Facebook just may be getting a facelift…literally.
As the social media network looks to focus on building the metaverse, there’s speculation that the company will change its name as early as next week, The Verge reports.
The name change is said to be announced during next Thursday’s annual Connect conference, but sources say that it could be unveiled sooner to signal the tech giant’s desire to go beyond just the social media ills that it is known for.
“We will effectively transition from people seeing us as primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company,” said CEO Mark Zuckerberg during an interview with The Verge back in July.
Per reports, the rebrand will position the blue Facebook app at the forefront of the products that work under the parent company overseeing various groups which include Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and more.
Facebook has also done the work to launch its greater focus on the next generation of technology. Over the summer, the company set up a dedicated team for the metaverse. Just a few days ago, they also announced their plans to hire 10,000 more employees to lead the metaverse charge in Europe.
Currently, there are more than 10,000 Facebook employees that are working to build consumer hardware, which includes AR glasses. And, Zuckerberg notes that over time they will be as global as smartphones.
The rebrand may also serve as a way to shift the focus on Zuckerberg and the backlash that the social media network has recently faced for the way that it operates.
At this time, the speculated rebrand is reportedly being held at top-secret within its walls (not even full senior leadership has access to the forthcoming details).
There’s also speculation that the name will have something to do with “Horizon,” the name of the yet-to-be-released VR version of Facebook-meet-Roblox that the company has worked to develop over the past couple of years.
