Facebook rebranded to Meta on October 28, 2021 following an announcement made by the site’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark Zuckerberg. To a user of the social network, the expectation could be on a change in the logo or a revision in the policies and subscription, but this rebrand is far from that.
The move to Meta is a projection of the future of social interaction as envisioned by the company. The foundation of this future is based on a combination of existing technologies of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology. With this, Meta hopes to connect the real world to the virtual while giving a user real-life experience without physical interaction.
Zuckerberg said that Facebook alone could not represent everything the entity was doing now let alone the future. Meta, therefore, is a conglomerate to feature Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger and other acquired subsidiaries.
“Overtime, I hope we are seen as a metaverse company and I want to anchor to work and identity on what we are building,” said Zuckerberg.
From the vision, it is clear that the Meta administration is reaching for more than just social media. The meta universe era seeks to be on top of virtual interactions as envisioned for the future. With this move, Meta wants to champion all the existing AR and VR technologies into one.
With Meta, Zuckerberg hopes to revolutionize almost all spheres of social interaction from education to business in real estate, online retail and so much more. You may want to imagine children studying about Mt. Rwenzori or the Nile, which you paid a sightseeing tour for right in front of you with the AR technology.
“In the future, you will be able to teleport instantly as a hologram to be in office without a commute, at a concert with friends or in your parent’s living room to catch-up,” promised Zuckerberg.
You could wonder how the Meta envisioned features have been applied to your Facebook or Instagram app. Meta aims at the future of technology based human interaction, a reflection of where the multinational company needs to be and the tech space they intend to takeover. So, no, you will still have that Facebook App with feeds as usual only with a new name for the proprietor.
Commenting on the rebrand, Innovation Village’s Japheth Kawanguzi said that the move is a true shape of technology that requires unending innovation. He added that tech companies must not settle just because their things look great.
The Facebook rebrand is not the first of its kind. In 2015, a similar corporate restructuring happened when google re-organized into one parent company, Alphabet. In this restructuring, Zuckerberg unveiled enhancement of tech machinery and human resource to achieve the envisioned future.
The rebrand comes at a time when Facebook is under public scrutiny over its failure to combat misinformation, hatred and harm to minors.
The scrutiny followed a confession by a former employee Frances Haugen before the United States Senate on the loopholes which the Facebook administration deliberately refused to address.
Allegations from the hearings caused negative publicity for Facebook and the rebrand can as well, from a rare angle be perceived as a counter measure to recover the company’s tainted image.
With Meta, the company has positioned itself as the driver of next generation technology with the allusion of Neal Stephenson safe virtual world in his novel “snow crash”. The tech space is open to infinite initiatives and the tech globe is expectant on the tangibility on Zuckerberg enormous promises with the Meta- Universe.
