WEATHER ALERT
Meta's third-quarter profit surges 35% reflecting strong ad revenue and its AI push
Read full article: Meta's third-quarter profit surges 35% reflecting strong ad revenue and its AI pushMeta Platforms Inc. has posted stronger-than-expected third-quarter results fueled by its advertising revenue growth and its push to incorporate artificial intelligence.
Meta lays off staff at WhatsApp and Instagram to align with 'strategic goals'
Read full article: Meta lays off staff at WhatsApp and Instagram to align with 'strategic goals'Meta says it has laid off some employees, including staff at WhatsApp And Instagram, to realign its resources with its “strategic goals.”.
Civilization 7 makers work with Shawnee to bring sincere representation of the tribe to the game
Read full article: Civilization 7 makers work with Shawnee to bring sincere representation of the tribe to the gameThe chief of the Shawnee Tribe grew up playing video games, including hundreds of hours colonizing a distant planet in the 1999 title Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.
Meta unveils cheaper VR headset, AI updates and shows off prototype for holographic AR glasses
Read full article: Meta unveils cheaper VR headset, AI updates and shows off prototype for holographic AR glassesMeta has unveiled updates to the company’s virtual reality headset and Ray Ban smart glasses along as it tries to demonstrate its artificial intelligence prowess and the next generation of computing platforms beyond smartphones and computers.
With Musk's X banned in Brazil, its users carve out new digital homes
Read full article: With Musk's X banned in Brazil, its users carve out new digital homesAs billionaire Elon Musk’s clash with a Brazilian Supreme Court justice came to a head last week, there were legal twists, insults, ultimatums, defiance and then, finally, capitulation.
New Trump book defends 2018 Putin meeting, taunts rivals and threatens to imprison Meta's Zuckerberg
Read full article: New Trump book defends 2018 Putin meeting, taunts rivals and threatens to imprison Meta's ZuckerbergIn a new book, former President Donald Trump threatens to imprison Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg if the tech mogul does anything akin to his 2020 donations that helped fund local election offices.
Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic
Read full article: Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemicMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to “censor” some COVID-19 content during the pandemic.
Facebook parent Meta posts stronger-than-expected Q2 results, sending shares higher after hours
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta posts stronger-than-expected Q2 results, sending shares higher after hoursInvestments in artificial intelligence will account for a significant increase in Facebook parent company Meta’s expenses in the coming year, but stronger-than-expected revenue from its advertising business was enough to reassure investors that its business is on the right track.
Technology's grip on modern life is pushing us down a dimly lit path of digital land mines
Read full article: Technology's grip on modern life is pushing us down a dimly lit path of digital land mines“Move fast and break things,” a high-tech mantra popularized 20 years ago by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, was supposed to be a rallying cry for game-changing innovation.
New Mexico judge grants Mark Zuckerberg’s request to be dropped from child safety lawsuit
Read full article: New Mexico judge grants Mark Zuckerberg’s request to be dropped from child safety lawsuitA New Mexico judge has granted Mark Zuckerberg's request to be dropped from a lawsuit that alleges his company has failed to protect young users on its social media platforms from sexual exploitation.
Democratic officials criticize Meta ad policy, saying it amplifies lies about 2020 election
Read full article: Democratic officials criticize Meta ad policy, saying it amplifies lies about 2020 electionSeveral Democrats serving as their state’s top election officials have sent a letter to the parent company of Facebook, asking it to stop allowing ads that claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Judge dismisses Meta shareholder lawsuit claiming that directors' obligations extend beyond company
Read full article: Judge dismisses Meta shareholder lawsuit claiming that directors' obligations extend beyond companyA Delaware judge has dismissed a shareholder lawsuit asserting novel claims about the roles of corporate leaders and arguing that the loyalties of Meta directors and company founder Mark Zuckerberg should not lie exclusively with the social media giant.
Meta more than doubles Q1 profit but revenue guidance pulls shares down after-hours
Read full article: Meta more than doubles Q1 profit but revenue guidance pulls shares down after-hoursFacebook and Instagram parent company Meta says its first-quarter profit more than doubled, boosted by higher advertising revenue and a 6% increase on the average price of ads on its platforms.
Meta's newest AI model beats some peers. But its amped-up AI agents are confusing Facebook users
Read full article: Meta's newest AI model beats some peers. But its amped-up AI agents are confusing Facebook usersGenerative AI is advancing so quickly that the latest chatbots available today could be out of date tomorrow.
Wisconsin voters approve ban on private money support for elections
Read full article: Wisconsin voters approve ban on private money support for electionsPrivate money to fund elections will be banned in Wisconsin after voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday put forward by Republicans in reaction to grants received in 2020 that were funded by donations from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Meta attorneys ask judge to dismiss shareholder suit alleging failure to address human trafficking
Read full article: Meta attorneys ask judge to dismiss shareholder suit alleging failure to address human traffickingAttorneys for Meta and founder Mark Zuckerberg are seeking dismissal of shareholder lawsuit alleging the company has deliberately failed to protect users of its social media platforms from human trafficking and child sexual exploitation.
A party like no other? Asia's richest man celebrates son's prenuptials with a star-studded bash
Read full article: A party like no other? Asia's richest man celebrates son's prenuptials with a star-studded bashTycoons from around the world, heads of state, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood stars have descended on the small western Indian city of Jamnagar, where billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani is kickstarting a big fat wedding celebration for his youngest son.
Zuckerberg meets LG, Samsung chiefs in Seoul as Meta ramps up AI ambitions
Read full article: Zuckerberg meets LG, Samsung chiefs in Seoul as Meta ramps up AI ambitionsMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has discussed cooperation on extended reality devices with LG Electronics executives as part of his visit to South Korea that highlights Meta’s ambitions in artificial intelligence.
'Burn Book' torches tech titans in veteran reporter's tale of love and loathing in Silicon Valley
Read full article: 'Burn Book' torches tech titans in veteran reporter's tale of love and loathing in Silicon ValleyTechnology is so pervasive and invasive that it’s polarizing people, producing feelings of love and loathing for its devices, online services and the would-be visionaries behind them.
This Florida student is tracking celebrity planes online. Here’s who they are
Read full article: This Florida student is tracking celebrity planes online. Here’s who they areThe student has been tracking the takeoffs and landings of planes and helicopters owned by these various public figures online.
Oversight board urges Meta to rethink its policy on manipulated media in high-stakes election year
Read full article: Oversight board urges Meta to rethink its policy on manipulated media in high-stakes election yearAn oversight board is criticizing Facebook owner Meta's policies on manipulated media as “incoherent” and insufficient to address online disinformation in a major election year.
Meta posts sharp profit, revenue increase in Q4 thanks to cost cuts and advertising rebound
Read full article: Meta posts sharp profit, revenue increase in Q4 thanks to cost cuts and advertising reboundMeta Platforms Inc_ tripled its profit and posted sharply higher revenue in the final quarter of 2023, boosted by a rebound in digital advertising as well cost cutting and layoffs in what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the “year of efficiency.”.
Mark Zuckerberg's long apology tour: A brief history
Read full article: Mark Zuckerberg's long apology tour: A brief historyMark Zuckerberg has accumulated a long history of public apologies, often issued in the wake of crisis or when Facebook users rose up against unannounced — and frequently unappreciated — changes in its service.
Nevada attorney general launches go-it-alone lawsuits against social media firms in state court
Read full article: Nevada attorney general launches go-it-alone lawsuits against social media firms in state courtNevada’s attorney general has launched a go-it-alone legal fight accusing TikTok, Snapchat and Meta of creating what one lawsuit calls “an addiction machine” that exploits children too young to have self-control.
Meta, TikTok, other social media CEOs to testify before Senate committee on child exploitation
Read full article: Meta, TikTok, other social media CEOs to testify before Senate committee on child exploitationSexual predators. Addictive features. Self-harm and eating disorders. Unrealistic beauty standards. Bullying. These are just some of the issues young people are dealing with on social media — and children’s advocates and lawmakers say companies are not doing enough to protect them.
Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitation
Read full article: Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitationThe CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies have testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child safety on their platforms.
Meta attorneys ask judge to dismiss suit claiming that directors' obligations extend beyond company
Read full article: Meta attorneys ask judge to dismiss suit claiming that directors' obligations extend beyond companyAttorneys for Meta and Mark Zuckerberg are asking a Delaware judge to dismiss a shareholder lawsuit asserting that the loyalties of company directors should not lie exclusively with the social media giant.
Facebook parent sued by New Mexico alleging it has failed to shield children from predators
Read full article: Facebook parent sued by New Mexico alleging it has failed to shield children from predatorsNew Mexico's attorney general is suing the parent company of Facebook and Instagram claiming it failed to protect underage users from exposure to child sexual abuse material and let adults solicit pornographic imagery from them.
A Meta engineer saw his own child face harassment on Instagram. Now, he's testifying before Congress
Read full article: A Meta engineer saw his own child face harassment on Instagram. Now, he's testifying before CongressOn the same day whistleblower Frances Haugen was testifying before Congress about the harms of Facebook and Instagram to children in the fall of 2021, Arturo Béjar, then a contractor at the social media giant, sent an email to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the same topic.
Facebook parent Meta posts sharply higher profit in 3Q thanks to increase in ad revenue
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta posts sharply higher profit in 3Q thanks to increase in ad revenueFacebook parent Meta has posted sharply higher earnings for the third quarter, boosted by an increase in advertising revenue and lower expenses after it laid off thousands of workers.
Meta and X questioned by lawmakers over lack of rules against AI-generated political deepfakes
Read full article: Meta and X questioned by lawmakers over lack of rules against AI-generated political deepfakesUS Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York sent a letter Thursday to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X CEO Linda Yaccarino expressing “serious concerns” about the emergence of AI-generated political ads on their platforms and asking each to explain any rules they’re crafting to curb the harms to free and fair elections.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicks off developer conference with focus on AI, virtual reality
Read full article: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicks off developer conference with focus on AI, virtual realityMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the tech giant’s Connect developer conference on Wednesday with a focus on virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
Parkland school shooting survivor develops Joy, an app built on AI that helps people heal
Read full article: Parkland school shooting survivor develops Joy, an app built on AI that helps people healKai Koerber was a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members on Valentine’s Day in 2018.
Tech industry leaders endorse regulating artificial intelligence at rare summit in Washington
Read full article: Tech industry leaders endorse regulating artificial intelligence at rare summit in WashingtonAt a closed-door Senate forum, tech leaders loosely endorsed the regulation of artificial intelligence.
For Mark Zuckerberg's Threads, the real rival is still TikTok -- not the former Twitter
Read full article: For Mark Zuckerberg's Threads, the real rival is still TikTok -- not the former TwitterThreads, the simple, bare-bones text-based social network created by Facebook owner Meta, burst onto the scene during a particularly bad week for the rival then still known as Twitter.
Republican-led committee calls off vote to hold Meta's Mark Zuckerberg in contempt
Read full article: Republican-led committee calls off vote to hold Meta's Mark Zuckerberg in contemptA House committee has called off a vote on a recommendation that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg be held in contempt of Congress for failing to fully supply documents related to an investigation into supposed censorship of conservatives by tech companies.
Facebook parent Meta makes public its ChatGPT rival Llama
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta makes public its ChatGPT rival LlamaFacebook parent company Meta Platforms has built an artificial intelligence system that rivals the likes of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard but it’s taking a different approach: releasing it for free.
Quick grants from tech billionaires aim to speed up science research. But not all scientists approve
Read full article: Quick grants from tech billionaires aim to speed up science research. But not all scientists approvePatrick Collison, the now 34-year-old billionaire CEO of the online payments company Stripe, and economist Tyler Cowen worried scientific progress seemed to be slowing down.
'Clone' or competitor? Users and lawyers compare Twitter and Threads
Read full article: 'Clone' or competitor? Users and lawyers compare Twitter and ThreadsIn a cease-and-desist letter earlier this week, Twitter threatened legal action against Instagram parent company Meta over the new text-based app, Threads.
Meta's new Twitter rival app Threads gets tens of millions of sign-ups in its first day
Read full article: Meta's new Twitter rival app Threads gets tens of millions of sign-ups in its first dayTens of millions of people have quickly signed up to Meta’s new app, Threads, as it aims to compete with Twitter.
Facebook owner wants preteens to step into virtual reality with its Quest headset
Read full article: Facebook owner wants preteens to step into virtual reality with its Quest headsetThe corporate parent of Facebook and Instagram plans to open a digital gateway for kids as young as 10 years old to enter virtual reality through the Meta Quest headset, despite rising concerns about children spending too much time on social media.
Recalled pillows linked to 10 infant deaths still being sold on Facebook Marketplace, US agency says
Read full article: Recalled pillows linked to 10 infant deaths still being sold on Facebook Marketplace, US agency saysFederal safety regulators are urging consumers to stop using baby pillows that have been linked to 10 infant deaths but are still being sold on Facebook Marketplace, despite being recalled two years ago.
Apple unveils a $3,500 headset as it wades into the world of virtual reality
Read full article: Apple unveils a $3,500 headset as it wades into the world of virtual realityApple has unveiled a long-rumored headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter’s ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public’s imagination.
Delaware judge refuses to dismiss Facebook shareholder suit over user data privacy breaches
Read full article: Delaware judge refuses to dismiss Facebook shareholder suit over user data privacy breachesA Delaware judge has refused to dismiss a shareholder lawsuit alleging that Facebook officers and directors violated both the law and their fiduciary duties in failing for years to protect the privacy of user data.
MWC mobile tech fair to show off new phones, AI, metaverse
Read full article: MWC mobile tech fair to show off new phones, AI, metaverseThe latest folding-screen smartphones, immersive metaverse experiences, AI-powered chatbot avatars and other eye-catching technology are set to wow visitors at the annual MWC wireless trade fair.
GOP subpoenas tech CEOs as part of probe into censorship
Read full article: GOP subpoenas tech CEOs as part of probe into censorshipSubpoenas have been sent to the chief executives of the five largest tech companies as congressional Republicans moved to investigate what they assert is widespread corporate censorship of conservative voices.
Bill Gates joins 26 newcomers on list of 50 biggest donors
Read full article: Bill Gates joins 26 newcomers on list of 50 biggest donorsAs the ranks of America’s super wealthy grow, the roster of major philanthropists is expanding to include not-so-typical megadonors — among them, a professional clarinetist, a Ph.D. in meat science, and a lawyer who regularly argues before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Meta to buy VR startup Within after favorable court ruling
Read full article: Meta to buy VR startup Within after favorable court rulingA federal judge has sided with Facebook parent Meta and cleared the way for the company to buy virtual reality startup Within Unlimited, the maker of the popular fitness app Supernatural.
Meta posts lower Q4 profit, announces huge stock buyback
Read full article: Meta posts lower Q4 profit, announces huge stock buybackFacebook parent company Meta has posted another quarter of declining revenue, hurt by a downturn in the online advertising market and competition from rivals such as TikTok.
Facebook parent Meta will pay $725M to settle user data case
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta will pay $725M to settle user data caseFacebook’s corporate parent has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the world’s largest social media platform allowed millions of its users’ personal information to be fed to Cambridge Analytica.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes witness stand in FTC case
Read full article: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes witness stand in FTC caseMark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook parent company Meta, is on the witness stand in a California courtroom as part of the U.S. antitrust regulators' effort to stop the tech giant from buying a virtual reality startup.
Frustrated virtual reality pioneer leaves Facebook's parent
Read full article: Frustrated virtual reality pioneer leaves Facebook's parentA prominent video game creator who helped lead Facebook’s expansion into virtual reality has resigned from the social networking service’s corporate parent after becoming disillusioned with the way the technology is being managed.
FTC didn't stop Facebook-Instagram. How about Meta-Within?
Read full article: FTC didn't stop Facebook-Instagram. How about Meta-Within?Facebook parent Meta is sparring with the FTC over its pending acquisition of a virtual reality fitness company Within Unlimited in federal court in San Jose, California, where CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify as a witness.
Nonprofits strain to support voters in Georgia Senate race
Read full article: Nonprofits strain to support voters in Georgia Senate raceNonprofit organizations in Georgia are digging deep to ramp up their operations again after Election Day to inform voters about the closely watched runoff race for one of the state's Senate seats.
Musk's partisan tweets call Twitter neutrality into question
Read full article: Musk's partisan tweets call Twitter neutrality into questionElon Musk used his Twitter megaphone to appeal to “independent-minded voters” on Monday, urging them to vote Republican in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, stepping into the country’s political debate that tech company executives have for years worked to stay out of so their platforms wouldn’t be seen as favoring one side over the other.
Social media platforms brace for midterm elections mayhem
Read full article: Social media platforms brace for midterm elections mayhemSocial media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Twitter say they're taking steps to prevent the spread of misinformation about voting and elections ahead of next month's midterms.
Meta hits back in fight with FTC over VR company acquisition
Read full article: Meta hits back in fight with FTC over VR company acquisitionFacebook parent Meta struck back in its legal battle with federal regulators over its proposed acquisition of virtual-reality company Within Unlimited and its fitness app Supernatural.
Facebook owner Meta unveils $1,500 VR headset: Will it sell?
Read full article: Facebook owner Meta unveils $1,500 VR headset: Will it sell?Facebook parent Meta has unveiled a high-end virtual reality headset with the hope people will soon be using it to work in the virtual reality of the still-elusive place called the metaverse.
Star witness testifies at California sheriff's civil trial
Read full article: Star witness testifies at California sheriff's civil trialA former manager for a Silicon Valley security business that worked with Facebook has testified at a sheriff’s civil corruption trial that he and the company’s CEO agreed to provide political donations in exchange for concealed-weapons permits.
Officials probing whether Northeastern explosion was staged
Read full article: Officials probing whether Northeastern explosion was stagedLaw enforcement officials says authorities are examining whether the employee who reported an explosion at Northeastern University may have lied to investigators and staged the incident.
Facebook parent settles suit in Cambridge Analytica scandal
Read full article: Facebook parent settles suit in Cambridge Analytica scandalFacebook’s corporate parent has reached a tentative settlement in a lawsuit alleging the world’s largest social network service allowed millions of its users’ personal information to be fed to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump’s victorious presidential campaign in 2016.
Meta quieter on election misinformation as midterms loom
Read full article: Meta quieter on election misinformation as midterms loomFacebook owner Meta is quietly curtailing some safeguards designed to thwart voting misinformation or foreign interference in elections even as the U.S. midterms approach.
FTC acts to block Meta from buying VR company, fitness app
Read full article: FTC acts to block Meta from buying VR company, fitness appFederal regulators have taken legal action to block Facebook parent Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg from acquiring virtual reality company Within Unlimited and its fitness app Supernatural.
Google's parent reports slowest quarterly growth in 2 years
Read full article: Google's parent reports slowest quarterly growth in 2 yearsGoogle’s revenue growth during the past quarter decelerated to its slowest pace in two years as advertisers reined in their spending amid fears of an economic recession.
Sheryl Sandberg, longtime No. 2 exec at Facebook, steps down
Read full article: Sheryl Sandberg, longtime No. 2 exec at Facebook, steps downSheryl Sandberg, the No. 2 executive at Facebook owner Meta, who helped turn its business from startup to digital advertising empire while also taking blame for some of its biggest missteps along the way, is stepping down.
Social media hammered by mounting questions over advertising
Read full article: Social media hammered by mounting questions over advertisingSocial media has had a rough 2022 with lingering questions about advertising spending and a $44 billion takeover of Twitter that may or may not be happening, depending on which Elon Musk tweet you read.
Boards for Meta, Twitter face backlash from NY pension fund
Read full article: Boards for Meta, Twitter face backlash from NY pension fundA major New York pension fund that has invested in both Facebook’s corporate parent and Twitter believes it’s time to shake up the companies’ boards of directors because of their inability to keep violent content off their influential social media services.
Elon Musk asked to testify on Twitter by UK Parliament
Read full article: Elon Musk asked to testify on Twitter by UK ParliamentA British parliamentary committee scrutinizing draft online safety legislation has invited Elon Musk to discuss his plans to buy Twitter and the changes he’s proposing for the social media platform.
Nonprofits likely under fire as Senate explores ‘dark money’
Read full article: Nonprofits likely under fire as Senate explores ‘dark money’A Senate hearing on Wednesday is likely to produce fireworks as Republicans and Democrats square off over the role that foundations and nonprofits are playing in elections.
Zuckerberg money won't be in next round of aid for elections
Read full article: Zuckerberg money won't be in next round of aid for electionsThe nonprofit that distributed most of the $350 million in donations from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to election offices in 2020 says it won’t disburse similar donations this year.