Because he believes that the technology sector as it is currently “harms innovation” and that “this is not how we should use technology”, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is launching a major offensive in a universe of virtual and augmented reality, which he says is “more human-centered”. He also took the opportunity to rename his company. Farewell Facebook, make way for Meta.
Mr. Zuckerberg explained the reasons behind the gesture during a conference that was broadcast both on his social platform and in the virtual environment of his Oculus headsets on Thursday afternoon.
Seventeen years after its creation, the company Facebook – owner of the eponymous social network, but also of Instagram, WhatsApp and the virtual reality company Oculus – will henceforth be called Meta. This name is inspired by the Greek prefix “meta-”, which basically means “beyond”. In the case of Facebook, it has a triple meaning. The company wants to go beyond its current social network. It also wants to get out of the quagmire related to the use of digital data in which it is stuck and on which it is being attacked both by governments and by its rivals, including Apple. She finally wants to break the dominant business model in technology at the moment, which is often nicknamed “the application economy” in industry.
This model places the smartphone at the heart of the technological experience. The applications are distributed through virtual stores operated by Apple, Google and Microsoft. The only ways to earn money from it – sell apps, offer subscription content, or display advertising – involves following the rules set by this trio.
Obviously, Mark Zuckerberg wants to see the emergence of another business model to overcome his rivals. “Our mission will remain the same. We want to bring people together. Our apps won’t change either. But from now on, we will create for the “metaverse” first, and for Facebook then, ”summed up the young Californian billionaire.
A metaverse under construction
The other big news for Facebook – Meta – will emerge piece by piece. Already last February, the Californian company presented new tools for its Oculus virtual reality environment, which give a glimpse of where it wants to go.
What Mark Zuckerberg calls the “metaverse” (” metaverse »In English) is a digital and virtual environment that is superimposed on the real world. By putting on a virtual reality headset or augmented reality glasses, a person could come into contact with colleagues or friends in a virtual place mimicking a common workplace or a cinema hall.
However, everything has to be built in this parallel digital world. Zuckerberg agrees and presents it as what Facebook needed to keep growing. “As a large company, we have learned to design new products. We need new ecosystems where everyone can be rewarded for their creativity, ”he said.
In addition to new virtual reality applications for its Oculus platform and numerous programming tools intended for application creators who wish to contribute to this environment, Facebook also unveiled its Cambria project, a mixed reality headset which will be marketed this year. next and which will bring his vision of the future a little closer to being realized.
In the meantime, Zuckerberg will have to tackle much more concrete issues if he doesn’t want to see hate speech and disinformation polluting his metaverse as well. The question of dismantling Facebook, which exercises a quasi-monopoly role in the eyes of several of its detractors, will also have to be resolved.