<p> Facebook on Wednesday reported that its profit in the recently ended quarter nearly doubled to $9.5 billion on sharp gains in digital advertising as the pandemic kept more people glued to the internet.</p>.<p>"We had a strong quarter as we helped people stay connected and businesses grow," Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said in an earnings release.</p>.<p>Revenue from online ads hit $25.4 billion, up some 46 percent from the same quarter a year earlier. The number of people using the leading social network monthly climbed 10 percent to 2.85 billion, according to the Silicon Valley giant.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/breaking-point-how-mark-zuckerberg-and-tim-cook-became-foes-979156.html" target="_blank">Breaking point: How Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook became foes</a></strong></p>.<p>The earnings trounced market expectations, causing shares to jump nearly five percent in after-market trades.</p>.<p>The leading social network and its "family" of services including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger ended March with 3.45 billion monthly users overall in a 15 percent increase from a year earlier.</p>.<p>Facebook's stellar earnings came as regulators in the US and abroad threaten to crack down on Internet giants they fear have become too powerful.</p>.<p>Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple are among tech titans that have thrived as the pandemic accelerated a shift to working, learning, shopping and socializing online.</p>
<p> Facebook on Wednesday reported that its profit in the recently ended quarter nearly doubled to $9.5 billion on sharp gains in digital advertising as the pandemic kept more people glued to the internet.</p>.<p>"We had a strong quarter as we helped people stay connected and businesses grow," Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said in an earnings release.</p>.<p>Revenue from online ads hit $25.4 billion, up some 46 percent from the same quarter a year earlier. The number of people using the leading social network monthly climbed 10 percent to 2.85 billion, according to the Silicon Valley giant.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/breaking-point-how-mark-zuckerberg-and-tim-cook-became-foes-979156.html" target="_blank">Breaking point: How Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook became foes</a></strong></p>.<p>The earnings trounced market expectations, causing shares to jump nearly five percent in after-market trades.</p>.<p>The leading social network and its "family" of services including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger ended March with 3.45 billion monthly users overall in a 15 percent increase from a year earlier.</p>.<p>Facebook's stellar earnings came as regulators in the US and abroad threaten to crack down on Internet giants they fear have become too powerful.</p>.<p>Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple are among tech titans that have thrived as the pandemic accelerated a shift to working, learning, shopping and socializing online.</p>