Facebook’s parent company Meta Global has launched their Facebook Reels feature – popularized by its Instagram app – in 175 more countries, including Israel.
It will now be possible to create reels and watch them in Facebook News Feeds, in Facebook groups, and in the social media giant's “Watch Reels” section. Users will be able to follow the content creators directly from the videos, as well as like, comment and share the various clips.
Meta is simultaneously unveiling a series of tools for content creators, which will allow them to monetize their work and express creativity in new ways. For instance, Meta will pay content creators who meet the criteria up to $35,000 per month for their Reels videos – according to how many viewers they can reach.
The rebranded "Big Five" American information technology company also aims to expand features present in Reels, such as implementing semi-transparent banner ads in the bottom of videos, displaying advertisement videos between them – ads that are usually in the same format as Reels and don’t feel as invasive – and allowing users to buy Reels-specific coins and awards they can award their favorite content creators.
Facebook rebranded its parent company in late October, announcing that they have changed their name to Meta – a play on the "Metaverse" that technology companies believe could be the future of VR and AR. First coined in a dystopian novel three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley, the term refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual environment which can be accessed by people using different devices.
The announcement of the name change caused a social media stir in Israel, as in Hebrew, Meta is the conjugation of the feminine form for "dead" in both present and past tenses, leading many social media Hebrew-speaking users to ridicule the rebrand and popularize the hashtag “#FacebookDead.”