Don't call it Facebook anymore, but “Meta”… The Californian group founded by Mark Zuckerberg officially changed their name on Thursday.

The Facebook and Instagram platforms, WhatsApp and Messenger messaging and Oculus virtual reality headsets now belong to Meta, the new name of their parent company.

The founder of the technology giant, accused of putting "profits" before the safety of its users, has chosen "meta" - "beyond" in ancient Greek - to show that there is "always more to build" , in connection with its “Métavers” project, and a new blue logo in the shape of a horizontal “8”, resembling the infinity symbol in mathematics.

"Meta balaclava", "Meta mouth" ...

An advertisement widely commented on on social networks, and which has not escaped certain Internet users who hastened to hijack the new name given to the group, and the new logo.

"Meta balaclava", "Meta capote", "Meta gueule", "Meta culotte", "Meta little wool" ... With more or less humor, many twittos did not hesitate to make fun of the new name of the American giant.

I just wanted to be the 1st to do it # meta #Facebook pic.twitter.com/u4bA1OEWuw

- 🏔️🔑😺 (@swisscryptocat) October 28, 2021

Facebook changes its name to Meta,


I take this opportunity to remind you gentlemen: pic.twitter.com/8GPrDswCTE

- LorGaming (@_LorGaming) October 28, 2021

Others have hijacked the brand's new logo, in the shape of a horizontal “8”.

Facebook changes its name to Meta, with a new # META logo pic.twitter.com/zDYuWWsgQk

- Tab (@ Moury11) October 28, 2021

Companies have also had fun using their own name to echo that of Meta, such as the fast-food chain Wendy's, which has announced that it is renaming itself “Meat”.

Changing name to Meat

- Wendy's (@Wendys) October 28, 2021

The official Twitter account itself bounced back on the news, posting a "big news" message, before clarifying that it was "just for laughs" and that the network was keeping its name.

BIG NEWS lol jk still Twitter

- Twitter (@Twitter) October 28, 2021

Particularly mocked in Israel

But it was in Israel that the announcement of Facebook's new name certainly got the most reaction.

As CNN reports, the word "meta" is close to the word meaning "death" in Hebrew.

The hashtag #FacebookDead (#FacebookMort) went viral on Twitter in Israel as soon as Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday evening.

In general, the new name given to Facebook drew a lot of criticism on social networks.

This change of epithet is interpreted as a distraction maneuver by detractors of the Californian group, entangled in scandals, from data confidentiality to respect for competition law.

"Philip Morris changed his name to Altria, but they still make cigarettes that cause cancer," tweeted Keith Edwards, an American reality TV producer.

“Meta, that is to say + we are a cancer of democracy which metastasizes into a surveillance and propaganda machine to support authoritarian regimes and destroy civil society… and make profits!

“, Also tweeted the elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, star of the American left.

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