Facebook Inc. Rebrands As Meta To Stress 'Metaverse' Plan

By Associated Press
October 28, 2021

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his institution is rebranding itself arsenic Meta successful an effort to encompass its virtual-reality imaginativeness for the aboriginal — what Zuckerberg calls the "metaverse."

Skeptics constituent retired that it besides appears to beryllium an effort to alteration the taxable from the Facebook Papers, a leaked papers trove truthful dubbed by quality organizations including The Associated Press. Many of these documents, archetypal described by erstwhile Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen, person revealed Facebook ignored oregon downplayed interior warnings of the antagonistic and often harmful consequences its algorithms wreaked crossed the world.

Facebook the app, on with Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, are present to stay; the company's firm operation besides won't change. But connected Dec. 1, its shares volition commencement trading nether a caller ticker symbol, "MVRS."

"Facebook is the world's societal media platform, and they are being accused of creating thing that is harmful to radical and society," said selling advisor Laura Ries. She compared the sanction Meta to erstwhile BP rebranded to "Beyond Petroleum" to flight disapproval that it harmed the environment. "They can't locomotion distant from the societal web with a caller firm sanction and speech of a aboriginal metaverse."

What is the metaverse? Think of it arsenic the net brought to life, oregon astatine slightest rendered successful 3D. Zuckerberg has described it arsenic a "virtual environment" you tin spell wrong of, alternatively of conscionable looking astatine connected a screen. Essentially, it's a satellite of endless, interconnected virtual communities wherever radical tin meet, enactment and play, utilizing virtual world headsets, augmented world glasses, smartphone apps oregon different devices.

It besides volition incorporated different aspects of online beingness specified arsenic buying and societal media, according to Victoria Petrock, an expert who follows emerging technologies.

Other tech companies specified arsenic Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and Fortnite shaper Epic Games person each been outlining their ain visions of however the metaverse volition work.

"That's cool," said Richard Kerris, vice president of Nvidia's Omniverse platform, aft being told by a newsman of Facebook's sanction change. "We deliberation there's going to beryllium tons of companies gathering virtual worlds and environments successful the metaverse, successful the aforesaid mode there's being tons of companies doing things connected the World Wide Web."

Zuckerberg says helium expects the metaverse to scope a cardinal radical wrong the adjacent decade. It volition beryllium a spot wherever radical volition beryllium capable to interact, enactment and make products and contented successful what helium hopes volition beryllium a caller ecosystem that creates millions of jobs for creators.

The announcement comes amid an existential situation for Facebook. It faces heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny successful galore parts of the satellite pursuing revelations successful the Facebook Papers.

Some of Facebook's biggest critics seemed unimpressed. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a watchdog radical focused connected the company, announced that it volition support its ain name.

"Changing their sanction doesn't alteration reality: Facebook is destroying our ideology and is the world's starring peddler of disinformation and hate," the radical said successful a statement. "Their meaningless sanction alteration should not distract from the investigation, regularisation and real, autarkic oversight needed to clasp Facebook accountable."

In explaining the rebrand, Zuckerberg said the sanction "Facebook" conscionable doesn't encompass everything the institution does anymore. In summation to its superior societal network, that present includes Instagram, Messenger, its Quest VR headset, its Horizon VR level and more.

"Today we are seen arsenic a societal media company," Zuckerberg said. "But successful our DNA we are a institution that builds exertion to link people."

A firm rebranding won't lick the myriad problems astatine Facebook revealed by thousands of interior documents successful caller weeks. It astir apt won't adjacent get radical to halt calling the societal media elephantine Facebook — oregon a "social media giant," for that matter.

But that isn't stopping Zuckerberg, seemingly anxious to determination connected to his adjacent large happening arsenic situation aft situation emerges astatine the institution helium created.

While mostly dismissing revelations from the the Facebook Papers arsenic unfair criticism, Zuckerberg has focused connected gathering a virtual situation you tin spell wrong of alternatively of conscionable looking astatine connected a screen.

Just arsenic smartphones replaced desktop computers, Zuckerberg is betting that the metaverse volition beryllium the adjacent mode radical volition interact with computers — and each other. If Instagram and messaging were Facebook's forays into the mobile evolution, Meta is its stake connected the metaverse.

A metaverse-focused fund, the Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, already started trading connected the New York Stock Exchange utilizing the ticker awesome META earlier this year, which whitethorn person forced Facebook to take MVRS instead.

"I deliberation my telephone is melting," its creator, metaverse enthusiast Matthew Ball, tweeted Thursday aft Zuckerberg's announcement. He said successful an interrogation that helium welcomed Facebook's metaverse vision, noting the institution was already 1 of the highest-rated stocks successful his index.

"It doesn't fuss maine astatine all," helium said

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.