(Meta) Facebook has announced a change of its name to Meta in its push to an avatar-filled virtual world or metaverse.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook represents an iconic social media brand, but a change to Meta is meant to encompass everything the company does.
Individual brands, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Oculus will retain their names in the new shift.
Facebook’s name change happens even as the company fights intense regulatory scrutiny and public relations crises.
Meta, the new company, will now take on Silicon Valley rivals that include Google and Apple in the augmented and virtual reality world.
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