Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday announced that the parent company name was being changed to "Meta" to represent the future beyond the troubled social media platform.
The name change comes as the company battles criticism from lawmakers and regulators for its market power, its algorithmic decisions, and the use of abusive police in its forums.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the company's live broadcast conference, said the new term reflects its focus on building metaverse. "Right now, our product is so connected to one product that it can't represent everything we do today, let alone for the future," he said.
“We’ve learned a lot about struggling with social problems and living under closed spaces, and now it’s time to take everything we’ve learned and help build the next chapter,” Zuckerberg said.
The name of the apps to stay the same
The technology giant said the change would integrate different applications and technologies under one new product. It has said it will not change its corporate structure. The names of creative apps - Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp - will remain the same.
Metaverse, the first name coined in a dystopian novel three decades ago and now appealing in Silicon Valley, refers broadly to the concept of a shared space that can be accessed by people using different devices.
A new brand
The company unveiled a new logo at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Thursday, in place of its "Like" sign with an ever-changing blue hue.
Skeptics have pointed out that the name change appears to be an attempt to change the subject in Facebook Papers, a leaked document exposing ways Facebook has ignored internal reports and warnings about the harm caused or exacerbated by a global social media platform.
Zuckerberg said he expects the metaverse to reach one billion people in the next ten years.
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