Facebook quarterly profit leaps 79% to $4.7 bn

Facebook reported profits leapt 79 per cent on booming revenue from online ads in the third quarter, topping investor forecasts and buoying shares already at record highs.

The leading social network said it made a profit o USD 4.7 billion in the quarter that ended on September 30, compared with USD 2.6 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg used the update to reaffirm efforts by Facebook to curb manipulation: "We're serious about preventing abuse on our platforms," he said.