Meta loses 20 million daily active users amid Iran and Russia restrictions

Meta has released its quarterly results, reporting that the daily active user count across its apps fell by 20 million compared with the previous quarter. Iran and Russia are said to be behind the decline.

Meta has unveiled its results for the first quarter of 2026. Among the figures in the presentation is a drop in the number of people using the group’s Family of Apps, which includes WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. In March, Meta’s Family of Apps averaged 3.56 billion daily active users. This represents a small decline from the final quarter of 2025: in December, Meta recorded an average of 3.58 billion daily active users.

Where did Meta’s 20 million users go?

Contrary to what might be assumed, this is not the beginning of a user exodus from Meta’s services to rival products - at least, not according to the company’s official information. Meta says that the modest quarter-on-quarter user loss stems from the internet shutdown in Iran and the restrictions Russia has placed on WhatsApp.

As a recent Reuters article explains, Iranians have now been without access to the global internet for three months. In Russia, meanwhile, authorities announced a block on WhatsApp in February, accusing Meta’s messaging service of failing to comply with its laws. WhatsApp responded in a post on X, denouncing an attempt “to encourage the population to use a state-run surveillance application.” The WhatsApp post also said: “Trying to deprive more than 100 million users of private and secure means of communication is a step backwards and can only undermine the safety of Russian citizens.”

A negligible fall on Meta’s scale

Although Meta’s user numbers were down on the previous quarter, they were still 4% higher than during the same period in 2025. Advertising revenue from Meta’s Family of Apps also rose 19% year on year in the first quarter. Overall, the group reported a 33% increase in revenue, reaching $56 billion.

Meta is also continuing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, both in research and infrastructure. During the first quarter, Meta released the first AI model produced by its new artificial intelligence team. Mark Zuckerberg said the group is “on track to deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people.”

What we think

While Meta is now focusing on AI, apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp remain its main source of revenue. The income generated by these services funds the development of Meta’s “superintelligence”, while the company waits for its substantial investments to deliver results.