Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Policy Text Block [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding interim financial reporting. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. As such, the information included in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in our prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on May 18, 2012 (Prospectus). The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2011, included herein was derived from the audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all disclosures including notes required by GAAP. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Facebook, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods, but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be anticipated for the full year ending December 31, 2012. We have reclassified certain prior period expense amounts from marketing and sales to general and administrative within our condensed consolidated statements of operations to conform to our current period presentation. These reclassifications did not affect revenue, total costs and expenses, income from operations, or net (loss) income. There have been no changes to our significant accounting policies described in the Prospectus that have had a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes. Initial Public Offering and Share-based Compensation In May 2012, we completed our initial public offering (IPO) in which we issued and sold 180 million shares of Class A common stock at a public offering price of $38.00 per share. We received net proceeds of $6.8 billion after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $75 million and other offering expenses of approximately $7 million. Upon the closing of the IPO, all shares of our then-outstanding convertible preferred stock automatically converted into an aggregate of 545 million shares of Class B common stock and an aggregate of 336 million shares of Class B common stock converted into Class A common stock. Restricted stock units (RSUs) granted prior to January 1, 2011 (Pre-2011 RSUs) vest upon the satisfaction of both a service condition and a liquidity condition. The service condition for the majority of these awards is satisfied over four years. The liquidity condition is satisfied upon the occurrence of a qualifying event, defined as a change of control transaction or six months following the completion of our IPO, which occurred in May 2012. The vesting condition that will be satisfied six months following our IPO does not affect the expense attribution period for the RSUs for which the service condition has been met as of the date of our IPO. This six-month period is not a substantive service condition and, accordingly, beginning on the effectiveness of our IPO in May 2012, we recognized a cumulative share-based compensation expense for the portion of the RSUs that had met the service condition. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized $28 million and $1,014 million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to our Pre-2011 RSUs. As of September 30, 2012, we had approximately $164 million of additional future period share-based compensation expense related to our Pre-2011 RSUs to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately two years. RSUs granted on or after January 1, 2011 (Post-2011 RSUs) are not subject to a liquidity condition in order to vest, and compensation expense related to these grants is based on the grant date fair value of the RSUs and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the applicable service period. The majority of Post-2011 RSUs are earned over a service period of four to five years. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized $138 million and $348 million, respectively, and in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, we recognized $59 million and $117 million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to the Post-2011 RSUs. As of September 30, 2012 we anticipate $1,871 million of future period expense related to such RSUs will be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately three years. As of September 30, 2012, there was $2,302 million of unrecognized share-based compensation expense, of which $2,035 million relates to RSUs, and $267 million relates to restricted shares and stock options. This unrecognized compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately three years. Under settlement procedures applicable to the Pre-2011 RSUs, we are permitted to deliver the underlying shares within 30 days before or after the date on which the liquidity condition is satisfied. We previously disclosed in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 4, 2012 that we will vest and settle outstanding Pre-2011 RSUs for which the service condition has been satisfied and that are held by employees who were employed by us through October 15, 2012 on October 25, 2012 and such shares will be eligible for sale in the public markets as of market open on October 29, 2012. We will vest and settle outstanding Pre-2011 RSUs held by our non-employee directors and former employees on November 14, 2012. On the settlement dates, we plan to withhold and remit income taxes for RSU holders at applicable minimum statutory rates based on the closing price of our common stock on the trading day immediately preceding the applicable settlement date. We currently expect that the average of these withholding tax rates will be approximately 45%. If the price of our common stock on the trading day immediately preceding the applicable settlement date were equal to $21.66, the closing price of our Class A common stock on September 30, 2012, we estimate that this tax obligation would be approximately $2.6 billion in the aggregate. The amount of this obligation could be higher or lower, depending on the closing price of our shares on the trading day immediately preceding the applicable settlement date. To settle these RSUs, assuming an approximate 45% tax withholding rate, we estimate that we will net settle by delivering approximately 121 million shares of Class B common stock and withholding approximately 99 million shares of Class B common stock on October 25, 2012 and by delivering approximately 31 million shares of Class B common stock and withholding approximately 20 million shares of Class B common stock on November 14, 2012. Use of Estimates Conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates form the basis for judgments we make about the carrying values of our assets and liabilities, which are not readily apparent from other sources. We base our estimates and judgments on historical information and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. GAAP requires us to make estimates and judgments in several areas, including, but not limited to, those related to revenue recognition, collectability of accounts receivable, contingent liabilities, fair value of share-based awards, fair value of financial instruments, fair value of acquired intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property and equipment, and income taxes. These estimates are based on management’s knowledge about current events and expectations about actions we may undertake in the future. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding interim financial reporting. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. As such, the information included in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in our prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on May 18, 2012 (Prospectus).

The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2011, included herein was derived from the audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all disclosures including notes required by GAAP.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Facebook, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods, but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be anticipated for the full year ending December 31, 2012.

We have reclassified certain prior period expense amounts from marketing and sales to general and administrative within our condensed consolidated statements of operations to conform to our current period presentation. These reclassifications did not affect revenue, total costs and expenses, income from operations, or net (loss) income.

There have been no changes to our significant accounting policies described in the Prospectus that have had a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes.

Initial Public Offering and Share-based Compensation

In May 2012, we completed our initial public offering (IPO) in which we issued and sold 180 million shares of Class A common stock at a public offering price of $38.00 per share. We received net proceeds of $6.8 billion after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $75 million and other offering expenses of approximately $7 million. Upon the closing of the IPO, all shares of our then-outstanding convertible preferred stock automatically converted into an aggregate of 545 million shares of Class B common stock and an aggregate of 336 million shares of Class B common stock converted into Class A common stock.

Restricted stock units (RSUs) granted prior to January 1, 2011 (Pre-2011 RSUs) vest upon the satisfaction of both a service condition and a liquidity condition. The service condition for the majority of these awards is satisfied over four years. The liquidity condition is satisfied upon the occurrence of a qualifying event, defined as a change of control transaction or six months following the completion of our IPO, which occurred in May 2012. The vesting condition that will be satisfied six months following our IPO does not affect the expense attribution period for the RSUs for which the service condition has been met as of the date of our IPO. This six-month period is not a substantive service condition and, accordingly, beginning on the effectiveness of our IPO in May 2012, we recognized a cumulative share-based compensation expense for the portion of the RSUs that had met the service condition. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized $28 million and $1,014 million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to our Pre-2011 RSUs. As of September 30, 2012, we had approximately $164 million of additional future period share-based compensation expense related to our Pre-2011 RSUs to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately two years.

RSUs granted on or after January 1, 2011 (Post-2011 RSUs) are not subject to a liquidity condition in order to vest, and compensation expense related to these grants is based on the grant date fair value of the RSUs and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the applicable service period. The majority of Post-2011 RSUs are earned over a service period of four to five years. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we recognized $138 million and $348 million, respectively, and in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, we recognized $59 million and $117 million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to the Post-2011 RSUs. As of September 30, 2012 we anticipate $1,871 million of future period expense related to such RSUs will be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately three years.

As of September 30, 2012, there was $2,302 million of unrecognized share-based compensation expense, of which $2,035 million relates to RSUs, and $267 million relates to restricted shares and stock options. This unrecognized compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately three years.

Under settlement procedures applicable to the Pre-2011 RSUs, we are permitted to deliver the underlying shares within 30 days before or after the date on which the liquidity condition is satisfied. We previously disclosed in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 4, 2012 that we will vest and settle outstanding Pre-2011 RSUs for which the service condition has been satisfied and that are held by employees who were employed by us through October 15, 2012 on October 25, 2012 and such shares will be eligible for sale in the public markets as of market open on October 29, 2012. We will vest and settle outstanding Pre-2011 RSUs held by our non-employee directors and former employees on November 14, 2012.

On the settlement dates, we plan to withhold and remit income taxes for RSU holders at applicable minimum statutory rates based on the closing price of our common stock on the trading day immediately preceding the applicable settlement date. We currently expect that the average of these withholding tax rates will be approximately 45%. If the price of our common stock on the trading day immediately preceding the applicable settlement date were equal to $21.66, the closing price of our Class A common stock on September 30, 2012, we estimate that this tax obligation would be approximately $2.6 billion in the aggregate. The amount of this obligation could be higher or lower, depending on the closing price of our shares on the trading day immediately preceding the applicable settlement date. To settle these RSUs, assuming an approximate 45% tax withholding rate, we estimate that we will net settle by delivering approximately 121 million shares of Class B common stock and withholding approximately 99 million shares of Class B common stock on October 25, 2012 and by delivering approximately 31 million shares of Class B common stock and withholding approximately 20 million shares of Class B common stock on November 14, 2012.

Use of Estimates

Conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates form the basis for judgments we make about the carrying values of our assets and liabilities, which are not readily apparent from other sources. We base our estimates and judgments on historical information and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. GAAP requires us to make estimates and judgments in several areas, including, but not limited to, those related to revenue recognition, collectability of accounts receivable, contingent liabilities, fair value of share-based awards, fair value of financial instruments, fair value of acquired intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property and equipment, and income taxes. These estimates are based on management’s knowledge about current events and expectations about actions we may undertake in the future. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.