What was Facebook’s new corporate name announced in October 2021?

Facebook announced Meta Platforms as its new corporate name in October 2021.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg presented the change at the company’s Connect event on October 28, 2021. The rebrand was intended to distinguish the parent company from the Facebook social-network app and to emphasize its long-term interest in the metaverse, virtual reality and augmented reality.

The Facebook app itself did not become Meta. Facebook remained the name of the social-network service, while Meta Platforms became the publicly traded parent company overseeing Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other products. The company’s Nasdaq ticker also changed from FB to META in 2022.

A common mix-up is calling the company simply “Meta.” Its formal corporate name is Meta Platforms, Inc., although Meta is the brand name used in everyday references.