Meta reported revenue of $60.8 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 28% from a year earlier, driven by AI-powered improvements to its advertising business, according to the company's earnings report. Daily active users across its apps reached 3.6 billion.
The financial results arrive as public opinion of CEO Mark Zuckerberg remains deeply negative. Two-thirds of Americans have an unfavorable view of him, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted January 27 to February 2, 2025, including 26% who view him very unfavorably. A December 2025 national survey by Navigator Research put his net favorability at -21 (31% favorable, 52% unfavorable).
Frustration extends to the company itself. A survey conducted by YouGov from February 11 to 13, 2026, with 1,000 respondents and a margin of error of +/- 3.9%, found that 86% of Americans want Meta and Google held accountable for their role in a social media addiction crisis. The poll was prepared by the Tech Oversight Project ahead of a landmark California trial accusing Facebook, Instagram and YouTube of fueling addiction among young users.
Meta has already faced significant legal consequences. This summer the company struck an $18 billion settlement with 48 US states, plus the District of Columbia and three US territories, over child safety issues. Meta denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement and said it had worked extensively to make its platforms safer for young users. Under the deal, it promised two-hour daily time limits for young users, night-time blocks on use, and muted notifications during school hours.
The company warns that more legal exposure remains. Meta says it is monitoring active legal and regulatory matters, including youth-related trials scheduled for 2026 in the US, which it says may result in material losses.
Zuckerberg's public image is also under fresh cultural scrutiny. Aaron Sorkin's film The Social Reckoning, scheduled for release on October 9, 2026, centers on Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz, with Jeremy Strong playing Zuckerberg. Sorkin has pushed back on the idea that the film makes Zuckerberg a villain. "In terms of Mark, in both cases, 'The Social Network' and 'The Social Reckoning,' or any antihero, which is what Mark is, not a villain," he said, as reported by Yahoo Entertainment.
Yet investors appear unfazed. Meta's stock is up 25% inside of a month, according to Yahoo Finance, after falling earlier in the year over concerns about rising AI spending.
That spending is substantial. Capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, were $31.1 billion in Q2 2026, driven by investments in servers, data centers and network infrastructure. In its current fiscal year, Meta plans to spend between $125 billion and $145 billion on data centers and related expenses, Yahoo Finance reported — spending that has spooked some investors even as the company reports surging revenue.
What is confirmed: Meta's Q2 2026 revenue, user base, capital expenditures and the $18 billion settlement are documented in the company's results and reporting. Public favorability figures come from Pew Research Center, Navigator Research and YouGov surveys with stated methodologies and margins of error.
What remains unknown: Whether Meta's heavy AI infrastructure spending will deliver the returns investors are now pricing in, and how pending youth-related trials in 2026 will affect the company financially.
What is awaited: Meta's Q3 2026 results — guidance points to revenue of $61 billion to $64 billion — and the public reception of The Social Reckoning when it reaches theaters on October 9, 2026.