Starting Wednesday, Meta says it will begin combining the Instagram accounts of the Second Lady of the United States, Usha Vance, and the former Second Gentleman of the United States, Doug Emhoff. As a result, the 1.2 million people who were previously following the Instagram account of Kamala Harris’s husband, @secondgentleman46archive (recently archived by the…
Category: Meta
AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, deepseek, deepseek-r1, Developer, developers, Global Security News, International, large language models, Llama, Meta, News, open source, openai, Security, Software
Developers Wanted: OpenAI Seeks Feedback About Open Model That Will Be Revealed ‘In the Coming Months’
Find out how to provide OpenAI with your input about its upcoming open language model, which Sam Altman stated will be a “reasoning” model like OpenAI o1.
AI, AI research, Global Security News, In Brief, Meta
Meta’s head of AI research plans to leave the company
Meta’s VP of AI research, Joelle Pineau, is planning to leave the company, she announced in a post on Facebook Tuesday. Pineau said she’s leaving in May after more than two years overseeing FAIR, Meta’s internal AI research lab led by Yann LeCun. Pineau’s exit comes as Meta ramps up its AI efforts, with the…
Amazon, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cisco, Climate, data centers, Enterprise, evergreens, Global Security News, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Solar Power
Data centers love solar: Here’s a comprehensive guide to deals over 100 megawatts
New and expanded data centers are expected to double the sector’s power demand by 2029 as tech companies rush to capitalize on AI.
Apps, Global Security News, messaging platform, Meta, Social, WhatsApp
WhatsApp users can now add songs to their Status updates
WhatsApp launched a new feature on Friday, where users can include brief music clips in their Status updates, reminiscent of the Myspace era. Status resembles Instagram Stories and allows users to share photos, videos, and text that disappear after 24 hours. When creating a new Status, users can tap on a music note icon to…
Facebook, Global Security News, Meta, Social
Facebook debuts a revamped Friends tab as part of its return to ‘OG’ Facebook
After teasing a return to “OG Facebook” earlier this year, the social network on Thursday announced an update that will give users a simple way to connect with friends. The company is introducing a new Facebook Friends tab that will only showcase updates from friends, without any other recommended content. Meta explains in a blog…
evergreens, Facebook, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta, Outlook, Security, signal, Twitter, WhatsApp
How to tell if your online accounts have been hacked
This is a guide on how to check whether someone compromised your online accounts.
AI, AI chips, FuriosaAI, Global Security News, Meta, semiconductor, South Korea, Startups
AI chip startup FuriosaAI reportedly turns down $800M acquisition offer from Meta
FuriosaAI, a South Korean startup that makes chips for AI applications, has rejected an $810 million acquisition offer from Meta.
GDPR, Global Security News, Meta, privacy, Social
Meta settles UK ‘right to object to ad-tracking’ lawsuit by agreeing not to track plaintiff
A human rights campaigner, Tanya O’Carroll, has succeeded in forcing social media giant Meta not to use her data for targeted advertising. The agreement is contained in a settlement to an individual challenge she lodged against Meta’s tracking and profiling back in 2022. O’Carroll had argued that a legal right to object to the use…
AI, Global Security News, Llama, Meta
Meta has revenue sharing agreements with Llama AI model hosts, filing reveals
In a blog post last July, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that “selling access” to Meta’s openly available Llama AI models “isn’t [Meta’s] business model.” Yet Meta does make at least some money from Llama through revenue-sharing agreements, according to a newly unredacted court filing. The filing, submitted by attorneys for the plaintiffs in the…
AI, Apps, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta, Social, social media
Meta spotted testing AI-generated comments on Instagram
In recent years, Meta has introduced many AI features and capabilities to its apps, even going so far as experimenting with AI-generated characters complete with unique profiles and personalities, before scraping them after they were deemed creepy and unnecessary. In yet another move that may not be received well among users, Meta wants to use…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, social network, Threads
Threads adds new features to highlight topics and limit replies
Meta’s social network Threads, an X competitor with more than 320 million monthly active users, is now rolling out new features related to topics, reply controls, and video playback in the app, among other things. It’s also making political content suggestions more personalized to the user, the company says. Combined, the features aim to make…
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta, meta ai
Meta AI is finally coming to the EU, but with limitations
Amid an ongoing regulatory battle with European privacy authorities, Meta announced on Thursday that its AI-powered virtual assistant, Meta AI, is finally launching in the European Union. The chatbot-like tool will be rolled out across Meta’s portfolio of social platforms, albeit with a more limited feature set compared to what it offers in its domestic…
Careless People, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta, Sarah Wynn-Williams, Social
Meta takes aim at ex-employee’s memoir ‘Careless People’
Meta won a legal victory this week against Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former employee who recently published a memoir of her time at the company titled “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism.” An arbitrator ruled that the company has made a valid argument that Wynn-Williams, who worked at Facebook (now Meta)…
Apps, Facebook, Global Security News, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, North America, Social
Meta is launching Community Notes in the US next week
Next week, Meta will begin one of the company’s most significant overhauls ever for how it fact-checks information on its platforms. On March 18, Meta will start releasing its version of Community Notes for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads users in the United States. The program copies a crowdsourced fact-checking system that Twitter unveiled in 2021…
AI, AI chip, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Meta
Meta is reportedly testing in-house chips for AI training
Meta is reportedly testing an in-house chip for training AI systems, a part of a strategy to reduce its reliance on hardware makers like Nvidia. According to Reuters, Meta’s chip, which is designed to handle AI-specific workloads, was manufactured in partnership with Taiwan-based firm TSMC. The company is piloting a “small deployment” of the chip…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, kadrey vs meta, Llama, Meta, TC
Judge allows authors’ AI copyright lawsuit against Meta to move forward
A federal judge is allowing an AI-related copyright lawsuit against Meta to move forward, although he dismissed part of the suit. In Kadrey vs. Meta, authors including Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates have alleged that Meta has violated their intellectual property rights by using their books to train its Llama AI models, and…
Apps, evergreens, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Instagram Threads, Meta, Social, Threads
What is Instagram’s Threads app? All your questions answered
Twitter alternatives — new and old — have found audiences willing to try out a newer social networks since Elon Musk took over the company in 2022. Mastodon, Bluesky, Spill and T2 are some of the social media platforms people are among them. So is Meta’s Threads platform. What is Threads? How do you create…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, social media, Threads
Threads tests adding ‘interests’ on profiles to connect users with topical discussions
Meta’s Threads has begun testing a new feature that would allow people to add their interests to their profile on the social network. Instead of only advertising to profile visitors the sort of topics you might post about, the new interests feature will also direct users to active conversations about the topic. The company thinks…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Llama, Meta
Meta’s next Llama models may have upgraded voice features
Meta’s next major “open” AI model may have a voice focus, per a report in Financial Times. According to the piece, Meta is planning to introduce improved voice features with Llama 4, the next flagship in its Llama model family, which is expected to arrive in “weeks.” Reportedly, Meta has been particularly focused on allowing…
ed zitron, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Internet, Meta, rot economy, Startups, Venture
Growth at all costs is destroying the internet. PR maven Ed Zitron says that’s an opportunity for startups
If you spend any amount of time online, you probably noticed that your user experience keeps getting worse. Websites are waterlogged with autoplay ads, pop-ups, and tracking scripts. Customer service chatbots are useless, despite the promises of generative AI. Social media algorithms boost rage-bait to keep you scrolling and engaged. Dating apps hide all the…
AI, facial recognition, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social
Meta brings its anti-fraud facial recognition test to the UK after getting a thumbs up from regulators
Last October, Meta dipped its toe into the world of facial recognition — an area where it has had a tricky record — with an international test of two new tools: one to stop scams based on likenesses of famous people, and a second facial recognition feature to help people get back into compromised Facebook…
AI, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Meta, meta ai
Meta is reportedly planning a standalone AI chatbot app
Meta reportedly plans to release a standalone app for its AI assistant, Meta AI, in a bid to better compete with AI-powered chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. According to CNBC, Meta could launch a standalone Meta AI app as soon as the company’s next fiscal quarter (April-June). Meta AI is currently only available…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social
Meta fires around 20 employees for leaking confidential information
Meta has fired “roughly” 20 employees for leaking confidential information, The Verge reports. “We tell employees when they join the company, and we offer periodic reminders, that it is against our policies to leak internal information, no matter the intent,” Meta told the publication. “We recently conducted an investigation that resulted in roughly 20 employees…
AI, aria gen 2, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, In Brief, Meta, project aria
Meta’s new AR glasses for research can measure heart rate
Meta has unveiled the next generation of its Project Aria augmented reality glasses for research: Aria Gen 2. Aria Gen 2, which arrives roughly five years after the first-generation Aria device, adds new capabilities to the platform, including an upgraded sensor suite and Meta’s custom silicon. Aria Gen 2 has a PPG sensor for measuring…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Instagram Reels, Meta, Social
Meta fixes error that exposed Instagram users to graphic and violent content
Meta has fixed an error that caused some users to see a flood of graphic and violent videos in their Instagram Reels feed. The fix comes after some users saw horrific and violent content despite having Instagram’s “Sensitive Content Control” enabled. “We have fixed an error that caused some users to see content in their…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta, reels, Social, TikTok
Instagram may spin off Reels into a separate app
Meta is mulling launching a standalone app for short-form videos, The Information reported, citing an anonymous source who heard Instagram head Adam Mosseri talking about the project to staff. The project is reportedly code-named Project Ray that aims to improve recommendations for new users and existing users in the U.S., and feature more three-minute videos,…
content moderation, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Meta, Social
Meta’s Oversight Board is reviewing the company’s new hate speech policies
Meta’s Oversight Board, the company’s independent group created to help with sensitive policy decisions, is preparing to weigh in on CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent changes to how Facebook, Instagram, and Threads handle hate speech, Engadget reported. Zuckerberg announced an overhaul of its content moderation policies in January, shortly before the inauguration of U.S. President Donald…
Facebook, fact checking, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social
As Meta gets rid of fact-checkers, misinformation is going viral
Meta is phasing out its third-party fact-checking programs in the U.S. while it reintroduces a bonus program for creators, which pays them for viral content. The timing of these changes at Meta could intensify the prevalence of misinformation, according to ProPublica. In the past, content creators could not monetize posts that fact-checkers deemed false; but…
AI, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, meta ai, Social
Meta AI arrives in the Middle East and Africa with support for Arabic
Meta has formally expanded Meta AI to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), opening the AI-enabled chatbot to millions more people. Back in October, Meta announced it was launching Meta AI in six additional markets, including Brazil and the U.K. At the same time, the company teased gradual rollout plans for additional markets around…
AI, ai copyright, copyright, court filings, Global IT News, Global Security News, lawsuit, Meta
Court filings show Meta staffers discussed using copyrighted content for AI training
For years, Meta employees have internally discussed using copyrighted works obtained through legally questionable means to train the company’s AI models, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday. The documents were submitted by plaintiffs in the case Kadrey v. Meta, one of many AI copyright disputes slowly winding through the U.S. court system. The defendant,…
AI, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Meta, Social
Despite recent layoffs, Meta is expanding in India
Meta is expanding in India, despite recent layoffs of what the tech giant controversially deemed “low performers.” © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, community notes, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta, Social, Threads
Meta starts accepting sign-ups for Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
Meta announced on Thursday that it’s now accepting sign-ups for its Community Notes program on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The announcement follows Meta news last month that it’s going to end its third-party fact-checking program and is instead moving to a Community Notes model similar to the one at X. In a blog post, Meta…
DEI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta
Mark Zuckerberg’s charity U-turns, ends DEI efforts
Mark Zuckerberg’s charity has eliminated its DEI programs and efforts just weeks after assuring staff it would continue supporting DEI efforts, the Guardian reports. The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), co-founded by Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, will end internal DEI programs and no longer provide “social advocacy funding,” which provided grants for racial equity and…
Cybersecurity, Deep Fake and Other Social Engineering Tactics, facts, Featured, Global Security News, lies, Meta, misinformation, News, Security Boulevard (Original), Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X, Social Engineering, Spotlight, Truth
Facts, Schmacts – Meta Joins X in Ceasing Content Moderation
On January 6, 2025, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, formally announced that it would cease its “fact-checking” operations, and allow the internet itself, through comments posted, to be the final arbiter of what is true and false. The post Facts, Schmacts – Meta Joins X in Ceasing Content Moderation appeared first on Security Boulevard.
AI, books, copyright, Court, Global IT News, Global Security News, lawsuit, licensing, Meta, training data
Court filings show Meta paused efforts to license books for AI training
New court filings in an AI copyright case against Meta add credence to earlier reports that the company “paused” discussions with book publishers on licensing deals to supply some of its generative AI models with training data. The filings are related to the case Kadrey v. Meta Platforms — one of many such cases winding through…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, In Brief, Meta, report, robotics, rumor
Meta’s next big bet may be humanoid robotics
Meta is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to build robots that can assist with physical tasks, Bloomberg reported. The team will be responsible for developing humanoid robotics hardware, potentially including hardware that can perform household chores. Meta’s new robotics group, which will be led by Marc Whitten, driverless car startup…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Security, undersea cable
Meta confirms ‘Project Waterworth,’ a global subsea cable project spanning 50,000km
Back in November, we broke the news that Meta — owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, with billions of users accounting for 10% of all fixed and 22% of all mobile traffic — was close to announcing work on a major new, $10 billion+ subsea cable project to connect up the globe. The aim was…
Andrew Bosworth, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social
Meta CTO says staff should quit if they don’t like Meta’s new policies
Meta’s CTO said staff unhappy with the tech giant’s latest policies should work somewhere else, an internal chat reveals. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, ARM, Artificial Intelligence, chips, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, In Brief, Meta, semiconductors, Softbank
Arm is launching its own chip this year with Meta as a customer
Public semiconductor company Arm will start making its own chips this year after landing a high-profile enterprise customer. Arm, which is majorly owned by SoftBank, will start making its own chips now that Meta has signed on as a customer, according to the Financial Times. The chip is expected to be a CPU for servers…
acquisition, AI, ai accelerator chip, AI chip, Funding, FuriosaAI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, In Brief, Meta, report, rumor
Report: Meta in talks to acquire AI chip firm FuriosaAI
Meta is reportedly in talks to acquire a South Korean chip firm as the social media giant looks to bolster its AI hardware infrastructure. Meta may announce its intent to purchase FuriosaAI, a chip startup founded by former Samsung and AMD employees, as soon as this month, per Forbes. FuriosaAI develops chips that speed up…
Apps, evergreens, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social, Threads
How to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
In the wake of Meta’s decision to remove its third-party fact-checking system and loosen content moderation policies, Google searches on how to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads have been on the rise. People who are angry with the decision accuse Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of cozying up to the Trump administration at the expense of…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google Pixel, Media & Entertainment, Meta, openai, super bowl
AI-driven ads take the field during the 2025 Super Bowl
We’ve officially experienced an AI Super Bowl, people. As everyone tuned in to watch the annual championship game, the biggest buzz wasn’t just about the Eagles’ blowout win and Kendrick Lamar performing his Grammy-winning diss track at the halftime show. It was also about AI being a consistent theme in several of the multi-million dollar ad…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Meta, Social, TechCrunch Week in Review
Ex-Meta employee sues for sexual harassment
Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we’re diving into Google quietly removing its pledge to not build AI weapons for surveillance; how Elon Musk and DOGE are facilitating the biggest breach of U.S. government data; researchers who were able to re-create a premium “reasoning” model for $50; and more! Let’s get into it.…
AI, boston dynamics, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, home robots, Meta, robotics
Meta is studying how humans and robots can collaborate on housework
Meta Friday announced PARTNR, a new program designed to study human-robot interaction (HRI). The research is specifically focused on how humans and robots might collaborate in the home environment. That includes mundane tasks like cleaning, cooking, and picking up food deliveries. Automated housework is a decades-old dream, most prominently captured by The Jetsons’ Rosie. The…
AI, Benchmark, Global IT News, Global Security News, Language Technology Partner Program, Meta, Social, Speech Recognition, Translation
Meta launches new program to improve speech and translation AI
Meta is launching a new program in partnership with UNESCO to collect speech recordings and transcriptions the company said will help the development of future openly available AI. The program, the Language Technology Partner Program, is seeking collaborators who can contribute more than 10 hours of speech recordings with transcriptions, large amounts of written text,…
AI, Amazon, datacenters, Global IT News, Global Security News, GPUS, Meta, Microsoft
Amazon doubles down on AI with a massive $100B spending plan for 2025
Amazon is joining other Big Tech companies by announcing huge AI spending plans for 2025. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
DEI, discrimination, Exclusive, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, kelly stonelake, lawsuit, Meta, Social
Early Meta employee sues for sexual harassment, gender discrimination
One of Meta’s earliest employees is suing the company for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation, according to a lawsuit filed this week in the state of Washington. Kelly Stonelake, who spent 15 years at the company and rose to the rank of director, alleges in the lawsuit she faced a cycle of gender-based discrimination…
Cybersecurity, Europe, Giorgia Meloni, Global IT News, Global Security News, hacking, Israel, Italy, Meta, paragon, Paragon Solutions, Security, Spyware, WhatsApp
Spyware maker Paragon terminates contract with Italian government: media reports
Following allegations of potential abuse, Paragon Solutions has cut off Italy from its spyware systems. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
DEI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social
Mark Zuckerberg’s charity insists its not abandoning its DEI efforts
Mark Zuckerberg’s charity has told its employees it will remain committed to DEI even as Meta eliminates its DEI programs, The Guardian reports. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), founded and co-led by Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, reassured its employees after many began expressing concerns about recent changes at Meta as the company scales back…
AE Industrial, Cybersecurity, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, government spyware, hacking, Meta, paragon, Paragon Solutions, Security, surveillance, WhatsApp
Spyware maker Paragon confirms U.S. government is a customer
Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions confirmed to TechCrunch that it sells its products to the U.S. government and other unspecified allied countries. Paragon’s executive chairman John Fleming said in a statement to TechCrunch on Tuesday that, “Paragon licenses its technology to a select group of global democracies — principally, the United States and its allies.”…
Bluesky, feeds, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, social media, Threads
Challenging Bluesky, Threads now allows for public custom feeds
Meta’s Threads is doubling down on support for custom feeds as it faces challenges from the growing social network Bluesky, now with over 30 million users, which also offers custom feeds as one of its key features. On Tuesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that users can now set their custom feeds to be public…
AI, document, frontier ai framework, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Llama, Meta, Open AI, Policy
Meta says it may stop development of AI systems it deems too risky
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to make artificial general intelligence (AGI) — which is roughly defined as AI that can accomplish any task a human can — openly available one day. But in a new policy document, Meta suggests that there are certain scenarios in which it may not release a highly capable AI…
AE Industrial, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hackers, hacking, Israel, journalism, Meta, paragon, Paragon Solutions, Security, Spyware, WhatsApp
Journalist targeted on WhatsApp by Paragon spyware: “I feel violated”
An Italian investigative journalist said he was the target of a spyware attack disclosed by WhatsApp. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Climate, data centers, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, renewable power, Solar Power
Meta turns to solar — again — in its data center-building boom
The announcement comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg maintains the company’s ambitious AI strategy, which will require hefty capital investments in data centers. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AE Industrial, Cybersecurity, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hackers, hacking, Israel, Meta, paragon, Security, Spyware, surveillance, WhatsApp
WhatsApp says it disrupted a hacking campaign targeting journalists with Paragon spyware
The Meta-owned company said the campaign was linked to Israeli spyware maker Paragon. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, Threads, Twitter, X
Threads adds a ‘media’ tab and the ability to tag people in photos
Meta’s newer social network Threads announced on Thursday that it’s introducing a dedicated “media” tab for both photos and videos, only days after its rivals, including X (formerly Twitter) and the startup Bluesky, did the same for videos. In addition, Meta will also now allow users to tag people in the photos they share. Instagram…
Apps, Facebook, gen z, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, social media, social networking, trends
Mark Zuckerberg teases a 2025 return to ‘OG Facebook’
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg teased a “return to OG Facebook” as part of his key goals for 2025 in Wednesday’s Q4 earnings call with investors. While the company was short on details as to what specific changes lay in store, it’s clear that Meta is in desperate need of younger Facebook users to sustain itself…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social, TC
Meta says end of fact-checking hasn’t impacted ad spend
Meta says its controversial decision to put an end to its fact-checking program hasn’t impacted advertiser spend. On its Q4 2024 call, Meta CFO Susan Li assured investors that advertiser demand remains strong and the company’s commitment to brand safety remains unchanged, despite the new measures. Meanwhile, CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that the community notes…
AI, chips, deepseek, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, nvidia
Zuck shrugs off DeepSeek, vows to spend hundreds of billions on AI
Meta is doubling down on AI spending despite markets briefly panicking over concerns DeepSeek will reduce AI demand. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, earnings, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, social networking, Threads
Threads adds another 20M monthly users since December, reaching 320M
Threads, Meta’s microblogging service, is growing at a fast pace as users gravitate to the app over rivals like X. During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings presentation on Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Threads now has 320 million monthly active users (MAUs), up from 300 million last month. The app had 275 million monthly active…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta, Social
Instagram gives creators more insight into their reels’ performance
Meta continues to target creators in the days following the U.S. TikTok ban. In addition to paying TikTok creators big bonuses to publish reels, Instagram announced on Wednesday that it’s introducing new ways for creators to better understand how their short videos are performing. The platform is introducing additional metrics that allow creators to see…
@TechFieldDay, @TheFuturumGroup, AI, Analytics & Intelligence, Consumer behavior analysis, Cybersecurity, data breach, data protection regulation, Data Security, Global Security News, Governance, Risk & Compliance, Meta, Regulatory Compliance, Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X
Our Digital Footprints are Breadcrumbs for Mapping our Personal Behavior
The Government Accountability Office states that customers are usually unaware of the potential privacy risks and biases that arise from use of personal information. The post Our Digital Footprints are Breadcrumbs for Mapping our Personal Behavior appeared first on Security Boulevard.
Elon Musk, fitbit, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, openai, Social, TechCrunch Week in Review, Week in Review
OpenAI wants to take over your browser
Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we’re diving into OpenAI’s newly released AI agent, called Operator. We also look at where TikTok stands after being resuscitated, whether it’s time to go back to Tumblr, and more! Let’s get into it. OpenAI launched a research preview of Operator, a general-purpose AI agent that can…
Apps, federated apps, fediverse, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, loops, Meta, open social, open social web, open source, pixelfed, Social, social media, Sup, TikTok
Open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp raise funds on Kickstarter
The developer behind Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup, open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, respectively, is now raising funds on Kickstarter to fuel the apps’ further development. The trio is part of the growing open social web, also known as the fediverse, powered by the same ActivityPub protocol used by X alternative Mastodon. The…
Enterprise, Europe, european union, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy, LinkedIn, Meta, Microsoft, Social, TikTok, X
The EU wants to talk to US tech companies ahead of Germany’s upcoming election
The European Union will give tech and social media companies a “stress test” to see how they handle misinformation ahead of Germany’s election next month. European Commission officials have invited tech companies, including: X, Meta, Snap, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, to a meeting on January 31, according to multiple news outlets. During this meeting,…
Apple, Donald Trump, Enterprise, enterprise tech, EU, Europe, european union, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy, Meta
Trump’s not happy with how EU regulators have treated US tech giants
President Donald Trump isn’t happy with how European Union regulators have treated U.S.-based tech companies including: Google, Meta, and Apple. On stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump put EU regulators on blast. He said that the EU’s cases against these U.S. tech companies are “a form of taxation,” according to Bloomberg reporting.…
AI, davos, Facebook, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, robotics, Yann LeCun
Meta’s Yann LeCun predicts a ‘new AI architectures paradigm’ within 5 years and ‘decade of robotics’
Meta’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, says that a “new paradigm of AI architectures” will emerge in the next three to five years, going far beyond the capabilities of existing AI systems. LeCun also predicted that the coming years could be the “decade of robotics,” where advances in AI and robotics combine to unlock a…
Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Meta, privacy, Social, WhatsApp
WhatsApp wins reprieve in India over user data sharing
An Indian tribunal on Thursday suspended restrictions that would have barred WhatsApp from sharing user data with its parent company Meta, delivering a significant victory for Mark Zuckerberg’s social media empire in its largest market by users. The ruling by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal temporarily lifts a five-year ban imposed by India’s antitrust…
Apps, evergreens, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social, Threads
How to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
In the wake of Meta’s decision to remove its third-party fact-checking system and loosen content moderation policies, Google searches on how to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads have been on the rise. People who are angry with the decision accuse Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of cozying up to the Trump administration at the expense of…
AI, Databricks, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta
Databricks closes $15.3B financing at $62B valuation, Meta joins as ‘strategic investor’
Data analytics platform Databricks has confirmed that it has closed a previously announced $10 billion in Series J equity financing at a $62 billion valuation. The San Francisco-based company also added a further $5.25 billion in debt financing, funded by JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, among other “leading financial institutions and alternative…
Cambridge Analytica, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, sanctions, Sheryl Sandberg, Social
Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg sanctioned by judge for allegedly deleting emails
A Delaware judge has sanctioned Sheryl Sandberg, Meta’s former COO and board member, for allegedly deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal. The decision arises from a case Meta shareholders brought against Sandberg and another former Meta board member, Jeff Zients, late last year. The plaintiffs alleged that Sandberg and Zients used personal…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, Meta, Oakley, ray-ban meta, SMART Glasses, TC
Meta is building Oakley smart glasses for athletes: report
Meta’s Reality Labs is expanding its lineup of AI smart glasses with a new pair of Oakley-branded spectacles targeted at athletes, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Bloomberg reports the new smart glasses, with which Meta seeks to capitalize on the Ray-Ban Meta’s success, will be based on Oakley’s Sphaera glasses, and will shift the camera…
Apps, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta, Social, WhatsApp
Meta will soon let you link your WhatsApp account with Instagram and Facebook
Meta announced on Tuesday that users will soon be able to add their WhatsApp account to their Accounts Center, a hub where users can manage connected experiences across their Facebook, Instagram, and Meta Quest accounts. With this integration, users will be able to cross-post their WhatsApp Status as Stories on Instagram and Facebook, getting rid…
Facebook, Global Security News, Instagram, Media & Entertainment, Meta, Social
Meta confirms it will keep fact-checkers outside the U.S. ‘for now’
Meta says it plans to keep its fact-checking program in place outside the U.S. for the time being, though it could eventually expand it elsewhere. “We’ll see how that goes as we move it out over the years,” Meta’s head of global business Nicola Mendelsohn told Bloomberg in a report from Davos on Monday. “So…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta
Meta announces a new video editing app called Edits amidst TikTok and CapCut ban
Meta today announced a new video editing app called Edits, after ByteDance’s video editing app CapCut was removed from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store as part of the TikTok ban. Instagram head Adam Mosseri (pictured above) said on Threads that the app will launch next month on iOS, with an Android version…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Meta, Social, social media, TikTok Ban
Instagram Reels rolls out new features for U.S. users as TikTok is banned
Instagram announced a timely update to its video feature Reels this morning, alongside the news that the Supreme Court upheld the law that will ban TikTok in the U.S. on January 19. The update, says Meta, will make it easier for users to discover the content that friends and followers are liking on the platform…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, Threads
Threads might let you add music to your posts in the future
Meta’s Threads is internally prototyping the ability to add music to posts, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. The option to add music to posts is already available on Meta’s other social apps, Instagram and Facebook. It looks like the company is now thinking about bringing the feature to Threads, its X competitor. The feature isn’t…
account portability, Apps, federated apps, fediverse, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mastodon, Meta, mobile apps, Social, social apps, social media, social networking, Threads
Instagram Threads won’t share a timeline for account portability
Will Instagram Threads truly integrate with the fediverse, also known as the open social web, to allow its users not only to interact with people on other services like Twitter alternative Mastodon but also to move their account elsewhere if they decide that Meta’s policies are no longer to their liking? Today that answer remains…
AI, ai copyright, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Llama, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, TC
In AI copyright case, Zuckerberg turns to YouTube for his defense
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears to have used YouTube and its battle to take down pirated content to defend his own company’s use of a data set containing copyrighted e-books to train AI models, newly released snippets of his deposition reveals. The deposition, which was part of a complaint submitted to the court by plaintiffs’…
AI, Climate, data centers, Engie, Enterprise, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, renewable energy, Solar Power
Meta adds 200 megawatts of solar to its 12 gigawatt renewable portfolio
The news comes as tech companies ramp up their AI ambitions, adding data centers at a breakneck pace and boosting demand for power. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, ChatGPT, Global IT News, Global Security News, GPT4, Llama, Meta, TC
Meta execs obsessed over beating OpenAI’s GPT-4 internally, court filings reveal
Executives and researchers leading Meta’s AI efforts obsessed over beating OpenAI’s GPT-4 model while developing Llama 3, according to internal messages unsealed by a court on Tuesday in one of the company’s ongoing AI copyright cases, Kadrey v. Meta. “Honestly… Our goal needs to be GPT-4,” said Meta’s VP of Generative AI, Ahmad Al-Dahle, in…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Layoffs, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social
Meta to cut roughly 5% of its workforce based on performance
Meta is reducing its workforce by about 5% through performance-based terminations, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The company plans to hire new people to fill the roles, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an internal memo to staff. “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,” Zuckerberg said in the note. “We…
Apps, Camera filters, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, stickers, WhatsApp
WhatsApp is adding a way to turn selfies into stickers
WhatsApp is adding new features including creating new stickers from selfies, sharing sticker packs, and adding new camera effects. Stickers and camera effects are good engagement ploys to keep users interacting with their contacts. The chat app added the ability to create custom stickers from photos last year. Now, the company is adding an option…
Celebs, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meghan Markle, Meta, Social
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are slamming Meta over its fact-checking policy
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have joined the ranks of those displeased with Meta’s changes to fact-checking and have released a statement saying that the changes “directly underminds free speech.” “Meta’s changes to its ‘Hateful Content Policies’ do not protect free expression but instead foster an environment where abuse and hate speech silence and threaten…
content moderation, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Instagram, Meta, Social, TC, Threads, Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg defends Meta’s latest pivot in three-hour Joe Rogan interview
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended his decision to scale back Meta’s content moderation policies in a Friday appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Zuckerberg faced widespread criticism for the decision, including from employees inside his own company. “Probably depends on who you ask,” said Zuckerberg when asked how Meta’s updates have been received. The key updates…
Apps, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social, Threads
How to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
In the wake of Meta’s decision to remove its third-party fact-checking system and loosen content moderation policies, Google searches on how to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads have been on the rise. People who are angry with the decision accuse Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of cozying up to the incoming Trump administration at the expense…
DEI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social
Meta eliminates DEI programs
Axios reports that Meta is eliminating its biggest DEI efforts, effective immediately, including ones that focused on hiring a diverse workforce, training, and sourcing supplies from diverse-owned companies. Its DEI department will also be eliminated. In a memo leaked to the outlet, Meta said it was making these changes because the “legal and policy landscape…
AI, copyright, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, lawsuit, Llama, Meta
Mark Zuckerberg gave Meta’s Llama team the OK to train on copyrighted works, filing claims
Counsel for plaintiffs in a copyright lawsuit filed against Meta allege that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave the green light to the team behind the company’s Llama AI models to use a data set of pirated ebooks and articles for training. The case, Kadrey v. Meta, is one of many against tech giants developing AI…
Ads, bug bounty, bugs, Cybersecurity, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, hacking, infosec, Meta, Security, security vulnerability, vulnerability
Facebook awards researcher $100,000 for finding bug that granted internal access
A security researcher found a bug in a Facebook ad platform, which gave him access to the company’s internal infrastructure. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, Facebook, fact checking, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google Search, google trends, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, Media & Entertainment, Meta, meta content moderation, Social, social media, Threads, trends
Google searches for deleting Facebook, Instagram explode after Meta ends fact-checking
Google searches for how to cancel and delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts have seen explosive rises in the U.S. since Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will end its third-party fact-checking system, loosen content moderation policies, and roll back previous limits to the amount of political content in user feeds. Experts see…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Mastodon, Meta, Social, Threads
Mastodon CEO calls Meta’s moderation changes ‘deeply troubling,’ warns users cross-posting from Threads
Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko has spoken out about the significant moderation changes announced by Meta on Tuesday, which will see the social networking giant removing fact-checking across its apps in favor of a crowdsourced community notes feature, similar to X’s. The Mastodon founder, whose app competes with X and Meta’s X rival, Instagram Threads, called…
Commerce, eBay, Europe, Facebook, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta
Facebook Marketplace to display eBay listings to appease EU regulators
Meta is set to start displaying eBay listings in its own Facebook Marketplace classifieds platform, in an effort to appease European regulators. Back in November, Meta was hit with a €798 million fine by the European Commission (EC) in Europe for breaching antitrust rules. The EC contended that Meta created “unfair trading conditions” by connecting…
Apps, Bluesky, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, Social, Threads, Twitter, X
Threads prototypes custom display names and cover images for profiles
Instagram Threads is developing new features that would bring its user experience more in line with that of X (formerly Twitter) and the social network Bluesky. The Meta-owned company is internally prototyping the ability to set a display name and add a cover image to profiles. A spokesperson for the company confirmed to TechCrunch on…
Creators, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, political content, Politics, Social, Threads
Meta to phase back in political content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads
As a part of a significant overhaul of its content moderation policies announced on Tuesday, Meta admitted that its approach to limiting political content across its platforms had been “pretty blunt” and would now be addressed. The company said it would once again phase in political content into Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, allowing people who…
fact checking, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta, misinformation, Social
Meta drops fact-checking and loosens its content moderation rules
Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, today announced a major overhaul in how it’s handling content moderation on its site, taking off some of the guardrails that it had put in place over the last several years in response to criticism that it had helped to spread political and health misinformation. In a…
board, board of directors, Europe, Global Security News, Meta, Social
Meta appoints UFC’s president to its board
Meta has appointed three new members to its board of directors, the company announced Monday: UFC president and CEO Dana White, European investment company Exor CEO John Elkann, and tech investor and entrepreneur Charlie Songhurst. In a press release, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that White, Elkann, and Songhurst “will add a depth of expertise…
Global Security News, Government & Policy, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Policy, TC
Meta policy chief Nick Clegg steps down
The President of Meta’s Global Affairs team, Nick Clegg, is stepping down from his position at the company, the executive announced in a tweet on Thursday. Clegg, Meta’s politically centrist policy chief since 2018, will be replaced by one of the company’s most prominent Republican executives, Joel Kaplan. Clegg noted on X that Kaplan is…
california, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, North America, NSO Group, pegasus, privacy, Spyware, U.S. courts, WhatsApp
Judge grants ruling in favor of WhatsApp against spyware firm NSO Group
A federal judge has dealt the first major legal blow against spyware maker NSO Group, ruling in favor of WhatsApp in a five-year-old lawsuit against the Israeli firm over allegations that it hacked the chat service. Northern California District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton made her ruling on Friday as a summary judgment, thus not requiring…