From Facebook to Meta - Rebranding or Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas?
As Facebook faces scandal after scandal regarding its data management, the case study examines how the company navigates its responsibilities to the users and society.
At a glance
Number of Users
3.07 billion
(as of 2024)
Countries
156 countries
Year Founded
2004
Industry
Technology
Abstract
The case study explores Facebook’s history and its 2021 rebranding to Meta, as well as the ethical dilemmas of the company. Evolved into the world's largest social network, Facebook built its significant growth on a data-driven advertising model. The shift to Meta, with its ambitious metaverse vision, was positioned as a bold evolution — but also sparked debate over whether it was a genuine transformation or a strategic distraction from ethical issues like privacy breaches and content moderation failures.
This case invites readers to evaluate Meta’s rebranding through the lens of corporate digital responsibility, including user privacy, ethical design, and long-term sustainability. By examining Facebook’s core values — impact, speed, boldness, openness, and social value—against its track record, the case study challenges students to assess whether tech companies can self-regulate in the face of ethical dilemmas and how innovation should align with responsible digital leadership.
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Disclaimers:
(1) Regarding Case Study Content: This case study is based mainly on secondary data and analysis of publicly available information unless otherwise stated, and is intended solely for educational purposes. Any opinions expressed by the author(s) are designed to facilitate learning discussion and do not serve to illustrate the effectiveness of the company. Additionally, banner images and logos used in the case study are intended for visualization in an educational setting and it is not used to represent or brand the company. For any dispute regarding the content and usage of images and logos, please contact the team.
(2) Regarding University Affiliation and Titles of Authors: The university affiliation and titles of author(s) seen in the case study is based on their affiliation and title during the time of publication. It may or may not represent the current status of said author(s).