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Facebook to change name: Trolls suggest 'spybook' or 'Facecrook' as Internet LOLs

From 'Facecrook' to 'The Zuckerverse' social media was quick to come up with ideas as company looks beyond social media platform for its 'metaverse'

The Facebook metaverse is coming, and reportedly CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to rebrand his company to reflect that. With the social media giant now slowly expanding beyond its namesake platform, Zuckerberg is reportedly eyeing rebranding the parent company to reflect Facebook's new priorities. This isn't a new idea. Back in 2015, Google rebranded its parent company to Alphabet, so it seems like Zuckerberg is taking a page out of his competition's book.

The rebranding exercise will also serve a secondary purpose - help cleanse the image of the problematic company. Over the past several years, Facebook has seen its image repeatedly take a hit, with multiple scandals and leaks leading to Zuckerberg being hauled in front of Congress. From Instagram Kids to Facebook XCheck, the company has constantly found itself constantly under the radar.  

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Nonetheless, it appears the scandals are having little effect on Facebook's bottom line. Its share price has only grown year on year over the past five years, and the company has been busy expanding to other areas, including virtual reality with Oculus, video advertising with LiveRail and blockchain firm Chainspace. In fact, over the past 15 years, the company has spent more than $23 billion on mergers and acquisitions, expanding well beyond its humble Facebook.com origins.

Change coming next week

The Verge broke the news of Facebook's rebrand and said it would be "coming next week" according to a source. Who that source is, we don't know, but it is likely to be someone very close to Zuckerberg. Reportedly, the name is a very closely guarded secret, with even senior leadership not being made aware of it. Zuckerberg is likely to announce the rebrand at Facebook's annual Connect conference on October 28th.

The Verge reported the change "is meant to signal the tech giant’s ambition to be known for more than social media and all the ills that entail." Just like Alphabet, Facebook itself is expected to remain, but as a subsidiary under a parent company. The change isn't something new, Zuckerberg has been hinting at it for some time. In July, he told The Verge, "we will effectively transition from people seeing us as primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company."

It is likely the rebrand could have something to do with Horizon, Facebook's virtual reality system it has been developing for several years. On October 7, it rebranded its social VR platform from Facebook Horizon to Horizon Worlds. Another version called Horizon Workrooms, designed for corporate use was also demoed in August. While The Verge guessed Horizon, social media had its own suggestions on hearing the news.

The Internet suggests 'Facecrook' and 'Toxic Inc.'

Internet users were quick to mock Zuckerberg and Facebook once The Verge published its story. Many had their own suggestions, going from downright hilarious to dystopian. The conversation was kick-started by branding expert Matthew Kobach, who tweeted, "Facebook is reportedly planning on changing its name. What should they change it to? (wrong answers only)."

In response, one person said it should be called "The Zuckerverse" while another joked it should be "Fraud Guarantee...(wait, is that already taken?)." One user commented, "I think spybook is a good one. Or Facecrook. Either one really."

"“We’re a danger to society” has a nice ring to it," one person commented. Other suggestions that came up included "Toxic, inc.", "Delete book", and "The New Founding Order."

Of course, name suggestions weren't all that exploded quickly. Other users quickly posted memes and trolled the company, with 'Facebook' quickly rising to trend on Twitter as of late October 19. Whatever the rebrand ends up being, we'll know about it in just a few days' time.