Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram remain unchanged after the appearance of Meta.

-Andreea Tiganus

In a major relaunch process, Facebook changed the name of its parent company to "Meta". Meta is a reference to the move into a world of true virtual reality, of what social networks currently mean.

In the future, we will play, work or socialize using headphones, not mobile phones or tablets. For now, Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp remain as we know them.

The digital "avatar" of Mark Zuckerberg, founder and owner of Facebook, as well as of the WhatsApp and Instagram platforms presented ... METAVERSE

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO: "Together we can bring people to the heart of our technology and provide an experience where we are present with each other."

What is Metaverse? A concept, for now, but in the future, it might mean an online world where people can play, work and communicate in a virtual environment, using special glasses or virtual reality headsets, instead of a smartphone or tablet.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO: "Your devices will no longer be the focus of your attention ..."

The platforms for such virtual interactions that are still in the early stages of development, and the current social networks, Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp have been placed under one umbrella: Meta.

This name comes from the Greek term for "beyond," Zuckerberg explained. The new logo suggests the infinity sign, replacing the "like" symbol, the raised thumb, as a sign of approval.

However, if Meta means, according to some, the future of the Internet, the present - Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram - remain unchanged.

Sheera Frenkel, The New York Times: "He's trying to take control of what he thinks will be the next big wave of technology, and the question is whether the world accepts that. If people, despite all the controversy and all the crises that have hit Facebook in the last month, will continue to trust Facebook.”

This rebranding comes after a wave of negative publicity. In recent weeks, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, has released several internal documents, of which she claimed that higher ranking members of the company were aware of the role social media platforms play in spreading misinformation. Haugen accused the company of "putting profit before safety".

Additionally, Haugen drew attention to the danger to the mental health of some users being harassed online.

Mark Zuckerberg: I know some people will say it's not the time to focus on the future, and I want to acknowledge that there are important issues that we're trying to address right now. They will always exist. "

Frances Haugen, Former Facebook Product Manager: I was shocked to learn recently that Facebook wants to double the workload for metaverse, that they will hire 10,000 specialists in Europe just to develop this ‘metaverse’”.

The company can spend money to increase production but not to ensure the safety of their users. Haugen says that safety involves too many costs, for them, it is not a way to go for future development.