What to know about Facebook’s new name Meta

Facebook has announced it has changed its company’s name to Meta to reflect its focus on building the so-called “Metaverse”.

The company made the announcement at its Connect 2021 conference on 28 October.

It also revealed its new logo:

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

“I’m proud of what we’ve built so far, and I’m excited about what comes next — as we move beyond what’s possible today, beyond the constraints of screens, beyond the limits of distance and physics, and towards a future where everyone can be present with each other, create new opportunities and experience new things,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a founder’s letter.

“It is a future that is beyond any one company and that will be made by all of us.”

The name change was first reported on 19 October leading up to the Connect conference.

The move is similar to that of Google when it was restructured under its parent company, Alphabet, in 2015.

Why did Facebook change its name to Meta?

According to Zuckerberg, the name change is meant to show how the company does not only operate social media platforms.

It also aims to show the company’s work in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies.

“Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can’t possibly represent everything that we’re doing today, let alone in the future,” Zuckerberg explained.

“Over time, I hope that we are seen as a metaverse company, and I want to anchor our work and identity on what we’re building toward.”

Zuckerberg described the metaverse as a new platform where users can engage in real-world and virtual social experiences. It will encompass every product the company offers and include hardware such as VR and AR glasses that connect to other devices.

The company’s corporate structure or how it reports its financials will not change.

Will the Facebook app’s name also change?

The Facebook app will stay as is.

In a follow-up tweet to the announcement, Meta clarified the names of all the apps it owns and operates will remain the same. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

The names of the apps that we build—Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp—will remain the same.

— Meta (@Meta) October 28, 2021

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Featured image: Meta