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meta
Technology WhatsApp tests 'Offers & Updates' folder to declutter business chats
WhatsApp is testing a new 'Offers & Updates' folder that automatically moves messages from large businesses such as banks and airlines into a separate chat folder after a predefined period of up to 24 hours, according to a GSM Arena report carried by ANI. Users can disable the feature but cannot set custom timing. The feature currently applies only to large businesses, with an extension to small businesses under exploration.
Technology Meta Outlines Stricter Safeguards for Prominent Accounts After PM Modi Post Incident
Meta has communicated to the Indian government enhanced safeguards for content posted by Prime Minister Modi and other prominent accounts, including multiple review levels by senior officials. This follows a brief restriction of Modi's Facebook post due to an AI filter glitch, which the government deemed inadequately explained.
Business Meta shares fall 11% as investor frustration grows over $130bn AI spending plans
Meta shares fell 11% on Wednesday after Q2 results revealed a 14% profit drop despite 28% revenue growth. Investors balked at CEO Mark Zuckerberg's plan to spend $130bn-$145bn this year, mostly on AI. The company also announced plans to sell AI models to other businesses.
Technology WhatsApp Launches Browser-Based Web Calling with Call Transfer and Waiting Room
Meta-owned WhatsApp launched browser-based web calling, allowing users to make and receive audio and video calls directly from their browsers without a desktop app. The update also introduces call transfer between devices, a waiting room for call links with host approval, and audio/video enhancements including QuickHD and noise suppression. The features are rolling out gradually.
Technology Bombay High Court to Hear Gadkari's Suit Against Meta, X, Google Over Deepfakes on August 5
The Bombay High Court has scheduled August 5 for hearing Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's civil suit against Meta, X Corp, Google LLC and unknown persons over defamatory deepfakes and AI-generated posts. Gadkari alleges the fake content falsely portrays him as personally responsible for the ethanol-blending programme and claims financial benefit to him and his family, causing irreparable harm to his reputation and personality rights.
Meta's NameTag Face Recognition: Code Exists, Feature 'Doesn't' – What Enterprise Buyers Must Know
WIRED reports that Meta's NameTag face recognition code was embedded in the Meta AI app since January 2025, but Meta executives claim the feature does not exist. CTO Andrew Bosworth described it in detail on a podcast, while VP Andy Stone stated it doesn't exist. The code was removed after WIRED's story. The incident highlights challenges for enterprise buyers in verifying AI product claims.
Technology Meta Appeals Landmark Verdict in Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Over Platform Design
Meta has appealed a landmark social media addiction verdict in Los Angeles, challenging the jury's finding that its platform design harmed a young user. The appeal follows a $3 million damages award plus $3 million in punitive damages. A similar New Mexico case resulted in a $375 million penalty against Meta.
Business Micron overtakes Meta in market value as AI boom fuels rally
Micron Technology's market capitalization surpassed Meta Platforms and Tesla on Thursday, driven by a strong fourth-quarter forecast and $22 billion in customer commitments for AI memory chips. The rally reflects surging demand for memory and storage products powering artificial intelligence systems.
Technology IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw orders MeitY to summon Meta over Instagram child abuse ads: Report
India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to summon Meta over Instagram advertisements that promoted child sexual abuse material, according to a report from The Times of India.
Technology Indian Government Summons Meta Over Instagram Ads Promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has ordered Meta to explain Instagram ads that promoted child sexual abuse material, as revealed by a BBC investigation. The ads used explicit search terms and linked to Telegram channels selling the content for as little as ₹99. Meta says it has removed the ads and suspended accounts. This marks the second government action against Meta this week, following a notice on WhatsApp's usernames feature.
Meta Faces Privacy Backlash Over AI Tool That Generates Images from Public Instagram Profiles
Meta's new AI image generator, Muse Image, allows users to create pictures using other people's public Instagram profile pictures without telling them. Privacy groups and regulators have criticised the feature, warning it facilitates non-consensual AI-altered images. Meta says users can opt out via a separate setting.
Technology Meta's New AI Image Model Uses Public Instagram Photos by Default—Here's How to Opt Out
Meta launched its Muse Image AI model, allowing users to generate AI images using public Instagram profiles. Public accounts are automatically opted in; users must manually opt out to prevent their photos from being used. This raises privacy concerns for enterprise professionals managing brand presence.
Technology Yann LeCun's new AI startup AMI Labs raises $1bn to build flexible intelligence beyond LLMs
Yann LeCun, former Meta chief AI scientist, has founded AMI Labs to develop a new AI architecture called JEPA, which aims to overcome the limitations of large language models (LLMs) in understanding the physical world. The startup raised over $1bn in seed funding from Nvidia and Jeff Bezos' private investment fund, marking one of Europe's largest seed rounds.
Technology Meta Charges Subscription for Smart Glasses Features, Signaling Hardware Monetization Shift
Meta has begun charging a monthly subscription for advanced features on its Ray-Ban, Oakley, and branded smart glasses. Users get three free hours of Conversation Focus per month, then must subscribe to the Meta One Premium Plan for up to 15 hours. An expert says this move is about extracting value from the user base rather than recovering AI costs, and it sets a precedent for hardware monetization that enterprise buyers should watch.
Technology Meta Contractors Posed as Teens to Prompt Rival Chatbots About Suicide, Sex, and Drugs
Hundreds of contractors working for Meta were instructed to pose as minors and probe competitor chatbots on suicide, sex, and drugs. The project, managed by Covalen and called Cannes, targeted ChatGPT, Gemini, and Character.AI, running over 45,000 prompts. Meta defended it as routine safety testing.
Technology WhatsApp Usernames Arrive This Week: How to Reserve Yours and Protect Privacy
WhatsApp begins rolling out usernames globally this week, allowing users to connect without sharing phone numbers. The feature, designed with privacy in mind, includes optional four-digit PIN security and protects celebrity names. Reservation opens in the Settings > Account > Username tab.
Technology Google Limits Meta’s Use of Its Gemini AI Models Due to Compute Constraints
Google has placed limits on Meta’s use of its Gemini AI models after the social media company sought more computing capacity than Google could provide. The shortfall disrupted and delayed some of Meta’s internal AI projects, according to the Financial Times. The incident underscores the broader industry struggle to secure enough computing power for AI workloads.
Technology Amazon Drops OpenAI Film, Data Center Workers Rebel, Meta Leaks Employee Data
This week's Uncanny Valley podcast covers three major stories: Amazon MGM Studios drops a film about OpenAI's Sam Altman; data center workers, including electricians and Amazon employees, push back against construction and working conditions; and Meta pauses an employee-tracking program after an internal data leak. The stories highlight growing tensions in AI, labor, and corporate surveillance.
Business Kunal Shah: Indian Fintech Founder Appointed to Lead WhatsApp After Meta's $900m Cred Investment
Meta has appointed Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech start-up Cred, as the new head of WhatsApp. The appointment follows Meta's $900m investment in Cred and comes as WhatsApp seeks to expand beyond messaging into payments, business services, and AI. Shah, who built FreeCharge and Cred, brings deep startup ecosystem experience.
Technology Meta Halts Worker Tracking for AI Training Amid Privacy Backlash
Meta has paused a company-wide initiative that tracked employee mouse clicks and keystrokes for AI training, following privacy fears and a petition signed by nearly 2,000 workers. The program, called the Model Capability Initiative, was halted after data was left potentially accessible to all employees.
Meta Launches $299 Smart Glasses With Own Branding, Drop Ray-Ban Name
Meta announced three new smart glasses models—Adventurer, Fury, and Starfire—priced at $299, dropping Ray-Ban branding in favor of Meta's own name. The glasses offer adjustable comfort, customizable frames, and 8-hour battery life. A Kylie Jenner collaboration brings custom AI voice and design. Meta competes with Snap's recently launched AR Specs.
E-Commerce & Marketplaces Kunal Shah Exits CRED CEO Role to Run WhatsApp as Meta Invests $900 Million
Kunal Shah is leaving CRED's CEO position to head WhatsApp globally, as Meta invests roughly $900 million for a 20% stake in CRED, valuing it at $4.5 billion post-money. Mark Zuckerberg announced the move, with Will Cathcart stepping aside for a new product role and Miten Sampat taking over as interim CRED CEO.
Business Meta Invests $900 Million in Cred, Elevates Founder Kunal Shah to Lead WhatsApp Globally
Meta Platforms is investing $900 million in fintech Cred, valuing it at $4.5 billion, and elevating founder Kunal Shah to lead WhatsApp globally. Shah will succeed Will Cathcart, relocating to California, while Miten Sampat becomes interim Cred CEO. The deal underscores Meta's push to monetize WhatsApp in India through payments and business messaging.
Technology Meta Pauses Employee-Tracking Program After Internal Data Exposure Incident
Meta has paused its employee-tracking program, the Model Compatibility Initiative (MCI), after an internal security notice revealed that databases containing sensitive worker data were exposed to all employees. The program, which collected computer inputs for AI training, had faced protests from staff over privacy concerns.
Technology Meta Exposed Data Internally From Its Controversial Employee-Tracking Program
Meta accidentally exposed potentially sensitive data from its employee-tracking program, including keystrokes and screen content, to all company employees. The incident, involving 45,000 hive tables, has been resolved but adds to ongoing morale and privacy concerns.
Business Jio Platforms Files for India's Largest IPO: $4 Billion Raise, Meta and Google Backing, AI Ambitions
Jio Platforms has filed draft papers for a $4 billion IPO, aiming to be India's largest-ever public issue. The fresh-issue-only offering will value the company at roughly $137 billion. Proceeds will primarily reduce debt, with Reliance Industries retaining control. Key backers include Meta (9.99%) and Google (7.73%).
Meta's RADAR Automates Low-Risk Code Review, Cutting Review Time by 330%
Meta has deployed RADAR, a multi-funnel automated system that risk-stratifies code diffs to accelerate low-risk reviews. The system has reviewed over 535,000 diffs and landed 331,000+, reducing median time to close by over 330% and median review wall time by 35%, while achieving a production incident rate 1/50 that of non-RADAR diffs.
LLaMA 3.1's Ethical Reasoning Reveals Frame-Conditioned Moral Computation, Researchers Find
A mechanistic interpretability audit of Meta's LLaMA 3.1-8B-Instruct on 54 moral prompts reveals that the model's ethical reasoning is highly sensitive to surface features of the prompt, a phenomenon called Frame-Conditioned Moral Computation. The study, using the Transluce platform, found domain-specific representations dominate activation lists and that RLHF may re-order surface text without removing underlying biases. The authors call for a new research program, Mechanistic Alignment, to supplement behavioral alignment.
Technology Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth Admits AI Reorganization Was 'Atrocious' in Internal Memo
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth admitted in an internal memo that the company's rollout of its new Applied AI division was 'atrocious,' following widespread employee dissatisfaction. The memo outlines plans to improve communication, limit manager spans, and boost morale through better microkitchens and travel budgets.
Technology Instagram expands algorithm personalization, but not for accounts you follow
Instagram has expanded its algorithm personalization feature to the main feed, allowing users to control which topics they see more or less of. However, the feature does not support requests to see more posts from accounts the user follows, a limitation that frustrates creators and businesses. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri explained that the change is powered by large language models and aims to give users more agency, but acknowledged that the decline of the 'following' feed was a consequence of shifting user behavior.
Meta Enlists Pentagon Supplier Rank One Computing to Prototype Face Recognition for Smart Glasses
Meta licensed face-recognition software from Rank One Computing, a company that sells surveillance tools to police and military, for its smart glasses. The arrangement reveals the blurring line between military surveillance tech and consumer devices, as dormant code was found in the Meta AI app.
Technology Threats Against Politicians Skyrocketed After Meta Changed Its Speech Rules
After Meta overhauled its content moderation rules last year, abusive and racist comments targeting lawmakers tripled, with violent threats and hate speech quadrupling, according to new research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The findings highlight the real-world consequences of platform policy changes.
Technology Reliance and Meta Partner to Build AI-Enabled Data Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced a partnership with Meta Platforms, Inc to develop a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, within two years. Meta will lease the capacity, marking its first built-to-suit data centre in India. The facility will be powered by renewable energy and cooled with desalinated seawater, aligning with India's strategic national infrastructure priorities.
Technology Founders from Goldman and Meta build voice AI for Africa and Middle East markets
AethexAI, a startup founded by former Goldman Sachs and Meta employees, has raised $3 million in pre-seed funding to build voice AI for customer service in Africa and the Middle East. The company uses its own small models (Kora series) to handle local dialects of English, French, and Arabic, addressing latency and accuracy issues plaguing larger models in these regions. It currently processes over 17,000 calls per day.
Meta confirms thousands of Instagram accounts were hacked by abusing its AI chatbot
Meta confirmed that hackers abused a flaw in its AI chatbot to reset passwords for thousands of Instagram accounts, affecting at least 20,225 users. The attack exploited a bug that allowed the chatbot to send password reset links to unverified email addresses. This incident underscores the security risks enterprises face when deploying AI chatbots for account management and authentication.
Technology Meta Platforms Hit by Major Outage: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram Down
On June 12, 2026, Meta's social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger – experienced a significant outage starting around 9 AM ET. Down Detector reported over 120,000 user complaints for Facebook alone. Meta's VP of Communications confirmed the company is aware and working on the issue.
Trade Meta Employee Detained by Immigration Agents Post-Layoff
A former Meta employee was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement following a layoff on May 20. The incident raises concerns about the treatment of immigrant tech workers in the US.
Technology Meta Employees Revolt Against Zuckerberg's Companywide AI Hackathon Plan
Mark Zuckerberg announced a companywide AI hackathon for July, but employees responded with anger and disbelief, citing layoffs, increased workload, and low morale. Internal messages seen by WIRED show many feel they lack time and incentive to participate. Meta declined to comment.
Meta's AI Unit Chaos: Employee Outbursts, Layoffs, and Morale Crisis
An employee outburst during a Meta all-hands livestream reflects deep unrest in the company's Applied AI unit. WIRED reports on widespread dissatisfaction among 6,500 engineers assigned to menial tasks, along with 8,000 recent layoffs and a petition against employee monitoring for AI training data. Leaders acknowledge the turmoil.
Technology Meta Partners with RIL for AI Data Centre in India
Meta has partnered with Reliance Industries to establish a 168-megawatt AI data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This collaboration marks Meta's first AI data centre deal in India, highlighting the country's growing appeal for AI infrastructure investments.
Technology Meta Faces Scrutiny Over Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Misuse
Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses face legal scrutiny in Pennsylvania due to misuse concerns. Lawmakers propose new safety laws requiring visible recording indicators. Meta emphasizes responsible use and targets modification services.
Technology EU Directs Meta to Allow Rival AI Chatbots on WhatsApp
The European Union has mandated Meta to allow rival AI chatbots access to WhatsApp, reversing a previous ban. This interim measure comes amid an ongoing antitrust investigation into Meta's practices.
Technology Meta's $115M Initiative to Train Data Center Builders
Meta has launched America's Workforce Academy, a $115 million initiative to train Americans for data center construction roles. The program offers free five-week courses with employment opportunities and industry-recognized certifications.
NordVPN Enhances VR Privacy on Meta Horizon
NordVPN is now available on Meta Horizon, allowing users to install it directly on Quest headsets. This simplifies the process of securing VR activities by providing full-device encryption.
Technology AI's Role in Transforming Supply Chains: Insights from Meta
Naomi Gleit, Meta's longest-serving employee, discusses the transformative impact of AI on supply chains. She highlights Meta's strategic initiatives and the broader implications for global trade.
Technology AI in Supply Chain: Transforming Global Trade Efficiency
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping global supply chains by enhancing efficiency and reducing costs. Key players like Agrizy are leveraging AI to streamline product development, while Hinge uses AI to improve user engagement. This article explores these innovations and their impact on international trade.