Facebook news - live: Daily Show pokes fun at Facebook’s name change to Meta

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Facebook has announced it will change its name to “Meta” as part of a major rebrand.

The new name is an attempt to focus on the metaverse that Facebook says will be the future of social networking.

But it is also likely an attempt to move on from the intense scrutiny and criticism it has faced in recent weeks and years, which has focused on everything from privacy to the damage it is doing to young people.

The blue app will continue to be known as Facebook, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said. But the branding will be removed from everywhere else, such as the WhatsApp and Instagram.

All of those various apps will now instead live under the “Meta” brand, with Facebook just one of those many different apps.

Mr Zuckerberg published a “Founders Letter” explaining his reasonings for the rebrand, and noted that he would not be stepping down as CEO of the company.

Some journalists have treated the rebrand with a hefty dose of skepticism, even calling on other reporters to ignore the change and to continue referring to the company as “Facebook.”

The name change is Facebook’s second. In 2005, the company changed it’s name from theFacebook to just “Facebook.”

Key Points

• Facebook announces it will now be called “Meta” and reveals new logo
• This is Facebook’s second name change
• Journalists say other reporters should ignore the rebranding attempt
• Facebook’s stock ticker will also change
• Mark Zuckerberg confirms he is not stepping down
• Mark Zuckerberg publishes “Founder’s Letter” explaining the rebrand

[29 October 2021 02:01 · Graeme Massie]

Daily Show pokes fun at Facebook name change

“Gonna take awhile to get used to saying “He was radicalized in a META group,” a tweet from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah read.

[29 October 2021 03:03 · Graeme Massie]

UK’s Aldi supermarket chain has fun with Facebook name change

The discount supermarket chain’s UK Twitter account got in on poking fun at Facebook’s name change to Meta.

“brb changing our name,” the company tweeted with a mocked up picture of their new logo.

[29 October 2021 03:59 · Graeme Massie]

Twitter’s Twitter has some fun with facebook name change

Jack Dorsey’s social media platform had some fun with Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook is changing its name to Meta.

“BIG NEWS lol jk still Twitter,” tweeted Twitter’s official Twitter account.

[29 October 2021 04:53 · Vishwam Sankaran]

Daily Show mocks Facebook name change to Meta

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah mocks Facebook’s name change to Meta showing Zuckerberg in a virtual tiki torch rally, and immersing himself in a VR experience of the 6 January US Capitol Hill riot.

[29 October 2021 05:17 · Vishwam Sankaran]

Image of Meta’s new smartwatch leaks on the web

The image, as shared by Bloomberg, shows a smartwatch with a front-facing camera and rounded screen.

The product, expected to be a competitor to Apple’s smartwatch, was revealed to have a camera built at the bottom of the screen, which has a small notch.

[29 October 2021 05:32 · Vishwam Sankaran]

The Tonight Show pokes fun at Facebook’s name change to Meta

The late-night show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon mocked the change on Twitter comparing it to fast food outlets making name changes after an E. coli outbreak.

[29 October 2021 06:14 · Vishwam Sankaran]

US Senator blasts Facebook’s rebranding, says the company “can run,” but “can’t hide”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal has blasted Facebook’s name change to Meta, adding the company’s move “won’t erase years of devious practices.”

The senator, who has been critical of Facebook following whistleblower Frances Haugen’s report, said the name change may “may confuse & distract,” but would not erase its “disregard for privacy, kids’ wellbeing, spreading hate, & genocide.”

[29 October 2021 07:35 · Vishwam Sankaran]

Shares of Canadian materials company soar after mistaken Facebook identity

The shares of Meta Materials, a Canadian materials technology company, rose by about 30 per cent, after Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday that his company will be called Meta.

While Meta Materials is a science company and has nothing to do with Facebook, experts think the investment surge could be a case of mistaken identity.

This is similar to the rise in shares of Zoom Technologies in April 2019 when investors mistook it for Zoom Video Communications, a video conferencing company.

[29 October 2021 11:12 · Andrew Griffin]

Why Facebook says it changed its name – and why it might really have done so

Facebook has explained its name change. But that probably isn’t the full story.

Here’s both the official reason and what might really be going on.