Muckerberg’s Meta
Of all the scandals that Facebook, (oops ‘scuse me, Meta) has been involved in, its latest name change is one of the more shocking experiences that users have encountered. Well, to be fair, the name change is not the only provocative matter that has recently cast Meta in the spotlight. Consumers are contemplating the integrity of Meta’s overarching futuristic initiative, while grappling with the lack of integrity inherent in Facebook’s former controversies. Will Meta live up to its promised standards or will Meta experience more scrutiny than ever before?
On Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, the company's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that Facebook will go by Meta, effective Dec. 1, 2021, in an effort to expand beyond the social media world and into virtual reality, or VR. What was formerly known as Facebook not only owns Facebook and its affiliated apps, such as Messenger, but also Instagram and WhatsApp. These apps will now be part of the Meta family. Meta’s main objective is to transform social connection by expanding into the 3D space. Through the metaverse, it is purported that users will be able to experience education, exercise, gaming, and entertainment like never before. At the heart of Meta’s mission is the idea of responsible innovation. With this new innovation, Meta claims that it will make “inclusive, privacy-centric products”. However, will Meta actually carry out these efforts that emphasize social responsibility, given that Facebook has received overwhelming media coverage for breaching user’s privacy?
Ironically, this announcement arrived soon after former Facebook employee and proud whistleblower, Frances Haugen, leaked Facebook's documents suggesting the tech giant prioritizes profit over the well-being of their clients. Haugen, whose track record includes an impressive list of alma maters and tech companies including Google and Pinterest, was only one employee out of thousands to release pictures of Facebook’s internal social network. Highlights of the database include Facebook’s role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Riot, an event so absurd that it shocked the entire nation. If only current Facebook employees followed Haugen’s example and exposed more of the corruption found throughout the big tech company, the public could make more informed decisions about whether to continue consuming these products. Nevertheless, users decided to vocalize their opinions in true Twitter fashion, by solidifying acronyms beguiling credulity at lightning speed. Some of my personal favorites include: “META: Mark Evading True Accountability”; “Mark Evading Tax Accountability”; and “Muckerberg Elevates the Attorneys”. In their eyes, a name change does not account for the lack of privacy that Facebook has become infamous for, nor does it steer away from the fact that they refuse to change their steadfast ways by incorporating a more user-friendly, socially responsible system.
Despite the pervasive criticism, Zuckerberg’s plans to enter VR could potentially create countless new jobs for creators and amass billions of dollars of products in the upcoming decade. Only time will tell if Zuckerberg's grand, ambitious platform proves to be fruitful. Given Zuckerberg’s innumerable successes and financial means to endure brutal court trials (which not only provides attorneys with substantial payments, but also attracts visibility in the media and aggrandizes the company’s name) it is not out of the realm of possibility that current Meta users will find themselves in a metaverse on a daily basis. Simply put, as a big tech titan with unlimited financial resources, Zuckerburg has the ability to coast through complex court cases, raising concerns about the privileges that the extremely wealthy get to have. As we embark on a new age of VR, we as users seek opportunities to connect in ways that we never imagined possible — can Meta attract users to the imminent prominence of the metaverse, or will users abstain from using Meta’s platforms stemming from Facebook’s former controversies?
