In late October, Facebook announced its big-name change. The company has adopted the name ‘meta’ in line with the new virtual reality technologies unfolding rapidly. The new name mainly revolves around the concept of augmented reality, virtual reality, and its association with the metaverse.
Facebook renamed its company ‘Meta’ in the light of the newly developing technologies revolving around the metaverse. Moreover, rebranding the company allowed it to drift away from claims challenging its reputation. A former employee at Facebook released documents accusing the company of violating the users’ rights.
However, the company’s apps, namely Whatsapp, Messenger, and Instagram, didn’t undergo a name change. But you will find the new Meta logo on the screen of each app.
With talks of the metaverse going around, the billion-dollar company was set to rebrand. And according to Mark Zuckerberg, the company wants to up its game to stay within the circle of the latest technological trends.
The Metaverse: Explained
What exactly is the metaverse, and why was Facebook rebranded as Meta?
The idea of the metaverse is simple. It takes virtual reality to the height of having VR permanently, where users can collaborate professionally and socially. People will be able to access these worlds at any time via their VR devices.
However, we can expect the metaverse to be accessible via plain devices in many years to come. So the first step would be developing VR accessories, and making these devices ordinary has become one of the missions of Meta (formerly known as Facebook).
Beyond social media apps and websites: Building virtual reality devices
Bearing the scope of the metaverse, Zuckerberg has also been investing in virtual reality devices for quite some time. When Facebook was a new social media website, smartphones were beginning to gain momentum. And decades after the advent of these phones, various innovative VR devices have been rolling out. For example, virtual and augmented reality has been used for many purposes. Two such devices developed by Meta are as follows:
- Oculus headsets: These are a range of virtual reality headsets. Initially designed for video gaming, but in the coming years, Meta might expand its range based on other purposes too.
- Ray-Ban story glasses: A pair of smart glasses with a 5 MP camera and audio features. This device is unique because it allows people to capture photos from the first-person perspective. You can also make 30-second videos, which is possible with voice commands.
Thus, the company had already taken a massive step toward the metaverse by manufacturing such devices. So it only made more sense for the organization to transform into ‘Meta’ from ‘Facebook.’
Facebook rebranding itself as ‘Meta’ in the light of whistleblowing
The renaming of Facebook is also a move to rebrand. It is a step to fix the image that has been tarnished by whistleblowers and people coming out against their data being used. The move also comes as a reaction to a former employee at Facebook calling out the company. Frances Haugen released many sources, primarily documents, to news outlets and lawmakers.
All the reports put forth the harm done by Facebook. The whistleblower also claimed that the company takes no steps to prevent the damage entirely or correct its negative impact to some extent. With the documents coming out gradually against the company, Mark Zuckerberg has rejected any claims. He stands by the fact that all apps operating under Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram) have caused no damage or violation to users’ rights.
The Future of the Metaverse
“The metaverse will be the successor to the mobile Internet.”
When Facebook was launched, it made its mark on the world of social media. Highlighting the success of the social media network, Zuckerberg has expressed his views on metaverse being the future, expecting it to become standard within five years or a decade. He even believes it could replace the Internet altogether, revolutionizing the online world forever.
The software is still under development, and the Meta owner has demonstrated his vision by showing animation in the last presentation given by the company.
According to the demo, the users will create ‘avatars’ of themselves. These would not be like the profile pictures we have today, and they would be a step ahead. Instead, every person in the metaverse would create a virtual avatar representing themselves. And these digital images don’t necessarily have to be realistic; they can be cartoonish.
Zuckerberg has reflected his thoughts on how the metaverse is the new billion-dollar industry.
Recap: Meta and the Metaverse
So, Meta reflects all the possibilities of the metaverse unfolding as a standard technology in the next 5 to 10 years. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg rebranded all the companies under his ownership under the umbrella of ‘Meta.’ However, all the apps and websites have the same names. Still, you will notice ‘WhatsApp by Meta,’ ‘Instagram by Meta’ appear on your screen whenever you launch the app. Where previously it would be ‘Facebook.’
Zuckerberg believes metaverse is the future – economically, socially, professionally, and personally. He has expressed to make billions with every development, including the Oculus VR headsets and other VR devices launched by the company. He expects the metaverse to develop in the next 5 to 10 years fully. However, it would take some time for the technology to become advanced enough to reach the stage of holograms.
Curious about the metaverse? Read all about it here.