Facebook, the social media platform that has been a huge part of our lives for the past decade or more, may no longer be called that. It’s possible that the adjustment will take place as soon as next week.
The Verge reports the story, citing a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation. According to the story, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will discuss the name change at the Connect conference on Oct. 28, but the news could come sooner.
There are little clues about the new name, including whether it will be a complete rebranding of Facebook, the service, or a rebranding of the firm with the product remaining the same (like Google’s Alphabet moment). According to the story, all but a few employees are unaware of the name change, which could be related to Facebook’s current focus on the metaverse and its virtual reality service, Horizon.
Facebook has nearly dominated the social media globe, and the corporation must go beyond its existing main properties: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp if it wants to grow.
Given Zuckerberg’s recent focus on virtual and augmented reality — he literally said in July that Facebook “would effectively transition from people seeing us as being a social media company to becoming a metaverse company” — the name change is likely to have a role. Given the amount of (not unwarranted) negative coverage and lawsuits Facebook has received in recent years, the business may believe it’s time for a new beginning.
When I contacted Facebook, a representative said the business doesn’t comment on “rumor or speculation.”