<p>In a move experts have labelled "a grave step backwards", Facebook owner Meta has decided to decommission CrowdTangle, a vital digital tool for tracking viral falsehoods.</p>

<p>The move which is scheduled to take effect on August 14, as per experts, will disrupt efforts to detect political misinformation in a major election year.</p>

<h2><strong>What is CrowdTangle?</strong></h2>

<p>CrowdTangle, as per an AFP report, is a game-changing tool which for years has offered researchers and journalists crucial real-time transparency into the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech on Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The monitoring tool, as per reports, will be replaced by another tool which researchers say&nbsp;lacks the same functionality and that news organisations will largely not have access to.</p>

<p>CrowdTangle will be replaced by a new Content Library, a technology still under development.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-study-reveals-ais-hidden-bias-in-screening-depression-in-black-people-705484">New study reveals AI's hidden bias in screening depression in Black people</a></strong></p>

<p>The tool, as per tech industry experts, including former CrowdTangle chief executive Brandon Silverman, is currently not an effective replacement, especially in a year when world-over elections are likely to see a proliferation of AI-enabled falsehoods.</p>

<p>While Meta claims that the Content Library will contain more comprehensive data than CrowdTangle and will be available to academics and non-profit election integrity experts, concerns remain about access for independent researchers and journalists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, Meta has announced that the new tool will not be accessible&nbsp;for-profit media. This has raised questions about transparency and accountability.</p>

<h2><strong>What the experts say</strong></h2>

<p>This move comes just three months before the 2024 US Presidential election that will see incumbent Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump face off. Not only that, globally,&nbsp;dozens of countries&nbsp;will hold elections this year.</p>

<p>"In a year when almost half of the global population is expected to vote in elections, cutting off access to CrowdTangle will severely limit independent oversight of harms," warned Melanie Smith, director of research at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/elon-musks-x-mulling-over-allowing-adult-content-in-restricted-communities-705626">Elon Musk’s X mulling allowing ‘adult content’ in restricted communities</a></strong></p>

<p>"It represents a grave step backwards for social media platform transparency," she said.</p>

<p>Historically, CrowdTangle has alerted researchers about harmful activities such as foreign interference, online harassment, and incitements to violence. It played an important role in quickly identifying "misinformation, voter interference and suppression," during the 2020 US elections.</p>

<p>Global non-profit Mozilla Foundation, along with dozens of technology watchdogs and researchers, has urged Meta to retain CrowdTangle until at least January 2025, citing concerns about the new tool's limitations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Abandoning CrowdTangle while the Content Library lacks so much of CrowdTangle's core functionality undermines the fundamental principle of transparency," said the letter.</p>

<p>However, defending the decision, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said that the Content Library will offer "more comprehensive data than CrowdTangle" and will be accessible to academics and non-profit election integrity experts.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a move experts have labelled "a grave step backwards", Facebook owner Meta has decided to decommission CrowdTangle, a vital digital tool for tracking viral falsehoods.

In a move experts have labelled "a grave step backwards", Facebook owner Meta has decided to decommission CrowdTangle, a vital digital tool for tracking viral falsehoods. The move which is scheduled to take effect on August 14, as per experts, will disrupt efforts to detect political misinformation in a major election year. What is CrowdTangle? CrowdTangle, as per an AFP report, is a game-changing tool which for years has offered researchers and journalists crucial real-time transparency into the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech on Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The monitoring tool, as per reports, will be replaced by another tool which researchers say lacks the same functionality and that news organisations will largely not have access to. CrowdTangle will be replaced by a new Content Library, a technology still under development. Also read | New study reveals AI's hidden bias in screening depression in Black people The tool, as per tech industry experts, including former CrowdTangle chief executive Brandon Silverman, is currently not an effective replacement, especially in a year when world-over elections are likely to see a proliferation of AI-enabled falsehoods. While Meta claims that the Content Library will contain more comprehensive data than CrowdTangle and will be available to academics and non-profit election integrity experts, concerns remain about access for independent researchers and journalists. However, Meta has announced that the new tool will not be accessible for-profit media. This has raised questions about transparency and accountability. What the experts say This move comes just three months before the 2024 US Presidential election that will see incumbent Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump face off. Not only that, globally, dozens of countries will hold elections this year. "In a year when almost half of the global population is expected to vote in elections, cutting off access to CrowdTangle will severely limit independent oversight of harms," warned Melanie Smith, director of research at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Also read | Elon Musk’s X mulling allowing ‘adult content’ in restricted communities "It represents a grave step backwards for social media platform transparency," she said. Historically, CrowdTangle has alerted researchers about harmful activities such as foreign interference, online harassment, and incitements to violence. It played an important role in quickly identifying "misinformation, voter interference and suppression," during the 2020 US elections. Global non-profit Mozilla Foundation, along with dozens of technology watchdogs and researchers, has urged Meta to retain CrowdTangle until at least January 2025, citing concerns about the new tool's limitations. "Abandoning CrowdTangle while the Content Library lacks so much of CrowdTangle's core functionality undermines the fundamental principle of transparency," said the letter. However, defending the decision, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said that the Content Library will offer "more comprehensive data than CrowdTangle" and will be accessible to academics and non-profit election integrity experts. (With inputs from agencies)

'A grave step backwards': Meta to scrap misinformation monitoring tool CrowdTangle ahead of 2024 US elections

U.S. prosecutors in Virginia are probing whether Facebook-parent Meta’s social media platforms facilitated and profited from the illegal sale of drugs, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing documents and people familiar with the matter. Watch the video to know more.

US investigating Meta for role in illicit drug sales: Report

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has initiated legal proceedings against its former Vice President of Infrastructure, Dipinder Singh Khurana, accusing him of betraying the company's trust by allegedly stealing confidential documents before joining a "stealth" AI cloud computing startup.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">According to the lawsuit filed on February 29 in a California state court, Khurana, who had a 12-year tenure at Meta, purportedly breached his contract and engaged in what Meta describes as "brazenly disloyal" conduct. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta asserts that Khurana transferred a significant amount of proprietary, confidential, and non-public documents pertaining to Meta's business operations and personnel to his personal Google Drive and Dropbox accounts just prior to his departure from the company.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">The lawsuit further alleges that Khurana's actions led to at least eight employees, mentioned in the pilfered documents, leaving Meta to join Khurana's new venture. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta condemns Khurana's conduct, stating it demonstrates a blatant disregard for his contractual and legal obligations. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">A Meta spokesperson said that the company is committed to safeguarding confidential business and employee information, indicating that Meta is in all means viewing the misconduct seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">This legal action against Khurana echoes a broader trend among major tech corporations to protect their intellectual property rights. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Earlier this month, Google engineer Linwei Ding faced indictment for allegedly stealing over 500 confidential files containing AI trade secrets from the company.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">(With inputs from Bloomberg)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>


Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has initiated legal proceedings against its former Vice President of Infrastructure, Dipinder Singh Khurana, accusing him of betraying the company's trust by allegedly stealing confidential documents before joining a "stealth" AI cloud computing startup.

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has initiated legal proceedings against its former Vice President of Infrastructure, Dipinder Singh Khurana, accusing him of betraying the company's trust by allegedly stealing confidential documents before joining a "stealth" AI cloud computing startup. According to the lawsuit filed on February 29 in a California state court, Khurana, who had a 12-year tenure at Meta, purportedly breached his contract and engaged in what Meta describes as "brazenly disloyal" conduct. Meta asserts that Khurana transferred a significant amount of proprietary, confidential, and non-public documents pertaining to Meta's business operations and personnel to his personal Google Drive and Dropbox accounts just prior to his departure from the company. The lawsuit further alleges that Khurana's actions led to at least eight employees, mentioned in the pilfered documents, leaving Meta to join Khurana's new venture. Meta condemns Khurana's conduct, stating it demonstrates a blatant disregard for his contractual and legal obligations. A Meta spokesperson said that the company is committed to safeguarding confidential business and employee information, indicating that Meta is in all means viewing the misconduct seriously. This legal action against Khurana echoes a broader trend among major tech corporations to protect their intellectual property rights. Earlier this month, Google engineer Linwei Ding faced indictment for allegedly stealing over 500 confidential files containing AI trade secrets from the company. (With inputs from Bloomberg)

Meta takes legal action against former executive for alleged document theft

Elon Musk took a dig at rival Meta after social media platforms Facebook and Instagram faced a global outage on Tuesday evening. Watch in for more details!

Global users report another Meta outage

<p>Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram were down on Tuesday (Mar 5) for tens of thousands of users who faced a global outage caused by a technical issue for more than two hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>X owner Elon Musk took a jibe at the outage after hashtags #FacebookDown along with #Facebook and #FacebookOutage were trending on the microblogging site formerly known as Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Musk wrote, "If you're reading this post, it’s because our servers are working." He also shared a meme in another post.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/nothing-phone-2a-first-impressions-of-the-new-android-phone-696858">Nothing Phone (2a): First impressions of the new Android phone</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If you’re reading this post, it’s because our servers are working</p>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1765047740327702665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/VTOACNfb3E">pic.twitter.com/VTOACNfb3E</a></p>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1765048551023734801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The disruptions started at around 1500 GMT when many users said on rival social media platform X that they had been logged out of Facebook and Instagram.</p>

<p>Facebook automatically kicked the users out, displaying an error message saying that the login had expired. The user ID and passwords were also rejected. Messenger, Instagram and Threads- a microblogging platform similar to X- were also impacted.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-sorry-over-unreliable-platform-gemini-after-controversial-remarks-on-pm-modi-696490">Google sorry over ‘unreliable’ platform Gemini after controversial remarks on PM Modi</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Meta spokesperson&nbsp;Andy Stone said in a post on X that they are "aware people are having trouble accessing our services. We are working on this now".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Stone later said on X, "We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we apologise for any inconvenience."&nbsp;</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We're aware people are having trouble accessing our services. We are working on this now.</p>
— Andy Stone (@andymstone) <a href="https://twitter.com/andymstone/status/1765042684132241580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>As quoted by the news agency Reuters, a spokesperson said that the White House National Security Council was monitoring the incident and was not aware of any specific malicious cyber activity at this time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Outage tracking website Downdetector.com noted that at the peak of the outage, there were more than 550,000 reports of disruptions for Facebook and about 92,000 for Instagram.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram were down on Tuesday (Mar 5) for tens of thousands of users who faced a global outage caused by a technical issue for more than two hours.

Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram were down on Tuesday (Mar 5) for tens of thousands of users who faced a global outage caused by a technical issue for more than two hours. X owner Elon Musk took a jibe at the outage after hashtags #FacebookDown along with #Facebook and #FacebookOutage were trending on the microblogging site formerly known as Twitter. Musk wrote, "If you're reading this post, it’s because our servers are working." He also shared a meme in another post. Also read: Nothing Phone (2a): First impressions of the new Android phone If you’re reading this post, it’s because our servers are working — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2024 × pic.twitter.com/VTOACNfb3E — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2024 × The disruptions started at around 1500 GMT when many users said on rival social media platform X that they had been logged out of Facebook and Instagram. Facebook automatically kicked the users out, displaying an error message saying that the login had expired. The user ID and passwords were also rejected. Messenger, Instagram and Threads- a microblogging platform similar to X- were also impacted. Also read: Google sorry over ‘unreliable’ platform Gemini after controversial remarks on PM Modi Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a post on X that they are "aware people are having trouble accessing our services. We are working on this now". Stone later said on X, "We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we apologise for any inconvenience." We're aware people are having trouble accessing our services. We are working on this now. — Andy Stone (@andymstone) March 5, 2024 × As quoted by the news agency Reuters, a spokesperson said that the White House National Security Council was monitoring the incident and was not aware of any specific malicious cyber activity at this time. Outage tracking website Downdetector.com noted that at the peak of the outage, there were more than 550,000 reports of disruptions for Facebook and about 92,000 for Instagram. (With inputs from agencies)

Elon Musk shares meme mocking Meta after Facebook, Messenger and Instagram face global outage

Technical snag hits Facebook, Instagram & WhatsApp; users complain of login & logout issues

Pakistan is mining a ban on social media as resolution to ban social media platforms such as X, YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook has reached Pakistan's Senate. This resolution is scheduled for debate on Monday. As per Senate Secretariat documents, the resolution is aimed at the younger generation for what it perceives as negative and devastating effects of social media. Watch to know more!

Pakistan Social Media Debate: Resolution to ban social media reaches Pak senate

Increasingly there are a number of women who are falling prey to dating scams. There are an increasing number of men and women who are complaining of getting friend requests from fake profiles on Facebook. But here's the catch all of these profiles use the identity of a Danish doctor named Christian Gerhard Boving. Watch to know more!

Dating Scams: Women fall prey to Facebook dating scams with Danish doctor's face

A major rift has opened between Meta and the Australian government. The social media giant is ending payments to Australian news publishers for content shared on Facebook. Meta claims news represents only 3% of what users globally see on their feeds and has discontinued its dedicated news tab in Australia.

Meta to stop paying Australian news publishers for content

<p>Facebook's parent company Meta on Friday (Mar 1) announced that they will stop making payments to news publishers in Australia for the content which appears on Facebook.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This step has ignited a fresh battle with Canberra which was ahead of other countries in bringing a law which forced social media platforms to strike licencing deals.</p>

<p>News publishers as well as governments of countries like Australia have claimed that social media giants like Facebook and Google unfairly benefit from the links to news articles which appear on their platforms.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the wake of these discussions, Meta has decreased its promotion of news as well as political content and has claimed that news links are now only visible on the feeds of a fraction of users.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-consumers-challenge-metas-pay-or-consent-service-heres-why-695151">European consumers challenge Meta's 'pay or consent' service. Here's why</a></p>

<p>Meta has announced that it will discontinue the tab which promotes news on Facebook in Australia and the United States. It added that the news tab was pulled by the platform last year in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.</p>

<p>As a result, "we will not enter into new commercial deals for traditional news content in these countries and will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers", Meta said&nbsp;in the statement.</p>

<h2><strong>Meta vs Australian government&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Meta's decision has pitted the company against the Australian government which, as per a 2021 law opposed by the social media giant, enjoys the power to appoint a mediator who decides what amount big tech firms pay for the news links.</p>

<p>In a joint statement, Australia's Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said, "Meta's decision to no longer pay for news content in a number of jurisdictions represents a dereliction of its commitment to the sustainability of Australian news media."</p>

<p>"The decision removes a significant source of revenue for Australian news media businesses. Australian news publishers deserve fair compensation for the content they provide," Rowland added.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg learns sword-making in Japan</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/meta-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-learns-sword-making-in-japan-694124/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>She said that the government will "work through all available options" to address the concerns, along with the country's communications regulator.</p>

<p>The government was "committed to promoting a strong, sustainable and diverse media sector given its vital importance to our democracy and social cohesion", the minister said.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the country's biggest media outlets criticised the decision and called it an attack on the industry.</p>

<p>News Corp Australasia Executive Chairman Michael Miller said, "Meta is using its immense market power to refuse to negotiate, and the government is right to explore every option for how the Media Bargaining Code's powers can be used."&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Facebook's parent company Meta on Friday (Mar 1) announced that they will stop making payments to news publishers in Australia for the content which appears on Facebook.

Facebook's parent company Meta on Friday (Mar 1) announced that they will stop making payments to news publishers in Australia for the content which appears on Facebook. This step has ignited a fresh battle with Canberra which was ahead of other countries in bringing a law which forced social media platforms to strike licencing deals. News publishers as well as governments of countries like Australia have claimed that social media giants like Facebook and Google unfairly benefit from the links to news articles which appear on their platforms. In the wake of these discussions, Meta has decreased its promotion of news as well as political content and has claimed that news links are now only visible on the feeds of a fraction of users. Also Read: European consumers challenge Meta's 'pay or consent' service. Here's why Meta has announced that it will discontinue the tab which promotes news on Facebook in Australia and the United States. It added that the news tab was pulled by the platform last year in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. As a result, "we will not enter into new commercial deals for traditional news content in these countries and will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers", Meta said in the statement. Meta vs Australian government Meta's decision has pitted the company against the Australian government which, as per a 2021 law opposed by the social media giant, enjoys the power to appoint a mediator who decides what amount big tech firms pay for the news links. In a joint statement, Australia's Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said, "Meta's decision to no longer pay for news content in a number of jurisdictions represents a dereliction of its commitment to the sustainability of Australian news media." "The decision removes a significant source of revenue for Australian news media businesses. Australian news publishers deserve fair compensation for the content they provide," Rowland added. Watch: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg learns sword-making in Japan She said that the government will "work through all available options" to address the concerns, along with the country's communications regulator. The government was "committed to promoting a strong, sustainable and diverse media sector given its vital importance to our democracy and social cohesion", the minister said. Meanwhile, the country's biggest media outlets criticised the decision and called it an attack on the industry. News Corp Australasia Executive Chairman Michael Miller said, "Meta is using its immense market power to refuse to negotiate, and the government is right to explore every option for how the Media Bargaining Code's powers can be used." (With inputs from agencies)

Meta stops paying news publishers in Australia, pulls down news tab in ongoing tussle

<p>Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during his Asia tour this week explored Japan in true American fashion from posting a Threads-worthy scenic photo of a snow-capped mountain top, dining at McDonald’s, and even learning about the making of katanas – a Japanese sword.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On a more serious note of his Japan visit, the Meta chief also met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and discussed the risks of generative artificial intelligence (AI), said a government spokesperson, on Wednesday (Feb 28).&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>‘Give these guys a Michelin star’</strong></h2>

<p>Over the week, Zuckerberg, chief of Meta, Facebook and Instagram parent company, took to his various social media platforms and posted images of him exploring Japan.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg learns sword-making in Japan</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/meta-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-learns-sword-making-in-japan-694124/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>On Friday (Feb 23), the 39-year-old posted an image of a snow-capped mountain on his Threads account that he said was taken with the new in-app camera that the company is testing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also posted an image with seasoned sword maker Akihira Kokaji on Instagram along with videos of him making and using a katana – a Japanese sword with a curved, single-edged blade, typically seen in the country’s pop culture.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/the-best-is-yet-to-come-mark-zuckerberg-celebrates-20-years-of-facebook-687251">‘The best is yet to come’: Mark Zuckerberg celebrates 20 years of Facebook</a></strong></p>

<p>“Really special afternoon learning about making katanas with master akihira.kokaji -- thank you for sharing your craft with us!” said the Meta CEO.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a true American tourist fashion, Zuckerberg also dined at a McDonald’s in Japan. “Japanese McDonald’s: 10/10. Give these guys a Michelin star,” said the 39-year-old along with a picture of himself in sunglasses eating a burger and of his wife Priscilla Chan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Meta CEO also posted a picture of his meal – a tray packed with popular Japanese menu items at McDonald’s including a teriyaki chicken burger, edamame bean salad, and of course fries.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Zuckerberg’s meeting with PM Kishida</h2>

<p>It was not all fun and games during Meta chief’s mini-tour of Asia which also involved stops in Japan, India and South Korea.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Zuckerberg and Kishida met on Tuesday (Feb 27) and “discussed a broad range of topics including the status of AI’s technological advancement...(and) the risk surrounding generative AI,” top Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Wednesday.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-how-ai-generated-propaganda-poses-a-real-threat-this-historic-election-year-694344">Explained: How AI-generated propaganda poses a real threat this historic election year</a></strong></p>

<p>“We had a good, productive conversation about AI and the future of technology,” the 39-year-old had said in brief comments to reporters at the PM’s residence in Tokyo.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I’m really excited for the work that is happening here in Japan.” He left without taking any questions after the 30-minute meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022 marked a pivotal moment in the development of AI, but the rampant development of the platform and others similar to it, have raised concerns about its impact.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meta was one of 20 major tech firms which signed a pledge to crack down on AI content intended to deceive voters amid a historic election year.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Arrival in South Korea</strong></h2>

<p>Zuckerberg arrived in Seoul, on Tuesday night for the second leg of his Asia trip and is expected to meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to local media reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We are coordinating with Meta to arrange a meeting,” a spokesperson for Yoon’s office told AFP on Wednesday.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during his Asia tour this week explored Japan in true American fashion from posting a Threads-worthy scenic photo of a snow-capped mountain top, dining at McDonald’s, and even learning about the making of katanas – a Japanese sword.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during his Asia tour this week explored Japan in true American fashion from posting a Threads-worthy scenic photo of a snow-capped mountain top, dining at McDonald’s, and even learning about the making of katanas – a Japanese sword. On a more serious note of his Japan visit, the Meta chief also met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and discussed the risks of generative artificial intelligence (AI), said a government spokesperson, on Wednesday (Feb 28). ‘Give these guys a Michelin star’ Over the week, Zuckerberg, chief of Meta, Facebook and Instagram parent company, took to his various social media platforms and posted images of him exploring Japan. WATCH | Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg learns sword-making in Japan On Friday (Feb 23), the 39-year-old posted an image of a snow-capped mountain on his Threads account that he said was taken with the new in-app camera that the company is testing. He also posted an image with seasoned sword maker Akihira Kokaji on Instagram along with videos of him making and using a katana – a Japanese sword with a curved, single-edged blade, typically seen in the country’s pop culture. Also Read | ‘The best is yet to come’: Mark Zuckerberg celebrates 20 years of Facebook “Really special afternoon learning about making katanas with master akihira.kokaji -- thank you for sharing your craft with us!” said the Meta CEO. In a true American tourist fashion, Zuckerberg also dined at a McDonald’s in Japan. “Japanese McDonald’s: 10/10. Give these guys a Michelin star,” said the 39-year-old along with a picture of himself in sunglasses eating a burger and of his wife Priscilla Chan. The Meta CEO also posted a picture of his meal – a tray packed with popular Japanese menu items at McDonald’s including a teriyaki chicken burger, edamame bean salad, and of course fries. Zuckerberg’s meeting with PM Kishida It was not all fun and games during Meta chief’s mini-tour of Asia which also involved stops in Japan, India and South Korea. Zuckerberg and Kishida met on Tuesday (Feb 27) and “discussed a broad range of topics including the status of AI’s technological advancement...(and) the risk surrounding generative AI,” top Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Wednesday. Also Read | Explained: How AI-generated propaganda poses a real threat this historic election year “We had a good, productive conversation about AI and the future of technology,” the 39-year-old had said in brief comments to reporters at the PM’s residence in Tokyo. “I’m really excited for the work that is happening here in Japan.” He left without taking any questions after the 30-minute meeting. The launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022 marked a pivotal moment in the development of AI, but the rampant development of the platform and others similar to it, have raised concerns about its impact. Meta was one of 20 major tech firms which signed a pledge to crack down on AI content intended to deceive voters amid a historic election year. Arrival in South Korea Zuckerberg arrived in Seoul, on Tuesday night for the second leg of his Asia trip and is expected to meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to local media reports. “We are coordinating with Meta to arrange a meeting,” a spokesperson for Yoon’s office told AFP on Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Zuckerberg explores Japan as the typical American tourist; talks AI fears with PM Kishida

Facebook parent company Meta said it shut down thousands of fake Facebook accounts originating from China. These fake account holders posed as US military families and anti-war activists.

Meta shuts down thousands of fake China-based Facebook accounts

<p>Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City, said on Wednesday (Feb 14) that his administration has taken prominent social media platforms to court for fuelling mental health crisis among young people. The lawsuit has been filed in the California Superior Court and aims at Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat and TikTok. The lawsuit says that the social media platforms have been designed to "purposefully manipulate and addict children and teens to social media applications."</p>

<p>These social media platforms are already targets of strong criticism and hundreds of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of children as well as school districts over their addictive nature, especially for youth.</p>

<p>"Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis," Adams said in a statement.</p>

<p>There has been an increased push in recent years&nbsp;demanding&nbsp;social media platforms design policies and tools to protect children from content that can be harmful to them.</p>

<p><strong>Video | New York court judge denies Trump's dismissal request</strong></p>

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<p>Just last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the US Senate for a hearing during which he apologised to families for the impact that social media has had on their children.</p>

<p>Reuters quoted a Meta spokesperson as saying that the tech giant wanted teenagers to have&nbsp;"safe, age-appropriate experiences online". Meanwhile, TikTok said it will tackle industry-wide challenges in order to keep the community safe.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stormy-daniels-hush-money-case-new-york-judge-sets-march-25-date-for-historic-trump-criminal-trial-690678">Stormy Daniels hush money case: New York judge sets March 25 date for historic Trump criminal trial</a></strong></p>

<p>"We've built services and policies to give young people age-appropriate experiences, and parents robust controls. The allegations in this complaint are simply not true," said Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda, as quoted by Reuters.</p>

<p>Mayor Eric Adams also took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the lawsuit.</p>

<p>"Social media has contributed to a youth mental health crisis in New York City. Today, we’re taking bold action to hold these companies accountable because our children, our families, and our future are more important than profit," he posted. The post contained the&nbsp;link to a page on the official New York City website that explained more about the lawsuit.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City, said on Wednesday (Feb 14) that his administration has taken prominent social media platforms to court for fuelling mental health crisis among young people.

Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City, said on Wednesday (Feb 14) that his administration has taken prominent social media platforms to court for fuelling mental health crisis among young people. The lawsuit has been filed in the California Superior Court and aims at Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat and TikTok. The lawsuit says that the social media platforms have been designed to "purposefully manipulate and addict children and teens to social media applications." These social media platforms are already targets of strong criticism and hundreds of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of children as well as school districts over their addictive nature, especially for youth. "Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis," Adams said in a statement. There has been an increased push in recent years demanding social media platforms design policies and tools to protect children from content that can be harmful to them. Video | New York court judge denies Trump's dismissal request × Just last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the US Senate for a hearing during which he apologised to families for the impact that social media has had on their children. Reuters quoted a Meta spokesperson as saying that the tech giant wanted teenagers to have "safe, age-appropriate experiences online". Meanwhile, TikTok said it will tackle industry-wide challenges in order to keep the community safe. Also Read | Stormy Daniels hush money case: New York judge sets March 25 date for historic Trump criminal trial "We've built services and policies to give young people age-appropriate experiences, and parents robust controls. The allegations in this complaint are simply not true," said Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda, as quoted by Reuters. Mayor Eric Adams also took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the lawsuit. "Social media has contributed to a youth mental health crisis in New York City. Today, we’re taking bold action to hold these companies accountable because our children, our families, and our future are more important than profit," he posted. The post contained the link to a page on the official New York City website that explained more about the lawsuit. (With inputs from agencies)

New York mayor sues social media giants over children's mental health

<p>If you were born in the 1990s or before, chances are that you are aware of major social media platforms that exist in the present day and the ones that were there in the days gone by during the early years of the internet. Remember the good old Orkut days? For the GenZs, that could be obsolete.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In real-time, there exist social media platforms that are slowly undergoing decay. They appear to have surpassed the zenith of their popularity and are now plateauing towards a period of contested popular appeal.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dark-side-of-social-media-do-x-facebook-instagram-care-about-your-mental-health-wion-investigates-679040">Dark side of social media: Do X, Facebook, Instagram care about your mental health? WION investigates</a></strong></p>

<p>Canadian-British blogger and journalist Cory Doctorow in 2023 coined the term "enshittification" to describe the way that online platforms decay.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The American Dialect Society made it its Word of the Year for 2023.</p>

<h2><strong>What is ‘enshittification’ about?</strong></h2>

<p>Doctorow, in an article published on Financial Times, theorised that we all are living through a period of "great enshittenning". The enshittification described how the internet was colonised by [online] platforms and why all those platforms are "degrading so quickly and thoroughly".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Doctorow presents enshittification as a three-stage process.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas | Meta CEO grilled: The sorry state of Mark Zuckerberg</strong></p>

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<p>"First, platforms are good to their users. Then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers. Finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, there is a fourth stage: they die," Doctorow writes while citing Facebook as a case study.</p>

<p>Doctorow further adds that towards the conclusive decay of a service, the difference between "I hate this service, but I can’t bring myself to quit," and "Jesus Christ, why did I wait so long to quit?" is razor-thin.</p>

<p>"All it takes is one Cambridge Analytica scandal, one whistleblower, one livestreamed mass-shooting, and users bolt for the exits, and then Facebook discovers that network effects are a double-edged sword," Doctorow adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If users can’t leave the platform&nbsp;because everyone else is staying, when everyone starts to leave, there’s no reason not to go. That’s terminal enshittification, Cory Doctorow&nbsp;describes.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


If you were born in the 1990s or before, chances are that you are aware of major social media platforms that exist in the present day and the ones that were there in the days gone by during the early years of the internet.

If you were born in the 1990s or before, chances are that you are aware of major social media platforms that exist in the present day and the ones that were there in the days gone by during the early years of the internet. Remember the good old Orkut days? For the GenZs, that could be obsolete. In real-time, there exist social media platforms that are slowly undergoing decay. They appear to have surpassed the zenith of their popularity and are now plateauing towards a period of contested popular appeal. Also read | Dark side of social media: Do X, Facebook, Instagram care about your mental health? WION investigates Canadian-British blogger and journalist Cory Doctorow in 2023 coined the term "enshittification" to describe the way that online platforms decay. The American Dialect Society made it its Word of the Year for 2023. What is ‘enshittification’ about? Doctorow, in an article published on Financial Times, theorised that we all are living through a period of "great enshittenning". The enshittification described how the internet was colonised by [online] platforms and why all those platforms are "degrading so quickly and thoroughly". Doctorow presents enshittification as a three-stage process. Also watch | Gravitas | Meta CEO grilled: The sorry state of Mark Zuckerberg × "First, platforms are good to their users. Then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers. Finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, there is a fourth stage: they die," Doctorow writes while citing Facebook as a case study. Doctorow further adds that towards the conclusive decay of a service, the difference between "I hate this service, but I can’t bring myself to quit," and "Jesus Christ, why did I wait so long to quit?" is razor-thin. "All it takes is one Cambridge Analytica scandal, one whistleblower, one livestreamed mass-shooting, and users bolt for the exits, and then Facebook discovers that network effects are a double-edged sword," Doctorow adds. If users can’t leave the platform because everyone else is staying, when everyone starts to leave, there’s no reason not to go. That’s terminal enshittification, Cory Doctorow describes. (With inputs from agencies)

What is 'enshittification', the term for decay of online platforms? Is Facebook going through it?

<p>Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as per reports, is considering removing posts on social media that use the word "Zionist." This step is being considered to counter a surge of antisemitism, hate speech online, especially during the Israel-Gaza conflict, reports The Washington Post citing people familiar with private deliberations and internal guidance on the topic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reportedly, the social media giant has told some civil society groups that 'Zionist' at times is being used as a hurtful substitute for 'Jews' or 'Israelis'.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/released-israeli-hostages-plead-with-netanyahu-to-push-for-ceasefire-deal-688786">Released Israeli hostages plead with Netanyahu to push for ceasefire deal</a></strong></p>

<p>The CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, as per the report said "Whether the culprit is a hardened antizionist or a White nationalist, the term 'Zionist' is often used as an ugly synonym for 'Jew'". He also said that he had not been consulted on Meta's potential policy changes.</p>

<h2><strong>Antisemitism online</strong></h2>

<p>Since the start of the Israel and Hamas there has been a lot more hate speech online.</p>

<p>On platforms including Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Greenblatt said "antisemitic posts … directly invoke the words 'Zionist' or 'Zionism' in a manner that is not just pejorative but antisemitic, threatening and shameful."</p>

<p>In a statement Meta spokeswoman Erin McPike said that the company doesn't allow&nbsp;people to attack others on the basis of religion or nationality.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-possible-offensive-netanyahu-orders-plan-for-rafah-evacuation-688806">Ahead of possible offensive, Netanyahu orders plan for Rafah evacuation</a></strong></p>

<p>"While the term 'Zionist' often refers to a person’s ideology, which is not a protected characteristic, it can also be used to refer to Jewish or Israeli people."</p>

<p>"Given the increase in polarised public discourse due to events in the Middle East, we believe it’s important to assess our guidance for reviewing posts that use the term 'Zionist.'"</p>

<h2><strong>People against the move</strong></h2>

<p>However, not everyone is okay with the move. It has triggered an alarm among digital rights activists and pro-Palestinians who have alleged that the group would stifle legitimate political critiques of the Israeli government, its armed forces and Zionism, during the ongoing war.</p>

<p>Nadim Nashif, co-founder of the pro-Palestinian digital rights group 7amleh said that "Zionism is an ideology. It's not a race."</p>

<p>"As I told them, in my opinion, this is a slippery slope. From there, you can remove a lot of content that is criticizing Israel and Zionism that is part of legitimate political discussion."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as per reports, is considering removing posts on social media that use the word "Zionist." This step is being considered to counter a surge of antisemitism, hate speech online, especially during the Israel-Gaza conflict, reports The Washington Post citing people familiar with private deliberations and internal guidance on the topic.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as per reports, is considering removing posts on social media that use the word "Zionist." This step is being considered to counter a surge of antisemitism, hate speech online, especially during the Israel-Gaza conflict, reports The Washington Post citing people familiar with private deliberations and internal guidance on the topic. Reportedly, the social media giant has told some civil society groups that 'Zionist' at times is being used as a hurtful substitute for 'Jews' or 'Israelis'. Also read | Released Israeli hostages plead with Netanyahu to push for ceasefire deal The CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, as per the report said "Whether the culprit is a hardened antizionist or a White nationalist, the term 'Zionist' is often used as an ugly synonym for 'Jew'". He also said that he had not been consulted on Meta's potential policy changes. Antisemitism online Since the start of the Israel and Hamas there has been a lot more hate speech online. On platforms including Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Greenblatt said "antisemitic posts … directly invoke the words 'Zionist' or 'Zionism' in a manner that is not just pejorative but antisemitic, threatening and shameful." In a statement Meta spokeswoman Erin McPike said that the company doesn't allow people to attack others on the basis of religion or nationality. Also read | Ahead of possible offensive, Netanyahu orders plan for Rafah evacuation "While the term 'Zionist' often refers to a person’s ideology, which is not a protected characteristic, it can also be used to refer to Jewish or Israeli people." "Given the increase in polarised public discourse due to events in the Middle East, we believe it’s important to assess our guidance for reviewing posts that use the term 'Zionist.'" People against the move However, not everyone is okay with the move. It has triggered an alarm among digital rights activists and pro-Palestinians who have alleged that the group would stifle legitimate political critiques of the Israeli government, its armed forces and Zionism, during the ongoing war. Nadim Nashif, co-founder of the pro-Palestinian digital rights group 7amleh said that "Zionism is an ideology. It's not a race." "As I told them, in my opinion, this is a slippery slope. From there, you can remove a lot of content that is criticizing Israel and Zionism that is part of legitimate political discussion." (With inputs from agencies)

Meta considers removing posts with word 'zionist'. Here's why

<p><strong><em>Trigger warning: Some readers may find details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised.</em></strong></p>

<p>Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinod Ghosalkar's son Abhishek was shot dead in Mumbai, India, during Facebook Live on Thursday (Feb 8).&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the video&nbsp;that was shared on social media and went viral, one can see&nbsp;Abhishek Ghosalkar&nbsp;being shot at by a person from his neighbourhood.</p>

<p>The attacker subsequently shot himself.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-shoot-at-sight-order-issued-in-uttarakhands-nainital-after-violence-over-anti-encroachment-drive-688423">'Shoot-at-sight' order issued in Uttarakhand's Nainital after violence over anti-encroachment drive</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>As per reports, the incident occurred in the north Mumbai suburb of Dahisar.</p>

<p>Abhishek was reportedly rushed to the nearby Karuna Hospital in Borivali, but died of gunshot wounds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the video, Abhishek can be&nbsp;seen sitting on a sofa and talking live on Facebook with some visitors about local works. When he stood up, one person (not seen in the video) took out a revolver and fired at least three rounds at him.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Battle of papers between BJP and Congress over economy</strong></p>

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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-pragati-maidan-tunnel-needs-major-revamp-due-to-negligence-in-maintenance-delay-in-completion-688390">Delhi's Pragati Maidan Tunnel needs 'major revamp' due to seepage, design flaws</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Abhishek, a former BMC Municipal Corporator from Dahisar,&nbsp;stumbled&nbsp;and fell down.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The alleged shooter&nbsp;identified as&nbsp;Morris Noronha also shot himself immediately after shooting&nbsp;Ghosalkar, according to reports.</p>

<p>So far, there's no official comment, but reports allege&nbsp;that a personal dispute could have been the reason behind the incident.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut attacked the government and ponsted on post on X, "Gunda raj in Maharashtra. Mauris Noronha, who shot Abhishek Ghosalkar, was at Varsha was bungalow four days ago."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The Chief Minister met him. Morrish was invited to join the Shinde Sena. Fadnavis is a complete failure as Home Minister. Resign!" he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


Trigger warning: Some readers may find details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinod Ghosalkar's son Abhishek was shot dead in Mumbai, India, during Facebook Live on Thursday (Feb 8).

Trigger warning: Some readers may find details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinod Ghosalkar's son Abhishek was shot dead in Mumbai, India, during Facebook Live on Thursday (Feb 8). In the video that was shared on social media and went viral, one can see Abhishek Ghosalkar being shot at by a person from his neighbourhood. The attacker subsequently shot himself. Also read: 'Shoot-at-sight' order issued in Uttarakhand's Nainital after violence over anti-encroachment drive As per reports, the incident occurred in the north Mumbai suburb of Dahisar. Abhishek was reportedly rushed to the nearby Karuna Hospital in Borivali, but died of gunshot wounds. In the video, Abhishek can be seen sitting on a sofa and talking live on Facebook with some visitors about local works. When he stood up, one person (not seen in the video) took out a revolver and fired at least three rounds at him. Watch: Battle of papers between BJP and Congress over economy × Also read: Delhi's Pragati Maidan Tunnel needs 'major revamp' due to seepage, design flaws Abhishek, a former BMC Municipal Corporator from Dahisar, stumbled and fell down. The alleged shooter identified as Morris Noronha also shot himself immediately after shooting Ghosalkar, according to reports. So far, there's no official comment, but reports allege that a personal dispute could have been the reason behind the incident. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut attacked the government and ponsted on post on X, "Gunda raj in Maharashtra. Mauris Noronha, who shot Abhishek Ghosalkar, was at Varsha was bungalow four days ago." "The Chief Minister met him. Morrish was invited to join the Shinde Sena. Fadnavis is a complete failure as Home Minister. Resign!" he added. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Shiv Sena (UBT) politician's son shot dead during Facebook live

Facebook and Instagram users will start seeing labels on AI-generated images that appear on their social media feeds, part of a broader tech industry initiative to sort between what’s real and not.

Meta to label AI-generated images on Facebook and Instagram

Researchers said they detected a fourfold rise in the level of misogynistic content suggested by TikTok over a five-day period as the algorithm served more extreme videos that were often focused on anger and blame directed at women.

Social media 'fuelling playground misogyny'

Meta was criticized Monday by a company-funded oversight board for its “incoherent” and “confusing” policies on manipulated media after an altered video of President Biden spread on Facebook.

Oversight Board rebukes Meta’s policies on deepfakes, amid AI fears

Investors will eye meta shares later on Monday after the stock rose 20% on Friday to close at an all-time high of $474.99 per share. The surge marked the biggest single-day surge in U.S. Stock market history. CEO mark Zuckerburg is now the world's fourth richest, with a $28 billion gain. Meta's $197 billion gains exceeded the $190 billion jump recorded by apple and amazon in 2022. Watch to know more!

Meta's $197 billion surge is biggest in stock-market history

<p>Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, now Meta, on Sunday (Feb 4th) celebrated 20 years of the social media platform.</p>

<p>Posting a throwback video on Meta-owned social media platform Instagram, Zuckerberg wrote: "20 years ago, I launched a thing. Along the way, lots of amazing people joined, and we built some more awesome things. We're still at it, and the best is yet to come."</p>

<h2><strong>The video</strong></h2>

<p>The 25-second video, technically called a reel, featured the Meta CEO from his younger days, back when Facebook was first launched on February 4, 2004.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-satoshi-nakamoto-war-begins-in-the-uk-court-to-decide-on-bitcoin-founders-identity-687233">Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? 'War' begins in the UK, court to decide on Bitcoin founder’s identity</a></strong></p>

<p>Zuckerberg's&nbsp;video is a montage&nbsp;of photos and videos from the 20-year journey. It starts with a message "I have a feeling this is going to go by really fast," before moving on to feature the pictures and clips to Aerosmith's "Dream On."</p>

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<p>The video, among others, features&nbsp;Edwardo Saverin, who helped found Facebook. Zuckerberg and Saverin had a major falling out and engaged in a major legal battle, which saw the ex-friends filing lawsuits against one another.</p>

<p>Also featured are Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, and former Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who stepped down in 2022. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musks-illegal-drug-use-silence-of-board-and-money-ties-with-directors-what-wsjs-new-report-claims-687186">Musk’s ‘illegal drug use’, silence of board and money ties with directors: What WSJ’s new report claims</a></strong></p>

<p>He also posted several other posts to his account @zuck. One featured then-and-now pictures of him sitting at a desk working on computers. The pictures, which are 20 years apart, showcased widely different computer setups. One similarity the two shots shared is a variety of caffeine-laced drinks.</p>

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<h2><strong>Facebook: a short history</strong></h2>

<p>The platform was launched in 2004 and is credited with ushering in a new era of communication. It was Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin.</p>

<p>Within months of its launch, Facebook hit one million active users. The following year, Facebook introduced the feature to add photos and also came up with news feed.</p>

<p>In 2009, it introduced the well-known 'like' button. By the end of the decade, the platform clocked 500 million active users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, with the emergence of other popular platforms like TikTok, and Instagram, it has now got left behind, with mostly the older generation using it. In February 2022, as per Business Standard, Facebook's total number of users declined to 1.9 billion for the first time.</p>


Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, now Meta, on Sunday (Feb 4th) celebrated 20 years of the social media platform. Posting a throwback video on Meta-owned social media platform Instagram, Zuckerberg wrote: "20 years ago, I launched a thing.

Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, now Meta, on Sunday (Feb 4th) celebrated 20 years of the social media platform. Posting a throwback video on Meta-owned social media platform Instagram, Zuckerberg wrote: "20 years ago, I launched a thing. Along the way, lots of amazing people joined, and we built some more awesome things. We're still at it, and the best is yet to come." The video The 25-second video, technically called a reel, featured the Meta CEO from his younger days, back when Facebook was first launched on February 4, 2004. Also read | Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? 'War' begins in the UK, court to decide on Bitcoin founder’s identity Zuckerberg's video is a montage of photos and videos from the 20-year journey. It starts with a message "I have a feeling this is going to go by really fast," before moving on to feature the pictures and clips to Aerosmith's "Dream On." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck) × The video, among others, features Edwardo Saverin, who helped found Facebook. Zuckerberg and Saverin had a major falling out and engaged in a major legal battle, which saw the ex-friends filing lawsuits against one another. Also featured are Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, and former Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who stepped down in 2022. Also read | Musk’s ‘illegal drug use’, silence of board and money ties with directors: What WSJ’s new report claims He also posted several other posts to his account @zuck. One featured then-and-now pictures of him sitting at a desk working on computers. The pictures, which are 20 years apart, showcased widely different computer setups. One similarity the two shots shared is a variety of caffeine-laced drinks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck) × Facebook: a short history The platform was launched in 2004 and is credited with ushering in a new era of communication. It was Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin. Within months of its launch, Facebook hit one million active users. The following year, Facebook introduced the feature to add photos and also came up with news feed. In 2009, it introduced the well-known 'like' button. By the end of the decade, the platform clocked 500 million active users. However, with the emergence of other popular platforms like TikTok, and Instagram, it has now got left behind, with mostly the older generation using it. In February 2022, as per Business Standard, Facebook's total number of users declined to 1.9 billion for the first time.

‘The best is yet to come’: Mark Zuckerberg celebrates 20 years of Facebook

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">In a historic turn of events on Friday, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, experienced an unprecedented surge, adding a staggering $196 billion in stock market value. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">This is based on a Reuters report.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">This remarkable one-day gain stands as the largest ever recorded by any company in the history of Wall Street. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta's stock, listed as META.O, skyrocketed by 20.3 per cent, marking its most significant one-day percentage increase in a year and the third-largest since its debut in 2012. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">The company's stock market value has now reached $1.22 trillion, solidifying its position among the tech industry's heavyweights.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Days before Facebook's 20th anniversary, Meta declared its first-ever dividend and announced a $50 billion share repurchase authorisation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">This strategic move contributed to the surge, as investors responded positively to the company's commitment to shareholder value. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Reuters cited investment analyst Dan Coatsworth from AJ Bell, who said, "Paying a dividend suggests the company wants to reboot its reputation and be taken more seriously. But ultimately the amount being paid is only a token gesture."<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta's increase in market capitalisation surpassed the previous record set by Amazon in 2022. Amazon saw a surge of $190 billion in market value after a stellar quarterly report. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">This surge comes after Meta experienced a historic loss of over $200 billion, the largest in US stock market history, just a day before, following a bleak forecast. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta's recent decision to provide dividends signals a considerable payout for its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, potentially amounting to about $175 million every quarter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">The surge in Meta's stock is not merely a reflection of financial manoeuvres but also an endorsement of the company's performance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">The world's largest social media platform reported strong ad sales and a rebound in user growth during its fourth-quarter results, leading to a 25 per cent increase in revenue. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta's efficient cost management, including a significant workforce reduction of over 21,000 jobs since late 2022, contributed to tripling its net income to an impressive $14.02 billion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Jasmine Enberg, a principal analyst at Insider Intelligence, told Reuters, "The 'Year of Efficiency' has paid off, with both headcount and costs dropping, and Meta exceeding our expectations for full-year 2023 ad revenue."<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Despite Meta's dividend being relatively small compared to other companies, it could attract a broader range of investors, particularly those focused on dividends. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management, highlighted the potential impact, stating, "This can start attracting investors who really do look for dividends and more steady income."<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Meta's foray into dividend distribution could make its stock more appealing to investors, especially in the realm of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">ETFs focused on US dividend payers currently hold assets exceeding $400 billion, representing just over 5 per cent of the entire domestic ETF universe. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">(With inputs from Reuters)</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>


In a historic turn of events on Friday, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, experienced an unprecedented surge, adding a staggering $196 billion in stock market value.

In a historic turn of events on Friday, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, experienced an unprecedented surge, adding a staggering $196 billion in stock market value. This is based on a Reuters report. This remarkable one-day gain stands as the largest ever recorded by any company in the history of Wall Street. Meta's stock, listed as META.O, skyrocketed by 20.3 per cent, marking its most significant one-day percentage increase in a year and the third-largest since its debut in 2012. The company's stock market value has now reached $1.22 trillion, solidifying its position among the tech industry's heavyweights. Days before Facebook's 20th anniversary, Meta declared its first-ever dividend and announced a $50 billion share repurchase authorisation. This strategic move contributed to the surge, as investors responded positively to the company's commitment to shareholder value. Reuters cited investment analyst Dan Coatsworth from AJ Bell, who said, "Paying a dividend suggests the company wants to reboot its reputation and be taken more seriously. But ultimately the amount being paid is only a token gesture." Meta's increase in market capitalisation surpassed the previous record set by Amazon in 2022. Amazon saw a surge of $190 billion in market value after a stellar quarterly report. This surge comes after Meta experienced a historic loss of over $200 billion, the largest in US stock market history, just a day before, following a bleak forecast. Meta's recent decision to provide dividends signals a considerable payout for its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, potentially amounting to about $175 million every quarter. The surge in Meta's stock is not merely a reflection of financial manoeuvres but also an endorsement of the company's performance. The world's largest social media platform reported strong ad sales and a rebound in user growth during its fourth-quarter results, leading to a 25 per cent increase in revenue. Meta's efficient cost management, including a significant workforce reduction of over 21,000 jobs since late 2022, contributed to tripling its net income to an impressive $14.02 billion. Jasmine Enberg, a principal analyst at Insider Intelligence, told Reuters, "The 'Year of Efficiency' has paid off, with both headcount and costs dropping, and Meta exceeding our expectations for full-year 2023 ad revenue." Despite Meta's dividend being relatively small compared to other companies, it could attract a broader range of investors, particularly those focused on dividends. Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management, highlighted the potential impact, stating, "This can start attracting investors who really do look for dividends and more steady income." Meta's foray into dividend distribution could make its stock more appealing to investors, especially in the realm of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs focused on US dividend payers currently hold assets exceeding $400 billion, representing just over 5 per cent of the entire domestic ETF universe. (With inputs from Reuters)

Meta Platforms shatters records with a $196 bn surge in stock market value

<p>February 4, 2024 is the day when Facebook becomes exactly a two-decade-old company. It was 20 years back when Mark Zuckerberg created the social media giant, a watershed moment for the digital space. Facebook changed our interactions forever as humanity witnessed the first wave of social networking and the ensuing development of online communities. Today, on Facebook’s birthday, it becomes imperative to highlight the 20-year-long journey of the social media behemoth.</p>

<h2><strong>2004: The year Zuckerberg conceived Facebook</strong></h2>

<p>Before Facebook, let’s talk about Orkut. The social media company, named after its creator, Google employee Orkut Büyükkökten, came to life on January 22, 2004. Initially, users could become fans of their friends and rate them as Trustworthy, Cool, or Sext on a scale of 1 to 3. Orkut allowed access to everyone's profile, except those on a designated 'ignore list.'</p>

<p>By 2008, it became one of India's most visited websites, establishing itself as the premier social network. By 2014, traffic from India was the platform's second-highest globally, trailing only Brazil.</p>

<p>Less than two weeks after Orkut's debut, a group of Harvard University students launched what would become the most influential social media network of all time. A "face book" traditionally referred to a student directory in American universities featuring photos and basic information, initially offline until 2003.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologises to families of exploited children</strong></p>

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<p>During this time, Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg told the Harvard Crimson, the oldest continuously published daily college newspaper in the US, that he could create a 'universal face book' within Harvard in a week. Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard student Eduardo Saverin each invested $1,000, and on February 4, 2004, they launched ‘TheFacebook’.</p>

<h2><strong>And then Facebook arrived…</strong></h2>

<p>Facebook quickly expanded to other Ivy League universities and gradually to colleges and universities across the United States. By September 2005, it opened its doors to high school students, and later that year, it became available to anyone over the age of 13 with a valid email address. 2005 was the year when TheFacebook became Facebook.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-jsarwt="1" data-usg="AOvVaw2sN3qk2AsQvBXG8H1aGQ1G" data-ved="2ahUKEwjLoPWcnJKEAxVM2jgGHY8HC7kQxfQBKAB6BAgNEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-state-says-children-on-instagram-facebook-were-frequent-targets-of-sexual-harassment-report-681614" jsname="YKoRaf">US state says children on Instagram, Facebook are often targets of sexual harassment: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>The company’s user base grew exponentially. By 2005, Facebook crossed the 6 million mark and soared beyond 300 million members by the end of the decade.</p>

<h2><strong>How has Facebook evolved? </strong></h2>

<p>Facebook literally dominated the digital, social networking space through the personalisation of content during this period. Facebook introduced features such as the News Feed in 2006, which personalised content for users and the Like button in 2009, which became a fundamental aspect of the platform's interaction model.</p>

<p>In 2007, Facebook further evolved, by enabling monetisation on its platform and embracing third-party developers. In 2007, Facebook launched the Facebook Platform, allowing third-party developers to create applications that could be integrated into the platform. This move contributed to the rapid expansion of the Facebook ecosystem, with thousands of apps being developed and shared on the platform.</p>

<p>Facebook then began experimenting with advertising and monetisation strategies, introducing targeted advertising based on user data and behaviour. The introduction of Facebook Ads in 2007 marked the beginning of Facebook's journey towards becoming a major player in the digital advertising space.</p>

<p>Facebook truly evolved quite strategically, which seemingly resonated with its users worldwide. Facebook strategically acquired companies and integrated new features to enhance user experience and functionality. Key acquisitions during this period include the purchase of photo-sharing service Instagram in 2012 and messaging app WhatsApp in 2014.</p>

<h2><strong>2018: When the privacy scandal hit Facebook</strong></h2>

<p>In 2018, Facebook announced the suspension of Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) and its subsidiary, Cambridge Analytica, known for providing digital voter outreach services to the Donald Trump presidential campaign.</p>

<p>According to a statement from Facebook's vice president and deputy general counsel, Cambridge Analytica obtained user data through a third-party app, violating the platform's policies safeguarding user information. The data was initially collected by Aleksandr Kogan, a Russian-American psychology professor, who developed a Facebook app and enlisted around 270,000 volunteers to participate in a personality quiz, consenting to share their profile information with Kogan for academic purposes.</p>

<p>Subsequently, Kogan transferred the data to Cambridge Analytica. Upon discovering the violation in 2015, Facebook removed the app and requested Cambridge Analytica to confirm the deletion of the collected data.</p>

<p>On March 17, 2018, a joint investigation by the New York Times and the Observer of London disclosed that Cambridge Analytica acquired data from 50 million American Facebook users through Kogan's app. The investigation revealed that Cambridge Analytica funded the app's development and utilised the gathered information to craft targeted political advertisements for the Trump campaign. Contrary to Facebook's request in 2015, the newspapers reported that at least some of the data remained undeleted.</p>

<p>Later in 2018, the New York Times reported that Facebook offered more of its users' data to companies than it has admitted.</p>

<h2><strong>October 2021: Facebook becomes Meta</strong></h2>

<p>Zuckerberg announced Facebook was changing its corporate name to "Meta," as a rebranding move amid wide-ranging scrutiny of its various platforms after a whistleblower leaked hundreds of internal documents.</p>

<p>Further, in March 2022, Meta was sued by Washington, DC Attorney General Karl Racine for allegedly misleading the public on the company's handling of privacy and personal data in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal.</p>

<p>Some might argue Facebook’s best days have long gone already, but Meta’s popularity is still unmatched in digital space, with Instagram hitting 2.4 billion users (up from 110 million in 2013) and Facebook crossing the 3 billion threshold by 2023.</p>


February 4, 2024 is the day when Facebook becomes exactly a two-decade-old company. It was 20 years back when Mark Zuckerberg created the social media giant, a watershed moment for the digital space.

February 4, 2024 is the day when Facebook becomes exactly a two-decade-old company. It was 20 years back when Mark Zuckerberg created the social media giant, a watershed moment for the digital space. Facebook changed our interactions forever as humanity witnessed the first wave of social networking and the ensuing development of online communities. Today, on Facebook’s birthday, it becomes imperative to highlight the 20-year-long journey of the social media behemoth. 2004: The year Zuckerberg conceived Facebook Before Facebook, let’s talk about Orkut. The social media company, named after its creator, Google employee Orkut Büyükkökten, came to life on January 22, 2004. Initially, users could become fans of their friends and rate them as Trustworthy, Cool, or Sext on a scale of 1 to 3. Orkut allowed access to everyone's profile, except those on a designated 'ignore list.' By 2008, it became one of India's most visited websites, establishing itself as the premier social network. By 2014, traffic from India was the platform's second-highest globally, trailing only Brazil. Less than two weeks after Orkut's debut, a group of Harvard University students launched what would become the most influential social media network of all time. A "face book" traditionally referred to a student directory in American universities featuring photos and basic information, initially offline until 2003. Watch: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologises to families of exploited children × During this time, Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg told the Harvard Crimson, the oldest continuously published daily college newspaper in the US, that he could create a 'universal face book' within Harvard in a week. Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard student Eduardo Saverin each invested $1,000, and on February 4, 2004, they launched ‘TheFacebook’. And then Facebook arrived… Facebook quickly expanded to other Ivy League universities and gradually to colleges and universities across the United States. By September 2005, it opened its doors to high school students, and later that year, it became available to anyone over the age of 13 with a valid email address. 2005 was the year when TheFacebook became Facebook. Also read: US state says children on Instagram, Facebook are often targets of sexual harassment: Report The company’s user base grew exponentially. By 2005, Facebook crossed the 6 million mark and soared beyond 300 million members by the end of the decade. How has Facebook evolved? Facebook literally dominated the digital, social networking space through the personalisation of content during this period. Facebook introduced features such as the News Feed in 2006, which personalised content for users and the Like button in 2009, which became a fundamental aspect of the platform's interaction model. In 2007, Facebook further evolved, by enabling monetisation on its platform and embracing third-party developers. In 2007, Facebook launched the Facebook Platform, allowing third-party developers to create applications that could be integrated into the platform. This move contributed to the rapid expansion of the Facebook ecosystem, with thousands of apps being developed and shared on the platform. Facebook then began experimenting with advertising and monetisation strategies, introducing targeted advertising based on user data and behaviour. The introduction of Facebook Ads in 2007 marked the beginning of Facebook's journey towards becoming a major player in the digital advertising space. Facebook truly evolved quite strategically, which seemingly resonated with its users worldwide. Facebook strategically acquired companies and integrated new features to enhance user experience and functionality. Key acquisitions during this period include the purchase of photo-sharing service Instagram in 2012 and messaging app WhatsApp in 2014. 2018: When the privacy scandal hit Facebook In 2018, Facebook announced the suspension of Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) and its subsidiary, Cambridge Analytica, known for providing digital voter outreach services to the Donald Trump presidential campaign. According to a statement from Facebook's vice president and deputy general counsel, Cambridge Analytica obtained user data through a third-party app, violating the platform's policies safeguarding user information. The data was initially collected by Aleksandr Kogan, a Russian-American psychology professor, who developed a Facebook app and enlisted around 270,000 volunteers to participate in a personality quiz, consenting to share their profile information with Kogan for academic purposes. Subsequently, Kogan transferred the data to Cambridge Analytica. Upon discovering the violation in 2015, Facebook removed the app and requested Cambridge Analytica to confirm the deletion of the collected data. On March 17, 2018, a joint investigation by the New York Times and the Observer of London disclosed that Cambridge Analytica acquired data from 50 million American Facebook users through Kogan's app. The investigation revealed that Cambridge Analytica funded the app's development and utilised the gathered information to craft targeted political advertisements for the Trump campaign. Contrary to Facebook's request in 2015, the newspapers reported that at least some of the data remained undeleted. Later in 2018, the New York Times reported that Facebook offered more of its users' data to companies than it has admitted. October 2021: Facebook becomes Meta Zuckerberg announced Facebook was changing its corporate name to "Meta," as a rebranding move amid wide-ranging scrutiny of its various platforms after a whistleblower leaked hundreds of internal documents. Further, in March 2022, Meta was sued by Washington, DC Attorney General Karl Racine for allegedly misleading the public on the company's handling of privacy and personal data in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Some might argue Facebook’s best days have long gone already, but Meta’s popularity is still unmatched in digital space, with Instagram hitting 2.4 billion users (up from 110 million in 2013) and Facebook crossing the 3 billion threshold by 2023.

Explained | From TheFacebook to Meta, 20-year-long controversial journey of social media giant

Meta platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has issued its first-ever dividend. The tech giant's stock witnessed a 14% surge after hours, propelling its market valuation by over $140 billion. Watch to know more!

Meta issues first dividend on Facebook's 20th anniversary

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, has made a significant move just days ahead of Facebook's 20th anniversary. According to Reuters, the tech behemoth issued its first-ever dividend and reported impressive financials, surpassing revenue and profit expectations driven by robust holiday ad sales. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Following the announcement, shares of Meta soared over 14 per cent after hours, propelling the company's market valuation up by more than $140 billion. This surge, part of Meta's long recovery, signifies a major milestone for the tech sector.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Meta's dividend declaration, a historic move for a tech giant, comes at 50 cents per share, signalling a departure from the traditional model in the industry. The company also authorised an additional $50 billion in share repurchases. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">This makes Meta the first among its generation of internet steamrollers to issue a dividend, breaking new ground in a sector that has long been dominated by a handful of companies. Founded in 2004, Meta has evolved into the world's largest social media company, connecting over 3 billion people and revolutionising digital interactions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Despite its impressive financial achievements, Meta has not been immune to controversies. Accusations of neglecting user privacy and enabling incitements to violence have plagued the company's growth trajectory. Just a day before the financial results, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the US Senate regarding child safety online, offering apologies to parents of children who experienced sexual abuses. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In response to the ups and downs, Zuckerberg shared a reflective message on Thursday. "You're never as good as they say when you're up, or as bad as they say when you're down. Just keep building and doing good work over long periods of time,” Reuters quoted him as saying.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The financial results for Meta's fourth quarter demonstrated an impressive performance. Revenue rose by 25 per cent to $40.1 billion, surpassing analyst expectations. Net income surged over 200 per cent to $14 billion, or $5.33 per share, exceeding expectations. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The recovery of Meta's shares over the past year, after a meltdown in 2022, has been attributed to factors like increased investor excitement about artificial intelligence, rebounding user growth, and digital ad sales. The company's strategic austerity measures, involving shedding more than 21,000 employees, have also played a role.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Looking forward, Meta forecasts a first-quarter revenue of $34.5 billion to $37 billion, surpassing Wall Street expectations. The company anticipates total expenses for the full year 2024 to remain unchanged at $94 billion to $99 billion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Meta's commitment to investments in the metaverse and artificial intelligence remains unwavering. Despite operating losses in its metaverse-oriented Reality Labs unit, the company continues to aggressively invest in augmented and virtual reality. Executives highlight the success of the latest version of Ray-Ban smart glasses, equipped with a built-in AI assistant, signalling potential shifts in consumer preferences.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:8.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;display:none;mso-hide:all;mso-font-kerning:
0pt;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Bottom of Form</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB">(With inputs from Reuters)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>


Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, has made a significant move just days ahead of Facebook's 20th anniversary. According to Reuters, the tech behemoth issued its first-ever dividend and reported impressive financials, surpassing revenue and profit expectations driven by robust holiday ad sales.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, has made a significant move just days ahead of Facebook's 20th anniversary. According to Reuters, the tech behemoth issued its first-ever dividend and reported impressive financials, surpassing revenue and profit expectations driven by robust holiday ad sales. Following the announcement, shares of Meta soared over 14 per cent after hours, propelling the company's market valuation up by more than $140 billion. This surge, part of Meta's long recovery, signifies a major milestone for the tech sector. Meta's dividend declaration, a historic move for a tech giant, comes at 50 cents per share, signalling a departure from the traditional model in the industry. The company also authorised an additional $50 billion in share repurchases. This makes Meta the first among its generation of internet steamrollers to issue a dividend, breaking new ground in a sector that has long been dominated by a handful of companies. Founded in 2004, Meta has evolved into the world's largest social media company, connecting over 3 billion people and revolutionising digital interactions. Despite its impressive financial achievements, Meta has not been immune to controversies. Accusations of neglecting user privacy and enabling incitements to violence have plagued the company's growth trajectory. Just a day before the financial results, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the US Senate regarding child safety online, offering apologies to parents of children who experienced sexual abuses. In response to the ups and downs, Zuckerberg shared a reflective message on Thursday. "You're never as good as they say when you're up, or as bad as they say when you're down. Just keep building and doing good work over long periods of time,” Reuters quoted him as saying. The financial results for Meta's fourth quarter demonstrated an impressive performance. Revenue rose by 25 per cent to $40.1 billion, surpassing analyst expectations. Net income surged over 200 per cent to $14 billion, or $5.33 per share, exceeding expectations. The recovery of Meta's shares over the past year, after a meltdown in 2022, has been attributed to factors like increased investor excitement about artificial intelligence, rebounding user growth, and digital ad sales. The company's strategic austerity measures, involving shedding more than 21,000 employees, have also played a role. Looking forward, Meta forecasts a first-quarter revenue of $34.5 billion to $37 billion, surpassing Wall Street expectations. The company anticipates total expenses for the full year 2024 to remain unchanged at $94 billion to $99 billion. Meta's commitment to investments in the metaverse and artificial intelligence remains unwavering. Despite operating losses in its metaverse-oriented Reality Labs unit, the company continues to aggressively invest in augmented and virtual reality. Executives highlight the success of the latest version of Ray-Ban smart glasses, equipped with a built-in AI assistant, signalling potential shifts in consumer preferences.Bottom of Form (With inputs from Reuters)

Meta Platforms report first dividend while shares soar

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg along with the bosses of TikTok, X, Snap and Discord was grilled by the U.S. Senate. The social media bosses face allegations of not taking appropriate actions against child sex abuse and exploitation on their platforms.

Gravitas | Meta CEO grilled: The sorry state of Mark Zuckerberg

CEOs of Meta, X, TikTok, Snap, and Discord face tough questions on combating online child exploitation at Senate hearing.

Meta, Instagram, TikTok CEOs face tough questions on child safety online

US: Social Media CEOs testify at hearing, heated Senate hearing on child safety

The United States' lawmakers grilled the tech Chiefs over the dangers the children actually face on social media platforms. This happened during the US Senate child safety hearing and Mark Zuckerberg was pressured to physically stand up and face the families of being affected by online abuse on his platforms. So what did he do next?Well he issued an apology. Watch to know more.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologises to families of exploited children

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced the implementation of new direct messaging restrictions aimed at enhancing the safety of teenage users on its platforms.

Meta limits messages for teen safety on Instagram, Facebook

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuid35KmO9RRZh3C" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>The US state of New Mexico has said that children using Instagram and Facebook have been frequent targets of sexual harassment. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday (Jan 17), an internal Meta Platforms presentation in 2021 estimated that 100,000 minors each day received photos of adult genitalia or other sexually abusive content.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This finding is among newly unredacted material about the company’s child-safety policies in a lawsuit filed by New Mexico last month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The lawsuit alleged that Meta recommended sexual content to underage users and promoted underage accounts to predatory adult users. In a 2021 internal document, Meta employees noted that "People You May Know" (PYMK)- one of the recommended algorithms of the platform, was known among employees to connect child users with potential predators.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dark-side-of-social-media-do-x-facebook-instagram-care-about-your-mental-health-wion-investigates-679040">Dark side of social media: Do X, Facebook, Instagram care about your mental health? WION&nbsp;investigates</a></strong></p>

<p>According to the lawsuit, the above finding had been flagged to the executive several years earlier. The report said that the executives rejected a staff recommendation that Meta adjust the design of PYMK to stop it from recommending minors to adults.</p>

<h2><strong>'Meta failed to address widespread predation'</strong></h2>

<p>New Mexico alleged that Meta has failed to address widespread predation on its platform or limit design features that recommended children to adults with malicious intentions. The state's lawsuit further said that instead of publicly acknowledging internal findings, the company falsely assured people that its platforms were safe.</p>

<p>The report said that much of the internal discussion in the unredacted material focused on Instagram.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an internal email in 2020, employees reported that the prevalence of “sex talk” to minors was 38 times greater on Instagram than on Facebook Messenger in the US. The employees urged Meta to enact more safeguards on the platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Meta's Instagram under fire for showing sexual videos of young users</strong></p>

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<p>In that year, a presentation called “Child Safety: State of Play” said that Instagram employed “minimal child safety protections” and described policies regarding “minor sexualisation” as “immature.”</p>

<p>Meta officials did not take action to prevent adults from sexually soliciting children until late 2022, the lawsuit further alleged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The WSJ report also said that rather than broadly stopping recommendations of&nbsp;the accounts of children to adults,&nbsp;Instagram and Facebook&nbsp;sought to block such suggestions to adults who already demonstrated suspicious behaviour towards children.</p>

<p>Apart from New Mexico, over 40 other states in the US sued Meta in October last year alleging the company misled people about the dangers that its platforms posed to young people.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The US state of New Mexico has said that children using Instagram and Facebook have been frequent targets of sexual harassment. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday (Jan 17), an internal Meta Platforms presentation in 2021 estimated that 100,000 minors each day received photos of adult genitalia or other sexually abusive content.

The US state of New Mexico has said that children using Instagram and Facebook have been frequent targets of sexual harassment. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday (Jan 17), an internal Meta Platforms presentation in 2021 estimated that 100,000 minors each day received photos of adult genitalia or other sexually abusive content. This finding is among newly unredacted material about the company’s child-safety policies in a lawsuit filed by New Mexico last month. The lawsuit alleged that Meta recommended sexual content to underage users and promoted underage accounts to predatory adult users. In a 2021 internal document, Meta employees noted that "People You May Know" (PYMK)- one of the recommended algorithms of the platform, was known among employees to connect child users with potential predators. Also read | Dark side of social media: Do X, Facebook, Instagram care about your mental health? WION investigates According to the lawsuit, the above finding had been flagged to the executive several years earlier. The report said that the executives rejected a staff recommendation that Meta adjust the design of PYMK to stop it from recommending minors to adults. 'Meta failed to address widespread predation' New Mexico alleged that Meta has failed to address widespread predation on its platform or limit design features that recommended children to adults with malicious intentions. The state's lawsuit further said that instead of publicly acknowledging internal findings, the company falsely assured people that its platforms were safe. The report said that much of the internal discussion in the unredacted material focused on Instagram. In an internal email in 2020, employees reported that the prevalence of “sex talk” to minors was 38 times greater on Instagram than on Facebook Messenger in the US. The employees urged Meta to enact more safeguards on the platform. Also watch | Meta's Instagram under fire for showing sexual videos of young users × In that year, a presentation called “Child Safety: State of Play” said that Instagram employed “minimal child safety protections” and described policies regarding “minor sexualisation” as “immature.” Meta officials did not take action to prevent adults from sexually soliciting children until late 2022, the lawsuit further alleged. The WSJ report also said that rather than broadly stopping recommendations of the accounts of children to adults, Instagram and Facebook sought to block such suggestions to adults who already demonstrated suspicious behaviour towards children. Apart from New Mexico, over 40 other states in the US sued Meta in October last year alleging the company misled people about the dangers that its platforms posed to young people. (With inputs from agencies)

US state says children on Instagram, Facebook are often targets of sexual harassment: Report

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