New name loading? Facebook HQ Sign Covered Before Planned Name Change
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Top line
Facebook covered the sign outside its Silicon Valley headquarters Thursday by Bloomberg, apparently confirming an earlier report that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will announce a name change for the company on Thursday afternoon, potentially an effort to rename amid close scrutiny of company practices.
The iconic sign in front of Facebook’s headquarters is likely undergoing a facelift. (Photo by Michel … [+]
Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images
Highlights
Bloomberg reports that the Facebook company sign was covered with a temporary canvas adorned with a thumbs-up logo, obscuring the Facebook name in plain sight, at 10 a.m. EDT.
Security guards too added a barrier in front of the area.
Zuckerberg will be the keynote speaker at the Facebook Connect conference on Thursday, which begins at 1 p.m. EDT and discusses the company’s augmented and virtual reality operations.
The edge first reported on Zuckerberg’s plans to announce the planned October 19 name change, though the company’s shares on Thursday were Facebook’s first public recognition.
Facebook did not respond to Forbes‘request for comment again.
What to watch out for
What will be the new name of Facebook. The edge hypothesized that this could “signal the tech giant’s ambition to be known for more than just social media and all the evils that come with it.”
Tangent
The name change will come as Facebook faces significant negative press as many news agencies run the ‘Facebook Papers’ series that questions the way Facebook has handled misinformation and dangerous activity on its media platforms social.
Further reading
Here are the biggest ‘Facebook papers’ accusations: Zuckerberg collapses in front of Communist government, lets celebrities break the rules, plus (Forbes)
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