Facebook Changes its name to Meta in major rebrand

Mark Zuckerberg announced the new name after unveiling plans to build a "metaverse" - an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets.

He said the existing brand could not "possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future", and needed to change.

The company said it would better "encompass" what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like Virtual Reality (VR).

The change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them.