If Facebook’s dominance over social media platforms and instant messaging apps wasn’t enough, the brand is planning to jump into the operating system market as well.

According to a new report from The Information, Facebook is developing its own OS. The development of this new operating system is being led by Mark Lucovsky, who had earlier worked with Microsoft and contributed to the development of the Windows NT operating system. Since the OS is in the early stages of development, there isn’t much we know about it, not even its name.

Reportedly, Facebook has decided to develop its own OS to reduce its dependence on Google’s Android OS in the future. Facebook’s head of hardware, Andrew Bosworth, says “We really want to make sure the next generation has space for us,” and “We don’t think we can trust the marketplace or competitors to ensure that’s the case. And so we’re gonna do it ourselves.”

Facebook had recently acquired Oculus, a brand that makes VR headsets. Currently, all the VR devices offered by Oculus run on a modified version of Android. Facebook’s AR and VR head, Ficus Kirkpatrick, suggests that Facebook’s upcoming OS might make its way into the brand’s VR products. The report also hints that the new OS might make its way into the Portal lineup of devices.

Earlier this year, a few publications including Bloomberg and Financial Times had reported that Facebook is working on its custom chipset. Now that the brand has started developing its own operating system, the report from The Information hints towards the possibility that Facebook might be following Apple’s footsteps of offering products with its own software and hardware.

Our take

Protecting a user’s privacy is one of the crucial aspects of an operating system. Since Facebook has been at the center of various privacy scandals, we are not sure how trustworthy the brand’s upcoming OS would be.