Meta

Meta is updating its smart glasses to disable the camera if the privacy LED light is tampered with, addressing modders who have physically altered the light. The update follows previous attempts to prevent tampering by alerting users when the light is blocked.

Meta developed an AI detection tool to identify images and videos generated using its new models. The tool has rate limits, though the reason is unspecified.

Microsoft is offering laid-off US employees up to 39 weeks of base pay as severance, with variations based on seniority and tenure. The company announced plans to lay off around 4,800 employees, primarily affecting sales and Xbox gaming teams.

Meta has launched Muse, a new AI image generator, with applications in advertising, decorating, and creator-based opportunities.

Meta’s Muse Image model rollout allows AI-generated use of public Instagram photos unless users opt out. Public account holders must actively block this feature to prevent their content from being used in AI images.

Cheyenne, Wyoming, officials identified a rare bacterium in the city's wastewater treatment facility linked to a Meta data center under construction. The contamination originated from fill-and-flush operations by Goat Systems, a Meta contractor, which led to the revocation of industrial discharge privileges and a halt on wastewater from data centers. The bacterium affected the city's recycled water system used for irrigation, not the drinking water supply.

Meta's new Muse Image model accepts Instagram accounts as prompts and is used for effects in Stories and image generation in WhatsApp.

Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy is launching in Baton Rouge as an $115 million initiative to train workers. The program was announced in June, with local details now emerging.

Meta has released Muse Spark Image, its first image model since Mark Zuckerberg's AI overhaul. The model will be integrated into Meta's AI chatbot and the Instagram photo app.

Amazon is returning to the bond market to raise $25 billion or more for AI-related expenses, joining other Big Tech companies like Alphabet and Meta in increasing borrowing as cash flows reach limits. Borrowing costs are rising, with Amazon's upcoming bond prices higher than its previous debt issuance despite tighter credit spreads for major borrowers.

Meta faces a $1.4 trillion penalty demand from four states ahead of an August trial. The trial addresses claims that Facebook and Instagram were designed to addict minors.

Meta is facing a $1.4 trillion lawsuit from four US states over the addictive designs of its social media platforms. The legal action alleges that Meta's platform features are intentionally designed to promote addiction.

Ohio residential summer electricity bills are projected to average $800, a 17% increase from last year's $682, driven by rising energy demand from data centers and manufacturing. A report by Third Way highlights challenges in meeting demand affordably and notes Ohioans faced a 108% spike in bills last summer. Financial struggles are worsening, with one in six U.S. households behind on utility payments.

Nigeria's President Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate Meta, Google, X, and AI platforms over complaints from major media organizations. The media groups allege anti-competitive practices, unauthorized use of news content, and unfair commercial treatment by these global tech companies.

The US stock market rose as chip stocks led a Big Tech rally driven by renewed AI sector momentum. Broadcom extended its semiconductor supply deal with Apple until 2031, while investors anticipate Samsung's earnings and SK Hynix's potential $28 billion US listing.

Tinubu directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate Meta, Google, X, and AI platforms over complaints from Nigeria’s major media organizations. The media groups accused the tech companies of anti-competitive practices, unauthorized use of news content, and unfair commercial treatment.

Xbox’s CEO states the business is 'not healthy' as Microsoft prepares for 3,200 layoffs. The company’s shares have dropped 20% this year, joining peers like Meta and Oracle in using layoffs to offset rising AI development costs.

A Shenzhen-based startup founded by a former Apple Watch engineer is developing a $1 billion smart glasses product to compete with Meta. The company aims to challenge Meta's position in the fast-growing smart glasses market.

Microsoft announced layoffs of 4,800 employees, primarily affecting sales and Xbox divisions, as part of cost-cutting measures to fund AI infrastructure investments. The cuts include 1,600 roles in Xbox, which plans to reduce its workforce by 20% this fiscal year. The move reflects broader trends in Big Tech, with companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google also implementing job reductions.

Meta introduced optional WhatsApp usernames as a privacy feature, but reusing Instagram or Facebook handles risks linking accounts across Meta's ecosystem, increasing data correlation and social-engineering risks. The Dutch consumer organization Consumentenbond advises choosing a unique WhatsApp-only username to avoid these privacy issues.

Chikara Kennedy was laid off from Meta in 2023 and started a coaching business in 2024, earning 50% less than her previous salary. She moved to Mexico to reduce expenses and improve her quality of life, stating she now feels better overall despite the financial transition.

Meta bosses are being questioned over a decision to reduce 'censorship' on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which a royal commission into antisemitism claims may have increased hate speech. The company shifted policy in January 2025 to prioritize removing only illegal or very serious violations, relying on user reports for less severe breaches.

Meta is experiencing increased regulatory scrutiny in India due to child abuse advertisements on Instagram, which has led to government backlash. India hosts the largest user base for Meta's platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

A beloved local sushi restaurant has closed after 20 years in business, with the owner attributing the closure to Meta. The restaurant was forced to shutter despite its long-standing presence in the community.

Mark Zuckerberg promotes Meta's smart glasses, claiming they enable clear communication even on a jet ski. He highlights features like built-in displays, gesture navigation via Neural Band, and a market potential of 2 billion glasses-wearers. Meta's AI-enabled eyewear sales tripled in a year, with Zuckerberg predicting they are 'some of the fastest growing consumer electronics in history.'

The government's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has ordered Instagram to disable ads and content promoting child sexual abuse material (CSEAM) and demanded a detailed explanation within seven days.

Meta's data center water discharges in Cheyenne have been suspended after a contractor contaminated the reuse water system, leading to environmental concerns.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is considering offering a 5% stake in the company to the U.S. if competitors like Meta, Google, and Anthropic agree to similar terms, according to the Financial Times. Altman has met with President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Sen. Bernie Sanders to discuss public ownership of AI companies, aiming to align OpenAI with government interests and avoid the fate of Anthropic.

Sam Altman is considering offering a 5% stake in OpenAI to the U.S. if competitors like Meta, Google, and Anthropic also contribute 5% to the public. Altman met with President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss the plan, which aims to align OpenAI with government interests and avoid a similar fate to Anthropic.

US clean power prices are projected to increase significantly as rising AI demand overlaps with the end of Biden-era subsidies. Companies like Google and Meta, which rely on clean power purchase agreements, will face higher costs due to reduced federal support.

Meta's cloud plan triggered a global memory-chip market decline, impacting regions from Seoul to Wall Street. The article highlights Asia's AI boom as a connected trade and its implications for Latin America.

Meta has reduced its employee keystroke-tracking program following worker backlash, allowing workers to pause data collection for 30 minutes and some to opt out.

An employee describes how AI tools are being used to interpret and respond to workplace communication, leading to a phenomenon called 'socially offloading' where human skills like empathy and relationship-building are outsourced to AI. Skillsoft's AI tool CAISY aims to teach interpersonal skills through practice, but concerns persist about reliance on AI eroding critical communication abilities. Meta's restructuring, including a 25,000-job cut and a 1:50 manager-to-engineer ratio, highlights broader workplace shifts contributing to the issue.

Mark Zuckerberg reportedly admitted that Meta's layoffs were ineffective. The article highlights his acknowledgment of the failure of recent workforce reductions.

The government is summoning Meta for action over Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material. It also questioned Meta about potential cybercrime risks from WhatsApp's new feature under the IT Act.

The article discusses six 20th-century thinkers—Jane Jacobs, E.F. Schumacher, Wendell Berry, Buckminster Fuller, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.—who warned about systemic failures when decision-makers become disconnected from those affected. It highlights current issues like corporate consolidation, housing unaffordability, poverty, and infrastructure challenges as evidence of this 'catastrophe.'

MMA fighter Dustin Lampros, known as 561 Predator Catcher, works to expose suspected child predators by creating fake online profiles and coordinating with decoys. He confronts targets in person, records interactions, and provides evidence to police, having caught multiple individuals including a law enforcement officer and teachers.

Mark Zuckerberg stated that AI agent development has not accelerated as expected. On the same day, Meta expanded its Meta Business Agent globally for businesses on Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Meta's AI chief Alexandr Wang stated that the company's upcoming Watermelon AI model matches OpenAI's GPT-5.5 in performance. Meta is intensifying its AI investments to close the gap with competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, with Watermelon using significantly more computational resources than its predecessor, Avocado (Muse Spark).

Mark Zuckerberg told staff at an internal meeting that AI development efforts at Meta have not progressed as quickly as expected. The Meta CEO reportedly expressed disappointment with the pace of AI agent advancements.