You say ‘Facebook,’ they say ‘Meta!’

“In recent decades, technology has given people the power to connect and express ourselves more naturally. When I started Facebook, we mostly typed text on websites. When we got phones with cameras, the internet became more visual and mobile. As connections got faster, video became a richer way to share experiences. We’ve gone from desktop to web to mobile; from text to photos to video. But this isn’t the end of the line.” 

– Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, announced on October 28th that Facebook is changing its corporate name to Meta. Zuckerberg delivered this news during the annual Connect 2021 conference which brings together developers, content producers, marketers, and others to celebrate the industry’s energy and progress. 

According to Zuckerberg, the social media platform’s corporate name change to Meta is to emphasize its metaverse vision. On the other hand, the iconic social network will preserve its name.

Meta believes that the internet’s future will be virtual. They anticipate that by the end of the decade, 1 billion people will be working and playing in the immersive, three-dimensional universe known as the “Metaverse.” It will concentrate on developing virtual reality goods that connect consumers via a new medium. 

“We believe the Metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet,” said Zuckerberg. Also, “we’ll be able to feel present like we are right there with people no matter how far apart we actually are. We’ll be able to express ourselves in new, joyful, and completely immersive ways,” the CEO of Facebook remarked at Connect 2021.

According to the company, the metaverse is a three-dimensional virtual realm in which users can construct avatars that reflect themselves. Zuckerberg said that users will be able to play video games, watch movies, attend concerts, interact with colleagues, and congregate with friends in the new virtual reality environment without leaving their houses. 

With big changes come even bigger obstacles

 The rebranding Facebook’s gone through caught the eye of a PC company already named Meta. Although its founders started the business last year, they recently (August to be exact) filed to trademark” Meta.” Nonetheless, they are willing to relinquish the trademark if Zuckerberg agrees to pay at least $20 million. Now all that’s left is for us to wait and see how Meta will develop in the future. In case you’re interested to read more about the vision of Meta, you can find Zuckerberg’s letter here.