Facebook has hit 1 billion active monthly users, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday.
In a status update on his profile page and also on the "Today" show, the 28-year-old Facebook founder said the billion-user benchmark is "a moment to honor the people we serve."
"We believe that the need to open up and connect is what makes us human," Zuckerberg wrote in a status update. "It's what brings us together. It's what brings us meaning to our lives."
However, in an interview with "Today" show host Matt Lauer, Zuckerberg acknowledged the rocky six months that followed the social network's long-awaited initial public offering in mid May.
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Stock in the company, which opened at an IPO price of $38, fell quickly and remained anemic for months, rallying slightly this week on news that Facebook has partnered with data-mining firm Datalogix that would allow advertisers more precise ad metrics than a mere tally of clicks.
"We're obviously — we're in a tough cycle now," Zuckerberg said to Lauer as they strolled through Facebook's corporate campus in Menlo Park, Calif. "That doesn't help morale. At the same time, people here are focused on the things that they're building."
After acknowledging that he was sent an iPhone 5 by Apple CEO Tim Cook himself, Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of his company's lagging push into mobile.
"The future is really going to be about mobile and the opportunities for growth there," he said.
Facebook has received criticism for its slow push into the mobile market, as many speculated that the company's $1 billion purchase of the mobile photo-sharing app Instagram was an attempt to allay concerns about its place in that sphere.
"If we build the best products," Zuckerberg said. "Then I think we can continue leading the space for a long time."
Facebook stock closed at $21.95, up .54 percent over the last day.
Updated at 4:40 p.m. PST with closing stock price.
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