Facebook profit jumps as user base nears 2 billion

The leading social network said it made a profit of $3.06 billion on $8.03 billion in revenue in the first three months of this year, posting increases of 76 percent and 49 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the number of people using Facebook monthly increased 17 percent to 1.94 billion, according to the earnings report.

"We had a good start to 2017," Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg said in the release.

"We're continuing to build tools to support a strong global community."

Facebook bested high expectations for revenue but fell short on profit. Shares fell 2.45 percent to $148.08 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

The California-based company's shares had ended the trading day down less than a percent ahead of the earnings release and as it put out word of plans to hire an extra 3,000 staff to remove violent content such as the gruesome killings and suicides broadcast on its video platform.

The move ramps up Facebook's efforts to filter content amid growing criticism over use of the platform for promoting violence and hateful activity.

Increased hiring also promises to push up operating costs and eat into profit at the social media giant.

Ads hitting limit 

Facebook still expects revenue growth to throttle back "significantly" this year as the social network runs out of room to post ads, chief financial officer David Wehner said during an earnings call with analysts.

Meanwhile, expenses were expected to surge 40 percent to 50 percent compared with last year as Facebook invests in data centers, research and more, he added.

"We continue to invest aggressively to improve our business and drive value for our community," Wehner said.

Facebook investments include artificial intelligence, which promises to be an effective tool for prioritizing content, helping smartphone applications 'recognize' what cameras are pointed at, and even identify violent video content being streamed live.

"AI will get better over time, but it will take years to get to the level we want," Zuckerberg said.

Facebook also expected to spend more money on content to make available on a recently added video tab, planning to switch to a revenue-sharing model after building up its audience.

Looking to diversify 

The world's biggest social network and a powerhouse in online advertising, Facebook has been working to diversify its revenue base as it expands into new areas. But advertising still accounted for the vast majority of revenues, $7.86 billion, with most of that money made from people connecting to the social network on smartphones or tablets.

Facebook's family includes the fast-growing social network Instagram and messaging applications WhatsApp and Messenger, and Oculus, which makes virtual reality gear.

"At first glance, Facebook reported strong results, reflecting ongoing market share gains, the benefits of increasing monetization of Instagram, and increasing video ad contributions," Baird senior research analyst Colin Sebastian said in a note to investors.

"Given that Facebook growth remains healthy and robust, we believe any lingering concerns over user engagement and social competitors should dissipate."

According to research firm eMarketer, Facebook this year will generate $36.29 billion in digital ad revenue, up 35 percent over last year. That gives Facebook a 16.2 percent share of the worldwide digital ad market, behind Google's 33 percent.

That figure excludes the estimated $3.92 billion in revenue expected this year from Instagram.