To everyone’s surprise, Facebook is actually considering an official corporate name change! At this point, what other name, besides Facebook, would we all know it by? With probably a million other “what ifs” running through our minds, the last thing anyone would’ve thought of is “What if Facebook wasn’t named Facebook?” Truly a puzzling question that rivals even the profoundness of the statement “What is the meaning of life?” The Verge sheds some light on this story by reporting that Facebook is set to announce the name change next week.
The Verge says:
“The coming name change, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about at the company’s annual Connect conference on October 28th, is meant to signal the tech giant’s ambition to be known for more than social media and all the ills that entail. The rebrand would likely position the blue Facebook app as one of many products under a parent company overseeing groups like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and more.”
The planned change, which company CEO Mark Zuckerberg will discuss at its annual ‘Connect’ conference on October 28th, is allegedly meant to signal Facebook’s ascension towards being a Metaverse entity. While that isn’t something that the likes of Doctor Strange or the Avengers would have to fight, it definitely comes as a surprise. Though not unheard of, Google’s done it before (2015), it definitely generates buzz, especially if you ask yourself “why now?”
Then again, perhaps a rebrand wouldn’t be so bad. In line with the recent revelations of the Wall Street Journal’s Facebook Files Expose, as well as testimonies from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, the company finds itself in a rather bad spot; even before these allegations were brought to light, Facebook already had a reputation for overstepping boundaries and was scrutinized for its adoption of certain shady business practices. Of course, given its current push to be the next generation of digital connection, such detractive thoughts would only further slow its already staunched progress; in which case “renaming” would actually make sense.
Aligning with Facebook’s recent developments on the fronts of AR technology, crypto integration, and creator-focused content initiatives, perhaps a rebrand is what’s actually needed to signal the start of a new era for Facebook as well as a step in a new direction. As to what a possible new name would be, well we could all just take an entertaining guess. For a hint, Bloomberg has hinted that a certain private group of Zuckerberg now holds rights to the ‘meta’ domain name, specifically ‘meta.com’ and ‘meta.org’. You guys can simply get creative with the rest. ‘Metaface’ perhaps?
The Wrap
It’s kind of hard to wrap our heads around why Facebook is deciding to change its name, at least for now. Once the official announcement has been made on October 28th, then all curiosities will probably be satiated. For now, it’d be best to keep an eye on how Facebook will act in the coming days, as well as noting what achievements they’ve recently acquired despite previous challenges.
It’s not all gold and flowers with Facebook, a fact made evident over the years. Then again, no platform ever just stays on top, nor does any just remain at the bottom. Regardless of our collective views on Facebook, what cannot be denied is the fact that Facebook has managed to climb to the top and, at least for a time, set the pace and the direction that the whole of social media followed. What’s next for Facebook? With luck and perseverance, The Metaverse.
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