In a post on its social media platform, Twitter appeared to throw shade at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg who recently announced his company is changing its name to Meta.
“the only #META we acknowledge is this,” the Twitter Safety Account posted along with an article on Twitter’s Machine Learning, Ethics, Transparency and Accountability team.
Facebook says it is changing its name to Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what Zuckerberg says is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the “metaverse.” But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.
“Today, we’re seen as a social media company. But in our DNA, we’re a company that builds technology to connect people, and the metaverse is the next frontier, just like social networking was when we got started,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at Thursday’s Connect 2021 event. “From now on, we’re going to be metaverse first, not Facebook first. That means that over time, you won’t need to use Facebook to use our other services as our new brand starts showing up in our products. I hope that people come to know the Meta brand and the future that we stand for.”
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Skeptics immediately accused the company Thursday of trying to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, the trove of leaked documents that have plunged it into the biggest crisis since it was founded in Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room 17 years ago. The documents portray Facebook as putting profits ahead of ridding its platform of hate, political strife, and misinformation around the world.
Marketing consultant Laura Ries likened the move to BP rebranding itself to “Beyond Petroleum” to escape criticism that the oil giant harmed the environment.
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“Facebook is the world’s social media platform and they are being accused of creating something that is harmful to people and society,” she said. “They can’t walk away from the social network with a new corporate name and talk of a future metaverse.”
Facebook the app, where users post personal updates and register likes, is not changing its name. Nor are Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger. The company’s corporate structure also won’t change. But on Dec. 1, its stock will start trading under a new ticker symbol, MVRS.
The metaverse is sort of the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” you can go inside of, instead of just looking at on a screen. People can meet, work and play, using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps, or other devices.
Fox News’ Lucas Manfredi and Associated Press contributed to this report
