Facebook will be changing its name soon, a new report suggests, as it seeks to prove it has expanded beyond its social media roots and aims to create future products like the Metaverse. According to The Verge, it's still unclear if the name change will trickle down to Facebook's own platform, or if the rebranding will take the form of a new parent company that Facebook can sit on, as well as other companies. brands owned by Fb, including Instagram. WhatsApp. and Oculus. The Verge report cites "a source with direct knowledge of the matter" as saying Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg will discuss the name change at the upcoming Facebook Connect conference on October XNUMX. TechRadar reached out to Facebook for comment, though a company spokesperson only said: "We do not comment on gossip or speculation."
Our opinion: Fb under another name
It makes sense that Facebook would want to rebrand to better reflect the different products and brands it currently runs, like the VR-focused Oculus. We saw a similar strategy in 6 when Google remodeled itself and created a new parent company for itself called Alphabet, and Google's suite of products and services became a subsidiary of that new parent company. XNUMX years later, it's safe to say that Google's DNA hasn't altered much, and similarly, the creation of a new parent company for Facebook may have little effect on Facebook's current product line and services, and surely will be. more concrete. about future ambitions. That being said, we must recognize that Facebook is in the middle of a brand crisis. Last month, the Wall Street Journal published "The Facebook Files," a controversial set of leaked documents showing that Facebook had conducted its investigation into Instagram's negative impact on adolescent mental health. The whistleblower was quickly discovered to be former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, who has since testified in front of the US Senate about what she claims to be harmful practices at the social giant. Although Mark Zuckerberg is due to announce his plan to change the Facebook name on October XNUMX, it's also a practical excuse to leave some space between the company's other brands and the dismal reputation its media platform has. Social has been acquired.