Facebook to put its name on Instagram, WhatsApp brands

Facebook plans to attach its name to Instagram and WhatsApp, branding them “Instagram from Facebook” and “WhatsApp from Facebook”.

The move is controversial because both of the apps were born outside of Facebook, have very different corporate cultures and have thrived, in part, by having their own identities with consumers. Founders of the photo-sharing app and the messaging service left Facebook in 2018.

“We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook,” a spokeswoman for the company said.

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Facebook has monopoly powers. The regulatory body is looking into whether the social media company acquired rivals to remove competitive threats and seek dominance in the industry.

The changes in wording will appear in the apps’ login screens and in the Apple iOS and Google Play stores, for now, according to a Facebook spokeswoman. The Information earlier reported the rebranding. Facebook said in March they were testing the new names.  — Reported by Sarah Frier and Kurt Wagner, (c) 2019 Bloomberg LP