Welcome to the #Metaverse...?
Mark Zuckerberg has launched a last-ditch attempt at distancing his company away from any ongoing controversy.
Say goodbye to Facebook and hello to Meta. Well, the social media platform isn't changing its name just yet, but the parent company will now have the new re-branded moniker.
The big cheese Mark Zuckerberg has decided to wipe the slate clean and rebrand the parent company of some of the world's biggest (and most controversial) social networks.
Metaverse is the company's newest venture, as it delves into the fast-developing realm of augmented reality and virtual world environments for work and for downtime. The social media network Facebook won't be changing its name, but it now means that Meta owns the platform as well as the other companies under its umbrella, including Instagram and Whatsapp.
Zuckerberg made the re-branding announcement on Thursday during the Facebook Connect augmented and virtual reality conference. If you feel like watching the one hour and 17 minutes introductory video, head here for all of your Mark Zuckerberg needs.
The move from Facebook to Meta comes as the social media website and its founder are under more scrutiny than ever. Whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked internal documents which suggest that the company "puts profits over people", knowingly harming teenagers and provoking anger among its users. Misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine existed on the company's apps, which Facebook researchers are said to have known about.
Anyway, enough of the serious news - here's a snapshot of some of the reaction to Facebook rebranding itself as Meta. From Twitter of course.
Facebook will officially trade under Meta or MVRS from December 1.