Snapchat CEO Takes a Playful Shot at Meta

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel has taken a humorous swipe at Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg by modifying his LinkedIn biography to jokingly declare himself as the “VP of Meta.” This amusing remark directly targets Meta’s trend of mimicking features originally introduced by Snapchat. As reported by Fortune, this latest incident underscores the ongoing competition between these leading social media giants.

Meta’s Reputation for Imitation

Meta is often characterised as a company that quickly adopts successful features from rival services. Over the years, Snapchat has frequently found itself as a source of inspiration for Meta, which has adopted its unique features into platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Features Borrowed from Snapchat

Meta has launched a variety of features that closely resemble those made famous by Snapchat. Some significant examples include:

• Instagram Stories – This feature was inspired by Snapchat’s disappearing story format.
• AR Filters & Face Effects – Initially exclusive to Snapchat before being incorporated into Instagram.
• Direct Messages with Self-Destructing Chats – A concept that Snapchat first introduced, which later appeared in Instagram and WhatsApp.

It is worth noting that Meta once made a substantial multi-billion-dollar offer to purchase Snapchat, which Spiegel turned down in favour of maintaining the company’s independence.

While Spiegel’s modifications to his LinkedIn profile might seem like a light-hearted gesture, it brings back the ongoing dialogue about innovation versus imitation within the tech landscape. As social media platforms strive to enhance user engagement, companies such as Meta are often scrutinised for prioritising the replication of successful ideas rather than generating original innovations.