The name of the Facebook app will remain the same, however.
Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that Facebook’s company name is being changed to “Meta”.
The CEO announced the rebranding on Thursday (28 October) during the company’s Connect event, with the name being chosen to reflect the company’s ambition in regards to the “metaverse”.
For those unaware, the metaverse refers to a virtual reality version of the internet which Zuckerberg believes will be the “successor to the mobile internet”.
Speaking about it, the CEO said: “The next platform and medium will be even more immersive, an embodied internet, where you’re in the experience, not just looking at it.
“We call this the metaverse. You’re going to be able to do almost anything you can imagine – get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create, as well as entirely new categories that don’t really fit how we think about computers or phones today.”
Despite the company’s name change, the names of the apps that it builds such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp will remain the same.
Announcing @Meta — the Facebook company’s new name. Meta is helping to build the metaverse, a place where we’ll play and connect in 3D. Welcome to the next chapter of social connection. pic.twitter.com/ywSJPLsCoD
— Meta (@Meta) October 28, 2021
Earlier in the week, Zuckerberg hit back at the negative press surrounding his company, stating that claims against the social media giant are painting a “false picture” of its culture and practices.
This was after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen appeared before MPs in Westminster on Monday to deliver damning testimony relating to the company’s approach to online safety.
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