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Meta kicks off first euro bond sale in latest test for tech sector

Facebook parent turns to global debt markets to finance rising AI infrastructure investments even as concerns emerge over the sustainability of the AI boom

Meta delays new business terms after outcry over web scraping of news sites

Meta said it was postponing the rollout of new terms for its business accounts after an outcry from media companies and open-web advocates who said the updated rules would allow the tech giant to scrape vast amounts of data and potentially build competing services. The new rules, originally scheduled to go into effect October 30, authorise Meta to use automated software such as web scrapers and bots to "index, cache, analyse, collect, retrieve, or crawl the domains, web pages, or URLs" associated with a business account. The terms would have applied to all business clients, regardless of opposition, and without payment for the extracted content. Critics say Meta would have been able to use the content to potentially build products such as AI services that could compete with news publishers. The new terms only apply to business accounts. Regular users of Meta's platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, can already have their posts scraped to train AI models as long as they are ...

Meta, TikTok and X lose UK legal battle over Ofcom's safety data demands

Meta, TikTok and X lost a legal challenge against UK regulator Ofcom over information demands under Britain's Online Safety Act, which aims to protect children from harmful and illegal content.

Meta eyes record $95 billion equity raise to fund AI infrastructure push

Meta plans $35 billion in stock offerings and a further $60 billion share sale programme to finance AI expansion, as heavy infrastructure spending strains its free cash flow

Meta's $25 bn penalty marks a massive win for New Mexico's attorney general

A judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in a New Mexico case stemming from a privacy scandal, an amount that dwarfs the state's projected $14.8 billion general fund revenue for fiscal 2028

US court orders Meta to pay $25 bn for misleading users on data privacy

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found 43 million violations of state consumer protection laws linked to the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal.

Australian govt to sue Facebook, TikTok for alleged breaches of ban

The country's online safety regulator, eSafety Commissioner, said in March it was investigating Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube for potentially failing to adhere to the law

Govt asks Meta to avoid algorithmic bias towards limited set of narratives

The government has asked Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, to ensure that its recommendation systems do not result in "disproportionate exposure of users to a single or limited set of narratives", and to step up checks on content that could cause public disorder or incite violence or other unlawful activity. The advisory by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), dated October 10, asked Meta to undertake appropriate measures to provide adequate context in relation to photographs, videos, graphics, or other content depicting ongoing public events, particularly where the authenticity, date, location or circumstances of such content may not be readily apparent to users. Although the advisory does not identify any specific incident that prompted its issuance, it comes amid protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision ..

Govt asks Meta to diversify recommendations, check misleading content

The government has asked Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, to ensure that its recommendation systems do not result in "disproportionate exposure of users to a single or limited set of narratives", and to step up checks on content that could cause public disorder or incite violence or other unlawful activity. The advisory by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), dated October 10, asked Meta to undertake appropriate measures to provide adequate context in relation to photographs, videos, graphics, or other content depicting ongoing public events, particularly where the authenticity, date, location or circumstances of such content may not be readily apparent to users. Although the advisory does not identify any specific incident that prompted its issuance, it comes amid protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision ..

Tired of AI slop? Facebook gives users more control over Feed and Reels

Facebook's new AI-powered tools let users specify what they want to see more or less of in Feed and Reels, with a 'Your algorithm' section to manage topics and refine recommendations

Meta bans TikTok advertisements on its platforms in US, six other countries

The move marks an escalation in the long-running rivalry between Meta and ByteDance, whose video-sharing app TikTok has emerged as one of Meta's most formidable competitors for user engagement

Meta says strengthened systems, deployed new LLMs to prevent, detect CSAM

Meta says a dedicated language model, AI sweeps and a red-teaming agent will help detect harmful ads, identify gaps in its defences and stop banned users returning

Meta launches $1,299 VR glasses-style headset to take on Apple's Vision Pro

Meta's new headset weighs about 100 grams after shifting its processor, battery and cooling system to an external pack, targeting a lighter and cheaper alternative to Apple's Vision Pro

Meta One brings paid features under one plan Check prices, features and more

Meta has launched Meta One, bringing paid features for Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook into individual subscriptions and bundles, while core services and everyday Meta AI use remain free.

Meta not merely an 'intermediary', but a 'service provider' too

The company, a senior government official said, will have to assume greater responsibility for content shared by users and distributed across its platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads

Meta not just an 'intermediary', has greater responsibility: Govt

Government officials made the comments a day after Meta agreed to report child safety-related matters directly to the cybercrime portal managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

Meta One bundles Meta's paid plans, AI services across its apps: What's new

Meta One subscription service brings plans with expanded AI usage, creative features and professional tools to Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp

NCPCR summons Meta India head Arun Srinivas again over CSAM issue

The child rights body has summoned Meta India head Arun Srinivas as part of its formal inquiry into alleged lapses in the company's policies on child safety and CSAM

Meta ran hundreds of ads showing AI child sexual abuse, NGO says

The ads collectively reached more than 29,000 people and typically used artificial intelligence to depict young children being molested, TTP said

Terms of engagement

If Meta is forced to abandon the engagement-algorithm for its most committed users, and if other platforms follow suit, the industry will undergo a tectonic shift