Facebook renaming Instagram and WhatsApp; adding its own name
What's the story
Despite being marred by plenty of privacy-related debacles, Facebook is making some decisions that are difficult to explain. A few months ago, CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced his plan to merge the backend of two of Facebook's most successful products, WhatsApp and Instagram DM, with Facebook Messenger. And now, in another strange move, it is rebranding the two by attaching its own name.
Plan
Plan to add its own name with Instagram, WhatsApp
Amid anti-trust concerns over big tech companies, Facebook is looking to rebrand its key products - WhatsApp and Instagram - to make things clearer for its users, The Information has reported. The move, as the outlet says, would be executed by adding Facebook's name into the moniker of the two apps and naming them as "Instagram from Facebook" and "WhatsApp from Facebook."
Visibility
Rebranding will be visible in apps
Going by the report, based on internal sources familiar with the matter, the rebranded title of the apps will be visible whenever you sign into them as well as in the about section of the service and app store displays. Apparently, the plan has been motivated by Zuckerberg's concern that the social network hasn't been given enough credit for backing the two services.
Facebook's comment
What Facebook says about the decision
After the report was published, a spokesperson from the company confirmed the plan, noting that "we want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook." To recall, the possibility of the rebrand was first reported by app reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong, who had spotted signs of the new branding in the code of Instagram.
Impact
But, is this the right way to go?
Tying its own name with Instagram/WhatsApp would ensure transparency as many users don't even know that these are Facebook products. But, the thing is, both Instagram and WhatsApp have grown outside the shadow of Facebook, which has been marred by breaches, leaks, investigations. Now, with Facebook's moniker included, users may feel the same distrust for the two services they feel for the social network.