Skip to main content

Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to have 5 billion users by 2030

Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to have 5 billion users by 2030

/

Give in

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Mike Windle/Getty Images

During an event on Monday celebrating Facebook's 12th anniversary, CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it clear he wants 5 billion people using the social network by 2030, according to USA Today. That would mean nearly 60 percent of the human race would be using Facebook in 2030, when the world's population is expected to reach 8.5 billion, according to the UN.

"It’s, like, pretty crazy, right?"

"We want to finish connecting everyone, we’re going to do it in partnership with governments and different companies all over the world," Zuckerberg said. Facebook has been attempting bring the internet — and in turn, Facebook — to underserved areas with its Internet.org initiative. The social network's free and very controversial internet service has been hit with a few setbacks, after being banned in India and shut down in Egypt, but that hasn't deterred the company.

Facebook says it will bring the internet to refugee camps, and has been developing a solar-powered drone that can beam broadband to users below it. "It’s solar-powered, and it’ll just fly around a city and beam down internet access. It’s, like, pretty crazy, right?" Zuckerberg said while standing under the drone named Aquila, according to USA Today.

Despite sounding like a benevolent dictator in the first half of his self-written autobiography, Zuckerberg and Facebook have a good chance of reaching that goal. With more and more people coming online every day, it's only a matter of time before they realize they can also avoid physical contact with their families through the magic of Facebook.