Facebook To Add Its Name To Instagram, WhatsApp

According to The Information, Facebook is planning to add its name to both Instagram and WhatsApp. “The social network will rebrand the apps to ‘Instagram from Facebook’ and ‘WhatsApp from Facebook,'” the report says, citing people familiar with the matter. From the report: Employees for the apps were recently notified about the changes, which come as antitrust regulators are examining Facebook’s acquisitions of both apps. The app rebranding is a major departure for Facebook, which until recently had allowed the apps to operate and be branded independently. The distance has helped both apps avoid being tarnished by the privacy scandals that have hurt Facebook. The move to add Facebook’s name to the apps has been met with surprise and confusion internally, reflecting the autonomy that the units have operated under. But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also been frustrated that Facebook doesn’t get more credit for the growth of Instagram and WhatsApp. Associating those apps with Facebook could improve the overall companies’ brand with consumers. The ‘from Facebook’ branding will be visible inside the apps — users will see it when they log on, for instance — and elsewhere, such as in app stores. The report also mentioned that Facebook is bringing employees responsible for Instagram’s messaging feature called Direct into the team behind Facebook’s standalone Messenger app.