Meta is the company that rebranded from Facebook to Meta in October 2021.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the name change at the company’s Connect conference on October 28, 2021. The new name reflected a strategy focused not only on Facebook, but also on virtual and augmented reality, social platforms, and the company’s broader metaverse ambitions.
The corporate rebranding did not rename the Facebook social-network service. Facebook remained one of Meta’s major products alongside Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Meta Platforms became the company’s formal corporate name, and its Nasdaq stock ticker changed from FB to META in June 2022.
The name is sometimes confused with the metaverse itself. The metaverse is a broad concept involving immersive digital environments; Meta is the company that develops products and hardware connected with that strategy. Meta’s market value is therefore attached to the parent company, not just to Facebook.