Is Facebook changing its name? According to a new report, Facebook is planning to change its name to better reflect its focus on creating the metaverse.
See also: Zuckerberg: He wants to turn Facebook into a “metaverse company”
It is said that the CEO of the popular platform, Mark Zuckerberg, will talk about the name change at the company's annual conference, Connect, on October 28. Facebook does not want to be associated only with social media and all the negatives that can come with that connection. The company has not commented on anything at this time.
Facebook already has more than 10,000 employees working on consumer hardware, such as AR glasses. Zuckerberg believes that in a short time, this hardware will be as ubiquitous as smartphones. In July, Zuckerberg told The Verge that in the coming years, people will see Facebook not just as a social media company but as a metaverse company.
See also: Facebook: Opposes claims that AI does not fight misinformation
A name change for Facebook could also further help separate Zuckerberg's new project from the scandals that have plagued the company. The popular platform is currently facing several problems and has been heavily criticized for the way it operates. In addition, a former employee, Frances Haugen, recently leaked a series of internal documents to the Wall Street Journal and testified against Facebook before Congress.
Facebook isn’t the first big-name tech company to change its name (if it ever does). In 2015, Google completely reorganized itself under a holding company called Alphabet. This was partly to signal that it was no longer just a search engine, but a large conglomerate with companies that do a lot of different things. Also in 2016, Snapchat was renamed Snap Inc.It was the same year that it began calling itself a “camera company” and announced its first camera glasses, Spectacles.
Will Facebook really change its name and what will the new name be? According to The Verge, the new name is a secret and has not even been revealed to all members of the company's senior leadership.
However, it’s clear that Facebook wants to make a change and has long been laying the groundwork for a greater focus on the next generation of technology. Last summer, it created a dedicated metaverse team. More recently, it announced that the head of its AR and VR division, Andrew Bosworth, will become Chief Technology Officer. Finally, a few days ago, Facebook announced that it wants to hire 10,000 employees to work on the metaverse, in Europe.
See also: Facebook AI: Mistaken videos of gunfire as paintball games
Over the summer, Zuckerberg said the company would be heavily focused on the metaverse. He also said, “I think that’s just going to be a big part of the next chapter of how the internet evolves after the mobile internet. And I think that’s going to be the next big chapter for our company as well.”
The metaverse is a concept that is not yet understood by everyone, but we see that one of the largest (and most controversial) companies in the world wants to be a pioneer in it. As for the new name, the truth is that it will seem strange, since Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, and even those who are not involved in it, know it. It remains to be seen whether there will actually be an official announcement about a name change.
Source: The Verge
