an annual basis.
Many people in our community have user accounts on more than one of our products, and some people have multiple user accounts within an individual
product. Accordingly, for our Family metrics, we do not seek to count the total number of user accounts across our products because we believe that would not
reflect the actual size of our community. Rather, our Family metrics represent our estimates of the number of unique people using at least one of Facebook,
Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. We do not require people to use a common identifier or link their accounts to use multiple products in our Family, and
therefore must seek to attribute multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people. To calculate these metrics, we rely upon complex
techniques, algorithms and machine learning models that seek to count the individual people behind user accounts, including by matching multiple user accounts
within an individual product and across multiple products when we believe they are attributable to a single person, and counting such group of accounts as one
person. These techniques and models require significant judgment, are subject to data and other limitations discussed below, and inherently are subject to statistical
variances and uncertainties. We estimate the potential error in our Family metrics primarily based on user survey data, which itself is subject to error as well. While
we expect the error margin for our Family metrics to vary from period to period, we estimate that such margin generally will be approximately 4% of our
worldwide MAP. At our scale, it is very difficult to attribute multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people, and it is possible that the
actual numbers of unique people using our products may vary significantly from our estimates, potentially beyond our estimated error margins. As a result, it is
also possible that our Family metrics may indicate changes or trends in user numbers that do not match actual changes or trends.
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To calculate our estimates of Family DAP and MAP, we currently use a series of machine learning models that are developed based on internal reviews of
limited samples of user accounts and calibrated against user survey data. We apply significant judgment in designing these models and calculating these estimates.
For example, to match user accounts within individual products and across multiple products, we use data signals such as similar device information, IP addresses,
and user names. We also calibrate our models against data from periodic user surveys of varying sizes and frequency across our products, which are inherently
subject to error. The timing and results of such user surveys have in the past contributed, and may in the future contribute, to changes in our reported Family
metrics from period to period. In addition, our data limitations may affect our understanding of certain details of our business and increase the risk of error for our
Family metrics estimates. Our techniques and models rely on a variety of data signals from different products, and we rely on more limited data signals for some
products compared to others. For example, as a result of limited visibility into encrypted products, we have fewer data signals from WhatsApp user accounts and
primarily rely on phone numbers and device information to match WhatsApp user accounts with accounts on our other products. Similarly, although Messenger
Kids users are included in our Family metrics, we do not seek to match their accounts with accounts on our other applications for purposes of calculating DAP and
MAP. Any loss of access to data signals we use in our process for calculating Family metrics, whether as a result of our own product decisions, actions by third-
party browser or mobile platforms, regulatory or legislative requirements, limitations while our personnel work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, or other
factors, also may impact the stability or accuracy of our reported Family metrics. Our estimates of Family metrics also may change as our methodologies evolve,
including through the application of new data signals or technologies, product changes, or other improvements in our user surveys, algorithms, or machine learning
that may improve our ability to match accounts within and across our products or otherwise evaluate the broad population of our users. In addition, such evolution
may allow us to identify previously undetected violating accounts (as defined below).
We regularly evaluate our Family metrics to estimate the percentage of our MAP consisting solely of "violating" accounts. We define "violating" accounts
as accounts which we believe are intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of service, including bots and spam. In the fourth quarter of 2020, we
estimated that approximately 3% of our worldwide MAP consisted solely of violating accounts. Such estimation is based on an internal review of a limited sample
of accounts, and we apply significant judgment in making this determination. For example, we look for account information and behaviors associated with
Facebook and Instagram accounts that appear to be inauthentic to the reviewers, but we have limited visibility into WhatsApp user activity due to encryption. In
addition, if we believe an individual person has one or more violating accounts, we do not include such person in our violating accounts estimation as long as we
believe they have one account that does not constitute a violating account. From time to time, we disable certain user accounts, make product changes, or take other
actions to reduce the number of violating accounts among our users, which may also reduce our DAP and MAP estimates in a particular period. We intend to
disclose our estimates of the percentage of our MAP consisting solely of violating accounts on an annual basis. Violating accounts are very difficult to measure at
our scale, and it is possible that the actual number of violating accounts may vary significantly from our estimates.
Other data limitations also may affect our understanding of certain details of our business. For example, while user-provided data indicates a decline in
usage among younger users, this age data is unreliable because a disproportionate number of our younger users register with an inaccurate age. Accordingly, our
understanding of usage by age group may not be complete.
In addition, our data regarding the geographic location of our users is estimated based on a number of factors, such as the user's IP address and self-
disclosed location. These factors may not always accurately reflect the user's actual location. For example, a user may appear to be accessing Facebook from the
location of the proxy server that the user connects to rather than from the user's actual location. The methodologies used to measure our metrics are also susceptible
to algorithm or other technical errors, and our estimates for revenue by user location and revenue by user device are also affected by these factors.
In addition, from time to time we provide, or rely on, certain other metrics and estimates, including those relating to the reach and effectiveness of our ads.
Many of our metrics involve the use of estimations and judgments, and our metrics and estimates are subject to software bugs, inconsistencies in our systems, and
human error. Where marketers, developers, or investors do not perceive our metrics or estimates to be accurate, or where we discover material inaccuracies in our
metrics or estimates, we may be subject to liability, our reputation may be harmed, and marketers and developers may be less willing to allocate their budgets or
resources to Facebook or our other products, which could negatively affect our business and financial results.
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We cannot assure you that we will effectively manage our growth.
Our employee headcount and the scope and complexity of our business have increased significantly, with the number of employees increasing to 58,604 as
of December 31, 2020 from 44,942 as of December 31, 2019, and we expect headcount growth to continue for the foreseeable future. In addition, we plan to
continue to hire a number of employees and contractors to continue to bolster various privacy, safety, security, and content review initiatives as well as other
functions to support our expected growth. The growth and expansion of our business and products create significant challenges for our management, operational,
and financial resources, including managing multiple relationships with users, marketers, developers, and other third parties. As our operations and the number of
our third-party relationships continue to grow, our information technology systems or our internal controls and procedures may not be adequate to support such
growth. In addition, some members of our management do not have significant experience managing a large global business operation, so our management may
not be able to manage such growth effectively. Additionally, the vast majority of our personnel are currently working remotely as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, which limits their ability to perform certain job functions and may negatively impact productivity. In the long term, we may experience such challenges
to productivity and collaboration as some personnel transition to working remotely on a regular basis, and we may experience difficulties integrating recently hired
personnel when our offices re-open. To effectively manage our growth, we must continue to adapt to a remote work environment; improve our operational,
financial, and management processes and systems; and effectively expand, train, and manage our personnel. As our organization continues to grow, and we are
required to implement more complex organizational management structures, we may find it increasingly difficult to maintain the benefits of our corporate culture,
including our ability to quickly develop and launch new and innovative products. This could negatively affect our business performance.
We have significant international operations and plan to continue expanding our operations abroad where we have more limited operating experience, and
this may subject us to increased business, economic, and legal risks that could affect our financial results.
We have significant international operations and plan to continue the international expansion of our business operations and the translation of our products.
We currently make Facebook available in more than 100 different languages, and we have offices or data centers in more than 30 different countries. We may enter
new international markets where we have limited or no experience in marketing, selling, and deploying our products. Our products are generally available globally,
but some or all of our products or functionality may not be available in certain markets due to legal and regulatory complexities. For example, Facebook and
certain of our other products are not generally available in China. We also outsource certain operational functions to third-party vendors globally. If we fail to
deploy, manage, or oversee our international operations successfully, our business may suffer. In addition, we are subject to a variety of risks inherent in doing
business internationally, including:
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political, social, or economic instability;
risks related to legal, regulatory, and other government scrutiny applicable to U.S. companies with sales and operations in foreign jurisdictions,
including with respect to privacy, tax, law enforcement, content, trade compliance, competition, consumer protection, intellectual property, and
infrastructure matters;
potential damage to our brand and reputation due to compliance with local laws, including potential censorship or requirements to provide user
information to local authorities;
enhanced difficulty in reviewing content on our platform and enforcing our community standards across different languages and countries;
fluctuations in currency exchange rates and compliance with currency controls;
foreign exchange controls and tax and other regulations and orders that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the United
States or otherwise limit our ability to move cash freely, and impede our ability to invest such cash efficiently;
higher levels of credit risk and payment fraud;
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enhanced difficulties of integrating any foreign acquisitions;
burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws, including laws related to taxation, content removal, data localization, payments, and regulatory
oversight;
reduced protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;
difficulties in staffing, managing, and overseeing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure, and legal compliance costs associated
with multiple international locations, including difficulties arising from personnel working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic;
compliance with statutory equity requirements and management of tax consequences; and
geopolitical events affecting us, our marketers or our industry, including trade disputes and pandemics.
In addition, we must manage the potential conflicts between locally accepted business practices in any given jurisdiction and our obligations to comply with
laws and regulations, including anti-corruption laws or regulations applicable to us, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010.
We also must manage our obligations to comply with laws and regulations related to export controls, sanctions, and embargoes, including regulations established
by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control. Government agencies and authorities have a broad range of civil and criminal penalties they may seek to impose
against companies for violations of anti-corruption laws or regulations, export controls, and other laws, rules, sanctions, embargoes, and regulations.
If we are unable to expand internationally and manage the complexity of our global operations successfully, our financial results could be adversely
affected.
We face design, manufacturing, and supply chain risks that, if not properly managed, could adversely impact our financial results.
We face a number of risks related to design, manufacturing, and supply chain management with respect to our consumer hardware products. For example,
the consumer hardware products we sell from time to time have had, and in the future may have, quality issues resulting from the design or manufacture of the
products, or from the software used in the products. Sometimes, these issues may be caused by components we purchase from other manufacturers or suppliers.
Our brand and financial results could be adversely affected by any such quality issues, other failures to meet our customers' expectations, or findings of our
consumer hardware products to be defective.
We rely on third parties to manufacture and manage the logistics of transporting and distributing our consumer hardware products, which subjects us to a
number of risks that have been exacerbated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We may experience supply or labor shortages or other disruptions in logistics
or the supply chain that could result in shipping delays and negatively impact our operations, product development, and sales. We could be negatively affected if
we are not able to engage third parties with the necessary capabilities or capacity on reasonable terms, or if those we engage with fail to meet their obligations
(whether due to financial difficulties, manufacturing constraints, or other reasons), or make adverse changes in the pricing or other material terms of such
arrangements with them. The manufacturing, distribution, and sale of our consumer hardware products also may be negatively impacted by macroeconomic
conditions, geopolitical challenges, trade disputes, or other actions by governments that subject us to supply shortages, increased costs, or supply chain disruptions.
We also require the suppliers and business partners of our consumer hardware products to comply with laws and certain company policies regarding
sourcing practices and standards on labor, health and safety, the environment, and business ethics, but we do not control them or their practices and standards. If
any of them violates laws, fails to implement changes in accordance with newly enacted laws, or implements practices or standards regarded as unethical, corrupt,
or non-compliant, we could experience supply chain disruptions, government action or fines, canceled orders, or damage to our reputation.
We face inventory risk with respect to our consumer hardware products.
We are exposed to inventory risks with respect to our consumer hardware products as a result of rapid changes in
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product cycles and pricing, unsafe or defective merchandise, changes in consumer demand and consumer spending patterns, changes in consumer tastes with
respect to our consumer hardware products, and other factors. The demand for our products can also change significantly between the time inventory or
components are ordered and the date of sale. While we endeavor to accurately predict these trends and avoid overstocking or understocking consumer hardware
products we may sell, from time to time we have experienced difficulties in accurately predicting and meeting the consumer demand for our products. In addition,
when we begin selling or manufacturing a new consumer hardware product or enter new international markets, it may be difficult to establish vendor relationships,
determine appropriate product or component selection, and accurately forecast demand. The acquisition of certain types of inventory or components may require
significant lead-time and prepayment and they may not be returnable. Any one of the foregoing factors may adversely affect our operating results.
We are involved in numerous class action lawsuits and other litigation matters that are expensive and time consuming, and, if resolved adversely, could harm
our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are involved in numerous lawsuits, including stockholder derivative lawsuits and putative class action lawsuits, many of which claim statutory
damages and/or seek significant changes to our business operations, and we anticipate that we will continue to be a target for numerous lawsuits in the future.
Because of the scale of our user, advertiser, and developer base, the plaintiffs in class action cases filed against us typically claim enormous monetary damages
even if the alleged per-user or entity harm is small or non-existent. In addition, we have in the past, and may in the future, be subject to additional class action
lawsuits based on claims related to advertising, antitrust, privacy, content, employment, or product performance or other claims related to the use of consumer
hardware and software, as well as virtual reality technology and products, which are new and unproven. For example, we are currently the subject of multiple
putative class action suits in connection with our platform and user data practices and the misuse of certain data by a developer that shared such data with third
parties in violation of our terms and policies; the disclosure of our earnings results for the second quarter of 2018; and our acquisitions of Instagram and
WhatsApp, as well as other alleged anticompetitive conduct. We also agreed to settle certain lawsuits in connection with the "tag suggestions" facial recognition
feature on Facebook and a third-party cyber-attack that exploited a vulnerability in Facebook's code to steal user access tokens and access certain profile
information from user accounts on Facebook. The results of any such lawsuits and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, and any negative outcome from any
such lawsuits could result in payments of substantial monetary damages or fines, or undesirable changes to our products or business practices, and accordingly our
business, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
There can be no assurances that a favorable final outcome will be obtained in all our cases, and defending any lawsuit is costly and can impose a significant
burden on management and employees. Any litigation to which we are a party may result in an onerous or unfavorable judgment that may not be reversed upon
appeal or in payments of substantial monetary damages or fines, or we may decide to settle lawsuits on similarly unfavorable terms, which has occurred in the past
and which could adversely affect our business, financial conditions, or results of operations.
We may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
Our tax obligations, including income and non-income taxes, are based in part on our corporate operating structure and intercompany arrangements,
including the manner in which we operate our business, develop, value, manage, protect, and use our intellectual property, and the valuations of our intercompany
transactions. The tax laws applicable to our business, including the laws of the United States and other jurisdictions, are subject to interpretation and certain
jurisdictions are aggressively interpreting their laws in new ways in an effort to raise additional tax revenue from companies such as Facebook. We are subject to
regular review and audit by U.S. federal, state, and foreign tax authorities. Tax authorities may disagree with certain positions we have taken, including our
methodologies for valuing developed technology or intercompany arrangements, and any adverse outcome of such a review or audit could increase our worldwide
effective tax rate, increase the amount of non-income taxes imposed on our business, and harm our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. For
example, in 2016 and 2018, the IRS issued formal assessments relating to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries in conjunction with the examination of the
2010 through 2013 tax years. Although we disagree with the IRS's position and are litigating this issue, the ultimate resolution is uncertain and, if resolved in a
manner unfavorable to us, may adversely affect our financial results.
The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment by management, and there are many
transactions where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our provision for income taxes is determined by the manner in which we operate our business, and
any changes to such operations or laws applicable to such operations may affect our effective tax rate. Although we believe that our provision for income taxes and
estimates of
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our non-income tax liabilities are reasonable, the ultimate settlement may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect
our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.
Our future income tax rates could be volatile and difficult to predict due to changes in jurisdictional profit split, changes in the amount and recognition of
deferred tax assets and liabilities, or by changes in tax laws, regulations, or accounting principles.
Changes in tax laws or tax rulings could materially affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
The tax regimes we are subject to or operate under, including income and non-income taxes, are unsettled and may be subject to significant change.
Changes in tax laws or tax rulings, or changes in interpretations of existing laws, could materially affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash
flows. For example, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act) enacted in December 2017 had a significant impact on our tax obligations and effective tax rate for
the fourth quarter of 2017. The issuance of additional regulatory or accounting guidance related to the Tax Act, or other executive or Congressional actions in the
United States, could materially affect our tax obligations and effective tax rate in the period such guidance is issued or such actions take effect. In addition, many
countries in Europe, as well as a number of other countries and organizations, have recently proposed or recommended changes to existing tax laws or have
enacted new laws that could significantly increase our tax obligations in many countries where we do business or require us to change the manner in which we
operate our business.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has been working on a Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, and issued a report in 2015,
an interim report in 2018, and blueprints in 2020 that, if implemented, would change various aspects of the existing framework under which our tax obligations are
determined in many of the countries in which we do business. Similarly, the European Commission and several countries have issued proposals that would apply to
various aspects of the current tax framework under which we are taxed. These proposals include changes to the existing framework to calculate income tax, as well
as proposals to change or impose new types of non-income taxes, including taxes based on a percentage of revenue. For example, several countries have proposed
or enacted taxes applicable to digital services, which includes business activities on social media platforms and online marketplaces, and which apply to our
business.
The European Commission has conducted investigations in multiple countries focusing on whether local country tax rulings or tax legislation provides
preferential tax treatment that violates European Union state aid rules and concluded that certain countries, including Ireland, have provided illegal state aid in
certain cases. These investigations may result in changes to the tax treatment of our foreign operations.
Due to the large and expanding scale of our international business activities, many of these types of changes to the taxation of our activities described above
could increase our worldwide effective tax rate, increase the amount of non-income taxes imposed on our business, and harm our financial position, results of
operations, and cash flows. Such changes may also apply retroactively to our historical operations and result in taxes greater than the amounts estimated and
recorded in our financial statements.
Given our levels of share-based compensation, our tax rate may vary significantly depending on our stock price.
The tax effects of the accounting for share-based compensation may significantly impact our effective tax rate from period to period. In periods in which our
stock price is higher than the grant price of the share-based compensation vesting in that period, we will recognize excess tax benefits that will decrease our
effective tax rate. For example, in 2020, excess tax benefits recognized from share-based compensation decreased our provision for income taxes by $656 million
and our effective tax rate by two percentage points as compared to the tax rate without such benefits. In future periods in which our stock price is lower than the
grant price of the share-based compensation vesting in that period, our effective tax rate may increase. The amount and value of share-based compensation issued
relative to our earnings in a particular period will also affect the magnitude of the impact of share-based compensation on our effective tax rate. These tax effects
are dependent on our stock price, which we do not control, and a decline in our stock price could significantly increase our effective tax rate and adversely affect
our financial results.
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If our goodwill or finite-lived intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings.
We review our finite-lived intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable,
such as a decline in stock price and market capitalization. We test goodwill for impairment at least annually. If such goodwill or finite-lived intangible assets are
deemed to be impaired, an impairment loss equal to the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value of the assets would be recognized. We may be
required to record a significant charge in our financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill or finite-lived intangible assets is
determined, which would negatively affect our results of operations.
The loss of one or more of our key personnel, or our failure to attract and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could harm our business.
We currently depend on the continued services and performance of our key personnel, including Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl K. Sandberg. Although we
have entered into employment agreements with Mr. Zuckerberg and Ms. Sandberg, the agreements have no specific duration and constitute at-will employment. In
addition, many of our key technologies and systems are custom-made for our business by our personnel. The loss of key personnel, including members of
management as well as key engineering, product development, marketing, and sales personnel, could disrupt our operations and have an adverse effect on our
business.
As we continue to grow, we cannot guarantee we will continue to attract and retain the personnel we need to maintain our competitive position. In
particular, we intend to continue to hire a significant number of technical personnel in the foreseeable future, and we expect to continue to face significant
challenges in hiring such personnel, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, where our headquarters are located, whether as a result of competition with other
companies, challenges due to the high cost of living, facilities and infrastructure constraints, or other factors. As we continue to mature, the incentives to attract,
retain, and motivate employees provided by our equity awards or by future arrangements may not be as effective as in the past, and if we issue significant equity to
attract additional employees or to retain our existing employees, we would incur substantial additional share-based compensation expense and the ownership of our
existing stockholders would be further diluted. Our ability to attract, retain, and motivate employees may also be adversely affected by stock price volatility. As a
result of these factors, it may be difficult for us to continue to retain and motivate our employees. If we do not succeed in attracting, hiring, and integrating
excellent personnel, or retaining and motivating existing personnel, we may be unable to grow effectively.
Our CEO has control over key decision making as a result of his control of a majority of the voting power of our outstanding capital stock.
Mark Zuckerberg, our founder, Chairman, and CEO, is able to exercise voting rights with respect to a majority of the voting power of our outstanding
capital stock and therefore has the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and any
merger, consolidation, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This concentrated control could delay, defer, or prevent a change of control, merger,
consolidation, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets that our other stockholders support, or conversely this concentrated control could result in the
consummation of such a transaction that our other stockholders do not support. This concentrated control could also discourage a potential investor from acquiring
our Class A common stock, which has limited voting power relative to the Class B common stock, and might harm the trading price of our Class A common stock.
In addition, Mr. Zuckerberg has the ability to control the management and major strategic investments of our company as a result of his position as our CEO and
his ability to control the election or, in some cases, the replacement of our directors. In the event of his death, the shares of our capital stock that Mr. Zuckerberg
owns will be transferred to the persons or entities that he has designated. As a board member and officer, Mr. Zuckerberg owes a fiduciary duty to our stockholders
and must act in good faith in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of our stockholders. As a stockholder, even a controlling stockholder,
Mr. Zuckerberg is entitled to vote his shares, and shares over which he has voting control as governed by a voting agreement, in his own interests, which may not
always be in the interests of our stockholders generally.
We cannot guarantee that our share repurchase program will be fully consummated or that it will enhance long-term stockholder value. Share repurchases
could also increase the volatility of the trading price of our stock and will diminish our cash reserves.
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Although our board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program that does not have an expiration date, the program does not obligate us to
repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of shares of our Class A common stock. We cannot guarantee that the program will be
fully consummated or that it will enhance long-term stockholder value. The program could affect the trading price of our stock and increase volatility, and any
announcement of a termination of this program may result in a decrease in the trading price of our stock. In addition, this program will diminish our cash reserves.
Risks Related to Government Regulation and Enforcement
Actions by governments that restrict access to Facebook or our other products in their countries, or that otherwise impair our ability to sell advertising in their
countries, could substantially harm our business and financial results.
Governments from time to time seek to censor content available on Facebook or our other products in their country, restrict access to our products from their
country entirely, or impose other restrictions that may affect the accessibility of our products in their country for an extended period of time or indefinitely. For
example, user access to Facebook and certain of our other products has been or is currently restricted in whole or in part in China, Iran, and North Korea. In
addition, government authorities in other countries may seek to restrict user access to our products if they consider us to be in violation of their laws or a threat to
public safety or for other reasons, and certain of our products have been restricted by governments in other countries from time to time. For example, in June 2020,
Hong Kong adopted a National Security Law that provides authorities with the ability to obtain information, remove and block access to content, and suspend user
services, and if we are found to be in violation of this law then the use of our products may be restricted. In addition, if we are required to or elect to make changes
to our marketing and sales or other operations in Hong Kong as a result of the National Security Law, our revenue and business in the region will be adversely
affected. It is also possible that government authorities could take action that impairs our ability to sell advertising, including in countries where access to our
consumer-facing products may be blocked or restricted. For example, we generate meaningful revenue from a limited number of resellers representing advertisers
based in China, and it is possible that the Chinese government could take action that reduces or eliminates our China-based advertising revenue, whether as a result
of the trade dispute with the United States, in response to content issues or information requests in Hong Kong or elsewhere, or for other reasons, or take other
action against us, such as imposing taxes or other penalties, which could adversely affect our financial results. Similarly, if we are found to be out of compliance
with certain legal requirements for social media companies in Turkey, the Turkish government could take action to reduce or eliminate our Turkey-based
advertising revenue or otherwise adversely impact access to our products. In the event that content shown on Facebook or our other products is subject to
censorship, access to our products is restricted, in whole or in part, in one or more countries, we are required to or elect to make changes to our operations, or other
restrictions are imposed on our products, or our competitors are able to successfully penetrate new geographic markets or capture a greater share of existing
geographic markets that we cannot access or where we face other restrictions, our ability to retain or increase our user base, user engagement, or the level of
advertising by marketers may be adversely affected, we may not be able to maintain or grow our revenue as anticipated, and our financial results could be
adversely affected.
Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S. and foreign laws and regulations regarding privacy, data use and data protection, content, competition,
consumer protection, and other matters. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims,
changes to our business practices, monetary penalties, increased cost of operations, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.
We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and abroad that involve matters central to our business, including privacy, data use,
data protection and personal information, rights of publicity, content, intellectual property, advertising, marketing, distribution, data security, data retention and
deletion, data localization and storage, data disclosure, artificial intelligence, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, protection of minors,
consumer protection, telecommunications, product liability, e-commerce, taxation, economic or other trade prohibitions or sanctions, anti-corruption and political
law compliance, securities law compliance, and online payment services. The introduction of new products, expansion of our activities in certain jurisdictions, or
other actions that we may take may subject us to additional laws, regulations, or other government scrutiny. In addition, foreign data protection, privacy, content,
competition, and other laws and regulations can impose different obligations or be more restrictive than those in the United States.
These U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government entities, are
constantly evolving and can be subject to significant change. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often
uncertain, particularly in the new and
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rapidly evolving industry in which we operate, and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country and inconsistently with our current
policies and practices. For example, regulatory or legislative actions affecting the manner in which we display content to our users or obtain consent to various
practices could adversely affect user growth and engagement. Such actions could affect the manner in which we provide our services or adversely affect our
financial results.
We are also subject to evolving laws and regulations that dictate whether, how, and under what circumstances we can transfer, process and/or receive certain
data that is critical to our operations, including data shared between countries or regions in which we operate and data shared among our products and services. For
example, in 2016, the European Union and United States agreed to a transfer framework for data transferred from the European Union to the United States, called
the Privacy Shield, but the Privacy Shield was invalidated in July 2020 by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). In addition, the other bases upon
which Facebook relies to transfer such data, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), have been subjected to regulatory and judicial scrutiny. For example,
the CJEU considered the validity of SCCs as a basis to transfer user data from the European Union to the United States following a challenge brought by the Irish
Data Protection Commission (IDPC). Although the CJEU upheld the validity of SCCs in July 2020, our continued reliance on SCCs is contingent on SCCs being
held to satisfy certain new conditions that are yet to be clearly defined and will be the subject of future regulatory guidance (and the European Commission has
recently proposed new SCCs, which are currently subject to consultation). In addition, in August 2020, we received a preliminary draft decision from the IDPC that
preliminarily concluded that Facebook Ireland's reliance on SCCs in respect of European user data does not achieve compliance with the GDPR and preliminarily
proposed that such transfers of user data from the European Union to the United States should therefore be suspended. Facebook Ireland challenged procedural
aspects of this IDPC inquiry in a judicial review commenced in the Irish High Court in September 2020, and the court ordered the IDPC not to take further steps in
respect of the inquiry until the judicial review proceedings conclude (subject to the IDPC's right to apply to vary or lift this order), which we expect to occur in the
coming months. While we also rely upon alternative legal bases for data transfers, if a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable
to continue to rely on SCCs or validly rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we may be unable to operate material
portions of our business in Europe as a result of the CJEU's invalidation of the Privacy Shield and any final decision of IDPC, which would materially and
adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We have also been managing investigations and lawsuits in Europe, India, and other
jurisdictions regarding the August 2016 update to WhatsApp's terms of service and privacy policy and its sharing of certain data with other Facebook products and
services, including a lawsuit currently pending before the Supreme Court of India. If we are unable to transfer data between and among countries and regions in
which we operate, or if we are restricted from sharing data among our products and services, it could affect our ability to provide our services, the manner in which
we provide our services or our ability to target ads, which could adversely affect our financial results.
Proposed or new legislation and regulations could also significantly affect our business. For example, the European General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR) took effect in May 2018 and applies to all of our products and services used by people in Europe. The GDPR includes operational requirements for
companies that receive or process personal data of residents of the European Union that are different from those previously in place in the European Union. As a
result, we implemented measures to change our service for minors under the age of 16 for certain countries in Europe that maintain the minimum age of 16 under
the GDPR. We also obtain consent and/or offer new controls to existing and new users in Europe before processing data for certain aspects of our service. In
addition, the GDPR requires submission of personal data breach notifications to our designated European privacy regulator, the IDPC, and includes significant
penalties for non-compliance with the notification obligation as well as other requirements of the regulation. Similarly, the Brazilian General Data Protection Law
recently took effect and imposes data privacy-related requirements on products and services offered to users in Brazil. The California Consumer Privacy Act
(CCPA), which took effect in January 2020, also establishes certain transparency rules and creates new data privacy rights for users, including more ability to
control how their data is shared with third parties. These laws and regulations are evolving and subject to interpretation, and resulting limitations on our advertising
services, or reductions of advertising by marketers, have to some extent adversely affected, and will continue to adversely affect, our advertising business. For
example, regulators have recently issued new guidance concerning the ePrivacy Directive's requirements regarding the use of cookies and similar technologies. In
addition, effective December 2020, the ePrivacy Directive includes additional limitations on the use of data across messaging products and includes significant
penalties for non-compliance. Changes to our products or business practices as a result of these developments may adversely affect our advertising business.
Similarly, there are a number of legislative proposals in the European Union, the United States, at both the federal and state level, as well as other jurisdictions that
could impose new obligations or limitations in areas affecting our business. In addition, some countries are considering or have passed legislation implementing
data protection requirements or requiring local storage and processing of data or similar requirements that could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our
services.
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These laws and regulations, as well as any associated claims, inquiries, or investigations or any other government actions, have in the past led to, and may in
the future lead to, unfavorable outcomes including increased compliance costs, delays or impediments in the development of new products, negative publicity and
reputational harm, increased operating costs, diversion of management time and attention, and remedies that harm our business, including fines or demands or
orders that we modify or cease existing business practices.
We have been subject to regulatory and other government investigations, enforcement actions, and settlements, and we expect to continue to be subject to such
proceedings and other inquiries in the future, which could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner
materially adverse to our business.
From time to time, we receive formal and informal inquiries from government authorities and regulators regarding our compliance with laws and
regulations, many of which are evolving and subject to interpretation. We are and expect to continue to be the subject of investigations, inquiries, data requests,
requests for information, actions, and audits in the United States, Europe, and around the world, particularly in the areas of privacy, data protection, law
enforcement, consumer protection, and competition, as we continue to grow and expand our operations. In addition, we are currently, and may in the future be,
subject to regulatory orders or consent decrees. For example, data protection, competition, and consumer protection authorities in the European Union and other
jurisdictions have initiated actions, investigations, or administrative orders seeking to restrict the ways in which we collect and use information, or impose
sanctions, and other authorities may do the same. In addition, beginning in March 2018, we became subject to FTC, state attorneys general, and other government
inquiries in the United States, Europe, and other jurisdictions in connection with our platform and user data practices as well as the misuse of certain data by a
developer that shared such data with third parties in violation of our terms and policies. In July 2019, we entered into a settlement and modified consent order to
resolve the FTC inquiry, which was approved by the federal court and took effect in April 2020. Among other matters, our settlement with the FTC required us to
pay a penalty of $5.0 billion and to significantly enhance our practices and processes for privacy compliance and oversight. Beginning in September 2018, we also
became subject to IDPC and other government inquiries in connection with a third-party cyber-attack that exploited a vulnerability in Facebook's code to steal user
access tokens and access certain profile information from user accounts on Facebook. From time to time we also notify the IDPC, our designated European privacy
regulator under the GDPR, of certain other personal data breaches and privacy issues, and are subject to inquiries and investigations regarding various aspects of
our regulatory compliance.
In addition, from time to time, we are subject to various litigation and formal and informal inquiries and investigations by competition authorities in the
United States, Europe, and other jurisdictions, which relate to many aspects of our business, including with respect to users and advertisers, as well as our industry.
Such inquiries, investigations, and lawsuits concern, among other things, our business practices in the areas of social networking or social media services, digital
advertising, and/or mobile or online applications, as well as past acquisitions. For example, in June 2019 we were informed by the FTC that it had opened an
antitrust investigation of our company. In addition, beginning in the third quarter of 2019, we became the subject of antitrust inquiries and investigations by the
U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. House of Representatives, and state attorneys general. In December 2020, the FTC and the attorneys general from 46 states,
the territory of Guam, and the District of Columbia filed complaints against us in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that we violated
antitrust laws by acquiring Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 and by maintaining conditions on access to our platform, among other things. The lawsuits of
the FTC and attorneys general both seek a permanent injunction against our company's alleged violations of the antitrust laws, and other equitable relief, including
divestiture or reconstruction of Instagram and WhatsApp.
Orders issued by, or inquiries or enforcement actions initiated by, government or regulatory authorities could cause us to incur substantial costs, expose us
to unanticipated civil and criminal liability or penalties (including substantial monetary remedies), interrupt or require us to change our business practices in a
manner materially adverse to our business, result in negative publicity and reputational harm, divert resources and the time and attention of management from our
business, or subject us to other structural or behavioral remedies that adversely affect our business, and we have experienced some of these adverse effects to
varying degrees from time to time.
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Compliance with our FTC consent order, the GDPR, the CCPA, the ePrivacy Directive, and other regulatory and legislative privacy requirements require
significant operational resources and modifications to our business practices, and any compliance failures may have a material adverse effect on our business,
reputation, and financial results.
We are engaged in ongoing privacy compliance and oversight efforts, including in connection with our modified consent order with the FTC, requirements
of the GDPR, and other regulatory and legislative requirements around the world, such as the CCPA and the ePrivacy Directive. In particular, we are implementing
a comprehensive expansion of our privacy program in connection with the FTC consent order, including substantial management and board of directors oversight,
stringent operational requirements and reporting obligations, prohibitions against making misrepresentations relating to user data, a process to regularly certify our
compliance with the privacy program to the FTC, and regular assessments of our privacy program by an independent third-party assessor, which has been and will
continue to be challenging and costly to implement. These compliance and oversight efforts are increasing demand on our systems and resources, and require
significant new and ongoing investments, including investments in compliance processes, personnel, and technical infrastructure. We are reallocating resources
internally to assist with these efforts, and this has had, and will continue to have, an adverse impact on our other business initiatives. In addition, these efforts
require substantial modifications to our business practices and make some practices such as product and ads development more difficult, time-consuming, and
costly. As a result, we believe our ability to develop and launch new features, products, and services in a timely manner has been and will continue to be adversely
affected. We also expect that our privacy compliance and oversight efforts will require significant time and attention from our management and board of directors.
The requirements of the FTC consent order and other privacy-related laws and regulations are complex and apply broadly to our business, and from time to time
we notify relevant authorities of instances where we are not in full compliance with these requirements or otherwise discover privacy issues, and we expect to
continue to do so as any such issues arise in the future. In addition, regulatory and legislative privacy requirements are constantly evolving and can be subject to
significant change and uncertain interpretation. If we are unable to successfully implement and comply with the mandates of the FTC consent order, GDPR,
CCPA, ePrivacy Directive, or other regulatory or legislative requirements, or if we are found to be in violation of the consent order or other applicable
requirements, we may be subject to regulatory or governmental investigations or lawsuits, which may result in significant monetary fines, judgments, or other
penalties, and we may also be required to make additional changes to our business practices. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our
business, reputation, and financial results.
We may incur liability as a result of information retrieved from or transmitted over the Internet or published using our products or as a result of claims related
to our products, and legislation regulating content on our platform may require us to change our products or business practices and may adversely affect our
business and financial results.
We have faced, currently face, and will continue to face claims relating to information or content that is published or made available on our products,
including our policies and enforcement actions with respect to such information or content. In particular, the nature of our business exposes us to claims related to
defamation, dissemination of misinformation or news hoaxes, discrimination, harassment, intellectual property rights, rights of publicity and privacy, personal
injury torts, laws regulating hate speech or other types of content, and breach of contract, among others. This risk is enhanced in certain jurisdictions outside the
United States where our protection from liability for third-party actions may be unclear or where we may be less protected under local laws than we are in the
United States. For example, in April 2019, the European Union passed a directive expanding online platform liability for copyright infringement and regulating
certain uses of news content online, which member states are required to implement by June 2021. In addition, the European Union revised the European
Audiovisual Media Service Directive to apply to online video-sharing platforms, which member states are expected to implement by 2021. In the United States,
there have been, and continue to be, various Congressional and executive efforts to remove or restrict the scope of the protections available to online platforms
under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, as well as to impose new obligations on online platforms with respect to commerce listings, counterfeit
goods and copyright-infringing material, and our current protections from liability for third-party content in the United States could decrease or change. We could
incur significant costs investigating and defending such claims and, if we are found liable, significant damages. We could also face fines, orders restricting or
blocking our services in particular geographies, or other government-imposed remedies as a result of content hosted on our services. For example, legislation in
Germany has in the past, and may in the future, result in the imposition of fines for failure to comply with certain content removal, law enforcement cooperation,
and disclosure obligations. Numerous other countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America are considering or have implemented similar legislation imposing
penalties, including fines, service throttling, or advertising bans, for failure to remove certain types of content or follow certain processes. For example, we have
been subject to fines and may in the future be subject to other penalties in connection with social media legislation in Turkey. In addition, Australia recently
announced proposed legislation that would, among other matters, require us to pay publishers for certain
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news content that is shared on Facebook and Instagram. Content-related legislation also has required us in the past, and may require us in the future, to change our
products or business practices, increase our compliance costs, or otherwise impact our operations or our ability to provide services in certain geographies. For
example, the European Copyright Directive requires certain online services to obtain authorizations for copyrighted content or to implement measures to prevent
the availability of that content, which may require us to make substantial investments in compliance processes. In addition, changes to Section 230 of the
Communications Decency Act may increase our costs or require significant changes to our products, business practices, or operations, which could adversely affect
user growth and engagement. Any of the foregoing events could adversely affect our business and financial results.
Payment transactions may subject us to additional regulatory requirements and other risks that could be costly and difficult to comply with or that could harm
our business.
Our users can purchase virtual and digital goods from developers that offer applications using our Payments infrastructure on the Facebook website. In
addition, certain of our users can use our Payments infrastructure, including on Messenger and WhatsApp, for other activities, such as sending money to other
users and making donations to certain charitable organizations. We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere,
including those governing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, money transmission, gift cards and other prepaid access instruments, electronic
funds transfer, charitable fundraising, and import and export restrictions. Depending on how our Payments product evolves, we may also be subject to other laws
and regulations including those governing gambling, banking, and lending. In some jurisdictions, the application or interpretation of these laws and regulations is
not clear. To increase flexibility in how our use of Payments may evolve and to mitigate regulatory uncertainty, we have received certain money transmitter
licenses in the United States and an Electronic Money (E-money) license that allows us to conduct certain regulated payment activities in the participating member
countries of the European Economic Area, which will generally require us to demonstrate compliance with many domestic and foreign laws in these areas. Our
efforts to comply with these laws and regulations could be costly and result in diversion of management time and effort and may still not guarantee compliance. In
the event that we are found to be in violation of any such legal or regulatory requirements, we may be subject to monetary fines or other penalties such as a cease
and desist order, or we may be required to make product changes, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.
In addition, we are subject to a variety of additional risks as a result of Payments transactions, including: increased costs and diversion of management time
and effort and other resources to deal with bad transactions or customer disputes; potential fraudulent or otherwise illegal activity by users, developers, employees,
or third parties; restrictions on the investment of consumer funds used to transact Payments; and additional disclosure and reporting requirements. We have also
launched certain payments functionality on WhatsApp and have announced plans to develop digital payments products and services, which may subject us to many
of the foregoing risks and additional licensing requirements.
Our participation in the Diem Association subjects us to significant regulatory scrutiny and other risks that could adversely affect our business, reputation, or
financial results.
In June 2019, we announced our participation in the Diem Association, which will oversee a proposed digital payments system powered by blockchain
technology, and our plans for Novi, a digital wallet for Diem which we expect to launch as a standalone application and subsequently in Messenger and WhatsApp.
Diem is based on relatively new and unproven technology, and the laws and regulations surrounding blockchain-based payments are uncertain and evolving.
Diem has drawn significant scrutiny from governments and regulators in multiple jurisdictions and we expect that scrutiny to continue. As a sponsor of the
initiative and a proposed digital wallet service provider, we are participating in responses to inquiries from governments and regulators, and adverse government or
regulatory actions or negative publicity resulting from such participation may adversely affect our reputation and harm our business.
As this initiative evolves, both Diem and Novi may be subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and international jurisdictions,
including those governing payments, financial services, anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, economic sanctions, data protection, tax, and
competition. In many jurisdictions, the application or interpretation of these laws and regulations is not clear, particularly with respect to evolving laws and
regulations that are applied to blockchain and digital payments. To mitigate regulatory uncertainty, Diem has applied for a payment system operator license with
the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), and Novi has applied for money
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transmitter licenses in the United States and certain other countries, and other financial services licenses in certain other countries, that would allow us to conduct
digital wallet activities in these countries using the Diem network. These licenses, laws, and regulations, as well as any associated inquiries or investigations, may
delay or impede the launch of the Diem digital payments system as well as the development of our products and services, increase our operating costs, require
significant management time and attention, or otherwise harm our business.
In addition, market acceptance of such a digital payments system is subject to significant uncertainty. As such, there can be no assurance that Diem or our
associated products and services will be made available in a timely manner, or at all. We do not have significant prior experience with blockchain-based payments
technology, which may adversely affect our ability to successfully develop and market these products and services. We will also incur increased costs in
connection with our participation in the Diem Association and the development and marketing of associated products and services, and our investments may not be
successful. Any of these events could adversely affect our business, reputation, or financial results.
Risks Related to Data, Security, and Intellectual Property
Security breaches, improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, other hacking and phishing attacks on our systems, or other cyber incidents could
harm our reputation and adversely affect our business.
Our industry is prone to cyber-attacks by third parties seeking unauthorized access to our data or users' data or to disrupt our ability to provide service. Our
products and services involve the collection, storage, processing, and transmission of a large amount of data. Any failure to prevent or mitigate security breaches
and improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, including personal information, content, or payment information from users, or information from
marketers, could result in the loss, modification, disclosure, destruction, or other misuse of such data, which could harm our business and reputation and diminish
our competitive position. In addition, computer malware, viruses, social engineering (predominantly spear phishing attacks), scraping, and general hacking have
become more prevalent in our industry, have occurred on our systems in the past, and will occur on our systems in the future. We also regularly encounter attempts
to create false or undesirable user accounts, purchase ads, or take other actions on our platform for purposes such as spamming, spreading misinformation, or other
objectionable ends. As a result of our prominence, the size of our user base, the types and volume of personal data and content on our systems, and the evolving
nature of our products and services (including our efforts involving new and emerging technologies), we believe that we are a particularly attractive target for such
breaches and attacks, including from nation states and highly sophisticated, state-sponsored, or otherwise well-funded actors. Our efforts to address undesirable
activity on our platform also increase the risk of retaliatory attacks. Such breaches and attacks may cause interruptions to the services we provide, degrade the user
experience, cause users or marketers to lose confidence and trust in our products, impair our internal systems, or result in financial harm to us. Our efforts to
protect our company data or the information we receive, and to disable undesirable activities on our platform, may also be unsuccessful due to software bugs or
other technical malfunctions; employee, contractor, or vendor error or malfeasance, including defects or vulnerabilities in our vendors' information technology
systems or offerings; government surveillance; breaches of physical security of our facilities or technical infrastructure; or other threats that evolve. In addition,
third parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or users to disclose information in order to gain access to our data or our users' data. Cyber-attacks
continue to evolve in sophistication and volume, and inherently may be difficult to detect for long periods of time. Although we have developed systems and
processes that are designed to protect our data and user data, to prevent data loss, to disable undesirable accounts and activities on our platform, and to prevent or
detect security breaches, we cannot assure you that such measures will provide absolute security, that we will be able to react in a timely manner, or that our
remediation efforts will be successful.
In addition, some of our developers or other partners, such as those that help us measure the effectiveness of ads, may receive or store information provided
by us or by our users through mobile or web applications integrated with Facebook. We provide limited information to such third parties based on the scope of
services provided to us. However, if these third parties or developers fail to adopt or adhere to adequate data security practices, or in the event of a breach of their
networks, our data or our users' data may be improperly accessed, used, or disclosed.
We experience such cyber-attacks and other security incidents of varying degrees from time to time, and we incur significant costs in protecting against or
remediating such incidents. In addition, we are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and abroad relating to cybersecurity and data
protection, as well as obligations under our modified consent order with the FTC. As a result, affected users or government authorities could initiate legal or
regulatory actions against us in connection with any actual or perceived security breaches or improper access to or disclosure of data,
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which has occurred in the past and which could cause us to incur significant expense and liability or result in orders or consent decrees forcing us to modify our
business practices. Such incidents or our efforts to remediate such incidents may also result in a decline in our active user base or engagement levels. Any of these
events could have a material and adverse effect on our business, reputation, or financial results.
For example, in September 2018, we announced our discovery of a third-party cyber-attack that exploited a vulnerability in Facebook's code to steal user
access tokens, which were then used to access certain profile information from approximately 29 million user accounts on Facebook. The events surrounding this
cyber-attack became the subject of Irish Data Protection Commission and other government inquiries. Any such inquiries could subject us to substantial fines and
costs, require us to change our business practices, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, or adversely affect our business.
In addition, the changes in our work environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could impact the security of our systems, as well as our ability to
protect against attacks and detect and respond to them quickly. The rapid adoption of some third-party services designed to enable the transition to a remote
workforce also may introduce security risk that is not fully mitigated prior to the use of these services. We may also be subject to increased cyber-attacks, such as
phishing attacks by threat actors using the attention placed on the pandemic as a method for targeting our personnel.
We anticipate that our ongoing efforts related to privacy, safety, security, and content review will identify additional instances of misuse of user data or other
undesirable activity by third parties on our platform.
In addition to our efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks, we are making significant investments in privacy, safety, security, and content review efforts to
combat misuse of our services and user data by third parties, including investigations and audits of platform applications. As a result of these efforts we have
discovered and announced, and anticipate that we will continue to discover and announce, additional incidents of misuse of user data or other undesirable activity
by third parties. We may not discover all such incidents or activity, whether as a result of our data or technical limitations, including our lack of visibility over our
encrypted services, the scale of activity on our platform, challenges related to our personnel working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the allocation of
resources to other projects, or other factors, and we may be notified of such incidents or activity by the independent privacy assessor required under our modified
consent order with the FTC, the media, or other third parties. Such incidents and activities have in the past, and may in the future, include the use of user data or
our systems in a manner inconsistent with our terms, contracts or policies, the existence of false or undesirable user accounts, election interference, improper
advertising practices, activities that threaten people's safety on- or offline, or instances of spamming, scraping, data harvesting, unsecured datasets, or spreading
misinformation. We may also be unsuccessful in our efforts to enforce our policies or otherwise remediate any such incidents. Any of the foregoing developments
may negatively affect user trust and engagement, harm our reputation and brands, require us to change our business practices in a manner adverse to our business,
and adversely affect our business and financial results. Any such developments may also subject us to additional litigation and regulatory inquiries, which could
subject us to monetary penalties and damages, divert management's time and attention, and lead to enhanced regulatory oversight.
Our products and internal systems rely on software and hardware that is highly technical, and any errors, bugs, or vulnerabilities in these systems, or failures
to address or mitigate technical limitations in our systems, could adversely affect our business.
Our products and internal systems rely on software and hardware, including software and hardware developed or maintained internally and/or by third
parties, that is highly technical and complex. In addition, our products and internal systems depend on the ability of such software and hardware to store, retrieve,
process, and manage immense amounts of data. The software and hardware on which we rely has contained, and will in the future contain, errors, bugs, or
vulnerabilities, and our systems are subject to certain technical limitations that may compromise our ability to meet our objectives. Some errors, bugs, or
vulnerabilities inherently may be difficult to detect and may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or internal use. For example, in
September 2018, we announced our discovery of a third-party cyber-attack that exploited a vulnerability in Facebook's code to steal user access tokens and access
certain profile information from user accounts on Facebook. Errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, design defects, or technical limitations within the software and hardware
on which we rely have in the past led to, and may in the future lead to, outcomes including a negative experience for users and marketers who use our products,
compromised ability of our products to perform in a manner consistent with our terms, contracts, or policies, delayed product introductions or enhancements,
targeting, measurement, or billing errors, compromised ability to protect the data of our users and/or our intellectual property or other data, or reductions in our
ability to provide some or all of our services. For example, we make commitments to our users as to how their data will
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be used within and across our products, and our systems are subject to errors, bugs and technical limitations that may prevent us from fulfilling these commitments
reliably. In addition, any errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or defects in our systems or the software and hardware on which we rely, failures to properly address or
mitigate the technical limitations in our systems, or associated degradations or interruptions of service or failures to fulfill our commitments to our users, have in
the past led to, and may in the future lead to, outcomes including damage to our reputation, loss of users, loss of marketers, loss of revenue, regulatory inquiries,
litigation, or liability for fines, damages, or other remedies, any of which could adversely affect our business and financial results.
If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, the value of our brands and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be adversely
affected.
We rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of confidentiality, assignment, and license agreements with our employees, consultants, and third
parties with whom we have relationships, as well as trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret, and domain name protection laws, to protect our proprietary rights.
In the United States and internationally, we have filed various applications for protection of certain aspects of our intellectual property, and we currently hold a
significant number of registered trademarks and issued patents in multiple jurisdictions and have acquired patents and patent applications from third parties. Third
parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our proprietary rights, third parties may challenge proprietary rights held by us, and pending and future trademark
and patent applications may not be approved. In addition, effective intellectual property protection may not be available in every country in which we operate or
intend to operate our business. In any or all of these cases, we may be required to expend significant time and expense in order to prevent infringement or to
enforce our rights. Although we have generally taken measures to protect our proprietary rights, there can be no assurance that others will not offer products or
concepts that are substantially similar to ours and compete with our business. In addition, we regularly contribute software source code under open source licenses
and have made other technology we developed available under other open licenses, and we include open source software in our products. As a result of our open
source contributions and the use of open source in our products, we may license or be required to license or disclose code and/or innovations that turn out to be
material to our business and may also be exposed to increased litigation risk. If the protection of our proprietary rights is inadequate to prevent unauthorized use or
appropriation by third parties, the value of our brands and other intangible assets may be diminished and competitors may be able to more effectively mimic our
products, services, and methods of operations. Any of these events could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.
We are currently, and expect to be in the future, party to patent lawsuits and other intellectual property rights claims that are expensive and time consuming
and, if resolved adversely, could have a significant impact on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Companies in the Internet, technology, and media industries own large numbers of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, and frequently enter
into litigation based on allegations of infringement, misappropriation, or other violations of intellectual property or other rights. In addition, various "non-
practicing entities" that own patents and other intellectual property rights often attempt to aggressively assert their rights in order to extract value from technology
companies. Furthermore, from time to time we may introduce or acquire new products, including in areas where we historically have not competed, which could
increase our exposure to patent and other intellectual property claims from competitors and non-practicing entities.
From time to time, we receive notice from patent holders and other parties alleging that certain of our products and services, or user content, infringe their
intellectual property rights. We presently are involved in a number of intellectual property lawsuits, and as we face increasing competition and gain an increasingly
high profile, we expect the number of patent and other intellectual property claims against us to grow. Defending patent and other intellectual property litigation is
costly and can impose a significant burden on management and employees, and there can be no assurances that favorable final outcomes will be obtained in all
cases. In addition, plaintiffs may seek, and we may become subject to, preliminary or provisional rulings in the course of any such litigation, including potential
preliminary injunctions requiring us to cease some or all of our operations. We may decide to settle such lawsuits and disputes on terms that are unfavorable to us.
Similarly, if any litigation to which we are a party is resolved adversely, we may be subject to an unfavorable judgment that may not be reversed upon appeal. The
terms of such a settlement or judgment may require us to cease some or all of our operations or pay substantial amounts to the other party. In addition, we may
have to seek a license to continue practices found to be in violation of a third party's rights, which may not be available on reasonable terms, or at all, and may
significantly increase our operating costs and expenses. As a result, we may also be required to develop alternative non-infringing technology or
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practices or discontinue the practices. The development of alternative non-infringing technology or practices could require significant effort and expense, could
result in less effective technology or practices or otherwise negatively affect the user experience, or may not be feasible. We have experienced unfavorable
outcomes in such disputes and litigation in the past, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected as a result of an
unfavorable resolution of the disputes and litigation referred to above.
The trading price of our Class A common stock has been and will likely continue to be volatile.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock
The trading price of our Class A common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile. Since shares of our Class A common stock were sold in
our initial public offering in May 2012 at a price of $38.00 per share, our stock price has ranged from $17.55 to $304.67 through December 31, 2020. In addition to
the factors discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the trading price of our Class A common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous
factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
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actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue and other operating results;
the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections, or our failure to meet these projections;
actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our
company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
additional shares of our stock being sold into the market by us, our existing stockholders, or in connection with acquisitions, or the anticipation of
such sales;
investor sentiment with respect to our competitors, our business partners, and our industry in general;
announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or features, technical innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures,
or capital commitments;
announcements by us or estimates by third parties of actual or anticipated changes in the size of our user base, the level of user engagement, or the
effectiveness of our ad products;
changes in operating performance and stock market valuations of technology companies in our industry, including our developers and competitors;
price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;
the inclusion, exclusion, or deletion of our stock from any trading indices, such as the S&P 500 Index;
media coverage of our business and financial performance;
lawsuits threatened or filed against us, or developments in pending lawsuits;
adverse government actions or legislative or regulatory developments relating to advertising, competition, content, privacy, or other matters,
including interim or final rulings by tax, judicial, or regulatory bodies;
trading activity in our share repurchase program; and
other events or factors, including those resulting from war, incidents of terrorism, pandemics, and other disruptive external events, or responses to
these events.
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In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity
securities of many technology companies. We are currently subject to securities litigation in connection with our platform and user data practices and the misuse of
certain data by a developer that shared such data with third parties in violation of our terms and policies, as well as the disclosure of our earnings results for the
second quarter of 2018. We may experience more such litigation following future periods of volatility. Any securities litigation could subject us to substantial
costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.
We do not intend to pay cash dividends for the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion
of our business and fund our share repurchase program, and we do not expect to declare or pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, you may
only receive a return on your investment in our Class A common stock if the trading price of your shares increases.
The dual class structure of our common stock and a voting agreement between certain stockholders have the effect of concentrating voting control with our
CEO and certain other holders of our Class B common stock; this will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters.
Our Class B common stock has ten votes per share and our Class A common stock has one vote per share. Stockholders who hold shares of Class B
common stock, including certain of our executive officers, employees, and directors and their affiliates, together hold a substantial majority of the voting power of
our outstanding capital stock. Because of the ten-to-one voting ratio between our Class B and Class A common stock, the holders of our Class B common stock
collectively control a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock and therefore are able to control all matters submitted to our stockholders for
approval so long as the shares of Class B common stock represent at least 9.1% of all outstanding shares of our Class A and Class B common stock. This
concentrated control will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future.
Transfers by holders of Class B common stock will generally result in those shares converting to Class A common stock, subject to limited exceptions, such
as certain transfers effected for estate planning or charitable purposes. The conversion of Class B common stock to Class A common stock will have the effect,
over time, of increasing the relative voting power of those holders of Class B common stock who retain their shares in the long term. If, for example,
Mr. Zuckerberg retains a significant portion of his holdings of Class B common stock for an extended period of time, he could, in the future, continue to control a
majority of the combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock.
Our status as a "controlled company" could make our Class A common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.
Because we qualify as a "controlled company" under the corporate governance rules for Nasdaq-listed companies, we are not required to have a majority of
our board of directors be independent, nor are we required to have a compensation committee or an independent nominating function. In the future we could elect
not to have a majority of our board of directors be independent or not to have a compensation committee or an independent nominating function. Accordingly,
should the interests of our controlling stockholder differ from those of other stockholders, the other stockholders may not have the same protections afforded to
stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance rules for Nasdaq-listed companies. Our status as a controlled company could make
our Class A common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.
Delaware law and provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest difficult, thereby
depressing the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Our status as a Delaware corporation and the anti-takeover provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law may discourage, delay, or prevent a change
in control by prohibiting us from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the person becomes an
interested stockholder, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders. In addition, our current restated certificate of incorporation and
bylaws contain provisions that may make the acquisition of our company more difficult, including the following:
•
until the first date on which the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock represent less than 35% of the
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combined voting power of our common stock, any transaction that would result in a change in control of our company requires the approval of a
majority of our outstanding Class B common stock voting as a separate class;
we currently have a dual class common stock structure, which provides Mr. Zuckerberg with the ability to control the outcome of matters requiring
stockholder approval, even if he owns significantly less than a majority of the shares of our outstanding Class A and Class B common stock;
when the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock represent less than a majority of the combined voting power of common stock, certain
amendments to our restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws will require the approval of two-thirds of the combined vote of our then-
outstanding shares of Class A and Class B common stock;
when the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock represent less than a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock,
vacancies on our board of directors will be able to be filled only by our board of directors and not by stockholders;
when the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock represent less than a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock, our
board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors with staggered three-year terms and directors will only be able to be removed from
office for cause;
when the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock represent less than a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock, our
stockholders will only be able to take action at a meeting of stockholders and not by written consent;
only our chairman, our chief executive officer, our president, or a majority of our board of directors are authorized to call a special meeting of
stockholders;
advance notice procedures apply for stockholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring matters before an annual meeting of
stockholders;
our restated certificate of incorporation authorizes undesignated preferred stock, the terms of which may be established, and shares of which may be
issued, without stockholder approval; and
certain litigation against us can only be brought in Delaware.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
Our corporate headquarters are located in Menlo Park, California. As of December 31, 2020, we owned and leased approximately 10 million square feet of
office and building space for our corporate headquarters and in the surrounding areas, and approximately 90 acres of land to be developed to accommodate
anticipated future growth.
In addition, we have offices in more than 80 cities across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. We also own 17
data centers globally.
We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current needs.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Beginning on March 20, 2018, multiple putative class actions and derivative actions were filed in state and federal courts in the United States and elsewhere
against us and certain of our directors and officers alleging violations of securities laws, breach of fiduciary duties, and other causes of action in connection with
our platform and user data practices as well as the misuse of certain data by a developer that shared such data with third parties in violation of our terms and
policies, and seeking unspecified damages and injunctive relief. Beginning on July 27, 2018, two putative class actions were filed in federal court in the United
States against us and certain of our directors and officers alleging violations of securities laws in connection with the disclosure of our earnings results for the
second quarter of 2018 and seeking unspecified damages. These two actions subsequently were transferred and consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of California with the putative securities class action described above relating to our platform and user data practices. On September 25, 2019, the
district court granted our motion to dismiss the consolidated putative securities class action, with leave to amend. On November 15, 2019, a second amended
complaint was filed in the consolidated putative securities class action. On August 7, 2020, the district court granted our motion to dismiss the second amended
complaint, with leave to amend. On October 16, 2020, a third amended complaint was filed in the consolidated putative securities class action. We believe these
lawsuits are without merit, and we are vigorously defending them. In addition, our platform and user data practices, as well as the events surrounding the misuse of
certain data by a developer, became the subject of U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, and other government inquiries in the United
States, Europe, and other jurisdictions. In July 2019, we entered into a settlement and modified consent order to resolve the FTC inquiry, which was approved by
the federal court and took effect in April 2020. Among other matters, our settlement with the FTC required us to pay a penalty of $5.0 billion and to significantly
enhance our practices and processes for privacy compliance and oversight. Any other government inquiries regarding these matters could subject us to additional
substantial fines and costs, require us to change our business practices, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, or adversely affect our
business.
On April 1, 2015, a putative class action was filed against us in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by Facebook users alleging
that the "tag suggestions" facial recognition feature violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and seeking statutory damages and injunctive relief. On
April 16, 2018, the district court certified a class of Illinois residents, and on May 14, 2018, the district court denied both parties' motions for summary judgment.
On May 29, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted our petition for review of the class certification order and stayed the proceeding. On
August 8, 2019, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the class certification order. On December 2, 2019, we filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of
the decision of the Ninth Circuit, which was denied. On January 15, 2020, the parties agreed to a settlement in principle to resolve the lawsuit, which provided for a
payment of $550 million by us and was subject to court approval. On or about May 8, 2020, the parties executed a formal settlement agreement, and plaintiffs filed
a motion for preliminary approval of the settlement by the district court. On June 4, 2020, the district court denied the plaintiffs' motion without prejudice. On July
22, 2020, the parties executed an amended settlement agreement, which, among other terms, provides for a payment of $650 million by us. On August 19, 2020,
the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. The settlement is subject to final court approval.
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Beginning on September 28, 2018, multiple putative class actions were filed in state and federal courts in the United States and elsewhere against us
alleging violations of consumer protection laws and other causes of action in connection with a third-party cyber-attack that exploited a vulnerability in Facebook's
code to steal user access tokens and access certain profile information from user accounts on Facebook, and seeking unspecified damages and injunctive relief. The
actions filed in the United States were consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. On November 26, 2019, the district court
certified a class for injunctive relief purposes, but denied certification of a class for purposes of pursuing damages. On January 16, 2020, the parties agreed to a
settlement in principle to resolve the lawsuit. On November 15, 2020, the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. The settlement is subject to final
court approval. We believe the remaining lawsuits are without merit, and we are vigorously defending them. In addition, the events surrounding this cyber-attack
became the subject of Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) and other government inquiries. Any such inquiries could subject us to substantial fines and costs,
require us to change our business practices, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, or adversely affect our business.
From time to time we also notify the IDPC, our designated European privacy regulator under the General Data Protection Regulation, of certain other
personal data breaches and privacy issues, and are subject to inquiries and investigations regarding various aspects of our regulatory compliance. For example, in
August 2020, we received a preliminary draft decision from the IDPC that preliminarily concluded that Facebook Ireland's reliance on Standard Contractual
Clauses in respect of European user data does not achieve compliance with the GDPR and preliminarily proposed that such transfers of user data from the
European Union to the United States should therefore be suspended. Facebook Ireland challenged procedural aspects of this IDPC inquiry in a judicial review
commenced in the Irish High Court in September 2020, and the court ordered the IDPC not to take further steps in respect of the inquiry until the judicial review
proceedings conclude (subject to the IDPC's right to apply to vary or lift this order), which we expect to occur in early 2021. For additional information, see Part I,
Item 1A, "Risk Factors—Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S. and foreign laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, content,
competition, consumer protection, and other matters" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any such inquiries or investigations could subject us to substantial
fines and costs, require us to change our business practices, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, or adversely affect our business.
In addition, from time to time we are subject to various litigation and government inquiries and investigations, formal or informal, by competition
authorities in the United States, Europe, and other jurisdictions. Such investigations, inquiries, and lawsuits concern, among other things, our business practices in
the areas of social networking or social media services, digital advertising, and/or mobile or online applications, as well as past acquisitions. For example, in June
2019 we were informed by the FTC that it had opened an antitrust investigation of our company. On December 9, 2020, the FTC filed a complaint against us in the
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that we engaged in anticompetitive conduct and unfair methods of competition in violation of Section 5 of
the Federal Trade Commission Act and Section 2 of the Sherman Act by acquiring Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 and by maintaining conditions on
access to our platform. In addition, beginning in the third quarter of 2019, we became the subject of antitrust investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and
state attorneys general. On December 9, 2020, the attorneys general from 46 states, the territory of Guam, and the District of Columbia filed a complaint against us
in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that we engaged in anticompetitive conduct in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act by
acquiring Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 and by maintaining conditions on access to our platform. The complaint also alleges that we violated Section 7
of the Clayton Act by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp. The lawsuits of the FTC and attorneys general both seek a permanent injunction against our company's
alleged violations of the antitrust laws, and other equitable relief, including divestiture or reconstruction of Instagram and WhatsApp. Multiple putative class
actions have also been filed in state and federal courts in the United States against us alleging violations of antitrust laws and other causes of action in connection
with these acquisitions and other alleged anticompetitive conduct, and seeking unspecified damages and injunctive relief. We believe these lawsuits are without
merit, and we are vigorously defending them. The result of such litigation, investigations or inquiries could subject us to substantial monetary remedies and costs,
interrupt or require us to change our business practices, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, or subject us to other structural or
behavioral remedies that adversely affect our business.
In addition, from time to time, we are subject to litigation and other proceedings involving law enforcement and other regulatory agencies, including in
particular in Brazil and Europe, in order to ascertain the precise scope of our legal obligations to comply with the requests of those agencies, including our
obligation to disclose user information in particular circumstances. A number of such instances have resulted in the assessment of fines and penalties against us.
We believe we
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have multiple legal grounds to satisfy these requests or prevail against associated fines and penalties, and we intend to vigorously defend such fines and penalties.
We are also party to various other legal proceedings, claims, and regulatory, tax or government inquiries and investigations that arise in the ordinary course
of business, and we may in the future be subject to additional legal proceedings and disputes.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information for Common Stock
Our Class A common stock has been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "FB" since May 18, 2012. Prior to that time, there was no
public market for our stock.
Our Class B common stock is not listed on any stock exchange nor traded on any public market.
Holders of Record
As of December 31, 2020, there were 3,471 stockholders of record of our Class A common stock, and the closing price of our Class A common stock was
$273.16 per share as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Because many of our shares of Class A common stock are held by brokers and other institutions
on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by these record holders. As of December 31, 2020, there were
32 stockholders of record of our Class B common stock.
Dividend Policy
We have never declared or paid any cash dividend on our common stock. We intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of
our business and fund our share repurchase program, and we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
The following table summarizes the share repurchase activity for the three months ended December 31, 2020:
October 1 - 31, 2020
November 1 - 30, 2020
December 1 - 31, 2020
Total Number of Shares
Purchased
(in thousands)
(1)
Average Price Paid Per
Share
(2)
Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of Publicly
Announced Programs
(in thousands)
(1)
Approximate Dollar Value of
Shares that May Yet Be
Purchased Under the Plans or
Programs
(in millions)
(1)
$
$
$
2,310
2,100
2,670
7,080
270.12
276.32
276.38
$
$
$
2,310
2,100
2,670
7,080
9,921
9,341
8,603
_________________________
(1) Our board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program of our Class A common stock, which commenced in January 2017 and does not have an expiration date.
In January 2021, an additional $25 billion of repurchases was authorized under this program. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased depend on a variety of
factors, including price, general business and market conditions, and other investment opportunities, and shares may be repurchased through open market purchases or
privately negotiated transactions, including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act.
(2) Average price paid per share includes costs associated with the repurchases.
Recent Sale of Unregistered Securities and Use of Proceeds
Recent Sale of Unregistered Securities
None.
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Stock Performance Graph
This performance graph shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the SEC for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise
subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Facebook, Inc. under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
The following graph shows a comparison of the cumulative total return for our Class A common stock, the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index (DJINET),
the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index (S&P 500) and the Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq Composite) for the five years ended December 31, 2020. The graph
assumes that $100 was invested at the market close on the last trading day for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 in the Class A common stock of Facebook,
Inc., the DJINET, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite and data for the DJINET, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite assumes reinvestments of gross
dividends. The stock price performance of the following graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.
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Item 6. Selected Financial Data
You should read the following selected consolidated financial data in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations," and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
The consolidated statements of income data for each of the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 and the consolidated balance sheets data as of
December 31, 2020 and 2019 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. The consolidated statements of income data for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 and the consolidated
balance sheets data as of December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, except as otherwise noted, that are
not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our results in any future period.
(1)
Consolidated Statements of Income Data:
Revenue
Total costs and expenses
Income from operations
Income before provision for income taxes
Net income
Net income attributable to Class A and Class B common
stockholders
Earnings per share attributable to Class A and Class B
common stockholders:
Basic
Diluted
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
2020
2019
Year Ended December 31,
2018
(in millions, except per share data)
2017
2016
85,965 $
53,294 $
32,671 $
33,180 $
29,146 $
70,697 $
46,711 $
23,986 $
24,812 $
18,485 $
55,838 $
30,925 $
24,913 $
25,361 $
22,112 $
40,653 $
20,450 $
20,203 $
20,594 $
15,934 $
27,638
15,211
12,427
12,518
10,217
29,146 $
18,485 $
22,111 $
15,920 $
10,188
10.22 $
10.09 $
6.48 $
6.43 $
7.65 $
7.57 $
5.49 $
5.39 $
3.56
3.49
_________________________
(1) Total costs and expenses include $6.54 billion, $4.84 billion, $4.15 billion, $3.72 billion, and $3.22 billion of share-based compensation for the years ended December 31,
2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively.
Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:
Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities
Working capital
Property and equipment, net
Total assets
Operating lease liabilities
Total liabilities
Additional paid-in capital
Total stockholders' equity
(1)
2020
2019
As of December 31,
2018
(in millions)
2017
2016
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
61,954 $
60,689 $
45,633 $
159,316 $
10,654 $
31,026 $
50,018 $
128,290 $
54,855 $
51,172 $
35,323 $
133,376 $
10,324 $
32,322 $
45,851 $
101,054 $
41,114 $
43,463 $
24,683 $
97,334 $
— $
13,207 $
42,906 $
84,127 $
41,711 $
44,803 $
13,721 $
84,524 $
— $
10,177 $
40,584 $
74,347 $
29,449
31,526
8,591
64,961
—
5,767
38,227
59,194
_________________________
(1) On January 1, 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Prior period amounts have not been adjusted under the modified
retrospective method.
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Free Cash Flow
In addition to other financial measures presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), we monitor free cash flow
(FCF) as a non-GAAP measure to manage our business, make planning decisions, evaluate our performance, and allocate resources. We define FCF as net cash
provided by operating activities reduced by net purchases of property and equipment and principal payments on finance leases.
We believe that FCF is one of the key financial indicators of our business performance over the long term and provides useful information regarding how
cash provided by operating activities compares to the property and equipment investments required to maintain and grow our business.
We have chosen our definition for FCF because we believe that this methodology can provide useful supplemental information to help investors better
understand underlying trends in our business. We use FCF in discussions with our senior management and board of directors.
FCF has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of other GAAP financial measures, such as
net cash provided by operating activities. FCF is not intended to represent our residual cash flow available for discretionary expenses. Some of the limitations of
FCF are:
•
•
FCF does not reflect our future contractual commitments; and
other companies in our industry present similarly titled measures differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.
Management compensates for the inherent limitations associated with using the FCF measure through disclosure of such limitations, presentation of our
financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and reconciliation of FCF to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, net cash provided by operating
activities, as presented below.
The following is a reconciliation of FCF to the most comparable GAAP measure, net cash provided by operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities
Less: Purchases of property and equipment
Less: Principal payments on finance leases
Free cash flow
2020
2019
Year Ended December 31,
2018
(in millions)
2017
2016
$
$
38,747 $
(15,115)
(604)
23,028 $
36,314 $
(15,102)
(552)
20,660 $
29,274 $
(13,915)
—
15,359 $
24,216 $
(6,733)
—
17,483 $
16,108
(4,491)
—
11,617
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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the
related notes included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to our historical
consolidated financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates, and beliefs. Our actual results
could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed
below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors." For a discussion of limitations in the measurement of
certain of our community metrics, see the section entitled "Limitations of Key Metrics and Other Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Certain revenue information in the section entitled "—Revenue—Foreign Exchange Impact on Revenue" is presented on a constant currency basis. This
information is a non-GAAP financial measure. To calculate revenue on a constant currency basis, we translated revenue for the full year 2020 using 2019 monthly
exchange rates for our settlement or billing currencies other than the U.S. dollar. This non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation
or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. This measure may be different from non‑GAAP
financial measures used by other companies, limiting its usefulness for comparison purposes. Moreover, presentation of revenue on a constant currency basis is
provided for year-over-year comparison purposes, and investors should be cautioned that the effect of changing foreign currency exchange rates has an actual
effect on our operating results. We believe this non-GAAP financial measure provides investors with useful supplemental information about the financial
performance of our business, enables comparison of financial results between periods where certain items may vary independent of business performance, and
allows for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in operating our business.
Executive Overview of Full Year 2020 Results
Our key community metrics and financial results for 2020 are as follows:
Community growth:
•
•
•
•
Facebook daily active users (DAUs) were 1.84 billion on average for December 2020, an increase of 11% year-over-year.
Facebook monthly active users (MAUs) were 2.80 billion as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 12% year-over-year.
Family daily active people (DAP) was 2.60 billion on average for December 2020, an increase of 15% year-over-year.
Family monthly active people (MAP) was 3.30 billion as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 14% year-over-year.
Financial results:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Revenue was $85.97 billion, up 22% year-over-year, and advertising revenue was $84.17 billion, up 21% year-over-year.
Total costs and expenses were $53.29 billion.
Income from operations was $32.67 billion and operating margin was 38%.
Net income was $29.15 billion with diluted earnings per share of $10.09.
Capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, were $15.72 billion.
Effective tax rate was 12.2%.
Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities were $61.95 billion as of December 31, 2020.
Headcount was 58,604 as of December 31, 2020, an increase of 30% year-over-year.
Our mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have focused on helping people stay connected, assisting the public health response, and working on the
economic recovery. We have also continued to invest based on the following company priorities: (i) continue making progress on the major social issues facing the
internet and our company, including privacy, safety, and security; (ii) build new experiences that meaningfully improve people's lives today and set the stage for
even bigger improvements in the future; (iii) keep building our business by supporting the millions of businesses that rely on our
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services to grow and create jobs; and (iv) communicate more transparently about what we're doing and the role our services play in the world.
In 2020, we also continued to focus on our main revenue growth priorities: (i) helping marketers use our products to connect with consumers where they are
and (ii) making our ads more relevant and effective.
Our business has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in authorities implementing numerous preventative measures to contain or
mitigate the outbreak of the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, limitations on business activity, quarantines, and shelter-in-place orders. These measures
have caused, and are continuing to cause, business slowdowns or shutdowns in affected areas, both regionally and worldwide, which have significantly impacted
our business and results of operations. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, we experienced significant increases in the size and engagement of our active user
base across a number of regions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, we have seen user growth and engagement returning to pre-pandemic
trends, particularly in the United States & Canada region. We are unable to predict the impact of the pandemic on user growth and engagement with any certainty,
and we expect these trends to continue to be subject to volatility.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also previously caused a reduction in the demand for advertising, as well as a related decline in the pricing of our ads,
particularly in the second quarter of 2020. More recently, we believe the pandemic has contributed to an acceleration in the shift of commerce from offline to
online, as well as increasing consumer demand for purchasing products as opposed to services, and we experienced increasing demand for advertising as a result of
these trends. However, it is possible that this increased demand may not continue in future periods and may even recede as the effects of the pandemic subside,
which could adversely affect our advertising revenue growth. The impact of the pandemic on user growth and engagement, the demand for and pricing of our
advertising services, as well as on our overall results of operations, remains highly uncertain for the foreseeable future. In addition, we expect that future
advertising revenue growth will continue to be adversely affected by limitations on our ad targeting and measurement tools arising from changes to the regulatory
environment and third-party mobile operating systems and browsers.
We intend to continue to invest in our business based on our company priorities, and we anticipate that additional investments in our data center capacity,
servers, network infrastructure, and office facilities, as well as scaling our headcount to support our growth, will continue to drive expense growth in 2021. We
expect 2021 capital expenditures to be in the range of $21-23 billion and total expenses to be in the range of $68-73 billion.
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Trends in Our Facebook User Metrics
The numbers for our key Facebook metrics, our DAUs, MAUs, and average revenue per user (ARPU), do not include users on Instagram, WhatsApp, or our
other products, unless they would otherwise qualify as DAUs or MAUs, respectively, based on their other activities on Facebook.
Trends in the number of users affect our revenue and financial results by influencing the number of ads we are able to show, the value of our ads to
marketers, the volume of Payments transactions, as well as our expenses and capital expenditures. Substantially all of our daily and monthly active users (as
defined below) access Facebook on mobile devices.
•
Daily Active Users (DAUs). We define a daily active user as a registered and logged-in Facebook user who visited Facebook through our website or a
mobile device, or used our Messenger application (and is also a registered Facebook user), on a given day. We view DAUs, and DAUs as a percentage of
MAUs, as measures of user engagement on Facebook.
DAU/MAU: 66% 66% 66% 66% 66% 66% 66% 66% 66% 67% 66% 66% 66%
DAU/MAU: 77% 77% 77% 76% 77% 77% 77% 77% 77% 77% 77% 77% 76% DAU/MAU: 75% 75% 74% 74% 74% 74% 74% 74% 75% 75% 74% 74% 74%
DAU/MAU: 60% 61% 61% 61% 61% 61% 61% 62% 62% 62% 61% 62% 62% DAU/MAU: 64% 64% 64% 64% 64% 64% 64% 65% 65% 65% 65% 65% 65%
Note: For purposes of reporting DAUs, MAUs, and ARPU by geographic region, Europe includes all users in Russia and Turkey and Rest of World includes all users in Africa, Latin
America, and the Middle East.
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Worldwide DAUs increased 11% to 1.84 billion on average during December 2020 from 1.66 billion during December 2019. Users in India, the Philippines,
and Indonesia represented key sources of growth in DAUs during December 2020, relative to the same period in 2019.
• Monthly Active Users (MAUs). We define a monthly active user as a registered and logged-in Facebook user who visited Facebook through our website
or a mobile device, or used our Messenger application (and is also a registered Facebook user), in the last 30 days as of the date of measurement. MAUs
are a measure of the size of our global active user community on Facebook.
As of December 31, 2020, we had 2.80 billion MAUs, an increase of 12% from December 31, 2019. Users in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines
represented key sources of growth in 2020, relative to the same period in 2019.
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Trends in Our Monetization by Facebook User Geography
We calculate our revenue by Facebook user geography based on our estimate of the geography in which ad impressions are delivered, virtual and digital
goods are purchased, or consumer hardware devices are shipped. We define ARPU as our total revenue in a given geography during a given quarter, divided by the
average of the number of MAUs in the geography at the beginning and end of the quarter. While ARPU includes all sources of revenue, the number of MAUs used
in this calculation only includes users of Facebook and Messenger as described in the definition of MAU above. The share of revenue from users who are not also
Facebook or Messenger MAUs was not material. The geography of our users affects our revenue and financial results because we currently monetize users in
different geographies at different average rates. Our revenue and ARPU in regions such as United States & Canada and Europe are relatively higher primarily due
to the size and maturity of those online and mobile advertising markets. For example, ARPU in 2020 in the United States & Canada region was more than 11 times
higher than in the Asia-Pacific region.
ARPU: $7.37
$6.42
$7.05
$7.26
$8.52
$6.95
$7.05
$7.89
$10.14
ARPU: $34.86
$30.12
$33.27
$34.55
$41.41
$34.18
$36.49
$39.63
$53.56
ARPU: $10.98
$9.55
$10.70
$10.68
$13.21
$10.64
$11.03
$12.41
$16.87
ARPU: $2.96
$2.78
$3.04
$3.24
$3.57
$3.06
$2.99
$3.67
$4.05
ARPU: $2.11
$1.89
$2.13
$2.24
$2.48
$1.99
$1.78
$2.22
$2.77
Note: Our revenue by Facebook user geography in the charts above is geographically apportioned based on our estimation of the geographic location of our Facebook users when
they perform a revenue-generating activity. This allocation differs from our revenue disaggregated by geography disclosure in our consolidated financial statements where revenue is
geographically apportioned based on the billing address of the customer.
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Our annual worldwide ARPU in 2020, which represents the sum of quarterly ARPU during such period, was $32.03, an increase of 10% from 2019. Over
this period, ARPU increased by 18% in the United States & Canada, 15% in Europe, and 9% in Asia‑Pacific, and ARPU was flat in Rest of World. In addition,
user growth was more rapid in geographies with relatively lower ARPU, such as Asia‑Pacific and Rest of World. We expect that user growth in the future will be
primarily concentrated in those regions where ARPU is relatively lower, such that worldwide ARPU may continue to increase at a slower rate relative to ARPU in
any geographic region, or potentially decrease even if ARPU increases in each geographic region.
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Trends in Our Family Metrics
The numbers for our key Family metrics, our DAP, MAP, and average revenue per person (ARPP), do not include users on our other products unless they
would otherwise qualify as MAP or DAP, respectively, based on their other activities on our Family products.
Trends in the number of people in our community affect our revenue and financial results by influencing the number of ads we are able to show, the value of
our ads to marketers, the volume of Payments transactions, as well as our expenses and capital expenditures. Substantially all of our daily and monthly active
people (as defined below) access our Family products on mobile devices.
•
Daily Active People (DAP). We define a daily active person as a registered and logged-in user of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and/or WhatsApp
(collectively, our "Family" of products) who visited at least one of these Family products through a mobile device application or using a web or mobile
browser on a given day. We do not require people to use a common identifier or link their accounts to use multiple products in our Family, and therefore
must seek to attribute multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people. Our calculations of DAP rely upon complex techniques,
algorithms, and machine learning models that seek to estimate the underlying number of unique people using one or more of these products, including by
matching user accounts within an individual product and across multiple products when we believe they are attributable to a single person, and counting
such group of accounts as one person. As these techniques and models require significant judgment, are developed based on internal reviews of limited
samples of user accounts, and are calibrated against user survey data, there is necessarily some margin of error in our estimates. We view DAP, and DAP
as a percentage of MAP, as measures of engagement across our products. For additional information, see the section entitled "Limitations of Key Metrics
and Other Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
DAP/MAP: 77% 78% 78%
78%
78%
79%
79%
79%
79%
Note: We report the numbers of DAP and MAP as specific amounts, but these numbers are estimates of the numbers of unique people using our products and are subject to statistical
variances and errors. While we expect the error margin for these estimates to vary from period to period, we estimate that such margin generally will be approximately 4% of our
worldwide MAP. At our scale, it is very difficult to attribute multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people, and it is possible that the actual numbers of
unique people using our products may vary significantly from our estimates, potentially beyond our estimated error margins. For additional information, see the section entitled
"Limitations of Key Metrics and Other Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the second quarter of 2020, we updated our Family metrics calculations to reflect recent data
from a periodic WhatsApp user survey and to incorporate certain methodology improvements, and we estimate such updates contributed an aggregate of approximately 40 million
DAP to our reported worldwide DAP in June 2020.
Worldwide DAP increased 15% to 2.60 billion on average during December 2020 from 2.26 billion during December 2019.
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• Monthly Active People (MAP). We define a monthly active person as a registered and logged-in user of one or more Family products who visited at least
one of these Family products through a mobile device application or using a web or mobile browser in the last 30 days as of the date of measurement. We
do not require people to use a common identifier or link their accounts to use multiple products in our Family, and therefore must seek to attribute
multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people. Our calculations of MAP rely upon complex techniques, algorithms, and machine
learning models that seek to estimate the underlying number of unique people using one or more of these products, including by matching user accounts
within an individual product and across multiple products when we believe they are attributable to a single person, and counting such group of accounts as
one person. As these techniques and models require significant judgment, are developed based on internal reviews of limited samples of user accounts,
and are calibrated against user survey data, there is necessarily some margin of error in our estimates. We view MAP as a measure of the size of our
global active community of people using our products. For additional information, see the section entitled "Limitations of Key Metrics and Other Data" in
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Note: We report the numbers of DAP and MAP as specific amounts, but these numbers are estimates of the numbers of unique people using our products and are subject to statistical
variances and errors. While we expect the error margin for these estimates to vary from period to period, we estimate that such margin generally will be approximately 4% of our
worldwide MAP. At our scale, it is very difficult to attribute multiple user accounts within and across products to individual people, and it is possible that the actual numbers of
unique people using our products may vary significantly from our estimates, potentially beyond our estimated error margins. For additional information, see the section entitled
"Limitations of Key Metrics and Other Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the second quarter of 2020, we updated our Family metrics calculations to reflect recent data
from a periodic WhatsApp user survey and to incorporate certain methodology improvements, and we estimate such updates contributed an aggregate of approximately 50 million
MAP to our reported worldwide MAP in June 2020.
As of December 31, 2020, we had 3.30 billion MAP, an increase of 14% from 2.89 billion as of December 31, 2019.
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•
Average Revenue Per Person (ARPP). We define ARPP as our total revenue during a given quarter, divided by the average of the number of MAP at the
beginning and end of the quarter. While ARPP includes all sources of revenue, the number of MAP used in this calculation only includes users of our
Family products as described in the definition of MAP above. The share of revenue from users who are not also MAP was not material.
ARPP:
$6.52
$5.66
$6.20
$6.33
$7.38
$6.03
$6.10
$6.76
$8.62
Our annual worldwide ARPP in 2020, which represents the sum of quarterly ARPP during such period, was $27.51, an increase of 8% from 2019.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses, and related disclosures. On an ongoing basis,
we evaluate our estimates and assumptions based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the
circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
An accounting policy is deemed to be critical if the nature of the estimates or assumptions is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment
necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the susceptibility of such matters to change, and the impact of the estimates and assumptions on our
consolidated financial statements is material. We believe that the assumptions and estimates associated with gross vs. net in revenue recognition, valuation of
equity investments, income taxes, loss contingencies, valuation of long-lived assets including goodwill and intangible assets and their associated estimated useful
lives have the greatest potential impact on our consolidated financial statements. Therefore, we consider these to be our critical accounting policies and estimates.
For further information on all of our significant accounting policies, see Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying notes to
consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In response to the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that the assumptions and estimates associated with collectibility
assessment of revenue and credit losses of accounts receivable could have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements in future periods, depending
on the duration or degree of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.
Collectibility Assessment of Revenue
Under Topic 606, we recognize revenue using a five-step model. In step one, for a revenue contract to exist, it must be probable that substantially all of the
consideration to which we are entitled to will be collected. In performing such collectibility assessment, we consider various facts and circumstances including
future expectations about our customer's ability and intention to pay. Collectibility assessment uses a probable threshold which requires estimation based on several
objective and subjective factors, such as probability of default, customer’s intention to pay, payment history, financial strength, geography, and industry sub-
vertical risks. The collectibility assessment has become uncertain during the current economic environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and our actual
experience in the future may differ from our past experiences or current assessment.
Credit Losses of Accounts Receivable
On January 1, 2020, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit
Losses on Financial Instruments, which requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost that an entity
does not expect to collect over the asset's contractual life, considering past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic
conditions.
For accounts receivable measured at amortized cost, we use aging analysis, probability of default methods and incorporate macroeconomic variables that are
most relevant to evaluating and estimating the expected credit losses. These macroeconomic variables may vary by geography, customer-type, or industry sub-
vertical. The contractual life of our trade accounts receivable is generally short-term; however, we may experience increasing credit loss risks from accounts
receivable in future periods depending on the duration or degree of economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and our actual experience in the
future may differ from our past experiences or current assessment.
Gross vs. Net in Revenue Recognition
For revenue generated from arrangements that involve third-party publishers, there is significant judgment in evaluating whether we are the principal, and
report revenue on a gross basis, or the agent, and report revenue on a net basis. In this assessment, we consider if we obtain control of the specified goods or
services before they are transferred to the customer, as well as other indicators such as the party primarily responsible for fulfillment, inventory risk, and discretion
in
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establishing price. The assessment of whether we are considered the principal or the agent in a transaction could impact our revenue and cost of revenue recognized
on the consolidated statements of income.
Valuation of Equity Investments
For our equity securities without readily determinable fair values accounted for using the measurement alternative, determining whether an equity security
issued by the same issuer is similar to the equity security we hold may require judgment in (a) assessment of differences in rights and obligations associated with
the instruments such as voting rights, distribution rights and preferences, and conversion features, and (b) adjustments to the observable price for differences such
as, but not limited to, rights and obligations, control premium, liquidity, or principal or most advantageous markets. In addition, the identification of observable
transactions will depend on the timely reporting of these transactions from our investee companies, which may occur in a period subsequent to when the
transactions take place. Therefore, our fair value adjustment for these observable transactions may occur in a period subsequent to when the transaction actually
occurred. For equity investments, we perform a qualitative assessment at each reporting date to determine whether there are triggering events for impairment. The
qualitative assessment considers factors such as, but not limited to, the investee's financial condition and business outlook; industry and sector performance;
regulatory, economic or technological environment; operational and financing cash flows; and other relevant events and factors affecting the investee. When
indicators of impairment exist, we estimate the fair value of our equity investments using the market approach and/or the income approach and recognize
impairment loss in the consolidated statements of income if the estimated fair value is less than the carrying value. Estimating fair value requires judgment and use
of estimates such as discount rates, forecast cash flows, holding period, and market data of comparable companies, among others.
Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for
income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities, including evaluating uncertainties in the application of accounting principles and complex tax laws.
We recognize tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if we believe that it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination
by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. These uncertain tax positions include our estimates for transfer pricing that have been
developed based upon analyses of appropriate arms-length prices. Similarly, our estimates related to uncertain tax positions concerning research tax credits are
based on an assessment of whether our available documentation corroborating the nature of our activities supporting the tax credits will be sufficient. Although we
believe that we have adequately reserved for our uncertain tax positions (including net interest and penalties), we can provide no assurance that the final tax
outcome of these matters will not be materially different. We make adjustments to these reserves in accordance with the income tax accounting guidance when
facts and circumstances change, such as the closing of a tax audit or the refinement of an estimate. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is
different from the amounts recorded, such differences will affect the provision for income taxes in the period in which such determination is made, and could have
a material impact on our financial condition and operating results.
Loss Contingencies
We are involved in legal proceedings, claims, and regulatory, tax or government inquiries and investigations that arise in the ordinary course of business.
Certain of these matters include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. Additionally, we are required to comply with various
legal and regulatory obligations around the world. The requirements for complying with these obligations may be uncertain and subject to interpretation and
enforcement by regulatory and other authorities, and any failure to comply with such obligations could eventually lead to asserted legal or regulatory action. With
respect to these matters, asserted and unasserted, we evaluate the associated developments on a regular basis and accrue a liability when we believe that it is both
probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine there is a reasonable possibility that we may incur a loss and
the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the possible loss in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements to the extent material.
We review the developments in our contingencies that could affect the amount of the provisions that have been previously recorded, and the matters and
related reasonably possible losses disclosed. We make adjustments to our provisions and changes to our disclosures accordingly to reflect the impact of
negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel,
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and updated information. Significant judgment is required to determine the probability of loss and the estimated amount of loss, including when and if the
probability and estimate has changed for asserted and unasserted matters.
The ultimate outcome of these matters, such as whether the likelihood of loss is remote, reasonably possible, or probable or if and when the reasonably
possible range of loss is estimable, is inherently uncertain. Therefore, if one or more of these matters were resolved against us for amounts in excess of
management's estimates of losses, our results of operations and financial condition, including in a particular reporting period in which any such outcome becomes
probable and estimable, could be materially adversely affected. See Note 12—Commitments and Contingencies and Note 15—Income Taxes of the accompanying
notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" and Part I, Item 3, "Legal Proceedings"
of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding these contingencies.
Valuation of Long-lived Assets including Goodwill, Intangible Assets and Estimated Useful Lives
We allocate the fair value of purchase consideration to the tangible assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and intangible assets acquired based on their
estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill.
Such valuations require management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Significant estimates in valuing
certain intangible assets include, but are not limited to, estimated replacement costs and future expected cash flows from acquired users, acquired technology,
acquired patents, and trade names from a market participant perspective, useful lives, and discount rates. Management's estimates of fair value are based upon
assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Allocation of
purchase consideration to identifiable assets and liabilities affects our amortization expense, as acquired finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over the useful
life, whereas any indefinite lived intangible assets, including goodwill, are not amortized. During the measurement period, which is not to exceed one year from the
acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the
measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings.
We review goodwill for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances would more likely than not reduce the fair
value of our single reporting unit below its carrying value. As of December 31, 2020, no impairment of goodwill has been identified.
Long-lived assets, including property and equipment and intangible assets are reviewed for possible impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate
that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The evaluation is performed at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely
independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Recoverability of these assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying amounts to the future
undiscounted cash flows the assets are expected to generate from the use and eventual disposition. If such review indicates that the carrying amount of property and
equipment and intangible assets is not recoverable, the carrying amount of such assets is reduced to fair value. We have not recorded any significant impairment
charges during the years presented.
The useful lives of our long-lived assets including property and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets are determined by management when those
assets are initially recognized and are routinely reviewed for the remaining estimated useful lives. The current estimate of useful lives represents our best estimate
based on current facts and circumstances, but may differ from the actual useful lives due to changes in future circumstances such as changes to our business
operations, changes in the planned use of assets, and technological advancements. When we change the estimated useful life assumption for any asset, the
remaining carrying amount of the asset is accounted for prospectively and depreciated or amortized over the revised estimated useful life. Historically changes in
useful lives have not resulted in material changes to our depreciation and amortization expense.
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Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
Advertising. We generate substantially all of our revenue from advertising. Our advertising revenue is generated by displaying ad products on Facebook,
Instagram, Messenger, and third-party affiliated websites or mobile applications. Marketers pay for ad products either directly or through their relationships with
advertising agencies or resellers, based on the number of impressions delivered or the number of actions, such as clicks, taken by users.
We recognize revenue from the display of impression-based ads in the contracted period in which the impressions are delivered. Impressions are considered
delivered when an ad is displayed to a user. We recognize revenue from the delivery of action-based ads in the period in which a user takes the action the marketer
contracted for. The number of ads we show is subject to methodological changes as we continue to evolve our ads business and the structure of our ads products.
We calculate price per ad as total ad revenue divided by the number of ads delivered, representing the effective price paid per impression by a marketer regardless
of their desired objective such as impression or action. For advertising revenue arrangements where we are not the principal, we recognize revenue on a net basis.
Other revenue. Other revenue consists of revenue from the delivery of consumer hardware devices, net fees we receive from developers using our
Payments infrastructure, and revenue from various other sources.
Cost of Revenue and Operating Expenses
Cost of revenue. Our cost of revenue consists primarily of expenses associated with the delivery and distribution of our products. These include expenses
related to the operation of our data centers and technical infrastructure, such as facility and server equipment depreciation, salaries, benefits, and share-based
compensation for employees on our operations teams, and energy and bandwidth costs. Cost of revenue also includes costs associated with partner arrangements,
including traffic acquisition and content costs, credit card and other transaction fees related to processing customer transactions, and cost of consumer hardware
devices sold.
Research and development. Research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries and benefits, share-based compensation, and facilities-
related costs for employees on our engineering and technical teams who are responsible for building new products as well as improving existing products.
Marketing and sales. Marketing and sales expenses consist of salaries and benefits, and share-based compensation for our employees engaged in sales,
sales support, marketing, business development, and customer service functions. Our marketing and sales expenses also include marketing and promotional
expenditures and professional services such as content reviewers to support our community and product operations.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist of legal-related costs; salaries and benefits, and share-based compensation for
certain of our executives as well as our legal, finance, human resources, corporate communications and policy, and other administrative employees; and
professional services.
Results of Operations
In this section, we discuss the results of our operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. For a
discussion of the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, please refer to Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.
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The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of income data (in millions):
Revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total costs and expenses
Income from operations
Interest and other income, net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
85,965 $
70,697 $
55,838
16,692
18,447
11,591
6,564
53,294
32,671
509
33,180
4,034
29,146 $
12,770
13,600
9,876
10,465
46,711
23,986
826
24,812
6,327
18,485 $
9,355
10,273
7,846
3,451
30,925
24,913
448
25,361
3,249
22,112
$
The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of income data (as a percentage of revenue)
(1)
:
Revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total costs and expenses
Income from operations
Interest and other income, net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
100 %
100 %
100 %
19
21
13
8
62
38
1
39
5
34 %
18
19
14
15
66
34
1
35
9
26 %
17
18
14
6
55
45
1
45
6
40 %
284
3,022
511
335
4,152
_________________________
(1) Percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and may differ from unrounded results.
Share-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses (in millions):
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total share-based compensation expense
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
447 $
4,918
691
480
6,536 $
377 $
3,488
569
402
4,836 $
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Share-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses (as a percentage of revenue)
(1)
:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total share-based compensation expense
_________________________
(1) Percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and may differ from unrounded results.
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
2018
1 %
6
1
1
8 %
1 %
5
1
1
7 %
1 %
5
1
1
7 %
Revenue
Advertising
Other revenue
Total revenue
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
(in millions)
2018
$
$
84,169 $
1,796
85,965 $
69,655 $
1,042
70,697 $
55,013
825
55,838
2020 vs 2019 % Change
2019 vs 2018 % Change
21 %
72 %
22 %
27 %
26 %
27 %
2020 Compared to 2019. Revenue in 2020 increased $15.27 billion, or 22%, compared to 2019. The increase was mostly due to an increase in advertising
revenue as a result of an increase in the number of ads delivered, partially offset by a decrease in the average price per ad.
In 2020, the number of ads delivered increased by 34%, as compared with approximately 33% in 2019. The increase in the ads delivered was driven by an
increase in the number and frequency of ads displayed across our products, and an increase in users. In 2020, the average price per ad decreased by 10%, as
compared with a decrease of approximately 5% in 2019. The decrease in average price per ad during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily driven by a
decrease in advertising demand globally during the first two quarters of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, to a lesser extent, by an increasing proportion of
the number of ads delivered as Stories ads and in geographies that monetize at lower rates.
In the near-term, we anticipate that future advertising revenue growth will be determined primarily by several factors: the extent to which we continue to see
increasing advertising demand in connection with the shift of commerce from offline to online, as well as increased consumer demand for purchasing products as
opposed to services, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the status of the economic recovery from the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the
magnitude of fiscal stimulus; and the extent to which changes to the regulatory environment and third-party mobile operating systems and browsers result in
limitations on our ad targeting and measurement tools.
Advertising spending is traditionally seasonally strong in the fourth quarter of each year. We believe that this seasonality in advertising spending affects our
quarterly results, which generally reflect significant growth in advertising revenue between the third and fourth quarters and a decline in advertising spending
between the fourth and subsequent first quarters. For instance, our advertising revenue increased 28%, 19%, and 23% between the third and fourth quarters of
2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, while advertising revenue for both the first quarters of 2020 and 2019 declined 16% and 10% compared to the fourth quarters
of 2019 and 2018, respectively.
No customer represented 10% or more of total revenue during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018.
Foreign Exchange Impact on Revenue
The general strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to certain foreign currencies in the full year 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, had an
unfavorable impact on revenue. If we had translated revenue for the full year 2020 using the prior year's monthly exchange rates for our settlement or billing
currencies other than the U.S. dollar, our total revenue and
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advertising revenue would have been $86.08 billion and $84.30 billion, respectively. Using these constant rates, total revenue and advertising revenue would have
been $120 million and $129 million, respectively, higher than actual total revenue and advertising revenue for the full year 2020. Using the same constant rates,
full year 2020 total revenue and advertising revenue would have been $15.39 billion and $14.64 billion, respectively, higher than actual total revenue and
advertising revenue for the full year 2019.
Cost of revenue
Cost of revenue
Percentage of revenue
$
16,692 $
19%
12,770 $
18%
9,355
17%
31 %
37%
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
(dollars in millions)
2018
2020 vs 2019 %
Change
2019 vs 2018 %
Change
2020 Compared to 2019. Cost of revenue in 2020 increased $3.92 billion, or 31%, compared to 2019. The increase was mostly due to an increase in
operational expenses related to our data centers and technical infrastructure, higher cost associated with partner arrangements, including traffic acquisition and
content costs and, to a lesser extent, an increase in cost of consumer hardware devices sold.
In 2021, we anticipate that the cost of revenue will increase as we continue to expand our data center capacity and technical infrastructure to support user
growth, increased user engagement, and the delivery of new products and services and, to a lesser extent, due to higher costs associated with partner arrangements
and consumer hardware devices.
Research and development
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
(dollars in millions)
2018
2020 vs 2019 %
Change
2019 vs 2018 %
Change
Research and development
Percentage of revenue
$
18,447 $
21%
13,600 $
19%
10,273
18%
36 %
32 %
2020 Compared to 2019. Research and development expenses in 2020 increased $4.85 billion, or 36%, compared to 2019. The increase was primarily due to
increases in payroll and benefits expenses as a result of a 40% growth in employee headcount from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 in engineering and
other technical functions supporting our continued investment in our Family of products and consumer hardware products.
In 2021, we plan to continue to hire software engineers and other technical employees, and to increase our investment to support our research and
development initiatives.
Marketing and sales
Marketing and sales
Percentage of revenue
$
11,591 $
13%
9,876 $
14%
7,846
14%
17 %
26%
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
(dollars in millions)
2018
2020 vs 2019 %
Change
2019 vs 2018 %
Change
2020 Compared to 2019. Marketing and sales expenses in 2020 increased $1.72 billion, or 17%, compared to 2019. The increase was primarily driven by
increases in marketing expenses and payroll and benefits expenses, which were partially offset by a decrease in travel-related expenses due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Our payroll and benefits expenses increased as a result of a 16% increase in employee headcount from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 in our
marketing and sales functions.
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In 2021, we plan to continue the hiring of marketing and sales employees to support our marketing, sales, and partnership efforts, and we anticipate
marketing expenses will increase.
General and administrative
Legal accrual related to FTC settlement
Other general and administrative
General and administrative
Percentage of revenue
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
(dollars in millions)
— $
6,564
6,564 $
8%
5,000 $
5,465
10,465 $
15%
$
$
2018
2020 vs 2019 %
Change
2019 vs 2018 %
Change
—
3,451
3,451
6%
NM
20 %
(37) %
NM
58 %
203 %
2020 Compared to 2019. Excluding the $5.0 billion FTC settlement accrual recorded in 2019, general and administrative expenses in 2020 increased
$1.10 billion, or 20%, compared to 2019. The increase was primarily due to higher professional services costs and an increase in payroll and benefits expenses as a
result of a 23% increase in employee headcount from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 in our general and administrative functions.
In 2021, we plan to continue to increase general and administrative expenses to support overall company growth.
Interest and other income, net
Interest income, net
Foreign currency exchange losses, net
Other income (expense), net
Interest and other income, net
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
(in millions)
$
$
672 $
(129)
(34)
509 $
904 $
(105)
27
826 $
2018
2020 vs 2019 %
Change
2019 vs 2018 %
Change
652
(213)
9
448
(26) %
(23) %
NM
(38) %
39 %
51 %
NM
84 %
2020 Compared to 2019. Interest and other income, net in 2020 decreased $317 million compared to 2019. The majority of the decrease was due to a
decrease in interest income related to lower interest rates compared to 2019.
Provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Effective tax rate
$
4,034 $
12.2%
6,327 $
25.5%
3,249
12.8%
(36) %
95 %
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
(dollars in millions)
2018
2020 vs 2019 %
Change
2019 vs 2018 % Change
2020 Compared to 2019. Our provision for income taxes in 2020 decreased $2.29 billion, or 36%, compared to 2019, mostly due to the additional tax
expense incurred in 2019 from the Altera Ninth Circuit Opinion and the effects of a tax election to capitalize and amortize certain research and development
expenses for U.S. income tax purposes, both discussed below.
Our effective tax rate in 2020 decreased compared to 2019, primarily due to the 2019 legal accrual related to the FTC settlement that was not tax-deductible,
the additional tax expense incurred in 2019 from the Altera Ninth Circuit Opinion, and the effects of a tax election to capitalize and amortize certain research and
development expenses for U.S. income tax purposes.
In the third quarter of 2020, as part of finalizing our U.S. income tax return, we elected to capitalize and amortize certain research and development
expenses for U.S. income tax purposes. As a result, we recorded a total of $1.07 billion
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income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2020. The income tax benefit resulted from recording a deferred income tax asset that was greater than the
current income tax liability due to different tax rates applicable for the periods in which capitalized expenses will be amortized versus the period in which the
increased current tax liability was accrued. We do not believe this election will materially affect our effective tax rate trend in the future.
On July 27, 2015, the United States Tax Court issued a decision (Tax Court Decision) in Altera Corp. v. Commissioner, which concluded that related parties
in a cost sharing arrangement are not required to share expenses related to share-based compensation. The Tax Court Decision was appealed by the Commissioner
to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit). On June 7, 2019, the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion (Altera Ninth Circuit Opinion) that reversed the Tax
Court Decision. Based on the Altera Ninth Circuit Opinion, we recorded a cumulative income tax expense of $1.11 billion in the second quarter of 2019. On July
22, 2019, the taxpayer requested a rehearing before the full Ninth Circuit and the request was denied on November 12, 2019. The taxpayer requested a hearing
before the Supreme Court of the United States and the request was denied on June 22, 2020. Since we started to accrue income tax for share-based compensation
cost-sharing expense in the second quarter of 2019, the denial of the request by the Supreme Court did not have a material impact to our financial results in 2020.
Effective Tax Rate Items. Our effective tax rate in the future will depend upon the proportion between the following items and income before provision for
income taxes: U.S. tax benefits from foreign derived intangible income, tax effects from share-based compensation, tax effects of integrating intellectual property
from acquisitions, settlement of tax contingency items, tax effects of changes in our business, and the effects of changes in tax law.
The accounting for share-based compensation may increase or decrease our effective tax rate based upon the difference between our share-based
compensation expense and the deductions taken on our tax return which depends upon the stock price at the time of employee award vesting. If our stock price
remains constant to the January 22, 2021 price, we expect our effective tax rate for the full year of 2021 will be in the high-teens.
Integrating intellectual property from acquisitions into our business generally involves intercompany transactions that have the impact of increasing our
provision for income taxes. Consequently, our provision for income taxes and our effective tax rate may initially increase in the period of an acquisition and
integration. The magnitude of this impact will depend upon the specific type, size, and taxing jurisdictions of the intellectual property as well as the relative
contribution to income in subsequent periods.
Unrecognized Tax Benefits. As of December 31, 2020, we had net unrecognized tax benefits of $3.48 billion which were accrued as other liabilities. These
unrecognized tax benefits were predominantly accrued for uncertainties related to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries, which includes licensing of
intellectual property, providing services and other transactions, as well as for uncertainties with our research tax credits. The ultimate settlement of the liabilities
will depend upon resolution of tax audits, litigation, or events that would otherwise change the assessment of such items. Based upon the status of litigation
described below and the current status of tax audits in various jurisdictions, we do not anticipate a material change to such amounts within the next 12 months.
In July 2016, we received a Statutory Notice of Deficiency (Notice) from the IRS related to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries in conjunction with
the examination of the 2010 tax year. While the Notice applies only to the 2010 tax year, the IRS stated that it will also apply its position for tax years subsequent
to 2010. We do not agree with the position of the IRS and have filed a petition in the Tax Court challenging the Notice. On January 15, 2020, the IRS filed its
Pretrial Memorandum in the case stating that it planned to assert at trial an adjustment that is higher than the adjustment stated in the Notice. The first sessions of
the trial began in February 2020, and additional sessions are expected to continue in 2021. The IRS did not provide any information about how it intends to apply
the revised adjustment to future years. Based on the information provided, we believe that, if the IRS prevails in its updated position, this could result in an
additional federal tax liability of an estimated, aggregate amount of up to approximately $9.0 billion in excess of the amounts in our originally filed U.S. return,
plus interest and any penalties asserted.
In March 2018, we received a second Notice from the IRS in conjunction with the examination of our 2011 through 2013 tax years. The IRS applied its
position from the 2010 tax year to each of these years and also proposed new adjustments related to other transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries and certain
tax credits that we claimed. If the IRS prevails in its position for these new adjustments, this could result in an additional federal tax liability of up to
approximately $680 million
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in excess of the amounts in our originally filed U.S. returns, plus interest and any penalties asserted. We do not agree with the positions of the IRS in the second
Notice and have filed a petition in the Tax Court challenging the second Notice.
We have previously accrued an estimated unrecognized tax benefit consistent with the guidance in ASC 740, Income Taxes, that is lower than the potential
additional federal tax liability from the positions taken by the IRS in the two Notices and its Pretrial Memorandum. In addition, if the IRS prevails in its positions
related to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries, the additional tax that we would owe would be partially offset by a reduction in the tax that we owe under
the mandatory transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act). As of December 31, 2020, we have not resolved
these matters and proceedings continue in the Tax Court.
We believe that adequate amounts have been reserved in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, for any adjustments to the provision for income taxes or
other tax items that may ultimately result from these examinations. The timing of the resolution, settlement, and closure of any audits is highly uncertain, and it is
reasonably possible that the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change in the next 12 months. Given the number of years remaining that
are subject to examination in various jurisdictions, we are unable to estimate the full range of possible adjustments to the balance of gross unrecognized tax
benefits. If the taxing authorities prevail in the assessment of additional tax due, the assessed tax, interest, and penalties, if any, could have a material adverse effect
on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
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Quarterly Results of Operations Data
The following tables set forth our unaudited quarterly consolidated statements of income data in dollars and as a percentage of total revenue for each of the
eight quarters in the period ended December 31, 2020. We have prepared the quarterly consolidated statements of income data on a basis consistent with the
audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the
opinion of management, the financial information reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which we consider necessary for a fair
presentation of this data. This information should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Part II,
Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results of historical periods are not necessarily indicative of the
results of operations for any future period.
Revenue:
Advertising
Other revenue
Total revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total costs and expenses
Income from operations
Interest and other income (expense), net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
Earnings per share attributable to Class A and
Class B common stockholders:
Basic
Diluted
$
$
$
Dec 31,
2020
Sep 30,
2020
Jun 30,
2020
Three Months Ended
Dec 31,
Mar 31,
2019
2020
Sep 30,
2019
Jun 30,
2019
Mar 31,
2019
(in millions, except per share amounts)
$
27,187 $
885
28,072
21,221 $
249
21,470
18,321 $
366
18,687
17,440 $
297
17,737
20,736 $
346
21,082
17,383 $
269
17,652
16,624 $
262
16,886
14,912
165
15,077
5,210
5,208
3,280
1,599
15,297
12,775
280
13,055
1,836
11,219 $
4,194
4,763
2,683
1,790
13,430
8,040
93
8,133
287
7,846 $
3,829
4,462
2,840
1,593
12,724
5,963
168
6,131
953
5,178 $
3,459
4,015
2,787
1,583
11,844
5,893
(32)
5,861
959
4,902 $
3,492
3,877
3,026
1,829
12,224
8,858
311
9,169
1,820
7,349 $
3,155
3,548
2,416
1,348
10,467
7,185
144
7,329
1,238
6,091 $
3,307
3,315
2,414
3,224
12,260
4,626
206
4,832
2,216
2,616 $
2,816
2,860
2,020
4,064
11,760
3,317
165
3,482
1,053
2,429
3.94 $
3.88 $
2.75 $
2.71 $
1.82 $
1.80 $
1.72 $
1.71 $
2.58 $
2.56 $
2.13 $
2.12 $
0.92 $
0.91 $
0.85
0.85
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The following tables set forth our consolidated statements of income data (as a percentage of revenue)
(1)
:
Revenue:
Advertising
Other revenue
Total revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total costs and expenses
Income from operations
Interest and other income (expense), net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
Dec 31,
2020
Sep 30,
2020
Jun 30,
2020
Three Months Ended
Dec 31,
2019
Mar 31,
2020
Sep 30,
2019
Jun 30,
2019
Mar 31,
2019
97 %
3
100 %
19
19
12
6
54
46
1
47
7
40 %
99 %
1
100 %
20
22
12
8
63
37
—
38
1
37 %
98 %
2
100 %
20
24
15
9
68
32
1
33
5
28 %
98 %
2
100 %
20
23
16
9
67
33
—
33
5
28 %
98 %
2
100 %
17
18
14
9
58
42
1
43
9
35 %
98 %
2
100 %
18
20
14
8
59
41
1
42
7
35 %
98 %
2
100 %
20
20
14
19
73
27
1
29
13
15 %
99 %
1
100 %
19
19
13
27
78
22
1
23
7
16 %
_________________________
(1) Percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and may differ from unrounded results.
Share-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total share-based compensation expense
Dec 31,
2020
Sep 30,
2020
Jun 30,
2020
$
$
120 $
1,361
175
128
1,784 $
116 $
1,297
180
129
1,722 $
117 $
1,261
187
130
1,695 $
Three Months Ended
Dec 31,
Mar 31,
2019
2020
(in millions)
94 $
999
149
93
1,335 $
90 $
931
147
105
1,273 $
Sep 30,
2019
Jun 30,
2019
Mar 31,
2019
91 $
907
148
103
1,249 $
109 $
927
160
107
1,303 $
87
723
113
87
1,010
Share-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses (as a percentage of revenue)
(1)
:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total share-based compensation expense
Dec 31,
2020
Sep 30,
2020
Jun 30,
2020
— %
5
1
—
6 %
1 %
6
1
1
8 %
1 %
7
1
1
9 %
Three Months Ended
Dec 31,
2019
Mar 31,
2020
1 %
6
1
1
8 %
— %
4
1
—
6 %
Sep 30,
2019
Jun 30,
2019
Mar 31,
2019
1 %
5
1
1
7 %
1 %
5
1
1
8 %
1 %
5
1
1
7 %
_________________________
(1) Percentages have been rounded for presentation purposes and may differ from unrounded results.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Data:
Net cash provided by operating activities
Net cash used in investing activities
Net cash used in financing activities
Purchase of property and equipment and principal payments on finance leases
Depreciation and amortization
Share-based compensation
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
(in millions)
2018
$
$
$
$
$
$
38,747 $
(30,059) $
(10,292) $
15,719 $
6,862 $
6,536 $
36,314 $
(19,864) $
(7,299) $
15,654 $
5,741 $
4,836 $
29,274
(11,603)
(15,572)
13,915
4,315
4,152
Our principal sources of liquidity are our cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and cash generated from operations. Cash and cash equivalents
and marketable securities consist mostly of cash on deposit with banks, investments in money market funds, and investments in U.S. government securities, U.S.
government agency securities, and corporate debt securities. Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities were $61.95 billion as of December 31, 2020, an
increase of $7.10 billion from December 31, 2019. The increase was mostly due to $38.75 billion of cash generated from operations, offset by $15.72 billion for
capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, $6.36 billion for purchases of equity investments, $6.27 billion for repurchases of our Class A
common stock, and $3.56 billion of taxes paid related to net share settlement of employee restricted stock units (RSU) awards.
Cash paid for income taxes was $4.23 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, our federal net operating loss carryforward
was $10.62 billion and our federal tax credit carryforward was $424 million. We anticipate the utilization of a significant portion of these net operating losses and
credits within the next three years.
Our board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program of our Class A common stock, which commenced in January 2017 and does not have an
expiration date. As of December 31, 2019, $4.90 billion remained available and authorized for repurchases under this program. In 2020, we repurchased and
subsequently retired 27 million shares of our Class A common stock for $6.30 billion. As of December 31, 2020, $8.60 billion remained available and authorized
for repurchases. In January 2021, an additional $25 billion of repurchases was authorized under this program.
As of December 31, 2020, $7.18 billion of the $61.95 billion in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities was held by our foreign subsidiaries.
The Tax Act imposed a mandatory transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings and eliminated U.S. taxes on foreign subsidiary distributions. As a result,
earnings in foreign jurisdictions are available for distribution to the U.S. without incremental U.S. taxes.
In July 2019, we entered into a settlement and modified consent order to resolve the inquiry of the FTC into our platform and user data practices, which was
approved by the federal court and took effect in April 2020. We paid the penalty of $5.0 billion in April 2020 upon the effectiveness of the modified consent order.
On April 21, 2020, we entered into a definitive agreement to invest in Jio Platforms Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited. The transaction closed on
July 7, 2020, and we paid approximately $5.8 billion at the then-current exchange rate.
We currently anticipate that our available funds and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our operational cash needs and fund our share
repurchase program for the foreseeable future.
Cash Provided by Operating Activities
Cash flow from operating activities during 2020 mostly consisted of net income adjusted for certain non-cash items, including $6.86 billion of depreciation
and amortization and $6.54 billion of share-based compensation expense, and offset by a cash payment of $5.0 billion for the FTC legal settlement. The increase in
cash flow from operating activities during 2020 compared to 2019 was mostly due to higher net income as adjusted for certain non-cash items, such as depreciation
and
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amortization, share-based compensation expense and deferred income tax, partially offset by the payment of $5.0 billion for the FTC legal settlement.
Cash flow from operating activities during 2019 primarily consisted of net income, adjusted for certain non-cash items, including $5.74 billion of
depreciation and amortization and $4.84 billion of share-based compensation expense. The increase in cash flow from operating activities during 2019 compared
to 2018 was primarily due to higher net income prior to the effect of the $5.0 billion FTC legal settlement accrual, an increase in taxes payable as well as increases
in the non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization, and share-based compensation expense.
Cash Used in Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities during 2020 mostly resulted from $15.11 billion of purchases of property and equipment as we continued to invest in data
centers, servers, office facilities, and network infrastructure, $8.16 billion of net purchases of marketable securities, and $6.36 billion of purchases of equity
investments. The increase in cash used in investing activities during 2020 compared to 2019 was due to increases in purchases of equity investments and in net
purchases of marketable securities.
Cash used in investing activities during 2019 mostly resulted from $15.10 billion of net purchase of property and equipment as we continued to invest in
data centers, servers, network infrastructure, and $4.19 billion of net purchases of marketable securities. The increase in cash used in investing activities during
2019 compared to 2018 was mostly due to increases in the net purchases of marketable securities and property and equipment.
We anticipate making capital expenditures of approximately $21 billion to $23 billion in 2021.
Cash Used in Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities during 2020 mostly consisted of $6.27 billion for repurchases of our Class A common stock and $3.56 billion of taxes paid
related to net share settlement of RSUs. The increase in cash used in financing activities during 2020 compared to 2019 was due to increases in repurchases of our
Class A common stock and in taxes paid related to net share settlement of RSUs.
Cash used in financing activities during 2019 mostly consisted of $4.20 billion used to settle repurchases of our Class A common stock, and $2.34 billion of
taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards, and $552 million of principal payments on finance leases. The decrease in cash used in financing
activities during 2019 compared to 2018 was mostly due to a decrease in repurchases of our Class A common stock.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on our
financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources.
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Contractual Obligations
Our principal commitments consist mostly of obligations under operating leases and other contractual commitments. Our obligations under operating leases
include among others, certain of our offices, data centers, land, colocations, and equipment. Our other contractual commitments are mostly related to our
investments in network infrastructure, consumer hardware, content costs, and data center operations. The following table summarizes our commitments to settle
contractual obligations in cash as of December 31, 2020:
Total
2021
2022-2023
(in millions)
2024-2025
Thereafter
Payment Due by Period
Operating lease obligations, including imputed interest
(1)
Finance lease obligations, including imputed interest
Transition tax payable
Other contractual commitments
(1)
Total contractual obligations
$
$
20,751 $
1,088
1,543
7,504
30,886 $
1,316 $
249
—
4,213
5,778 $
3,017 $
214
300
1,071
4,602 $
3,065 $
100
1,243
244
4,652 $
13,353
525
—
1,976
15,854
_________________________
(1)
Includes variable lease payments that were fixed subsequent to lease commencement or modification.
Additionally, as part of the normal course of the business, we may also enter into multi-year agreements to purchase renewable energy that do not specify a
fixed or minimum volume commitment. These agreements are generally entered into in order to secure either volume or price. Using projected market prices or
expected volume consumption, the total estimated spend is approximately $4.94 billion. The ultimate spend under these agreements may vary and will be based on
prevailing market prices or actual volume purchased.
Our other liabilities also include $3.48 billion related to net uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2020. Due to uncertainties in the timing of the
completion of tax audits, the timing of the resolution of these positions is uncertain and we are unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing of
payments in individual years beyond 12 months. As a result, this amount is not included in the above contractual obligations table.
Contingencies
We are involved in legal proceedings, claims, and regulatory, tax or government inquiries and investigations. We record a liability when we believe that it is
both probable that a liability has been incurred, and that the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine there is a reasonable possibility that we may
incur a loss and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the possible loss in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements to the
extent material. Significant judgment is required to determine both probability and the estimated amount of loss. Such matters are inherently unpredictable and
subject to significant uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control. Should any of these estimates and assumptions change or prove to be incorrect, it could
have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.
See Note 12—Commitments and Contingencies and Note 15—Income Taxes in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II,
Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" and Part I, Item 3, "Legal Proceedings" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information
regarding contingencies.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
For further information on recently issued accounting pronouncements, see Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying
notes to consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are exposed to market risks, including changes to foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, equity investment risk, and inflation.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
We have foreign currency risks related to our revenue and operating expenses denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, primarily the Euro.
Accordingly, changes in exchange rates, and in particular a strengthening of the U.S. dollar, have in the past, and may in the future, negatively affect our revenue
and other operating results as expressed in U.S. dollars.
We have experienced and will continue to experience fluctuations in our net income as a result of transaction gains or losses related to revaluing monetary
asset and liability balances that are denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the entities in which they are recorded. At this time, we have
not entered into, but in the future we may enter into, derivatives or other financial instruments in an attempt to hedge our foreign currency exchange risk. It is
difficult to predict the effect hedging activities would have on our results of operations. Foreign currency losses of $129 million, $105 million, and $213 million
were recognized in 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, as interest and other income (expense), net in our consolidated statements of income.
Interest Rate Sensitivity
Our exposure to changes in interest rates relates primarily to interest earned and market value on our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities.
Our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities consist of cash, certificates of deposit, time deposits, money market funds, U.S. government
securities, U.S. government agency securities, and investment grade corporate debt securities. Our investment policy and strategy are focused on preservation of
capital and supporting our liquidity requirements. Changes in U.S. interest rates affect the interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents and marketable
securities, and the market value of those securities. A hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates would have resulted in a decrease of $794 million and
$525 million in the market value of our available-for-sale debt securities as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Any realized gains or
losses resulting from such interest rate changes would only occur if we sold the investments prior to maturity.
Equity Investment Risk
Our equity investments are subject to a wide variety of market-related risks that could have a material impact on the carrying value of our holdings. We
continually evaluate our equity investments in privately-held companies.
Our equity investments are investments in equity securities of privately-held companies without readily determinable market values. We elected to account
for most of our equity investments using the measurement alternative, which is cost, less any impairment, adjusted for changes in fair value resulting from
observable transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. We perform a qualitative assessment at each reporting date to determine whether
there are triggering events for impairment. The qualitative assessment considers factors such as, but not limited to, the investee's financial condition and business
outlook; industry and sector performance; economic or technological environment; and other relevant events and factors affecting the investee. Valuations of our
equity investments are complex due to the lack of readily available market data and observable transactions. Volatility in the global economic climate and financial
markets, including recent and ongoing effects related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires significant judgments, could result in a material
impairment charge on our equity investments. Equity investments accounted for under the equity method were immaterial as of December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019. Our equity investments had a carrying value of $6.23 billion as of December 31, 2020.
For additional information about our equity investments, see Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Note 5 — Equity Investments, and
Note 6 — Fair Value Measurements in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, and "Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data" and Part II, Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Policies and
Estimates" contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
FACEBOOK, INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Financial Statements:
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Income
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Page
78
82
83
84
85
86
88
The supplementary financial information required by this Item 8, is included in Part II, Item 7 under the caption "Quarterly Results of Operations Data," which is
incorporated herein by reference.
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Facebook, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Facebook, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated
statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the
related notes (collectively referred to as the "consolidated financial statements"). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material
respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the
period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal
control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated January 27, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Adoption of ASU No. 2016-02
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases in 2019 due to the adoption of
Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and the related amendments.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements
based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance
with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to
assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such
procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe
that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to
be communicated to the Audit & Risk Oversight Committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2)
involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the
consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical
audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
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Description of the Matter
Loss Contingencies
As described in Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company is party to various legal proceedings, claims, and
regulatory, tax or government inquiries and investigations. The Company accrues a liability when it believes a loss is probable
and the amount can be reasonably estimated. In addition, the Company believes it is reasonably possible that it will incur a loss
in some of these cases, actions or inquiries described above. For certain of these matters, the Company discloses an estimate of
the amount of loss or range of possible loss that may be incurred. However, for certain other matters, the Company discloses that
the amount of such losses or a range of possible losses cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.
Auditing the Company's accounting for, and disclosure of, loss contingencies related to the various legal proceedings was
especially challenging due to the significant judgment required to evaluate management's assessments of the likelihood of a loss,
and their estimate of the potential amount or range of such losses.
How We Addressed the Matter
in Our Audit
We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of controls over the identification and
evaluation of these matters, including controls relating to the Company's assessment of the likelihood that a loss will be realized
and their ability to reasonably estimate the potential range of possible losses.
To test the Company's assessment of the probability of incurrence of a loss, whether the loss was reasonably estimable, and the
conclusion and disclosure regarding any range of possible losses, including when the Company believes it cannot be reasonably
estimated at this time, we read the minutes or a summary of the meetings of the committees of the board of directors, read the
proceedings, claims, and regulatory, or government inquiries and investigations, or summaries as we deemed appropriate,
requested and received internal and external legal counsel confirmation letters, met with internal and external legal counsel to
discuss the nature of the various matters, and obtained representations from management. We also evaluated the appropriateness
of the related disclosures included in Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements.
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Description of the Matter
Uncertain Tax Positions
As discussed in Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has received certain notices from the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) related to transfer pricing agreements with the Company's foreign subsidiaries for certain periods
examined. The IRS has stated that it will also apply its position to tax years subsequent to those examined. If the IRS prevails in
its position, it could result in an additional federal tax liability, plus interest and any penalties asserted. The Company uses
judgment to (1) determine whether a tax position's technical merits are more-likely-than-not to be sustained and (2) measure the
amount of tax benefit that qualifies for recognition.
Auditing the Company's accounting for, and disclosure of, these uncertain tax positions was especially challenging due to the
significant judgment required to assess management's evaluation of technical merits and the measurement of the tax position
based on interpretations of tax laws and legal rulings.
How We Addressed the Matter
in Our Audit
We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of controls over the Company's
process to assess the technical merits of tax positions related to these transfer pricing agreements and to measure the benefit of
those tax positions.
As part of our audit procedures over the Company's accounting for these positions, we involved our tax professionals to assist
with our assessment of the technical merits of the Company's tax positions. This included assessing the Company's
correspondence with the relevant tax authorities, evaluating income tax opinions or other third-party advice obtained by the
Company, and requesting and receiving confirmation letters from third-party advisors. We also used our knowledge of, and
experience with, the application of international and local income tax laws by the relevant income tax authorities to evaluate the
Company's accounting for those tax positions. We analyzed the Company's assumptions and data used to determine the amount
of the federal tax liability recognized and tested the mathematical accuracy of the underlying data and calculations. We also
evaluated the appropriateness of the related disclosures included in Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements in relation to
these matters.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2007.
Redwood City, California
January 27, 2021
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Facebook, Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited Facebook, Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Facebook,
Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance
sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders' equity and cash
flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes and our report dated January 27, 2021 expressed an unqualified
opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal
control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express
an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are
required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance
about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating
the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the
circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial
reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the
transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in
accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with
the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Redwood City, California
January 27, 2021
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Assets
Current assets:
FACEBOOK, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In millions, except for number of shares and par value)
December 31,
2020
2019
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $114 million and $92 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Total current assets
Equity investments
Property and equipment, net
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net
Intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and stockholders' equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
Partners payable
Operating lease liabilities, current
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
Deferred revenue and deposits
Total current liabilities
Operating lease liabilities, non-current
Other liabilities
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.000006 par value; 5,000 million Class A shares authorized, 2,406 million and 2,407 million
shares issued and outstanding, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively; 4,141 million Class B shares
authorized, 443 million and 445 million shares issued and outstanding, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively
Additional paid-in capital
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Retained earnings
Total stockholders' equity
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
82
$
$
$
$
17,576 $
44,378
11,335
2,381
75,670
6,234
45,633
9,348
623
19,050
2,758
159,316 $
1,331 $
1,093
1,023
11,152
382
14,981
9,631
6,414
31,026
—
50,018
927
77,345
128,290
159,316 $
19,079
35,776
9,518
1,852
66,225
86
35,323
9,460
894
18,715
2,673
133,376
1,363
886
800
11,735
269
15,053
9,524
7,745
32,322
—
45,851
(489)
55,692
101,054
133,376
Table of Contents
FACEBOOK, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In millions, except per share amounts)
Revenue
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total costs and expenses
Income from operations
Interest and other income, net
Income before provision for income taxes
Provision for income taxes
Net income
Less: Net income attributable to participating securities
Net income attributable to Class A and Class B common stockholders
Earnings per share attributable to Class A and Class B common stockholders:
Basic
Diluted
Weighted-average shares used to compute earnings per share attributable to Class A and
Class B common stockholders:
Basic
Diluted
Share-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue
Research and development
Marketing and sales
General and administrative
Total share-based compensation expense
$
$
$
$
$
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
83
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
85,965 $
70,697 $
55,838
16,692
18,447
11,591
6,564
53,294
32,671
509
33,180
4,034
29,146
—
29,146 $
10.22 $
10.09 $
2,851
2,888
447 $
4,918
691
480
6,536 $
12,770
13,600
9,876
10,465
46,711
23,986
826
24,812
6,327
18,485
—
18,485 $
6.48 $
6.43 $
2,854
2,876
377 $
3,488
569
402
4,836 $
9,355
10,273
7,846
3,451
30,925
24,913
448
25,361
3,249
22,112
(1)
22,111
7.65
7.57
2,890
2,921
284
3,022
511
335
4,152
Table of Contents
FACEBOOK, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In millions)
Net income
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale investments and other, net of tax
Comprehensive income
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
29,146 $
18,485 $
22,112
1,056
360
30,562 $
(151)
422
18,756 $
(450)
(52)
21,610
$
$
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FACEBOOK, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(In millions)
Class A and Class B
Common Stock
Shares
Par Value
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
Retained
Earnings
Total
Stockholders'
Equity
Balances at December 31, 2017
Impact of the adoption of new accounting pronouncements
Issuance of common stock for cash upon exercise of stock options
Issuance of common stock for settlement of RSUs
Shares withheld related to net share settlement
Share-based compensation
Share repurchases
Other comprehensive loss
Net income
Balances at December 31, 2018
Issuance of common stock for cash upon exercise of stock options
Issuance of common stock for settlement of RSUs
Shares withheld related to net share settlement and other
Share-based compensation
Share repurchases
Other comprehensive income
Net income
Balances at December 31, 2019
Issuance of common stock for settlement of RSUs
Shares withheld related to net share settlement
Share-based compensation
Share repurchases
Other comprehensive income
Net income
Balances at December 31, 2020
2,906 $
—
2
44
(19)
—
(79)
—
—
2,854
1
32
(13)
—
(22)
—
—
2,852
38
(14)
—
(27)
—
—
2,849 $
— $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
— $
40,584 $
—
15
—
(1,845)
4,152
—
—
—
42,906
15
—
(1,906)
4,836
—
—
—
45,851
—
(2,369)
6,536
—
—
—
50,018 $
(227) $
(31)
—
—
—
—
—
(502)
—
(760)
—
—
—
—
—
271
—
(489)
—
—
—
—
1,416
—
927 $
33,990 $
172
—
—
(1,363)
—
(12,930)
—
22,112
41,981
—
—
(675)
—
(4,099)
—
18,485
55,692
—
(1,195)
—
(6,298)
—
29,146
77,345 $
74,347
141
15
—
(3,208)
4,152
(12,930)
(502)
22,112
84,127
15
—
(2,581)
4,836
(4,099)
271
18,485
101,054
—
(3,564)
6,536
(6,298)
1,416
29,146
128,290
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FACEBOOK, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In millions)
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
29,146 $
18,485 $
22,112
Depreciation and amortization
Share-based compensation
Deferred income taxes
Other
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Other assets
Accounts payable
Partners payable
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
Deferred revenue and deposits
Other liabilities
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment
Purchases of marketable securities
Sales of marketable securities
Maturities of marketable securities
Purchases of equity investments
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired, and purchases of intangible assets
Other investing activities
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards
Repurchases of Class A common stock
Principal payments on finance leases
Net change in overdraft in cash pooling entities
Other financing activities
Net cash used in financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of the period
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the period
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash to the consolidated balance sheets
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash, included in prepaid expenses and other current assets
Restricted cash, included in other assets
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
$
$
$
6,862
6,536
(1,192)
118
(1,512)
135
(34)
(17)
178
(1,054)
108
(527)
38,747
(15,115)
(33,930)
11,787
13,984
(6,361)
(388)
(36)
(30,059)
(3,564)
(6,272)
(604)
24
124
(10,292)
279
(1,325)
19,279
17,954 $
17,576 $
241
137
17,954 $
5,741
4,836
(37)
39
(1,961)
47
41
113
348
7,300
123
1,239
36,314
(15,102)
(23,910)
9,565
10,152
(61)
(508)
—
(19,864)
(2,337)
(4,202)
(552)
(223)
15
(7,299)
4
9,155
10,124
19,279 $
19,079 $
8
192
19,279 $
4,315
4,152
286
(64)
(1,892)
(690)
(159)
221
157
1,417
53
(634)
29,274
(13,915)
(14,656)
12,358
4,772
(25)
(137)
—
(11,603)
(3,208)
(12,879)
—
500
15
(15,572)
(179)
1,920
8,204
10,124
10,019
10
95
10,124
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FACEBOOK, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In millions)
Supplemental cash flow data
Cash paid for income taxes
Non-cash investing activities:
Acquisition of businesses in accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other liabilities
Property and equipment in accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
$
4,229 $
5,182 $
118 $
2,201 $
— $
1,887 $
3,762
—
1,955
See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FACEBOOK, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Organization and Description of Business
Facebook was incorporated in Delaware in July 2004. Our mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. We
generate substantially all of our revenue from advertising.
Basis of Presentation
We prepared the consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The consolidated financial
statements include the accounts of Facebook, Inc., its subsidiaries where we have controlling financial interests, and any variable interest entities for which we are
deemed to be the primary beneficiary. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation. None of these reclassifications had a material impact to
our consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates
Preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts in
the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates form the basis for judgments we make about the carrying values of our assets and
liabilities, which are not readily apparent from other sources. We base our estimates and judgments on historical information and on various other assumptions that
we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. GAAP requires us to make estimates and judgments in several areas, including, but not limited to, those related
to revenue recognition, valuation of equity investments, income taxes, loss contingencies, valuation of long-lived assets including goodwill and intangible assets
and their associated estimated useful lives, collectibility of accounts receivable, credit losses of available-for-sale (AFS) debt securities, fair value of financial
instruments, and leases. These estimates are based on management's knowledge about current events and expectations about actions we may undertake in the
future. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created and may continue to create significant uncertainty in macroeconomic conditions, which may cause further business
slowdowns or shutdowns, depress demand for our advertising business, and adversely impact our results of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2020,
we faced uncertainties around our estimates of revenue collectibility and accounts receivable credit losses. We expect uncertainties around our key accounting
estimates to continue to evolve depending on the duration and degree of impact associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our estimates may change as new events
occur and additional information emerges, and such changes are recognized or disclosed in our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect
to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.
We determine revenue recognition by applying the following steps:
•
•
•
•
•
identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer;
identification of the performance obligations in the contract;
determination of the transaction price;
allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and
recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation.
Revenue excludes sales and usage‑based taxes where it has been determined that we are acting as a pass‑through agent.
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Advertising
Advertising revenue is generated by displaying ad products on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and third-party affiliated websites or mobile applications.
Marketers pay for ad products either directly or through their relationships with advertising agencies or resellers, based on the number of impressions delivered or
the number of actions, such as clicks, taken by our users.
We recognize revenue from the display of impression-based ads in the contracted period in which the impressions are delivered. Impressions are considered
delivered when an ad is displayed to users. We recognize revenue from the delivery of action-based ads in the period in which a user takes the action the marketer
contracted for. In general, we report advertising revenue on a gross basis, since we control the advertising inventory before it is transferred to our customers. Our
control is evidenced by our sole ability to monetize the advertising inventory before it is transferred to our customers. For revenue generated from arrangements
that involve third-party publishers, we evaluate whether we are the principal or the agent, and for those advertising revenue arrangements where we are the agent,
we recognize revenue on a net basis.
We may accept lower consideration than the amount promised per the contract for certain revenue transactions and certain customers may receive cash-
based incentives, credits, or refunds, which are accounted for as variable consideration when estimating the amount of revenue to recognize. We estimate these
amounts based on the expected amount to be provided to customers and reduce revenue. We believe that there will not be significant changes to our estimates of
variable consideration.
Other Revenue
Other revenue consists of revenue from the delivery of Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) consumer hardware devices, net fees we receive from developers using
our Payments infrastructure, as well as revenue from various other sources.
Deferred Revenue and Deposits
Deferred revenue mostly consists of billings and payments we receive from marketers in advance of revenue recognition as well as revenue not yet
recognized for unspecified software upgrades and updates for various FRL products. Deposits relate to unused balances held on behalf of our users who primarily
use these balances to make purchases in games on our platform. Once this balance is utilized by a user, the majority of this amount would then be payable to the
developer and the balance would be recognized as revenue. The increase in the deferred revenue balance for the year ended December 31, 2020 was driven by cash
payments from customers in advance of satisfying our performance obligations in FRL sales and advertising revenue, offset by revenue recognized that was
included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period.
Our payment terms vary by the products or services offered. The term between billings and when payment is due is not significant. For certain products or
services and customer types, we require payment before the products or services are delivered to the customer.
Practical Expedients and Exemptions
We generally expense sales commissions when incurred because the amortization period would have been one year or less. These costs are recorded within
marketing and sales on our consolidated statements of income.
We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and (ii) contracts
for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed.
Cost of Revenue
Our cost of revenue consists primarily of expenses associated with the delivery and distribution of our products. These include expenses related to the
operation of our data centers and technical infrastructure, such as facility and server equipment depreciation, salaries, benefits, and share-based compensation for
employees on our operations teams, and energy and bandwidth costs. Cost of revenue also includes costs associated with partner arrangements, including traffic
acquisition
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and content costs, credit card and other transaction fees related to processing customer transactions, and cost of consumer hardware devices sold.
Content Costs
Our content costs are mostly related to payments to content providers from whom we license video and music to increase engagement on the platform. For
licensed video, we expense the cost per title when the title is accepted and available for viewing if the capitalization criteria are not met. Video content costs that
meet the criteria for capitalization were not material to date.
For licensed music, we expense the license fees over the contractual license period. Expensed content costs are included in cost of revenue on the
consolidated statements of income.
Software Development Costs
Software development costs, including costs to develop software products or the software component of products to be marketed or sold to external users,
are expensed before the software or technology reach technological feasibility, which is typically reached shortly before the release of such products.
Software development costs also include costs to develop software to be used solely to meet internal needs and applications used to deliver our services.
These software development costs meet the criteria for capitalization once the preliminary project stage is complete and it is probable that the project will be
completed and the software will be used to perform the function intended.
Development costs that meet the criteria for capitalization were not material to date.
Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for
income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities, including evaluating uncertainties in the application of accounting principles and complex tax laws.
We record a provision for income taxes for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations using the asset and liability method. Under
this method, we recognize deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the expected future consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting
and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as for loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the tax rates that are
expected to apply to taxable income for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. We recognize the deferred income
tax effects of a change in tax rates in the period of the enactment.
We record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the net amount that we believe is more likely than not to be realized. We consider all
available evidence, both positive and negative, including historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and
ongoing tax planning strategies in assessing the need for a valuation allowance.
We recognize tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if we believe that it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination
by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. These uncertain tax positions include our estimates for transfer pricing that have been
developed based upon analyses of appropriate arms-length prices. Similarly, our estimates related to uncertain tax positions concerning research tax credits are
based on an assessment of whether our available documentation corroborating the nature of our activities supporting the tax credits will be sufficient. Although we
believe that we have adequately reserved for our uncertain tax positions (including net interest and penalties), we can provide no assurance that the final tax
outcome of these matters will not be materially different. We make adjustments to these reserves in accordance with the income tax accounting guidance when
facts and circumstances change, such as the closing of a tax audit or the refinement of an estimate. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is
different from the amounts recorded, such differences will affect the provision for income taxes in the period in which such determination is made, and could have
a material impact on our financial condition and operating results.
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Advertising Expense
Advertising costs are expensed when incurred and are included in marketing and sales expenses on the consolidated statements of income. We incurred
advertising expenses of $2.26 billion, $1.57 billion, and $1.10 billion for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities, and Restricted Cash
Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on deposit with banks and highly liquid investments with maturities of 90 days or less from the date of purchase.
We hold investments in marketable securities, consisting of U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, and investment grade corporate
debt securities. We classify our marketable securities as available-for-sale (AFS) investments in our current assets because they represent investments of cash
available for current operations. Our AFS investments are carried at estimated fair value with any unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, included in accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders' equity. AFS debt securities with an amortized cost basis in excess of estimated fair value are assessed to
determine what amount of that difference, if any, is caused by expected credit losses. Allowance for credit losses on AFS debt securities are recognized as a charge
in interest and other income (expense), net on our consolidated statements of income, and any remaining unrealized losses, net of taxes, are included in
accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders' equity. The amount of credit losses recorded for the year ended December 31, 2020 was not
material. There was no impairment charge for any unrealized losses in 2019 and 2018. We determine realized gains or losses on sale of marketable securities on a
specific identification method and record such gains or losses as interest and other income (expense), net on the consolidated statements of income.
We also maintain a multi-currency notional cash pool for our participating entities with a third-party bank provider. Actual cash balances are not physically
converted and are not commingled between participating legal entities. We classify the overdraft balances within accrued expenses and other current liabilities on
the consolidated balance sheets.
We classify certain restricted cash balances within prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets on the consolidated balance sheets based upon
the term of the remaining restrictions.
Equity Investments
Our equity investments are investments in equity securities of privately-held companies without readily determinable market values. We elected to account
for most of our equity investments using the measurement alternative, which is cost, less any impairment, adjusted for changes in fair value resulting from
observable transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. The change in carrying value, if any, is recognized in interest and other income
(expense), net on our consolidated statements of income. We periodically review our equity investments for impairment. If indicators exist and the estimated fair
value of an investment is below the carrying amount, we will write down the investment to fair value. In addition, we also held equity investments accounted for
under the equity method which were immaterial as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. Equity investments had a carrying value of $6.23 billion and $86 million as of
December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. There was no material impairment in 2020, 2019 and 2018.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
We apply fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities and non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in
the financial statements on a recurring basis. We define fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an
orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities, which are
required to be recorded at fair value, we consider the principal or most advantageous market in which we would transact and the market-based risk measurements
or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, such as risks inherent in valuation techniques, transfer restrictions and credit risk.
Fair value is estimated by applying the following hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization
within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement:
Level 1- Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
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Level 2- Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or
liabilities in inactive markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or
liabilities.
Level 3- Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management's estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the
asset or liability.
Our valuation techniques used to measure the fair value of cash equivalents and marketable debt securities were derived from quoted market prices or
alternative pricing sources and models utilizing observable market inputs.
Accounts Receivable and Allowances
Accounts receivable are recorded and carried at the original invoiced amount less an allowance for any potential uncollectible amounts. We make estimates
of expected credit and collectibility trends for the allowance for credit losses and allowance for unbilled receivables based upon our assessment of various factors,
including historical experience, the age of the accounts receivable balances, credit quality of our customers, current economic conditions, reasonable and
supportable forecasts of future economic conditions, and other factors that may affect our ability to collect from customers. Expected credit losses are recorded as
general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statements of income. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, our accounts receivable, net were
$11.33 billion and $9.52 billion, respectively, and the allowances of accounts receivable were immaterial.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, which includes amounts recorded under finance leases, are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed
using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets or the remaining lease term, whichever is shorter.
The estimated useful lives of property and equipment are described below:
Property and Equipment
Network equipment
Buildings
Computer software, office equipment and other
Finance lease right-of-use assets
Leasehold improvements
Useful Life
Three to 20 years
Three to 30 years
Two to five years
Three to 20 years
Lesser of estimated useful life or remaining lease term
The useful lives of our property and equipment are determined by management when those assets are initially recognized and are routinely reviewed for the
remaining estimated useful lives. Our current estimate of useful lives represents the best estimate of the useful lives based on current facts and circumstances, but
may differ from the actual useful lives due to changes in future circumstances such as changes to our business operations, changes in the planned use of assets, and
technological advancements. When we change the estimated useful life assumption for any asset, the remaining carrying amount of the asset is accounted for
prospectively and depreciated or amortized over the revised estimated useful life. Historically changes in useful lives have not resulted in material changes to our
depreciation and amortization expense.
Land and assets held within construction in progress are not depreciated. Construction in progress is related to the construction or development of property
and equipment that have not yet been placed in service for their intended use.
The cost of maintenance and repairs is expensed as incurred. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation
are removed from their respective accounts, and any gain or loss on such sale or disposal is reflected in income from operations.
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Lease Obligations
We have operating leases comprised of certain offices, data center, land, colocations, and equipment leases. We also have finance leases for certain network
equipment. We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Most of our leases contain lease and non-lease components. Non-lease components include
fixed payments for maintenance, utilities, real estate taxes, and management fees. We combine fixed lease and non-lease components and account for them as a
single lease component. Our lease agreements may contain variable costs such as contingent rent escalations, common area maintenance, insurance, real estate
taxes or other costs. Such variable lease costs are expensed as incurred on the consolidated statements of income. For certain colocation and equipment leases, we
apply a portfolio approach to effectively account for the operating lease right-of-use (ROU) assets and lease liabilities.
For leases that have greater than 12-month lease term, ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized on the consolidated balance sheet at commencement
date based on the present value of remaining fixed lease payments. We consider only payments that are fixed and determinable at the time of commencement.
Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise such options. When determining the
probability of exercising such options, we consider contract-based, asset-based, entity-based, and market-based factors.
As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in
determining the present value of lease payments. Our incremental borrowing rate is a hypothetical rate based on our understanding of what our credit rating would
be in a similar economic environment.
Operating leases are included in operating lease ROU assets, operating lease liabilities, current and operating lease liabilities, non-current on our
consolidated balance sheets. Finance leases are included in property and equipment, net, accrued expenses and other current liabilities, and other liabilities on our
consolidated balance sheets.
Results and disclosure requirements for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2019 are presented under Topic 842, while prior period amounts have
not been adjusted and continue to be reported under Topic 840.
Loss Contingencies
We are involved in legal proceedings, claims, and regulatory, tax or government inquiries and investigations that arise in the ordinary course of business.
Certain of these matters include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. Additionally, we are required to comply with various
legal and regulatory obligations around the world. The requirements for complying with these obligations may be uncertain and subject to interpretation and
enforcement by regulatory and other authorities, and any failure to comply with such obligations could eventually lead to asserted legal or regulatory action. With
respect to these matters, asserted and unasserted, we evaluate the developments on a regular basis and accrue a liability when we believe that it is both probable
that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine there is a reasonable possibility that we may incur a loss and the loss or
range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the possible loss in the notes to the consolidated financial statements to the extent material.
We review the developments in our contingencies that could affect the amount of the provisions that has been previously recorded, and the matters and
related possible losses disclosed. We make adjustments to our provisions and changes to our disclosures accordingly to reflect the impact of negotiations,
settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and updated information. Significant judgment is required to determine the probability of loss and the estimated
amount of loss, including when and if the probability and estimate has changed for asserted and unasserted matters.
Business Combinations
We allocate the fair value of purchase consideration to the tangible assets acquired, liabilities assumed and intangible assets acquired based on their
estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill.
Such valuations require management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Significant estimates in valuing
certain intangible assets include, but are not limited to, estimated replacement costs and future expected cash flows from acquired users,
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acquired technology, acquired patents, and trade names from a market participant perspective, useful lives and discount rates. Management's estimates of fair value
are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from
estimates. Allocation of purchase consideration to identifiable assets and liabilities affects Company amortization expense, as acquired finite-lived intangible assets
are amortized over the useful life, whereas any indefinite lived intangible assets, including goodwill, are not amortized. During the measurement period, which is
not to exceed one year from the acquisition date, we record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.
Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings.
Long-lived Assets Including Goodwill and Other Acquired Intangibles Assets
We evaluate the recoverability of property and equipment and acquired finite-lived intangible assets for possible impairment whenever events or
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The evaluation is performed at the lowest level for which identifiable cash
flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Recoverability of these assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying amounts
to the future undiscounted cash flows the assets are expected to generate from the use and eventual disposition. If such review indicates that the carrying amount of
property and equipment and intangible assets is not recoverable, the carrying amount of such assets is reduced to fair value. We have not recorded any significant
impairment charges during the years presented.
We review goodwill for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances would more likely than not reduce the fair
value of our single reporting unit below its carrying value. As of December 31, 2020, no impairment of goodwill has been identified.
Acquired finite-lived intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. We routinely review the remaining
estimated useful lives of property and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets. If we change the estimated useful life assumption for any asset, the remaining
unamortized balance is amortized or depreciated over the revised estimated useful life.
Foreign Currency
Generally, the functional currency of our international subsidiaries is the local currency. We translate the financial statements of these subsidiaries to U.S.
dollars using month-end rates of exchange for assets and liabilities, and average rates of exchange for revenue, costs, and expenses. Translation gains and losses are
recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as a component of stockholders' equity. As of December 31, 2020 we had a cumulative translation
gain, net of tax of $439 million and as of December 31, 2019, we had a cumulative translation loss, net of tax of $617 million. Net losses resulting from foreign
exchange transactions were $129 million, $105 million, and $213 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. These losses were
recorded as interest and other income (expense), net on our consolidated statements of income.
Credit Risk and Concentration
Our financial instruments that are potentially subject to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, marketable
securities, and accounts receivable. The majority of cash equivalents consists of money market funds, that primarily invest in U.S. government and agency
securities. Marketable securities consist of investments in U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, and investment grade corporate debt
securities. Our investment portfolio in corporate debt securities is highly liquid and diversified among individual issuers. The amount of credit losses recorded for
the year ended December 31, 2020 was not material.
Accounts receivable are typically unsecured and are derived from revenue earned from customers across different industries and countries. We generated
42% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 43% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 from marketers and
developers based in the United States, with the majority of revenue outside of the United States coming from customers located in western Europe, China, Canada,
Australia, Japan, Vietnam and Brazil.
We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers and generally do not require collateral. We maintain an allowance for estimated credit losses and
bad debt expense on these losses was not material during the years ended
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December 31, 2020, 2019, or 2018. In the event that accounts receivable collection cycles deteriorate, our operating results and financial position could be
adversely affected.
No customer represented 10% or more of total revenue during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018.
Segments
Our chief operating decision-maker is our Chief Executive Officer who makes resource allocation decisions and assesses performance based on financial
information presented on a consolidated basis. There are no segment managers who are held accountable by the chief operating decision-maker, or anyone else, for
operations, operating results, and planning for levels or components below the consolidated unit level. Accordingly, we have determined that we have a single
reportable segment and operating segment structure.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Fair Value Measurements
On January 1, 2020, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2018-13, Changes to Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements (Topic
820), which improved the effectiveness of disclosure requirements for recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. The standard removes, modifies, and
adds certain disclosure requirements. The adoption of this new standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Credit Losses
On January 1, 2020, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit
Losses on Financial Instruments, using the modified retrospective transition method. Upon adoption, we changed our impairment model to utilize a current
expected credit losses (CECL) model in place of the incurred loss methodology for financial instruments measured at amortized cost, including our accounts
receivable. In addition, we modified our impairment model for AFS debt securities and to discontinue using the concept of "other than temporary" impairment on
AFS debt securities. CECL estimates on accounts receivable are recorded as general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statements of income.
Allowance for credit losses on AFS debt securities are recognized as a charge in interest and other income (expense), net on our consolidated statements of income.
The cumulative effect adjustment from adoption was immaterial to our consolidated financial statements. We continue to monitor the financial implications of the
COVID-19 pandemic on expected credit losses.
Income Taxes
On October 1, 2020, we early adopted Accounting Standard Update No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes
(ASU 2019-12), which simplifies the accounting for income taxes. This guidance was effective beginning January 1, 2021, with early adoption permitted. The
adoption of this new standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In January 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-01, Investments—Equity Securities
(Topic 321), Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) (ASU 2020-01), which clarifies the
interaction of the accounting for equity securities under Topic 321, the accounting for equity method investments in Topic 323, and the accounting for certain
forward contracts and purchased options in Topic 815. We will adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2021 and do not expect the adoption of this guidance to
have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and
Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity
(ASU 2020-06), which simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments by reducing the number of accounting models available for convertible debt
instruments. This guidance also eliminates the treasury stock method to calculate diluted earnings per share for convertible instruments and requires the use of the
if-converted method. This guidance will be effective for us in the first quarter of 2022 on a full
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or modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated
financial statements.
Note 2. Revenue
Revenue disaggregated by revenue source consists of the following (in millions):
Advertising
Other revenue
Total revenue
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
84,169 $
1,796
85,965 $
69,655 $
1,042
70,697 $
55,013
825
55,838
Revenue disaggregated by geography, based on the billing address of our customers, consists of the following (in millions):
Revenue:
(2)
United States and Canada
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Rest of World
(2)
Total revenue
(1)
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
38,433 $
20,349
19,848
7,335
85,965 $
32,206 $
16,826
15,406
6,259
70,697 $
25,727
13,631
11,733
4,747
55,838
_________________________
(1) United States revenue was $36.25 billion, $30.23 billion, and $24.10 billion for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.
(2) Europe includes Russia and Turkey, and Rest of World includes Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Deferred revenue and deposits consists of the following (in millions):
Deferred revenue
Deposits
Total deferred revenue and deposits
Note 3. Earnings per Share
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
335 $
47
382 $
234
35
269
We compute earnings per share (EPS) of Class A and Class B common stock using the two-class method required for participating securities. We consider
restricted stock awards to be participating securities because holders of such shares have non-forfeitable dividend rights in the event of our declaration of a
dividend for common shares.
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities are subtracted from net income in determining net income attributable to common stockholders.
Basic EPS is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of our Class A and Class B
common stock outstanding, adjusted for outstanding shares that are subject to repurchase.
For the calculation of diluted EPS, net income attributable to common stockholders for basic EPS is adjusted by the effect of dilutive securities, including
awards under our equity compensation plans. In 2018, the calculation of diluted EPS also included the effect of inducement awards under separate non-plan
restricted stock unit (RSU) award agreements.
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In addition, the computation of the diluted EPS of Class A common stock assumes the conversion of our Class B common stock to Class A common stock,
while the diluted EPS of Class B common stock does not assume the conversion of those shares to Class A common stock. Diluted EPS attributable to common
stockholders is computed by dividing the resulting net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of fully diluted common
shares outstanding.
RSUs with anti-dilutive effect were excluded from the EPS calculation and they were not material for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018.
Basic and diluted EPS are the same for each class of common stock because they are entitled to the same liquidation and dividend rights.
The numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted EPS computations for our common stock are calculated as follows (in millions, except per share
amounts):
Basic EPS:
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
Class
A
Class
B
Class
A
Class
B
Class
A
Class
B
Numerator
Net income
Less: Net income attributable to participating securities
Net income attributable to common stockholders
Denominator
Weighted-average shares outstanding
Basic EPS
Diluted EPS:
Numerator
Net income attributable to common stockholders
Reallocation of net income attributable to participating securities
Reallocation of net income as a result of conversion of Class B to Class A
common stock
Reallocation of net income to Class B common stock
Net income for diluted EPS
Denominator
Number of shares used for basic EPS computation
Conversion of Class B to Class A common stock
Weighted-average effect of dilutive RSUs and employee stock options
Number of shares used for diluted EPS computation
$
$
$
$
$
24,607 $
—
24,607 $
4,539 $
—
4,539 $
15,569 $
—
15,569 $
2,916 $
—
2,916 $
18,411 $
(1)
18,410 $
2,407
444
2,404
450
2,406
10.22 $
10.22 $
6.48 $
6.48 $
7.65 $
24,607 $
—
4,539 $
—
15,569 $
—
2,916 $
—
18,410 $
1
4,539
—
29,146 $
—
(58)
4,481 $
2,916
—
18,485 $
—
(18)
2,898 $
3,701
—
22,112 $
2,407
444
37
2,888
444
—
—
444
2,404
450
22
2,876
450
—
1
451
2,406
484
31
2,921
3,701
—
3,701
484
7.65
3,701
—
—
(16)
3,685
484
—
3
487
Diluted EPS
$
10.09 $
10.09 $
6.43 $
6.43 $
7.57 $
7.57
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Note 4. Cash and Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities
The following table sets forth the cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities (in millions):
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash
Money market funds
U.S. government securities
U.S. government agency securities
Certificate of deposits and time deposits
Corporate debt securities
Total cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities:
U.S. government securities
U.S. government agency securities
Corporate debt securities
Total marketable securities
Total cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities
December 31,
2020
2019
6,488 $
9,755
1,016
—
305
12
17,576
20,921
11,698
11,759
44,378
61,954 $
4,735
12,787
815
444
217
81
19,079
18,679
6,712
10,385
35,776
54,855
$
$
The gross unrealized gains on our marketable securities were $641 million and $205 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The gross
unrealized losses on our marketable securities were not material as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The allowance for credit losses was not material as of
December 31, 2020.
The following table classifies our marketable securities by contractual maturities (in millions):
Due in one year
Due after one year to five years
Total
Note 5. Equity Investments
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
12,826 $
31,552
44,378 $
12,803
22,973
35,776
Our equity investments are investments in equity securities of privately-held companies without readily determinable market values. On July 7, 2020, we
completed our equity investment in Jio Platforms Limited (Jio), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, for $5.82 billion. There was no material impairment
for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 or 2018.
The changes in the carrying value of equity investments for the year ended December 31, 2019 were not material. The changes in the carrying value of
equity investments for the year ended December 31, 2020 were as follows (in millions):
Balance as of December 31, 2019
Jio
Other investments
Adjustments
Balance as of December 31, 2020
$
$
86
5,824
323
1
6,234
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Note 6. Fair Value Measurement
The following table summarizes our assets measured at fair value and the classification by level of input within the fair value hierarchy (in millions):
Description
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds
U.S. government securities
Certificate of deposits and time deposits
Corporate debt securities
Marketable securities:
U.S. government securities
U.S. government agency securities
Corporate debt securities
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities
Description
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds
U.S. government securities
U.S. government agency securities
Certificate of deposits and time deposits
Corporate debt securities
Marketable securities:
U.S. government securities
U.S. government agency securities
Corporate debt securities
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities
Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using
December 31,
2020
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant
Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
9,755 $
1,016
305
12
20,921
11,698
11,759
55,466 $
9,755 $
1,016
—
—
20,921
11,698
—
43,390 $
— $
—
305
12
—
—
11,759
12,076 $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using
December 31,
2019
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant
Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
12,787 $
815
444
217
81
18,679
6,712
10,385
50,120 $
12,787 $
815
444
—
—
18,679
6,712
—
39,437 $
— $
—
—
217
81
—
—
10,385
10,683 $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$
$
$
$
We classify our cash equivalents and marketable securities within Level 1 or Level 2 because we use quoted market prices or alternative pricing sources and
models utilizing market observable inputs to determine their fair value.
Beginning in 2020, we had other assets and liabilities classified within Level 3 because factors used to develop the estimated fair value are unobservable
inputs that are not supported by market activity. The aggregate absolute value of these Level 3 assets and liabilities was not material to our consolidated financial
statements as of December 31, 2020.
On July 7, 2020, we completed our equity investment in Jio and noted observable transactions in similar securities subsequent to the date of our investment.
Based on our assessment, we concluded no change in fair value from the initial carrying value of $5.82 billion was required as a result of these observable
transactions. Had there been a change in the fair value, our investment in Jio would be classified within Level 3. For information regarding our investment in Jio,
see Note 5 — Equity Investments.
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Note 7. Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, net consists of the following (in millions):
Land
Buildings
Leasehold improvements
Network equipment
Computer software, office equipment and other
Finance lease right-of-use assets
Construction in progress
Total
Less: Accumulated depreciation
Property and equipment, net
December 31,
2020
2019
1,326 $
17,360
4,321
22,003
2,458
2,295
11,288
61,051
(15,418)
45,633 $
1,097
11,226
3,112
17,004
1,813
1,635
10,099
45,986
(10,663)
35,323
$
$
Depreciation expense on property and equipment were $6.39 billion, $5.18 billion, and $3.68 billion for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and
2018, respectively. The majority of the property and equipment depreciation expense was from network equipment depreciation of $4.58 billion, $3.83 billion, and
$2.94 billion for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Construction in progress includes costs mostly related to construction of data
centers, network equipment infrastructure to support our data centers around the world, and office buildings.
Note 8. Leases
We have entered into various non-cancelable operating lease agreements for certain of our offices, data centers, land, colocations, and equipment. We have
also entered into various non-cancelable finance lease agreements for certain network equipment. Our leases have original lease periods expiring between 2021 and
2093. Many leases include one or more options to renew. We do not assume renewals in our determination of the lease term unless the renewals are deemed to be
reasonably assured. Our lease agreements generally do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
The components of lease costs for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows (in millions):
Finance lease cost
Amortization of right-of-use assets
Interest
Operating lease cost
Variable lease cost and other, net
Total lease cost
Operating lease expense was $629 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 under Topic 840.
100
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
259 $
14
1,391
269
1,933 $
195
12
1,139
160
1,506
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Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases is as follows:
Weighted-average remaining lease term
Operating leases
Finance leases
Weighted-average discount rate
Operating leases
Finance leases
The following is a schedule, by years, of maturities of lease liabilities as of December 31, 2020 (in millions):
December 31,
2020
2019
12.2 years
14.9 years
3.1 %
2.9 %
13.0 years
15.3 years
3.2 %
3.1 %
Operating Leases
Finance Leases
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Thereafter
Total undiscounted cash flows
Less: Imputed interest
Present value of lease liabilities
Lease liabilities, current
Lease liabilities, non-current
Present value of lease liabilities
$
$
$
$
1,300 $
1,394
1,266
1,163
1,001
7,206
13,330
(2,676)
10,654 $
1,023 $
9,631
10,654 $
68
51
41
41
41
401
643
(120)
523
54
469
523
The table above does not include lease payments that were not fixed at commencement or lease modification. As of December 31, 2020, we have additional
operating and finance leases, that have not yet commenced, with lease obligations of approximately $7.41 billion and $443 million, respectively, mostly for offices,
data centers and network equipment. These operating and finance leases will commence between 2021 and 2025 with lease terms of greater than one year to
30 years.
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows (in millions):
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows for operating leases
Operating cash flows for finance leases
Financing cash flows for finance leases
Lease liabilities arising from obtaining right-of-use assets:
Operating leases
Finance leases
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
$
$
$
1,208 $
14 $
604 $
1,158 $
121 $
902
12
552
5,081
193
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Note 9. Goodwill and Intangible Assets
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we purchased certain intangible assets and completed several business acquisitions that were not material to our
consolidated financial statements, either individually or in the aggregate. Accordingly, pro forma historical results of operations related to these business
acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2020 have not been presented. We have included the financial results of these business acquisitions in our
consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition.
Goodwill generated from all business acquisitions completed was primarily attributable to expected synergies from future growth and potential monetization
opportunities. The amount of goodwill generated that was deductible for tax purposes was not material.
The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows (in millions):
Balance as of December 31, 2018
Goodwill acquired
Effect of currency translation adjustment
Balance as of December 31, 2019
Goodwill acquired
Effect of currency translation adjustment
Balance as of December 31, 2020
$
$
18,301
408
6
18,715
322
13
19,050
The following table sets forth the major categories of the intangible assets and the weighted-average remaining useful lives for those assets that are not
already fully amortized (in millions):
Acquired users
Acquired technology
Acquired patents
Trade names
Other
Total intangible assets
December 31, 2020
December 31, 2019
Weighted-Average
Remaining Useful
Lives (in years)
0.8
2.8
4.0
1.4
3.2
Gross Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net Carrying
Amount
Gross Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net Carrying
Amount
$
$
2,057 $
1,297
805
636
223
5,018 $
(1,840) $
(1,088)
(677)
(622)
(168)
(4,395) $
217 $
209
128
14
55
623 $
2,056 $
1,158
805
635
162
4,816 $
(1,550) $
(986)
(625)
(604)
(157)
(3,922) $
506
172
180
31
5
894
Amortization expense of intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 was $473 million, $562 million, and $640 million,
respectively.
As of December 31, 2020, expected amortization expense for the unamortized acquired intangible assets for the next five years and thereafter is as follows
(in millions):
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Thereafter
Total
$
$
387
121
53
29
17
16
623
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Note 10. Liabilities
The components of accrued expenses and other current liabilities are as follows (in millions):
(1)
Legal-related accruals
Accrued compensation and benefits
Accrued property and equipment
Accrued taxes
Other current liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
December 31,
2020
2019
1,622 $
2,609
1,414
2,038
3,469
11,152 $
5,998
1,704
1,082
624
2,327
11,735
$
$
_________________________
(1)
Includes accrued legal settlements and fines as well as other legal fees. In 2020 and 2019, the amounts include accrued legal settlement for Illinois Biometric Information
Privacy Act (BIPA) of $650 million and $550 million, respectively. In 2019, the amount includes accrued legal settlements for U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of
$5.0 billion. For further information, see Legal and Related Matters in Note 12 — Commitments and Contingencies.
The components of other liabilities are as follows (in millions):
Income tax payable
Other liabilities
Other liabilities
Note 11. Long-term Debt
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
5,025 $
1,389
6,414 $
5,651
2,094
7,745
In May 2016, we entered into a $2.0 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility, and any amounts outstanding under this facility would be due and
payable on May 20, 2021. No amount had been drawn down under this credit facility, and it was terminated on December 24, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, we
had no outstanding long-term debt.
Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies
Guarantee
In 2018, we established a multi-currency notional cash pool for certain of our entities with a third-party bank provider. Actual cash balances are not
physically converted and are not commingled between participating legal entities. As part of the notional cash pool agreement, the bank extends overdraft credit to
our participating entities as needed, provided that the overall notionally pooled balance of all accounts in the pool at the end of each day is at least zero. In the
unlikely event of a default by our collective entities participating in the pool, any overdraft balances incurred would be guaranteed by Facebook, Inc.
Other Contractual Commitments
We also have $7.50 billion of non-cancelable contractual commitments as of December 31, 2020, which are mostly related to our investments in network
infrastructure, consumer hardware, content costs and data center operations. The majority of these commitments are due within five years.
Legal and Related Matters
Beginning on March 20, 2018, multiple putative class actions and derivative actions were filed in state and federal courts in the United States and elsewhere
against us and certain of our directors and officers alleging violations of securities laws, breach of fiduciary duties, and other causes of action in connection with
our platform and user data practices as well as
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the misuse of certain data by a developer that shared such data with third parties in violation of our terms and policies, and seeking unspecified damages and
injunctive relief. Beginning on July 27, 2018, two putative class actions were filed in federal court in the United States against us and certain of our directors and
officers alleging violations of securities laws in connection with the disclosure of our earnings results for the second quarter of 2018 and seeking unspecified
damages. These two actions subsequently were transferred and consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California with the putative
securities class action described above relating to our platform and user data practices. On September 25, 2019, the district court granted our motion to dismiss the
consolidated putative securities class action, with leave to amend. On November 15, 2019, a second amended complaint was filed in the consolidated putative
securities class action. On August 7, 2020, the district court granted our motion to dismiss the second amended complaint, with leave to amend. On October 16,
2020, a third amended complaint was filed in the consolidated putative securities class action. We believe these lawsuits are without merit, and we are vigorously
defending them. In addition, our platform and user data practices, as well as the events surrounding the misuse of certain data by a developer, became the subject of
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, and other government inquiries in the United States, Europe, and other jurisdictions. In July 2019,
we entered into a settlement and modified consent order to resolve the FTC inquiry, which was approved by the federal court and took effect in April 2020. Among
other matters, our settlement with the FTC required us to pay a penalty of $5.0 billion which was paid in April 2020 upon the effectiveness of the modified consent
order.
On April 1, 2015, a putative class action was filed against us in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by Facebook users alleging
that the "tag suggestions" facial recognition feature violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and seeking statutory damages and injunctive relief. On
April 16, 2018, the district court certified a class of Illinois residents, and on May 14, 2018, the district court denied both parties' motions for summary judgment.
On May 29, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted our petition for review of the class certification order and stayed the proceeding. On
August 8, 2019, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the class certification order. On December 2, 2019, we filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of
the decision of the Ninth Circuit, which was denied. On January 15, 2020, the parties agreed to a settlement in principle to resolve the lawsuit, which provided for a
payment of $550 million by us and was subject to court approval. On or about May 8, 2020, the parties executed a formal settlement agreement, and plaintiffs filed
a motion for preliminary approval of the settlement by the district court. On June 4, 2020, the district court denied the plaintiffs' motion without prejudice. On July
22, 2020, the parties executed an amended settlement agreement, which, among other terms, provides for a payment of $650 million by us. On August 19, 2020,
the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. The settlement is subject to final court approval. The settlement amount is reflected in accrued expenses
and other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020.
Beginning on September 28, 2018, multiple putative class actions were filed in state and federal courts in the United States and elsewhere against us
alleging violations of consumer protection laws and other causes of action in connection with a third-party cyber-attack that exploited a vulnerability in Facebook's
code to steal user access tokens and access certain profile information from user accounts on Facebook, and seeking unspecified damages and injunctive relief. The
actions filed in the United States were consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. On November 26, 2019, the district court
certified a class for injunctive relief purposes but denied certification of a class for purposes of pursuing damages. On January 16, 2020, the parties agreed to a
settlement in principle to resolve the lawsuit. On November 15, 2020, the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. The settlement is subject to final
court approval. We believe the remaining lawsuits are without merit, and we are vigorously defending them. In addition, the events surrounding this cyber-attack
became the subject of Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) and other government inquiries.
From time to time we also notify the IDPC, our designated European privacy regulator under the General Data Protection Regulation, of certain other
personal data breaches and privacy issues, and are subject to inquiries and investigations regarding various aspects of our regulatory compliance. Although we are
vigorously defending our regulatory compliance, we believe there is a reasonable possibility that the ultimate potential loss related to the inquiries and
investigations by the IDPC could be material in the aggregate.
In addition, from time to time, we are subject to litigation and other proceedings involving law enforcement and other regulatory agencies, including in
particular in Brazil and Europe, in order to ascertain the precise scope of our legal obligations to comply with the requests of those agencies, including our
obligation to disclose user information in particular circumstances. A number of such instances have resulted in the assessment of fines and penalties against us.
We believe we have multiple legal grounds to satisfy these requests or prevail against associated fines and penalties, and we intend to vigorously defend such fines
and penalties.
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With respect to the cases, actions, and inquiries described above, we evaluate the associated developments on a regular basis and accrue a liability when we
believe a loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. In addition, we believe there is a reasonable possibility that we may incur a loss in some of
these matters. With respect to the matters described above that do not include an estimate of the amount of loss or range of possible loss, such losses or range of
possible losses either cannot be estimated or are not individually material, but we believe there is a reasonable possibility that they may be material in the
aggregate.
We are also party to various other legal proceedings, claims, and regulatory, tax or government inquiries and investigations that arise in the ordinary course
of business. For example, from time to time we are subject to various litigation and government inquiries and investigations, formal or informal, by competition
authorities in the United States, Europe, and other jurisdictions. Such investigations, inquiries, and lawsuits concern, among other things, our business practices in
the areas of social networking or social media services, digital advertising, and/or mobile or online applications, as well as past acquisitions. For example, in June
2019 we were informed by the FTC that it had opened an antitrust investigation of our company. On December 9, 2020, the FTC filed a complaint against us in the
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that we engaged in anticompetitive conduct and unfair methods of competition in violation of Section 5 of
the Federal Trade Commission Act and Section 2 of the Sherman Act by acquiring Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 and by maintaining conditions on
access to our platform. In addition, beginning in the third quarter of 2019, we became the subject of antitrust investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and
state attorneys general. On December 9, 2020, the attorneys general from 46 states, the territory of Guam, and the District of Columbia filed a complaint against us
in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that we engaged in anticompetitive conduct in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act by
acquiring Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 and by maintaining conditions on access to our platform. The complaint also alleges that we violated Section 7
of the Clayton Act by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp. The lawsuits of the FTC and attorneys general both seek a permanent injunction against our company's
alleged violations of the antitrust laws, and other equitable relief, including divestiture or reconstruction of Instagram and WhatsApp. Multiple putative class
actions have also been filed in state and federal courts in the United States against us alleging violations of antitrust laws and other causes of action in connection
with these acquisitions and other alleged anticompetitive conduct, and seeking unspecified damages and injunctive relief. We believe these lawsuits are without
merit, and we are vigorously defending them.
Additionally, we are required to comply with various legal and regulatory obligations around the world. The requirements for complying with these
obligations may be uncertain and subject to interpretation and enforcement by regulatory and other authorities, and any failure to comply with such obligations
could eventually lead to asserted legal or regulatory action. With respect to these other legal proceedings, claims, regulatory, tax, or government inquiries and
investigations, and other matters, asserted and unasserted, we evaluate the associated developments on a regular basis and accrue a liability when we believe a loss
is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. In addition, we believe there is a reasonable possibility that we may incur a loss in some of these other
matters. We believe that the amount of losses or any estimable range of possible losses with respect to these other matters will not, either individually or in the
aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business and consolidated financial statements.
The ultimate outcome of the legal and related matters described in this section, such as whether the likelihood of loss is remote, reasonably possible, or
probable, or if and when the reasonably possible range of loss is estimable, is inherently uncertain. Therefore, if one or more of these matters were resolved against
us for amounts in excess of management's estimates of loss, our results of operations and financial condition, including in a particular reporting period in which
any such outcome becomes probable and estimable, could be materially adversely affected.
For information regarding income tax contingencies, see Note 15—Income Taxes.
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Indemnifications
In the normal course of business, to facilitate transactions of services and products, we have agreed to indemnify certain parties with respect to certain
matters. We have agreed to hold certain parties harmless against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants, or out of intellectual property
infringement or other claims made by third parties. These agreements may limit the time within which an indemnification claim can be made and the amount of the
claim. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our officers, directors, and certain employees, and our certificate of incorporation and
bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations.
It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount under these indemnification agreements due to the limited history of prior indemnification
claims and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Historically, payments made by us under these agreements have not had a
material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, as of December 31, 2020, there was not at least a reasonable possibility we had incurred a
material loss with respect to indemnification of such parties. We have not recorded any liability for costs related to indemnification through December 31, 2020.
Note 13. Stockholders' Equity
Common Stock
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of Class A common stock and Class B common stock. As of December 31, 2020, we are authorized
to issue 5,000 million shares of Class A common stock and 4,141 million shares of Class B common stock, each with a par value of $0.000006 per share. Holders
of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to dividends when, as and if, declared by our board of directors, subject to the rights of the
holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights to dividends. As of December 31, 2020, we have not declared any dividends. The holder of each
share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote, while the holder of each share of Class B common stock is entitled to ten votes. Shares of our Class B
common stock are convertible into an equivalent number of shares of our Class A common stock and generally convert into shares of our Class A common stock
upon transfer. Class A common stock and Class B common stock are referred to as common stock throughout the notes to these financial statements, unless
otherwise noted.
As of December 31, 2020, there were 2,406 million shares of Class A common stock and 443 million shares of Class B common stock issued and
outstanding.
Share Repurchase Program
Our board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program of our Class A common stock, which commenced in January 2017 and does not have an
expiration date. As of December 31, 2019, $4.90 billion remained available and authorized for repurchases under this program. In January 2020, an additional
$10.00 billion of repurchases was authorized under this program. In 2020, we repurchased and subsequently retired 27 million shares of our Class A common stock
for $6.30 billion. As of December 31, 2020, $8.60 billion remained available and authorized for repurchases. In January 2021, an additional $25 billion of
repurchases was authorized under this program.
The timing and actual number of shares repurchased under the repurchase program depend on a variety of factors, including price, general business and
market conditions, and other investment opportunities, and shares may be repurchased through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions,
including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Share-based Compensation Plans
In 2020, we maintained one active share-based employee compensation plan, the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, which was amended in each of June 2016 and
February 2018 (Amended 2012 Plan). Our Amended 2012 Plan provides for the issuance of incentive and nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock awards, stock
appreciation rights, RSUs, performance shares, and stock bonuses to qualified employees, directors and consultants. Shares that are withheld in connection with the
net settlement of RSUs or forfeited under our stock plan are added to the reserves of the Amended 2012 Plan. We account for forfeitures as they occur.
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Share-based compensation expense mostly consists of the Company's restricted stock units (RSUs) expense. RSUs granted to employees are measured based
on the grant-date fair value. In general, our RSUs vest over a service period of four years. Share-based compensation expense is generally recognized based on the
straight-line basis over the requisite service period.
As of December 31, 2020, there were 129 million shares of our Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended 2012 Plan. Pursuant
to the automatic increase provision under our Amended 2012 Plan, the number of shares reserved for issuance increases automatically on January 1 of each of the
calendar years during the term of the Amended 2012 Plan, which will continue through April 2026 , by a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the
lesser of (i) 2.5% of the total issued and outstanding shares of our Class A common stock as of the immediately preceding December 31st or (ii) a number of shares
determined by our board of directors. Pursuant to this automatic increase provision, our board of directors approved an increase of 16 million shares reserved for
issuance effective January 1, 2021.
The following table summarizes the activities for our unvested RSUs for the year ended December 31, 2020:
Unvested at December 31, 2019
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Unvested at December 31, 2020
Number of Shares
(in thousands)
Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value
78,851 $
62,032 $
(38,857) $
(5,293) $
96,733 $
165.74
188.73
162.27
165.72
181.88
The fair value as of the respective vesting dates of RSUs that vested during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 was $9.38 billion,
$6.01 billion, and $7.57 billion, respectively.
As of December 31, 2020, there was $16.50 billion of unrecognized share-based compensation expense related to RSUs awards. This unrecognized
compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately three years based on vesting under the award service
conditions.
Note 14. Interest and Other Income, Net
The following table presents the detail of interest and other income, net, is as follows (in millions):
Interest income, net
Foreign currency exchange losses, net
Other income (expense), net
Interest and other income, net
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
672 $
(129)
(34)
509 $
904 $
(105)
27
826 $
652
(213)
9
448
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Note 15. Income Taxes
The components of income before provision for income taxes are as follows (in millions):
Domestic
Foreign
Income before provision for income taxes
The provision for income taxes consisted of the following (in millions):
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
24,233 $
8,947
33,180 $
5,317 $
19,495
24,812 $
8,800
16,561
25,361
Current:
Federal
State
Foreign
Total current tax expense
Deferred:
Federal
State
Foreign
Total deferred tax (benefits)/expense
Provision for income taxes
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
3,297 $
523
1,211
5,031
(859)
(122)
(16)
(997)
4,034 $
4,321 $
565
1,481
6,367
(39)
19
(20)
(40)
6,327 $
A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rates to our effective tax rate is as follows (in percentages):
U.S. federal statutory income tax rate
State income taxes, net of federal benefit
Research and development tax credits
Share-based compensation
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation
Foreign-derived intangible income deduction
Effect of non-U.S. operations
Non-deductible FTC settlement accrual
Research and development capitalization
Other
Effective tax rate
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
21.0 %
0.8
(1.3)
0.2
(1.6)
(1.9)
(2.4)
—
(3.0)
0.4
12.2 %
21.0 %
1.8
(0.8)
4.5
(0.7)
—
(5.8)
4.5
—
1.0
25.5 %
108
1,747
176
1,031
2,954
316
34
(55)
295
3,249
21.0 %
0.7
(1.0)
0.3
(2.6)
—
(5.9)
—
—
0.3
12.8 %
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Our deferred tax assets (liabilities) are as follows (in millions):
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforward
Tax credit carryforward
Share-based compensation
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
Lease liabilities
Capitalized research and development
Other
Total deferred tax assets
Less: valuation allowance
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation and amortization
Right-of-use assets
Total deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax assets
December 31,
2020
2019
2,437 $
1,055
243
1,108
2,058
1,922
340
9,163
(1,218)
7,945
(3,811)
(1,876)
(5,687)
2,258 $
2,051
1,333
135
798
1,999
—
149
6,465
(1,012)
5,453
(2,387)
(1,910)
(4,297)
1,156
$
$
The valuation allowance was approximately $1.22 billion and $1.01 billion as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, mostly relating to U.S. state tax
credit carryforwards and U.S. foreign tax credits for which we do not believe a tax benefit is more likely than not to be realized.
As of December 31, 2020, the U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards were $10.62 billion and $2.19 billion, which will begin to expire in
2028 and 2027, respectively, if not utilized. We have federal tax credit carryforwards of $424 million, which will begin to expire in 2029, if not utilized, and state
tax credit carryforwards of $2.65 billion, most of which do not expire.
Utilization of our net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards may be subject to substantial annual limitations due to the ownership change limitations
provided by the Internal Revenue Code and similar state provisions. Such annual limitations could result in the expiration of the net operating loss and tax credit
carryforwards before their utilization. The events that may cause ownership changes include, but are not limited to, a cumulative stock ownership change of greater
than 50% over a three‑year period.
The following table reflects changes in the gross unrecognized tax benefits (in millions):
Gross unrecognized tax benefits ‑ beginning of period
Increases related to prior year tax positions
Decreases related to prior year tax positions
Increases related to current year tax positions
Decreases related to settlements of prior year tax positions
Gross unrecognized tax benefits ‑ end of period
2020
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2018
$
$
7,863 $
356
(253)
1,045
(319)
8,692 $
4,678 $
2,309
(525)
1,402
(1)
7,863 $
3,870
457
(396)
831
(84)
4,678
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During all years presented, we recognized interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the provision for income taxes on the
consolidated statements of income. The amount of interest and penalties accrued as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $774 million and $747 million,
respectively.
If the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits of $8.69 billion as of December 31, 2020 were realized in a future period, this would result in a tax benefit
of $4.85 billion within our provision of income taxes at such time.
On July 27, 2015, the United States Tax Court issued a decision (Tax Court Decision) in Altera Corp. v. Commissioner, which concluded that related parties
in a cost sharing arrangement are not required to share expenses related to share-based compensation. The Tax Court Decision was appealed by the Commissioner
to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit). On June 7, 2019, the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion (Altera Ninth Circuit Opinion) that reversed the Tax
Court Decision. Based on the Altera Ninth Circuit Opinion, we recorded a cumulative income tax expense of $1.11 billion in the second quarter of 2019. On July
22, 2019, the taxpayer requested a rehearing before the full Ninth Circuit and the request was denied on November 12, 2019. The taxpayer requested a hearing
before the Supreme Court of the United States and the request was denied on June 22, 2020. Since we started to accrue income tax for share-based compensation
cost-sharing expense in the second quarter of 2019, the denial of the request by the Supreme Court did not have a material impact to our financial results in 2020.
We are subject to taxation in the United States and various other state and foreign jurisdictions. The material jurisdictions in which we are subject to
potential examination include the United States and Ireland. We are under examination by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for our 2014 through 2016 and 2018
tax years and by the Irish tax authorities for our 2016 through 2018 tax years. Our 2017 and subsequent tax years remain open to examination by the IRS. Our 2019
and subsequent tax years remain open to examination in Ireland.
In July 2016, we received a Statutory Notice of Deficiency (Notice) from the IRS related to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries in conjunction with
the examination of the 2010 tax year. While the Notice applies only to the 2010 tax year, the IRS stated that it will also apply its position for tax years subsequent
to 2010. We do not agree with the position of the IRS and have filed a petition in the Tax Court challenging the Notice. On January 15, 2020, the IRS filed its
Pretrial Memorandum in the case stating that it planned to assert at trial an adjustment that is higher than the adjustment stated in the Notice. The first session of
the trial began in February 2020 and a second session is expected to continue in 2021. It is not clear how the IRS intends to apply the revised adjustment to future
years. Based on the information provided, we believe that, if the IRS prevails in its updated position, this could result in an additional federal tax liability of an
estimated, aggregate amount of up to approximately $9.0 billion in excess of the amounts in our originally filed U.S. return, plus interest and any penalties
asserted.
In March 2018, we received a second Notice from the IRS in conjunction with the examination of our 2011 through 2013 tax years. The IRS applied its
position from the 2010 tax year to each of these years and also proposed new adjustments related to other transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries and certain
tax credits that we claimed. If the IRS prevails in its position for these new adjustments, this could result in an additional federal tax liability of up to
approximately $680 million in excess of the amounts in our originally filed U.S. returns, plus interest and any penalties asserted. We do not agree with the
positions of the IRS in the second Notice and have filed a petition in the Tax Court challenging the second Notice.
We have previously accrued an estimated unrecognized tax benefit consistent with the guidance in ASC 740, Income Taxes, that is lower than the potential
additional federal tax liability from the positions taken by the IRS in the two Notices and its Pretrial Memorandum. In addition, if the IRS prevails in its positions
related to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries, the additional tax that we would owe would be partially offset by a reduction in the tax that we owe under
the mandatory transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act). As of December 31, 2020, we have not resolved
these matters and proceedings continue in the Tax Court.
We believe that adequate amounts have been reserved in accordance with ASC 740 for any adjustments to the provision for income taxes or other tax items
that may ultimately result from these examinations. The timing of the resolution, settlement, and closure of any audits is highly uncertain, and it is reasonably
possible that the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change in the next 12 months. Given the number of years remaining that are subject
to examination, we are unable to estimate the full range of possible adjustments to the balance of gross unrecognized
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tax benefits. If the taxing authorities prevail in the assessment of additional tax due, the assessed tax, interest, and penalties, if any, could have a material adverse
impact on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
Note 16. Geographical Information
The following table sets forth our long-lived assets by geographic area, which consist of property and equipment, net and operating lease right-of-use assets,
net (in millions):
Long-lived assets:
United States
Rest of the world
(1)
Total long-lived assets
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
43,128 $
11,853
54,981 $
35,858
8,925
44,783
_________________________
(1) No individual country, other than disclosed above, exceeded 10% of our total long-lived assets for any period presented.
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Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer (CEO) and chief financial officer (CFO), has evaluated the effectiveness of our
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a- 15(e) and 15d- 15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act)), as of
the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that as of December 31, 2020,
our disclosure controls and procedures are designed at a reasonable assurance level and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are
required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in
the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including
our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the
Exchange Act). Management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria set forth in Internal
Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based on the assessment,
management has concluded that its internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020 to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our independent registered public accounting firm,
Ernst & Young LLP, has issued an audit report with respect to our internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report
on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Control
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management's evaluation pursuant to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the
Exchange Act during the fourth quarter of 2020 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, management recognizes that any controls
and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the
design of disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that
management is required to apply judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the
SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
Our board of directors has adopted a Code of Conduct applicable to all officers, directors and employees, which is available on our website
(investor.fb.com) under "Corporate Governance." We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding amendment to, or waiver
from, a provision of our Code of Conduct by posting such information on the website address and location specified above.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the
SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the
SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the
SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the
SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
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PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
We have filed the following documents as part of this Form 10-K:
1. Consolidated Financial Statements:
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Income
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
2. Financial Statement Schedules
Page
78
82
83
84
85
86
88
All schedules have been omitted because they are not required, not applicable, not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or the
required information is otherwise included.
3. Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
3.1
3.2
3.3
4.1
4.2
4.3
10.1+
10.2(A)+
10.2(B)+
10.2(C)+
10.2(D)+
10.2(E)+
10.2(F)+
10.2(G)+
10.2(H)+
10.2(I)+
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Incorporated by Reference
Filed
Herewith
Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
Amended and Restated Bylaws.
Description of Registrant's Capital Stock.
Form of Class A Common Stock Certificate.
Form of Class B Common Stock Certificate.
Form of "Type 1" Holder Voting Agreement,
between Registrant, Mark Zuckerberg, and certain
parties thereto.
Form of Indemnification Agreement.
2012 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements.
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements (Additional Forms).
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements (Additional Forms).
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements (Additional Forms).
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements (Additional Forms).
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements (Additional Forms).
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements (Additional Forms).
2012 Equity Incentive Plan forms of award
agreements (Additional Forms).
10-Q
8-K
10-K
S-1
S-8
S-1
8-K
10-Q
10-Q
10-K
10-Q
10-Q
10-Q
10-K
10-Q
10-Q
001-35551
001-35551
001-35551
333-179287
333-181566
333-179287
333-179287
001-35551
001-35551
3.1
3.1
3.3
4.1
4.4
4.3
10.1
10.1
10.2
October 30, 2020
April 15, 2019
January 30, 2020
February 8, 2012
May 21, 2012
February 8, 2012
April 15, 2019
April 30, 2020
July 31, 2012
001-35551
10.3(C)
January 29, 2015
001-35551
001-35551
001-35551
10.1
10.1
10.2
May 4, 2017
July 27, 2017
April 26, 2018
001-35551
10.3(G)
January 31, 2019
001-35551
001-35551
10.2
10.2
April 25, 2019
April 30, 2020
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Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
10.3+
10.4+
10.5+
10.6+
10.7+
10.8+
10.9+
10.10+
10.11+
10.12+
21.1
23.1
31.1
31.2
32.1#
32.2#
101.INS
101.SCH
101.CAL
101.DEF
101.LAB
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Incorporated by Reference
Filed
Herewith
10-Q
S-1
S-1
S-1
10-K
10-Q
10-Q
10-Q
10-Q
001-35551
333-179287
333-179287
10.3
10.6
10.7
April 25, 2019
February 8, 2012
February 8, 2012
333-179287
10.9
February 8, 2012
001-35551
10.10
January 29, 2015
001-35551
001-35551
001-35551
001-35551
10.3
10.3
10.4
10.2
April 30, 2020
July 25, 2019
July 25, 2019
July 31, 2020
Bonus Plan.
Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated January
27, 2012, between Registrant and Mark Zuckerberg.
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement,
dated January 27, 2012, between Registrant and
Sheryl K. Sandberg.
Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated
January 27, 2012, between Registrant and
Mike Schroepfer.
Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated August
25, 2014, between Registrant and David M. Wehner.
Offer Letter, dated May 6, 2019, between Registrant
and Jennifer G. Newstead.
Form of Executive Officer Offer Letter.
Executive Sales Incentive Plan.
Director Compensation Policy.
Form Indemnification Agreement Relating to
Subsidiary Operations.
List of subsidiaries.
Consent of Independent Registered Public
Accounting Firm.
Certification of Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive
Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of David M. Wehner, Chief Financial
Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive
Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of David M. Wehner, Chief Financial
Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002.
XBRL Instance Document.
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
Document.
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
Document.
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase
Document.
115
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
101.PRE
104
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Incorporated by Reference
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
Document.
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as
inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
Filed
Herewith
X
X
+ Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan.
# This certification is deemed not filed for purposes of section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), or otherwise subject
to the liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or the Exchange Act.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
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Table of Contents
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 10-
K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Menlo Park, State of California, on this 27th day of January 2021.
SIGNATURES
Date:
January 27, 2021
FACEBOOK, INC.
/s/ David M. Wehner
David M. Wehner
Chief Financial Officer
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Table of Contents
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints David M. Wehner and David
W. Kling, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or
her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of
them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that all said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their or his or her
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed by the following persons on behalf
of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg
/s/ David M. Wehner
David M. Wehner
/S/ Susan J.S. Taylor
Susan J.S. Taylor
/s/ Peggy Alford
Peggy Alford
/s/ Marc L. Andreessen
Marc L. Andreessen
/s/ Andrew W. Houston
Andrew W. Houston
/s/ Nancy Killefer
Nancy Killefer
/s/ Robert M. Kimmitt
Robert M. Kimmitt
/s/ Sheryl K. Sandberg
Sheryl K. Sandberg
/s/ Peter A. Thiel
Peter A. Thiel
/s/ Tracey T. Travis
Tracey T. Travis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
118
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
FACEBOOK, INC.
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT RELATING TO SUBSIDIARY OPERATIONS
EXHIBIT 10.12
This Indemnification Agreement (“Agreement”) is effective as of ____, by and between Facebook, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or
“Facebook”), and the undersigned (“Indemnitee”). For purposes of this Agreement, the “Company” shall be deemed to include Facebook and its subsidiaries, as
appropriate.
WHEREAS, the Company has determined that it is in the best interest of the Company to enter into certain business activities in ____ through ____ (the
“Subsidiary”);
WHEREAS, in connection with the application of the Subsidiary to conduct such business activities under the laws, regulations and rules of ____
(collectively, “Applicable Law”), Indemnitee may be subject to potential liability should the Subsidiary fail to comply with Applicable Law due to Indemnitee’s
control over the Company; and
WHEREAS, the operations of the Subsidiary benefit the Company and, therefore, the Company has agreed to indemnify Indemnitee as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as set forth below.
1.
Indemnification of Expenses and Other Liabilities.
(a) The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or other
participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or other participant in, any Claim (as defined herein) under Applicable Law arising from or related to
any failure or alleged failure by the Subsidiary to comply with any requirement (including, without limitation, any capitalization requirement) under
Applicable Law, or on any other basis under Applicable Law that would assign, or purport to assign, liability to Indemnitee by reason of his control over
the Company, for any Expenses (as defined herein) or any Other Liabilities (as defined herein), including, without limitation, all interest, penalties,
assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses or Other Liabilities, unless and only to the extent such
Expenses or Other Liabilities are finally judicially determined (after exhaustion of all appeals) to have arisen out of Indemnitee’s bad faith or willful
misconduct (with the burden of proof on the Company) (any such Claim, a “Covered Claim”). Such payment of Expenses or Other Liabilities shall be
made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) business days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented
to the Company (including, for clarity, prior to the final disposition of any Covered Claim).
(b) Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in
writing as soon as practicable of any Covered Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement;
provided, however, that the failure to so provide notice to the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability that it may have to Indemnitee
hereunder unless and only to the extent the Company’s ability to participate in the defense of such Covered Claim was materially and adversely affected
by such failure. In addition, at the Company’s sole cost and expense, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation with respect to
a Covered Claim as the Company may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power, to the extent that doing so is consistent with the
exercise of Indemnitee’s rights under applicable federal, state, local or foreign law. The Company shall, at the Company’s sole cost and expense, provide
Indemnitee with such information and cooperation with respect to a Covered Claim as Indemnitee
1
may reasonably require, to the extent that doing so is consistent with the Company’s obligation to cooperate with regulatory or law enforcement agencies.
(c) In connection with any Covered Claim, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law against any
Expenses or Other Liabilities incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the interpretation, enforcement or defense of Indemnitee’s rights (i) under this
Agreement, (ii) under any other document, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, insurance policy or other written instrument, or (iii)
under any applicable federal, state, local or foreign law. Such payment of Expenses or Other Liabilities shall be made by the Company as soon as
practicable but in any event no later than five (5) business days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company (including, for
clarity, prior to the final disposition of any Covered Claim).
(d) The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the
Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its Bylaws (as now hereafter in effect), any other agreement (including, without limitation, the Indemnification
Agreement between the Company and Indemnitee dated as of ____), any vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue in perpetuity as to Indemnitee for any action taken
or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity, regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve in such capacity.
(e) In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses or Other Liabilities of any Covered Claim, the Company shall
be entitled to assume the defense of such Covered Claim with counsel approved by Indemnitee (not to be unreasonably withheld) upon the delivery to
Indemnitee of written notice of the Company’s election so to do. If the Company elects to do so, the Company agrees to indemnify and reimburse
Indemnitee for any Expenses or Other Liabilities incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such Covered Claim prior to and after such election;
provided, that, the Company shall not be entitled to settle any such Covered Claim without the prior written consent of Indemnitee (not to be
unreasonably withheld), unless such settlement solely involves the payment of money and provides for a full and final release of all Claims asserted
against Indemnitee.
(f) The Company hereby agrees to indemnify Indemnitee with respect to any Claims referenced in clauses (a), (c) and (e) of this Section 1 to
the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the
Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s Bylaws (as now or hereafter in effect) or by statute.
(g) For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any Claim by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or
conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere, or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of
conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. For purposes of this
Agreement, without creating any presumption as to the existence of bad faith or willful misconduct if the following circumstances do not exist,
Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith and without willful misconduct if Indemnitee’s actions or omissions to act are taken in good faith
reliance upon the records of the Company, including, without limitation, its financial statements, or upon information, opinions, reports, statements or
recommendations furnished or made to Indemnitee by the officers or employees of the Company or its subsidiaries (including, without limitation, the
Subsidiary) in the course of their duties, or by committees of the Board, or by any other person (including, without limitation, legal counsel, accountants
and financial advisors), as to matters Indemnitee reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been
selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company.
(h) For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall be defined as follows:
2
i. “Claim” shall mean any actual, threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding, claim, counterclaim, cross claim, arbitration,
mediation, regulatory process, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation, whether brought in the right
of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, regulatory, enforcement or investigative
(formal or informal) nature, including, without limitation, any appeal therefrom. If Indemnitee believes in good faith that a given
situation may lead to, or result in, the institution of a Claim, then such situation shall be considered a Claim.
ii. “Expenses” shall mean any and all expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses and all other fees,
costs, expenses and retainers, including, without limitation, court costs, transcript costs, the fees and other costs of experts and other
professionals, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service
fees and all other charges, disbursements and obligations) incurred in connection with, or as a result of, investigating, defending, being
a witness in or participating in (including, without limitation, on appeal), or preparing to defend, to be a witness in or to participate in,
any Claim. Expenses also shall include expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Claim, including, without
limitation, the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent.
iii. “Other Liabilities” shall mean damages (including, without limitation, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, indirect and punitive
damages), losses, liabilities, awards, judgments, fines, penalties, assessments, deficiencies and amounts paid in settlement (if such
settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) arising from or related to any
Claim, and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments
under this Agreement.
2. Contribution and Reimbursement.
(a) Whether or not the indemnification provided in Section 1 hereof is available, in respect of any actual, threatened, pending or completed
Covered Claim in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall pay
the entire amount of any Expenses and Other Liabilities of such Covered Claim without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment and the
Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have against Indemnitee.
(b) The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Covered Claim in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would
be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), without the prior written consent of Indemnitee (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), unless such
settlement solely involves the payment of money and provides for a full and final release of all Claims asserted against Indemnitee.
(c) Without diminishing or impairing the obligations of the Company set forth in clauses (a) and (b) of this Section 2, if, for any reason,
Indemnitee shall elect or be required to pay all or any portion of any Expenses or Other Liabilities in any actual, threatened, pending or completed
Covered Claim, the Company shall reimburse Indemnitee for the entire amount of Expenses or Other Liabilities actually incurred and paid or payable by
Indemnitee.
3. Advancement of Expenses. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall advance all Expenses and
Other Liabilities incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any Covered Claim within five (5) business days after the receipt
3
by the Company of a statement or statements from Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after
final disposition of such Covered Claim. Such statement or statements shall include or be preceded or accompanied by a written undertaking by
or on behalf of Indemnitee to repay any Expenses or Other Liabilities advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled
to be indemnified against such Expenses or Other Liabilities. Any advances and undertakings to repay pursuant to this Section 3 shall be
unsecured and interest free.
4. Miscellaneous.
(a) The knowledge or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or the Company itself
shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.
(b) This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.
(c) This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors,
assigns (including, without limitation, any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the
business or assets of the Company), spouses, heirs and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether
direct or indirect, and whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business or assets of
the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the
same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.
(d) This Agreement shall continue in effect until such time as Indemnitee is no longer the ultimate controlling shareholder of the Subsidiary as
defined under Applicable Law and no longer subject to any potential liability for any Covered Claim (including, without limitation, the pendency of any
proceeding or appeal), regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve in an indemnified capacity.
(e) This Agreement shall be governed by, and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware as
applied to contracts between Delaware residents entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of Delaware.
(f) No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the
parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof
(whether or not similar), nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
(g) This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes and
merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties
hereto.
[Signature Page Next]
4
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Indemnification Agreement as of the date first above written.
FACEBOOK, INC.
By: ___________________________
Name: ___________________________
Title: ___________________________
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED
INDEMNITEE:
___________________________
Signature
___________________________
(address)
5
LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES
FACEBOOK, INC.
EXHIBIT 21.1
Andale, LLC (Delaware)
Cassin Networks ApS (Denmark)
Facebook Holdings, LLC (Delaware)
Facebook Ireland Holdings Unlimited (Ireland)
Facebook Ireland Limited (Ireland)
Facebook Operations, LLC (Delaware)
Facebook Payments Inc. (Delaware)
Facebook Technologies, LLC (Delaware)
FCL Tech Limited (Ireland)
Goldframe LLC (Delaware)
Greater Kudu LLC (Delaware)
Instagram, LLC (Delaware)
KUSU PTE. LTD. (Singapore)
MALKOHA PTE LTD. (Singapore)
Morning Hornet LLC (Delaware)
Novi Financial, Inc. (Delaware)
Pinnacle Sweden AB (Sweden)
Raven Northbrook LLC (Delaware)
Runways Information Services Limited (Ireland)
Scout Development LLC (Delaware)
Siculus, Inc. (Delaware)
Sidecat LLC (Delaware)
Stadion LLC (Delaware)
Starbelt LLC (Delaware)
Vitesse, LLC (Delaware)
WhatsApp Inc. (Delaware)
Winner LLC (Delaware)
Woolhawk LLC (Delaware)
EXHIBIT 23.1
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
(1) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-236161) pertaining to the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan of Facebook, Inc.,
(2) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-229457) pertaining to the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan of Facebook, Inc.,
(3) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-222823) pertaining to the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan of Facebook, Inc.,
(4) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-186402) pertaining to the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan of Facebook, Inc., and
(5) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-181566) pertaining to the 2005 Officers’ Stock Plan, 2005 Stock Plan, and 2012 Equity Incentive Plan of
Facebook, Inc.
of our reports dated January 27, 2021, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Facebook, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting of Facebook, Inc. included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Facebook, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Redwood City, California
January 27, 2021
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
CERTIFICATION OF PERIODIC REPORT UNDER SECTION 302 OF
THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
EXHIBIT 31.1
I, Mark Zuckerberg, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Facebook, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and
have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the
registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal
control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s
auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial
reporting.
Date:
January 27, 2021
/s/ MARK ZUCKERBERG
Mark Zuckerberg
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
CERTIFICATION OF PERIODIC REPORT UNDER SECTION 302 OF
THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
EXHIBIT 31.2
I, David M. Wehner, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Facebook, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and
have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the
registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal
control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s
auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial
reporting.
Date:
January 27, 2021
/s/ DAVID M. WEHNER
David M. Wehner
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
EXHIBIT 32.1
I, Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Inc. (Company), do hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of my knowledge:
•
•
the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2020 (Report) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company for the
periods presented therein.
Date:
January 27, 2021
/s/ MARK ZUCKERBERG
Mark Zuckerberg
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
EXHIBIT 32.2
I, David M. Wehner, Chief Financial Officer of Facebook, Inc. (Company), do hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of my knowledge:
•
•
the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2020 (Report) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company for the
periods presented therein.
Date:
January 27, 2021
/s/ DAVID M. WEHNER
David M. Wehner
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)