Facebook Obscures Its Iconic ‘Like’ Sign, Fueling Speculation It’s Rebranding

(Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. added fuel to speculation that it may announce a name change Thursday by wrapping up the sign in front of its headquarters. 

The well-known “like” sign outside its offices in Menlo Park, California, was covered in a temporary canvas that also had the thumbs-up symbol. At around 7 a.m. local time, a security barrier was added and guards patrolled the area around it.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg could discuss a name change at the company’s Connect conference on Thursday morning, the Verge website reported earlier this month. The original Facebook app and service is expected to remain unchanged, with the parent company taking on a new brand -- similar to what Google did when it adopted the Alphabet Inc. name.

This year’s Connect conference is dedicated to augmented reality and virtual reality technology -- and a new name may be tied to that. Facebook has declined to comment on a possible rebranding.

Facebook’s “like” sign, which normally shows a thumbs-up symbol over its name and address, has become a tourist attraction. Silicon Valley pilgrims regularly pose outside the sign for selfies as Facebook has grown into one of the world’s largest technology companies.

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