In a new power move, Facebook is seeking to signal its ownership and control over its subsidiary apps. The photo-sharing app; Instagram will soon be called “Instagram from Facebook.”
The Information first reported on the change, which will be shared by WhatsApp, turning it into “WhatsApp from Facebook.”
The new “Instagram from Facebook” name will initially appear on the listings for the app in Apple’s App Store and Google Play, but it seems likely it’ll be used on the splash screen when opening the app as well.
“We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook,” a Facebook spokesperson tells The Information.
It remains to be seen whether the name change will negatively affect public perception of Instagram, which is popular among a younger demographic than Facebook. Instagram has emerged relatively unscathed after major privacy scandals created PR nightmares for Facebook was fined a record-setting $5 billion for privacy violations by the FTC last month — but this new rebranding might link the two brands more closely in users’ minds.
