With all the recent talk about Instagram Threads being launched, you may have come across a company called Meta. Meta is a technology conglomerate based in the US and the company behind Threads, but who owns it?
Aside from the newly launched Threads, Meta also owns several different apps, most of which are social media platforms. They also make virtual reality headsets and have dabbled in cryptocurrency.
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Any products and services under Meta are referred to as being part of the "Metaverse", but who is the owner of the Metaverse and Meta? Who is hiding behind this mysterious name?
Who owns Meta?
Meta Platforms Inc., or simply Meta, is currently owned by none other than Mark Zuckerberg. You may know him as one of the founders of the social media giant known as Facebook.
The company was founded in Jaunary of 2004 with Facebook launching in February of the same year. While other social media platforms existed before Facebook, it paved the way for many of the apps we still use today.
Zuckerberg also currently serves as chairman and CEO of the company.
Is Meta the same as Facebook?
No, they are not the same, although Facebook is owned by Meta.
The confusion between these two may stem from the fact that Meta used to be named Facebook, Inc. It would then change its name to TheFacebook, Inc. before rebranding itself as Meta in 2021.
The change was made to signify the company's decision to branch out from Facebook and tackle more products.
What else does Meta own?
Though it is still mainly associated with Facebook, Meta has a number of other notable brand names under its belt. Here's a list of other Meta products you may have heard of:
- Threads: Meta's newest social media app that is set up to be Twitter's #1 competitor.
- Instagram: Another highly popular social media app focused on sharing photos.
- WhatsApp: A free, cross-platform messaging service.
- Messenger: Another messaging service that is tied to Facebook.
- Oculus Quest: A virtual reality headset. Its newest model is called the Meta Quest 2.
- Workplace: Social media platform that is more catered towards businesses.
- Horizon Worlds: A free, online virtual reality game.
- Mapillary: An app that lets you share geotagged photos for mapping purposes.
While about half of the entries on the list are still related to social media, it's still a pretty diverse list. This lines up with the company's goal of building a Metaverse.
If you're interested in trying out Meta's newest app Threads, check out our guide on how to sign up for it.