Ahmed Shaami
Facebook wants to control its other two apps Instagram and WhatsApp by adding its name “Facebook” to both apps. The rebranded apps will be soon called “Instagram from Facebook” and “WhatsApp from Facebook.”
This is brought up at the time when antitrust regulators are currently examining Facebook’s acquisitions of both Instagram and WhatsApp. As a matter of fact, the regulators are looking at all Facebook’s acquisitions and the company is under a tight microscope.
It is reported that Facebook has acquired around 90 companies over the last 15 years. FTC is interested to see if there has been a particular “similar” pattern of making these acquisitions. The idea is to look at the dominance pattern and also look at the competition, this has put Facebook under the radar.
Recently, Instagram and WhatsApp employees were notified about the changes. The rebranding is a major departure for Facebook. Till date, Facebook had allowed both apps to operate independently and keep their own branding.
Apparently, the distance from parent company has helped both Instagram and WhatsApp to avoid being tarnished by the privacy scandals that have hurt Facebook in the last couple of years.
Facebook’s move to add its name to both apps and influence the branding has come as a huge surprise to many and causing confusion — if not an alarm, about the autonomy the units have operated under.
Currently, almost 57% of Americans are *unaware* that Facebook owns Instagram. Last year, SpreadPrivacy.com conducted a survey of 1,153 random U.S. adults and many were clueless and did not know about the acquisition.
One wonders if adding a Facebook name to Instagram and WhatsApp can prevent a possible company breakup. Not sure if it will make any substantial difference, at least in a near future but definitely Mark Zuckerberg has some big ideas, eyeing a bigger picture for the future regarding the rebranding of all Facebook-owned companies.
