To comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union (EU), Meta announced on Monday that users will be able to unlink their Instagram and Facebook accounts, as well as other services.

Meta to let EU users unlink their Instagram, FB and Messenger accounts

Newly unredacted documents from New Mexico's lawsuit against Meta underscore the the company's "historical reluctance" to keep children safe on its platforms, the complaint says. New Mexico's Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta in December, saying the company failed to protect young users from exposure to child sexual abuse material and allowed adults to solicit explicit imagery from them.

Meta dragged to court for ignoring child safety on its platforms

Sheryl Sandberg, Meta’s Chief Operating Officer, announces her departure from the company's board after a 12-year tenure. In a Facebook post, Sandberg expressed confidence in Meta's future, while CEO Mark Zuckerberg welcomes a 'new chapter.'

Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg exits board after 12 years

Sheryl Sandberg, the former Chief Operating Officer of Meta Platforms, revealed her intention to step down from the company's board of directors after 12 years of service, as announced in her Facebook post on Wednesday. <o:p></o:p>

Sandberg, a key figure at Meta for over 14 years, emphasised that Meta's business is strong and well-positioned for the future, making this an opportune moment for her departure. <o:p></o:p>

She expressed her commitment to continue serving as an adviser to the company even after her board tenure concludes in May.<o:p></o:p>

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to Sandberg's decision, expressing anticipation for "a new chapter together." <o:p></o:p>

Sandberg, once the second-in-command to Zuckerberg, has played a pivotal role in shaping Meta's trajectory and was a prominent figure during her tenure as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the company's operations for over a decade. <o:p></o:p>

Sandberg decided to step down from her operational role in 2022, marking a significant transition in her longstanding association with Meta.<o:p></o:p>

Sandberg's departure marks the end of an era, given her instrumental role as the lead architect of Meta's ads-based business model. <o:p></o:p>

Throughout the challenges and controversies faced by the company, she remained a steadfast defender of Meta, consistently asserting that lessons were learned from mistakes, and efforts were made to enhance tools for better content moderation. <o:p></o:p>

Before joining Meta, Sheryl Sandberg held prominent roles at Google, where she served as the Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;Her extensive professional journey also includes being the Chief of Staff for the United States Treasury Department under former President Bill Clinton. <o:p></o:p>

A Harvard University graduate, Sandberg is not only recognised for her corporate leadership but is also an accomplished author, known for her influential work, including the feminist manifesto "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead," published in 2013.<o:p></o:p>

(With inputs from Reuters)<o:p></o:p>

Sheryl Sandberg, the former Chief Operating Officer of Meta Platforms, revealed her intention to step down from the company's board of directors after 12 years of service, as announced in her Facebook post on Wednesday.

Sheryl Sandberg, the former Chief Operating Officer of Meta Platforms, revealed her intention to step down from the company's board of directors after 12 years of service, as announced in her Facebook post on Wednesday. Sandberg, a key figure at Meta for over 14 years, emphasised that Meta's business is strong and well-positioned for the future, making this an opportune moment for her departure. She expressed her commitment to continue serving as an adviser to the company even after her board tenure concludes in May. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to Sandberg's decision, expressing anticipation for "a new chapter together." Sandberg, once the second-in-command to Zuckerberg, has played a pivotal role in shaping Meta's trajectory and was a prominent figure during her tenure as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the company's operations for over a decade. Sandberg decided to step down from her operational role in 2022, marking a significant transition in her longstanding association with Meta. Sandberg's departure marks the end of an era, given her instrumental role as the lead architect of Meta's ads-based business model. Throughout the challenges and controversies faced by the company, she remained a steadfast defender of Meta, consistently asserting that lessons were learned from mistakes, and efforts were made to enhance tools for better content moderation. Before joining Meta, Sheryl Sandberg held prominent roles at Google, where she served as the Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations. Her extensive professional journey also includes being the Chief of Staff for the United States Treasury Department under former President Bill Clinton. A Harvard University graduate, Sandberg is not only recognised for her corporate leadership but is also an accomplished author, known for her influential work, including the feminist manifesto "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead," published in 2013. (With inputs from Reuters)

Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta Platforms, announces exit from board after 12 years

Facebook has emerged featuring Deep fake images of the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Research by communications company Fenimore Hopper uncovered some 143 fake ads on the social network the deceptive advertisements held the potential reach of over 400,000 people.

Deceptive Facebook ads with deep fake UK PM Rishi Sunak

Meta Platforms on Tuesday said it would hide more content from teens on its social media platforms: Instagram and Facebook. This comes, as regulators around the globe urged the social media giant to protect children from harmful content on its apps.

In a blog post, Meta said that all teens will now be placed into the most restrictive content control settings on its&nbsp;apps. Furthermore,&nbsp;additional search terms will be limited on Instagram, said the tech giant.

This means that now it will be more difficult for teens to access&nbsp;sensitive content such as suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, even&nbsp;while using features like Search and Explore on Instagram.

<h2>When will Meta implement the measures?</h2>

As per a Reuters report, Meta said the measures which would help deliver a more "age-appropriate" experience are&nbsp;expected to roll out over the coming weeks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melania-trumps-mother-amalija-knavs-passes-away-after-long-illness-678470">Melania Trump's mother Amalija Knavs passes away after long illness</a>

<h2>Why these new steps?</h2>

It has been alleged that Meta apps Instagram and Facebook are addictive and have contributed to a youth mental health crisis.

Arturo Bejar, a&nbsp;former Meta employee, testified before the US&nbsp;Senate, claiming the company was aware of the harassment and other issues faced by teens on its platforms, but that it failed to take action.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-sec-claims-its-x-account-hacked-after-giving-fake-nod-to-bitcoin-etfs-678529">US: SEC claims its X account hacked after giving fake nod to Bitcoin ETFs</a>

Bejar has urged Facebook and Instagram to change the design of Facebook and Instagram to nudge users towards positive behaviours&nbsp;and give young people better ways to handle the bad experiences. On Tuesday, he&nbsp;said that Meta's changes did not address his concerns. He remarked that&nbsp;the company was relying on "'grade your own homework' definitions of harm" and that it still fails to offer a way for a teen to easily report an unwanted advance. Talking to Reuters, he said,&nbsp;"This should be a conversation about goals and numbers, about harm as experienced by teens."

The company faces&nbsp;pressure both in the United States and Europe. In October, the social media giant was sued by the attorneys general of 33 US&nbsp;states, including California and New York. The attorneys general alleged that the company repeatedly misled the public about the dangers of its platforms.

In Europe, the European Commission has demanded information from Meta about its methods of safeguarding children from illegal and harmful content.

(With inputs from agencies)

Meta Platforms on Tuesday said it would hide more content from teens on its social media platforms: Instagram and Facebook. This comes, as regulators around the globe urged the social media giant to protect children from harmful content on its apps.

Meta Platforms on Tuesday said it would hide more content from teens on its social media platforms: Instagram and Facebook. This comes, as regulators around the globe urged the social media giant to protect children from harmful content on its apps. In a blog post, Meta said that all teens will now be placed into the most restrictive content control settings on its apps. Furthermore, additional search terms will be limited on Instagram, said the tech giant. This means that now it will be more difficult for teens to access sensitive content such as suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, even while using features like Search and Explore on Instagram. When will Meta implement the measures? As per a Reuters report, Meta said the measures which would help deliver a more "age-appropriate" experience are expected to roll out over the coming weeks. Also read | Melania Trump's mother Amalija Knavs passes away after long illness Why these new steps? It has been alleged that Meta apps Instagram and Facebook are addictive and have contributed to a youth mental health crisis. Arturo Bejar, a former Meta employee, testified before the US Senate, claiming the company was aware of the harassment and other issues faced by teens on its platforms, but that it failed to take action. Also read | US: SEC claims its X account hacked after giving fake nod to Bitcoin ETFs Bejar has urged Facebook and Instagram to change the design of Facebook and Instagram to nudge users towards positive behaviours and give young people better ways to handle the bad experiences. On Tuesday, he said that Meta's changes did not address his concerns. He remarked that the company was relying on "'grade your own homework' definitions of harm" and that it still fails to offer a way for a teen to easily report an unwanted advance. Talking to Reuters, he said, "This should be a conversation about goals and numbers, about harm as experienced by teens." The company faces pressure both in the United States and Europe. In October, the social media giant was sued by the attorneys general of 33 US states, including California and New York. The attorneys general alleged that the company repeatedly misled the public about the dangers of its platforms. In Europe, the European Commission has demanded information from Meta about its methods of safeguarding children from illegal and harmful content. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta to provide more ‘age appropriate’ content to teens, limit harmful items

Facebook has introduced a link history setting on its mobile application that will keep track of all the websites you visit. So how does this feature work well the new link history feature creates a special repository of all the links you click on on the Facebook mobile app.

Facebook introduces 'link history' setting on mobile app

Facebook parent Meta's Oversight Board has criticised the social media platform for removing two videos depicting hostages and injured people in the Israel-Gaza war.

Facebook parent Meta's Oversight Board has criticised the social media platform for removing two videos depicting hostages and injured people in the Israel-Gaza war. The board said the videos should never have been removed as they were valuable to understanding human suffering on both sides during the war. One of the videos posted on Facebook showed an Israeli woman begging Hamas terrorists not to kill her as she was taken hostage after the dastardly October 7 attacks. The other video showed the aftermath of an Israeli strike near al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. “The Board focused on protecting the right to the freedom of expression of people on all sides about these horrific events, while ensuring that none of the testimonies incited violence or hatred,” Michael McConnell, a co-chair of the board, said in a statement. “These testimonies are important not just for the speakers, but for users around the world who are seeking timely and diverse information about ground-breaking events," he added. While Meta reinstated the videos, soon after the quasi-independent board came into the picture, experts argue that the company's policy in policing the content leaves a lot to be desired. The social media giant uses an automatic moderation system which was seemingly responsible for deleting the two videos. Although the videos contained injured children and disturbing images, the board argued that Meta needs to maintain “freedom of expression and access to information". Watch | Israel-Hamas war: Hamas video shows three elderly Israeli hostages pleading for release × Oversight Board - Supreme Court of Meta It also urged Meta to “respond more quickly to changing circumstances on the ground, which affect the balance between the values of voice and safety”. Usually, the Oversight Board takes 90 days to access a single case but this verdict took only 12 days, given the gravity and complexity of the matter. Also read | Who is Abu Ubaida? Hamas' masked spokesperson resurfaces with chilling warning for Israel Notably, the board, comprising of experts in freedom of expression and human rights is often described as the "Supreme Court for Meta". It allowed users to appeal content decisions on Meta platforms, viz. Instagram and Facebook. Since the war first broke out, there has been renewed scrutiny over Meta's content moderation practices. According to the board, it has seen a nearly threefold increase in content removal appeals in the Middle East and North Africa. (With inputs from agencies)

Oversight Board criticises Meta for removing two Israel-Hamas war videos

The latest Pew Research Center survey of US teens revealed that they continued to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, despite rising concerns about social media's impact on youth.&nbsp;

The teens have been using these social media platforms at high rates, with some describing their social media use as "almost constant".&nbsp;

The survey revealed that YouTube continues to dominate as roughly nine-in-ten teens have said that they use the video-streaming platform.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-first-ai-powered-campaign-caller-ashley-deployed-ahead-of-2024-elections-in-us-669250">World’s first AI-powered campaign caller ‘Ashley’ deployed ahead of 2024 elections in US</a>&nbsp;

YouTube became the most widely used platform measured in the survey, which was conducted between September 26 to October 23, 2023.&nbsp;

The survey included 1,453 teens between 13 to 17 years of age. It covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens.&nbsp;

The survey also found that TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain popular among teens. TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), and Instagram (59%) are all popular among youths aged 13 to 17. These proportions are almost seven in ten for older youths aged 15 to 17.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-flouted-copyrights-to-train-its-ai-llama-despite-warning-from-lawyers-claims-lawsuit-669148">Meta flouted copyrights to train its AI 'Llama' despite warning from lawyers, claims lawsuit by authors</a>

When it comes to Facebook, it's not that popular as the survey found that teens are less likely to be using Facebook and Twitter (recently renamed X) than they were a decade ago.&nbsp;

There was a time when Facebook dominated the social media landscape among America's youth. However, the percentage has dropped from 71% in 2014-2015 to 33% today. In July 2023, X has also seen that its users have dropped during the past decade.&nbsp;

<h2>Social media sites underfire&nbsp;</h2>

Experts have raised concerns over social media's impact on the young generation as questions have been raised over the algorithmic techniques that platforms use to draw in and retain younger users.&nbsp;

In the US, a coalition of 33 states in October sued Meta Platforms for contributing to the youth mental health crisis.&nbsp;

They alleged that the company knowingly and deliberately designed features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. Meta has denied the charges.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The latest Pew Research Center survey of US teens revealed that they continued to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, despite rising concerns about social media's impact on youth.

The latest Pew Research Center survey of US teens revealed that they continued to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, despite rising concerns about social media's impact on youth. The teens have been using these social media platforms at high rates, with some describing their social media use as "almost constant". The survey revealed that YouTube continues to dominate as roughly nine-in-ten teens have said that they use the video-streaming platform. Also read: World’s first AI-powered campaign caller ‘Ashley’ deployed ahead of 2024 elections in US YouTube became the most widely used platform measured in the survey, which was conducted between September 26 to October 23, 2023. The survey included 1,453 teens between 13 to 17 years of age. It covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens. The survey also found that TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain popular among teens. TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), and Instagram (59%) are all popular among youths aged 13 to 17. These proportions are almost seven in ten for older youths aged 15 to 17. Also read: Meta flouted copyrights to train its AI 'Llama' despite warning from lawyers, claims lawsuit by authors When it comes to Facebook, it's not that popular as the survey found that teens are less likely to be using Facebook and Twitter (recently renamed X) than they were a decade ago. There was a time when Facebook dominated the social media landscape among America's youth. However, the percentage has dropped from 71% in 2014-2015 to 33% today. In July 2023, X has also seen that its users have dropped during the past decade. Social media sites underfire Experts have raised concerns over social media's impact on the young generation as questions have been raised over the algorithmic techniques that platforms use to draw in and retain younger users. In the US, a coalition of 33 states in October sued Meta Platforms for contributing to the youth mental health crisis. They alleged that the company knowingly and deliberately designed features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. Meta has denied the charges. (With inputs from agencies)

US teens actively using several social media platforms despite concerns, finds survey

Meta Platforms used thousands of pirated books to train its AI models, alleges a new copyright lawsuit filed on Monday (Dec 11) night.&nbsp;

The tech giant reportedly did this despite warnings from their lawyers about the legal peril of doing so. The lawsuit as per Reuters was initially brought this summer.

<h2>Skipping permissions</h2>

Monday's filing consolidates two separate lawsuits brought against Facebook and Instagram by comedian Sarah Silverman, Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon and other prominent authors. They allege that Meta has used their works to train its artificial intelligence language model, Llama, without permission.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/epic-games-epic-win-jury-finds-google-guilty-of-monopolistic-practices-in-antitrust-trial-668853">Epic Games' 'epic' win: Jury finds Google guilty of monopolistic practices in antitrust trial</a>

Previously, their claims also said that the AI model's output also violates their copyrights. However, in November, US District Judge Vince Chhabri criticised the claim that the text generated by Llama copies or resembles the author's work. Dismissing the claim, Chhabri allowed the authors to amend most of their claims.&nbsp;

As evidence, the authors have submitted Discord chat logs of a Meta-affiliated researcher, who can be seen discussing the procurement of the dataset. This, as per the news agency, can be a potentially significant piece of evidence that could prove that Meta knew that its use of the books may not be protected by US copyright law.

<h2>What is there in the chat logs?</h2>

In the chat logs, as quoted in the complaint, researcher Tim Dettmers, a doctoral student at the University of Washington, describes his back-and-forth with Meta's legal department. In it, he talks about whether the use of book files as training data would be "legally OK".

"At Facebook, there are a lot of people interested in working with (T)he (P)ile, including myself, but in its current form, we are unable to use it for legal reasons," Dettmers wrote in 2021.&nbsp;

Here, The Pile refers to an open-source language modelling data set Meta has acknowledged it was using to train its first version of Llama.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-to-ban-use-of-ai-biometric-surveillance-by-police-without-judicial-authorisation-report-668888">EU to ban use of AI biometric surveillance by police without judicial authorisation: Report</a>

According to the complaint, a month before this, Dettmers wrote that Meta lawyers told him "the data cannot be used or models cannot be published if they are trained on that data."

Here, the researcher refrains from describing the specific concerns voiced by lawyers, however, his counterpart makes mention of "books with active copyrights," and says they are the biggest likely source of worry. They also say that training on the data should "fall under fair use."

As per the US Copyright Office, the fair use doctrine allows for the use of "limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports".

<h2>Llama</h2>

Llama is Meta's large language model (LLM). The tech giant released its first version in February 2023. At the time, it published a list of datasets used to train the language model. The list included "the Books3 section of ThePile," which, as per the complaint quoting the person who assembled the dataset, contains 196,640 books.

A second version, dubbed Llama 2 was made available for commercial use this summer. It is free for use for companies with monthly active users of less than 700 million.

<h2>AI and copyrights</h2>

As Artificial Intelligence drives a craze, artists across art forms have come forward alleging unlawful use of their content. In 2023, big tech companies were met with a slew of lawsuits that accuse them of ripping-off copyright protected works. IF successful, these lawsuits would not only generate significant compensation for the content creators, but also drive up the cost of building the data dependent models, somewhat dampening the generative AI craze.

 
&nbsp;

Meta Platforms used thousands of pirated books to train its AI models, alleges a new copyright lawsuit filed on Monday (Dec 11) night. The tech giant reportedly did this despite warnings from their lawyers about the legal peril of doing so.

Meta Platforms used thousands of pirated books to train its AI models, alleges a new copyright lawsuit filed on Monday (Dec 11) night. The tech giant reportedly did this despite warnings from their lawyers about the legal peril of doing so. The lawsuit as per Reuters was initially brought this summer. Skipping permissions Monday's filing consolidates two separate lawsuits brought against Facebook and Instagram by comedian Sarah Silverman, Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon and other prominent authors. They allege that Meta has used their works to train its artificial intelligence language model, Llama, without permission. Also read | Epic Games' 'epic' win: Jury finds Google guilty of monopolistic practices in antitrust trial Previously, their claims also said that the AI model's output also violates their copyrights. However, in November, US District Judge Vince Chhabri criticised the claim that the text generated by Llama copies or resembles the author's work. Dismissing the claim, Chhabri allowed the authors to amend most of their claims. As evidence, the authors have submitted Discord chat logs of a Meta-affiliated researcher, who can be seen discussing the procurement of the dataset. This, as per the news agency, can be a potentially significant piece of evidence that could prove that Meta knew that its use of the books may not be protected by US copyright law. What is there in the chat logs? In the chat logs, as quoted in the complaint, researcher Tim Dettmers, a doctoral student at the University of Washington, describes his back-and-forth with Meta's legal department. In it, he talks about whether the use of book files as training data would be "legally OK". "At Facebook, there are a lot of people interested in working with (T)he (P)ile, including myself, but in its current form, we are unable to use it for legal reasons," Dettmers wrote in 2021. Here, The Pile refers to an open-source language modelling data set Meta has acknowledged it was using to train its first version of Llama. Also read | EU to ban use of AI biometric surveillance by police without judicial authorisation: Report According to the complaint, a month before this, Dettmers wrote that Meta lawyers told him "the data cannot be used or models cannot be published if they are trained on that data." Here, the researcher refrains from describing the specific concerns voiced by lawyers, however, his counterpart makes mention of "books with active copyrights," and says they are the biggest likely source of worry. They also say that training on the data should "fall under fair use." As per the US Copyright Office, the fair use doctrine allows for the use of "limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports". Llama Llama is Meta's large language model (LLM). The tech giant released its first version in February 2023. At the time, it published a list of datasets used to train the language model. The list included "the Books3 section of ThePile," which, as per the complaint quoting the person who assembled the dataset, contains 196,640 books. A second version, dubbed Llama 2 was made available for commercial use this summer. It is free for use for companies with monthly active users of less than 700 million. AI and copyrights As Artificial Intelligence drives a craze, artists across art forms have come forward alleging unlawful use of their content. In 2023, big tech companies were met with a slew of lawsuits that accuse them of ripping-off copyright protected works. IF successful, these lawsuits would not only generate significant compensation for the content creators, but also drive up the cost of building the data dependent models, somewhat dampening the generative AI craze.

Meta flouted copyrights to train its AI 'Llama' despite warning from lawyers, claims lawsuit by authors

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8). On Wednesday, Meta said that the end-to-end encryption feature would be available for use immediately. However, it may take some time for all Messenger accounts to be updated with default end-to-end encryption.

Encryption hides the contents of a message from anyone apart from the sender and the recipient by converting text and images into unreadable cyphers that are unscrambled on receipt. Meta has argued that encryption can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals.

However, prosecutors and child safety groups said that the encryption would hamstring the rescue of child sex trafficking victims and the prosecution of predators.

The Guardian report on Friday said that social media companies have been legally obligated to send any evidence of child sexual abuse material they detect to the United States' National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (NCMEC). From here, the evidence is forwarded to relevant domestic and international law enforcement agencies.

An NCMEC spokesperson said that encryption on platforms "without the ability to detect known child sexual abuse material and create actionable reports will immediately cripple online child protection as we know it."

“NCMEC anticipates the number of reports of suspected child sexual abuse from the larger reporting companies will plummet by close to 80 per cent,” the spokesperson added.

Ali Burns, an assistant US attorney in Illinois, also told the publication that the identification and rescue of exploited children would be made more difficult by encryption, as investigators would often only be able to identify victims by gaining access to a suspect’s social media accounts and private messages.

“It would make it more challenging to corroborate evidence, to be able to verify. I can see this being a challenge for law enforcement,” Burns added.

Civil groups, however, argued that encryption protects individuals’ data and free expression, the report said.

In October, the American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit human rights organisation, said, "This level of security not only protects individuals from cyber-attacks but also empowers citizens to communicate freely without fear of surveillance, censorship, and warrantless searches – whether by the government, Big Tech, data brokers, or anyone else."

(With inputs from agencies)

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8).

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8). On Wednesday, Meta said that the end-to-end encryption feature would be available for use immediately. However, it may take some time for all Messenger accounts to be updated with default end-to-end encryption. Encryption hides the contents of a message from anyone apart from the sender and the recipient by converting text and images into unreadable cyphers that are unscrambled on receipt. Meta has argued that encryption can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals. However, prosecutors and child safety groups said that the encryption would hamstring the rescue of child sex trafficking victims and the prosecution of predators. The Guardian report on Friday said that social media companies have been legally obligated to send any evidence of child sexual abuse material they detect to the United States' National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). From here, the evidence is forwarded to relevant domestic and international law enforcement agencies. An NCMEC spokesperson said that encryption on platforms "without the ability to detect known child sexual abuse material and create actionable reports will immediately cripple online child protection as we know it." “NCMEC anticipates the number of reports of suspected child sexual abuse from the larger reporting companies will plummet by close to 80 per cent,” the spokesperson added. Ali Burns, an assistant US attorney in Illinois, also told the publication that the identification and rescue of exploited children would be made more difficult by encryption, as investigators would often only be able to identify victims by gaining access to a suspect’s social media accounts and private messages. “It would make it more challenging to corroborate evidence, to be able to verify. I can see this being a challenge for law enforcement,” Burns added. Civil groups, however, argued that encryption protects individuals’ data and free expression, the report said. In October, the American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit human rights organisation, said, "This level of security not only protects individuals from cyber-attacks but also empowers citizens to communicate freely without fear of surveillance, censorship, and warrantless searches – whether by the government, Big Tech, data brokers, or anyone else." (With inputs from agencies)

Meta's decision to encrypt messages on Facebook, Messenger criticised. Here's why

Meta and IBM launched the new group with more than 50 other organizations to foster an open community that helps accelerate the development of responsible systems.

IBM, Meta form AI Alliance to promote open AI

Facebook parent Meta has said that it took down five co-ordinated influence networks originating form China, consisting of thousands of accounts aimed at influencing online opinion about 2024 US elections. Talking about the action it took this year, the tech giant warned that efforts were on to influence public opinion ahead of 2024 US Presidential Election.

"Foreign threat actors are attempting to reach people across the Internet ahead of next year's elections, and we need to remain alert," Meta global threat intelligence lead Ben Nimmo said during a briefing about its latest security report, as quoted by AFP.

The company said that in one of the campaign, it found that 4789 fake Facebook accounts were involved. It took action against these accounts and they have now been removed. The campaign was posting content about politics and US-China relations.

These accounts, said Meta, praised China and lashed out at its critics. The accounts even copy-pasted real content posted by US politicians potentially to sow divisions.

Watch | Meta shuts down China-based network of 4800 fake accounts

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/meta-shuts-down-china-based-network-of-4800-fake-accounts-665056/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"As election campaigns ramp up, we should expect foreign influence operations to try and leverage authentic parties and debate rather than creating original content themselves," Nimmo said.&nbsp;

"We anticipate that if relations with China become an election topic in a particular country, we may see China-based influence operations pivot to target those debates."&nbsp;

Meta has found that these networks originated from China, but has not attributed the efforts to the Chinese government.

<h2>Russia at the top</h2>

The company said that maximum such network continue to originate from Russia. These operations are based inside the country and are mainly focused of information surrounding the Ukraine war.

The security report said that websites that have links to such Russia-based campaigns have of late, also been using the Israel-Hamas war to tarnish the image of the US.

The security team at Meta expects that efforts will be made in coming days and months to sway elections.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-presses-for-antitrust-action-against-rival-microsoft-reuters-664856">Google presses for antitrust action against rival Microsoft: Reuters</a>

"We hope that people will try to be careful when engaging with political content across the internet," Nimmo said.&nbsp;

"For political groups, it's important to be aware that heightened partisan tensions can play into the hands of foreign threat actors."&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/complexity-of-cyberattacks-continues-to-rise-what-should-be-worlds-immediate-focus-665130">As complex cyberattacks continue to rise, what should be the world's immediate focus?</a>

Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy, said during the briefing that generative artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced a new element into these efforts, and tools, like ChatGPT, are being used to churn out bogus content that looks convincing.

"Threat actors can use generative AI to create larger volumes of convincing content, even if they don't have the cultural or language skills to speak to their audiences," Gleicher said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook parent Meta has said that it took down five co-ordinated influence networks originating form China, consisting of thousands of accounts aimed at influencing online opinion about 2024 US elections.

Facebook parent Meta has said that it took down five co-ordinated influence networks originating form China, consisting of thousands of accounts aimed at influencing online opinion about 2024 US elections. Talking about the action it took this year, the tech giant warned that efforts were on to influence public opinion ahead of 2024 US Presidential Election. "Foreign threat actors are attempting to reach people across the Internet ahead of next year's elections, and we need to remain alert," Meta global threat intelligence lead Ben Nimmo said during a briefing about its latest security report, as quoted by AFP. The company said that in one of the campaign, it found that 4789 fake Facebook accounts were involved. It took action against these accounts and they have now been removed. The campaign was posting content about politics and US-China relations. These accounts, said Meta, praised China and lashed out at its critics. The accounts even copy-pasted real content posted by US politicians potentially to sow divisions. Watch | Meta shuts down China-based network of 4800 fake accounts × "As election campaigns ramp up, we should expect foreign influence operations to try and leverage authentic parties and debate rather than creating original content themselves," Nimmo said. "We anticipate that if relations with China become an election topic in a particular country, we may see China-based influence operations pivot to target those debates." Meta has found that these networks originated from China, but has not attributed the efforts to the Chinese government. Russia at the top The company said that maximum such network continue to originate from Russia. These operations are based inside the country and are mainly focused of information surrounding the Ukraine war. The security report said that websites that have links to such Russia-based campaigns have of late, also been using the Israel-Hamas war to tarnish the image of the US. The security team at Meta expects that efforts will be made in coming days and months to sway elections. Also Read | Google presses for antitrust action against rival Microsoft: Reuters "We hope that people will try to be careful when engaging with political content across the internet," Nimmo said. "For political groups, it's important to be aware that heightened partisan tensions can play into the hands of foreign threat actors." Also Read | As complex cyberattacks continue to rise, what should be the world's immediate focus? Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy, said during the briefing that generative artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced a new element into these efforts, and tools, like ChatGPT, are being used to churn out bogus content that looks convincing. "Threat actors can use generative AI to create larger volumes of convincing content, even if they don't have the cultural or language skills to speak to their audiences," Gleicher said. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta takes down China-based networks influencing opinion on 2024 US elections, issues warning

One may assume that big companies making millions of dollars default on standard practices. Watch our report to know more.

Tech companies take legal route to avoid paying fines

Following a substantial decline of $251 billion in February, Meta’s stock exhibited a notable resurgence, nearly doubling in value by November.

Meta's stock rally nears 300% | World Business Watch

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has experienced an unprecedented rally, with its shares nearly quadrupling since the lows of November last year. According to a Bloomberg report, this surge comes on the heels of a historic $251 billion crash in February, making it the largest one-day stock wipe-out in history. &nbsp;

Despite the setback, Meta has emerged stronger, with 62 out of 70 analysts tracked by Bloomberg now giving the social media giant buy-equivalent ratings, marking the highest confidence level since its IPO in 2012.&nbsp;

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Mark Kelley, among the bullish voices, emphasised the investment appeal beyond the metaverse narrative. "We don’t think you have to be a believer in the metaverse story to like the stock," Bloomberg quoted him as saying. He attributes the stock's attractiveness to advertisers recognising Meta's unparalleled scale compared to competitors, such as TikTok Inc. The shift in sentiment highlights Meta's successful efforts in regaining investor support after last year's downturn.&nbsp;

Analyst projections for Meta's profitability are on an upward trajectory, reflecting the positive sentiment. Wall Street now expects the company to generate approximately $18 per share in earnings next year, a substantial increase from the $10 anticipated a year ago, according to Bloomberg's compiled data. &nbsp;

However, Needham &amp; Co.'s Laura Martin, one of the few dissenting voices, remains sceptical, citing rising competition and potential challenges from mobile operating system changes like Apple Inc.'s iOS. According to Bloomberg, he expressed concerns about Meta's competitive advantage, stating, "TikTok is eating them alive."&nbsp;

Despite the surge in Meta's valuation this year, currently standing at about 18 times earnings projected over the next 12 months, the social media giant remains the most affordable among the seven major technology and internet stocks. It also holds a discount compared to both the Nasdaq 100 and S&amp;P 500 indexes. &nbsp;

Sylvia Jablonski, co-founder and chief investment officer at Defiance ETFs, sees Meta's priorities in the right place, anticipating benefits from artificial intelligence and growth in digital ad spending in the years to come. Jablonski expressed her interest in a long-term investment strategy, "I’m interested in picking up shares for a long time horizon as the decade of machine learning, AI, and all things digital growth continues to take shape,” Bloomberg quoted her as saying.&nbsp;

Drawing a historical parallel, the article notes the diverging fortunes of dot-com era darlings, Microsoft Corp., and Cisco Systems Inc. While Microsoft has grown over six-fold from its dot-com highs, Meta's contemporary, Cisco Systems, has yet to recover from its historic crash in the turn of the century, with its stock still trading about 36 per cent below its all-time high set in March 2000.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Bloomberg)&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has experienced an unprecedented rally, with its shares nearly quadrupling since the lows of November last year.

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has experienced an unprecedented rally, with its shares nearly quadrupling since the lows of November last year. According to a Bloomberg report, this surge comes on the heels of a historic $251 billion crash in February, making it the largest one-day stock wipe-out in history. Despite the setback, Meta has emerged stronger, with 62 out of 70 analysts tracked by Bloomberg now giving the social media giant buy-equivalent ratings, marking the highest confidence level since its IPO in 2012. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Mark Kelley, among the bullish voices, emphasised the investment appeal beyond the metaverse narrative. "We don’t think you have to be a believer in the metaverse story to like the stock," Bloomberg quoted him as saying. He attributes the stock's attractiveness to advertisers recognising Meta's unparalleled scale compared to competitors, such as TikTok Inc. The shift in sentiment highlights Meta's successful efforts in regaining investor support after last year's downturn. Analyst projections for Meta's profitability are on an upward trajectory, reflecting the positive sentiment. Wall Street now expects the company to generate approximately $18 per share in earnings next year, a substantial increase from the $10 anticipated a year ago, according to Bloomberg's compiled data. However, Needham & Co.'s Laura Martin, one of the few dissenting voices, remains sceptical, citing rising competition and potential challenges from mobile operating system changes like Apple Inc.'s iOS. According to Bloomberg, he expressed concerns about Meta's competitive advantage, stating, "TikTok is eating them alive." Despite the surge in Meta's valuation this year, currently standing at about 18 times earnings projected over the next 12 months, the social media giant remains the most affordable among the seven major technology and internet stocks. It also holds a discount compared to both the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 indexes. Sylvia Jablonski, co-founder and chief investment officer at Defiance ETFs, sees Meta's priorities in the right place, anticipating benefits from artificial intelligence and growth in digital ad spending in the years to come. Jablonski expressed her interest in a long-term investment strategy, "I’m interested in picking up shares for a long time horizon as the decade of machine learning, AI, and all things digital growth continues to take shape,” Bloomberg quoted her as saying. Drawing a historical parallel, the article notes the diverging fortunes of dot-com era darlings, Microsoft Corp., and Cisco Systems Inc. While Microsoft has grown over six-fold from its dot-com highs, Meta's contemporary, Cisco Systems, has yet to recover from its historic crash in the turn of the century, with its stock still trading about 36 per cent below its all-time high set in March 2000. (With inputs from Bloomberg) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Meta's Meteoric Rise: Wall Street enthusiasts rally behind Facebook's metaverse push as shares surge 

Meta's recent attempts to enhance the growth of Threads by promoting Threads posts on users' Facebook feeds have led to this development. Meta is said to be working on a forthcoming privacy feature that will enable Threads users to choose not to have their posts automatically shared on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta will stop pushing Threads posts to Facebook and Instagram

Meta has joined 'Lantern' programme to fight against online child abuse. Watch the video to know more.

Meta joins 'Lantern' programme to fight against online child abuse

US sued Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook over youth mental health. Are social media platforms harming the younger generation?

Meta under fire for neglecting teen safety

Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday (Nov 3) that he underwent surgery to repair a torn knee ligament sustained during a mixed martial arts session.&nbsp;

Zuckerberg shared pictures on Instagram, which showed him in a hospital bed, with a knee bandaged and a brace. In the caption, he wrote: "Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it."&nbsp;

Zuckerberg, who once showed interest in an MMA fight with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, also wrote: "Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that's delayed a bit."&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/survey-ranks-japan-lowest-for-employee-well-being-india-second-best-654928">Survey ranks Japan lowest for employee well-being, India second-best</a>&nbsp;

Without revealing details, the 39-year-old further said that he plans to continue his training&nbsp;for "a competitive MMA fight early next year". Notably, recovery from the ACL tear requires weeks of rehabilitative therapy and also a long period, around up to a year, to heal.&nbsp;

Previously, Musk also said that he may need to undergo "minor surgery" to resolve a "problem with my right shoulder blade rubbing against my ribs". "Recovery will only take a few months," he added.

Musk, the world's richest person has a titanium plate holding two vertebrae together but said Friday it is currently "not an issue."

As per Forbes, Zuckerberg's net worth is $111.6 billion, which means he is the seventh-wealthiest person in the world. He is six spots behind Musk's estimated net worth of $230.9 billion.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/humanoid-robots-to-shape-future-of-chinese-economy-ministry-hints-so-654841">Humanoid robots to shape future of Chinese economy? Ministry hints so</a>&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on all seven criminal fraud counts&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sam-bankman-fried-found-guilty-on-all-seven-criminal-fraud-counts-654977/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<h2>Zuck-Musk banter&nbsp;</h2>

The playful banter between Zuckerberg and Musk keeps online users intrigued. A few weeks ago, the social media business rivals threw online jabs at each other over the much-anticipated cage fighting. They have teased each other and gone back and forth on social media about the charity match.&nbsp;

Musk once said that the fight would take place in Italy, as authorities there confirmed talks about hosting a "great charity event", and the Meta founder declared that Musk was not treating the match seriously.&nbsp;

Recently, &nbsp;Musk gave a whopping $1 billion offer to Zuckerberg, only if he agreed to change the name of Facebook.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday (Nov 3) that he underwent surgery to repair a torn knee ligament sustained during a mixed martial arts session.

Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday (Nov 3) that he underwent surgery to repair a torn knee ligament sustained during a mixed martial arts session. Zuckerberg shared pictures on Instagram, which showed him in a hospital bed, with a knee bandaged and a brace. In the caption, he wrote: "Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it." Zuckerberg, who once showed interest in an MMA fight with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, also wrote: "Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that's delayed a bit." Also read: Survey ranks Japan lowest for employee well-being, India second-best Without revealing details, the 39-year-old further said that he plans to continue his training for "a competitive MMA fight early next year". Notably, recovery from the ACL tear requires weeks of rehabilitative therapy and also a long period, around up to a year, to heal. Previously, Musk also said that he may need to undergo "minor surgery" to resolve a "problem with my right shoulder blade rubbing against my ribs". "Recovery will only take a few months," he added. Musk, the world's richest person has a titanium plate holding two vertebrae together but said Friday it is currently "not an issue." As per Forbes, Zuckerberg's net worth is $111.6 billion, which means he is the seventh-wealthiest person in the world. He is six spots behind Musk's estimated net worth of $230.9 billion. Also read: Humanoid robots to shape future of Chinese economy? Ministry hints so Watch: Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on all seven criminal fraud counts × Zuck-Musk banter The playful banter between Zuckerberg and Musk keeps online users intrigued. A few weeks ago, the social media business rivals threw online jabs at each other over the much-anticipated cage fighting. They have teased each other and gone back and forth on social media about the charity match. Musk once said that the fight would take place in Italy, as authorities there confirmed talks about hosting a "great charity event", and the Meta founder declared that Musk was not treating the match seriously. Recently, Musk gave a whopping $1 billion offer to Zuckerberg, only if he agreed to change the name of Facebook. (With inputs from agencies)

Mark Zuckerberg undergoes surgery for torn knee ligament repair, shares images

There's a new member in the one billion-user club. We are talking about Linkedin, the job-focused social network platform. The Microsoft-owned platform now has over 1 billion members, putting it in the league of Facebook & Instagram.

Linkedin crosses 1 billion users | World Business Watch

Social media users will soon be able to use the broadcast channels feature on Facebook and Messenger.

Meta to roll out 'broadcast channels' for Facebook and Messenger

A Hamas terrorist&nbsp;brutally murdered an elderly woman and posted the killing on her Facebook&nbsp;account, her family has said. The video was found by her granddaughter Mor Bayder, who described the unnamed deceased as “pure and good”.

"I saw that worst thing you could possibly imagine," Bayder told Israel's Channel 13 in Hebrew on Tuesday (Oct 10). "My grandmother, in her house, being murdered in a video."

She said that the video showed her grandmother "lying there" on the floor covered in a pool of blood.

Bayder said that a militant took her grandmother's phone, filmed the whole act, and then uploaded the clip to her social media account.

"That's how we found out, how we learned about it," Bayder said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is a heartbreaking video of Mor Bayder, whose grandmother was brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists in her home. They also took her phone and posted pictures of the horror on her Facebook account. Mor found out about her grandmother’s death from the social media platform.… <a href="https://t.co/RPVbbJAnFw">pic.twitter.com/RPVbbJAnFw</a>
— News Hrs (@newshrstweet) <a href="https://twitter.com/newshrstweet/status/1711427983742034028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Grandmother assured family she was safe

The last time the family spoke to the grandmother was on Saturday when Hamas launched the unprecedented attack.

She had reassured them that she was in a protected space and was “okay”.

The woman, who lived at Nir Oz Kibbutz near the Gaza border, told her family that she had not received any special instructions since the first rockets were launched.

Her family believes that Hamas terrorists broke into the elderly woman’s home after breaching the fence from Gaza, which is less than a mile away from where she lived.

<h2>Family breaks down</h2>

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-vs-hamas-claims-of-beheaded-israeli-babies-at-massacre-site-create-shockwaves-645154">Israel Vs Hamas: Claims of beheaded babies at massacre site create shockwaves</a>

"I assume she was the first point of contact where the terrorists infiltrated," Bayder’s cousin, Yoav Shimoni, told CNN.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shani-louk-abducted-from-music-fest-by-hamas-and-paraded-naked-confirmed-alive-by-mother-645181">Shani Louk: Woman abducted from music fest by Hamas, paraded naked is alive</a>

Nir Oz is one of the communities near the Gaza border that was targeted in a series of surprise attacks by Hamas on Saturday.

Several people from the kibbutz are reportedly missing, including a 74-year-old grandmother.

More than 100 people are believed to have been kept as hostages by Hamas and taken to Gaza, with social media showing distressing clip of a young woman being forcefully carried away on the back of a motorcycle while screaming for help.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

A Hamas terrorist brutally murdered an elderly woman and posted the killing on her Facebook account, her family has said. The video was found by her granddaughter Mor Bayder, who described the unnamed deceased as “pure and good”.

A Hamas terrorist brutally murdered an elderly woman and posted the killing on her Facebook account, her family has said. The video was found by her granddaughter Mor Bayder, who described the unnamed deceased as “pure and good”. "I saw that worst thing you could possibly imagine," Bayder told Israel's Channel 13 in Hebrew on Tuesday (Oct 10). "My grandmother, in her house, being murdered in a video." She said that the video showed her grandmother "lying there" on the floor covered in a pool of blood. Bayder said that a militant took her grandmother's phone, filmed the whole act, and then uploaded the clip to her social media account. "That's how we found out, how we learned about it," Bayder said. This is a heartbreaking video of Mor Bayder, whose grandmother was brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists in her home. They also took her phone and posted pictures of the horror on her Facebook account. Mor found out about her grandmother’s death from the social media platform.… pic.twitter.com/RPVbbJAnFw — News Hrs (@newshrstweet) October 9, 2023 × Grandmother assured family she was safe The last time the family spoke to the grandmother was on Saturday when Hamas launched the unprecedented attack. She had reassured them that she was in a protected space and was “okay”. The woman, who lived at Nir Oz Kibbutz near the Gaza border, told her family that she had not received any special instructions since the first rockets were launched. Her family believes that Hamas terrorists broke into the elderly woman’s home after breaching the fence from Gaza, which is less than a mile away from where she lived. Family breaks down Also read | Israel Vs Hamas: Claims of beheaded babies at massacre site create shockwaves "I assume she was the first point of contact where the terrorists infiltrated," Bayder’s cousin, Yoav Shimoni, told CNN. Also read | Shani Louk: Woman abducted from music fest by Hamas, paraded naked is alive Nir Oz is one of the communities near the Gaza border that was targeted in a series of surprise attacks by Hamas on Saturday. Several people from the kibbutz are reportedly missing, including a 74-year-old grandmother. More than 100 people are believed to have been kept as hostages by Hamas and taken to Gaza, with social media showing distressing clip of a young woman being forcefully carried away on the back of a motorcycle while screaming for help. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Hamas terrorist kills elderly woman, family finds video of ghastly act on Facebook

Meta is planning to lay off employees on Wednesday in the unit of its metaverse-oriented Reality Labs division focused on creating custom silicon, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

Employees were informed of the layoffs in a post on Meta's internal discussion forum Workplace on Tuesday. The post said they would be notified about their status with the company by early Wednesday morning, one of the sources said.

A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the plans. Reuters was not able to determine the extent of the cuts to the silicon unit, called Facebook Agile Silicon Team, or FAST.

If the cuts are deep, they could hamper Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's project to build augmented and virtual reality products enabling access to a set of immersive virtual worlds known as the "metaverse," particularly the AR glasses that he has predicted "will redefine our relationship with technology."

The FAST unit, which has roughly 600 employees, worked on developing custom chips to equip Meta's devices to perform unique tasks and operate more efficiently, differentiating them from others entering the nascent AR/VR market.

However, Meta has struggled to make chips that can compete with silicon produced by external providers and has turned to chipmaker Qualcomm to produce chips for its devices currently on the market.

A restructuring of FAST has been expected since the spring when Meta hired a new executive to lead the unit.

A separate chip-making unit in Meta's infrastructure division focused on artificial intelligence work has likewise hit roadblocks. The executive overseeing those efforts announced her departure last week, although Meta has appointed someone else to take over her role and continue those efforts.

Meta currently makes a line of mixed reality headsets called Quest and smart glasses designed with Ray-Ban eyeglass maker EssilorLuxottica that can stream video and speak with wearers through a new AI virtual assistant.

It announced new versions of the smart glasses and its consumer-oriented Quest headset, Quest 3, at its annual Connect conference last week.

The company is also working on more technically challenging and less bulky AR glasses that look more like regular glasses, along with associated smartwatches, according to one of the sources.

A first version of that product is set to be completed next year, although Meta is not initially planning to make it widely available to consumers, the source said.

Meta has slashed around 21,000 jobs since November of last year as it has sought to reassure investors that it was reining in costs amid waning revenue growth, high inflation and concerns that Reality Labs was losing too much money.

In a statement in March, Zuckerberg said the bulk of this year's layoffs would happen in the spring, but that "in a small number of cases, it may take through the end of the year to complete these changes." &nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Meta is planning to lay off employees on Wednesday in the unit of its metaverse-oriented Reality Labs division focused on creating custom silicon, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

Meta is planning to lay off employees on Wednesday in the unit of its metaverse-oriented Reality Labs division focused on creating custom silicon, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Employees were informed of the layoffs in a post on Meta's internal discussion forum Workplace on Tuesday. The post said they would be notified about their status with the company by early Wednesday morning, one of the sources said. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the plans. Reuters was not able to determine the extent of the cuts to the silicon unit, called Facebook Agile Silicon Team, or FAST. If the cuts are deep, they could hamper Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's project to build augmented and virtual reality products enabling access to a set of immersive virtual worlds known as the "metaverse," particularly the AR glasses that he has predicted "will redefine our relationship with technology." The FAST unit, which has roughly 600 employees, worked on developing custom chips to equip Meta's devices to perform unique tasks and operate more efficiently, differentiating them from others entering the nascent AR/VR market. However, Meta has struggled to make chips that can compete with silicon produced by external providers and has turned to chipmaker Qualcomm to produce chips for its devices currently on the market. A restructuring of FAST has been expected since the spring when Meta hired a new executive to lead the unit. A separate chip-making unit in Meta's infrastructure division focused on artificial intelligence work has likewise hit roadblocks. The executive overseeing those efforts announced her departure last week, although Meta has appointed someone else to take over her role and continue those efforts. Meta currently makes a line of mixed reality headsets called Quest and smart glasses designed with Ray-Ban eyeglass maker EssilorLuxottica that can stream video and speak with wearers through a new AI virtual assistant. It announced new versions of the smart glasses and its consumer-oriented Quest headset, Quest 3, at its annual Connect conference last week. The company is also working on more technically challenging and less bulky AR glasses that look more like regular glasses, along with associated smartwatches, according to one of the sources. A first version of that product is set to be completed next year, although Meta is not initially planning to make it widely available to consumers, the source said. Meta has slashed around 21,000 jobs since November of last year as it has sought to reassure investors that it was reining in costs amid waning revenue growth, high inflation and concerns that Reality Labs was losing too much money. In a statement in March, Zuckerberg said the bulk of this year's layoffs would happen in the spring, but that "in a small number of cases, it may take through the end of the year to complete these changes." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta to lay off employees in metaverse silicon unit today

On Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook users are constantly bombarded with sponsored posts and advertisements only to capitalize on the vast global reach that Meta enjoys. The platform is now exploring a plan that could make users in the European Union shell out as much as $14 to access ad-free versions of Instagram or Facebook. Would you be willing to pay that much money to avoid ads?

Would you agree to personalised ads for the free version?

The United States Supreme Court on Friday (Sep 29) agreed to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X, and other social media networks violate the Constitution. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press, the justices would review laws enacted by Republican-dominated legislatures and signed by Republican governors in Florida and Texas.

Both laws aim to prevent social media companies from censoring users based on their viewpoints. The justices already agreed to decide whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that previously came up in a case involving then-US president Donald Trump.

The Supreme Court's announcement comes as justices continue to grapple with how laws written at the dawn of the digital age, or earlier, apply to the online world.&nbsp;

The report said that separately, the high court could consider a lower-court order limiting executive branch officials’ communications with social media companies about controversial online posts.

The new case follows conflicting rulings by two appeals courts, one of which upheld the Texas law, while the other struck down Florida’s statute. By a 5-4 vote, the justices kept the Texas law on hold while litigation over it continues, the report added.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett voted to grant the emergency request from two technology industry groups that challenged the law in federal court.

On the other hand, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, and Neil Gorsuch would have allowed the law to remain in effect.&nbsp;

Proponents of the laws sought to portray social media companies as generally liberal in outlook and hostile to ideas outside of that viewpoint. The tech sector warned that the laws would prevent platforms from removing extremism and hate speech.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The United States Supreme Court on Friday (Sep 29) agreed to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X, and other social media networks violate the Constitution.

The United States Supreme Court on Friday (Sep 29) agreed to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X, and other social media networks violate the Constitution. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press, the justices would review laws enacted by Republican-dominated legislatures and signed by Republican governors in Florida and Texas. Both laws aim to prevent social media companies from censoring users based on their viewpoints. The justices already agreed to decide whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that previously came up in a case involving then-US president Donald Trump. The Supreme Court's announcement comes as justices continue to grapple with how laws written at the dawn of the digital age, or earlier, apply to the online world. The report said that separately, the high court could consider a lower-court order limiting executive branch officials’ communications with social media companies about controversial online posts. The new case follows conflicting rulings by two appeals courts, one of which upheld the Texas law, while the other struck down Florida’s statute. By a 5-4 vote, the justices kept the Texas law on hold while litigation over it continues, the report added. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett voted to grant the emergency request from two technology industry groups that challenged the law in federal court. On the other hand, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, and Neil Gorsuch would have allowed the law to remain in effect. Proponents of the laws sought to portray social media companies as generally liberal in outlook and hostile to ideas outside of that viewpoint. The tech sector warned that the laws would prevent platforms from removing extremism and hate speech. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US Supreme Court to decide if state laws regulating social media networks violate Constitution

Many Facebook users hesitate to share work-related updates or posts on their Facebook accounts because they prefer to keep their professional and personal lives separate. Facebook now has a solution for these users can now create up to four alternative Facebook profiles associated with their verified account. In other words, Facebook users no longer need to create separate accounts for professional and personal reasons they can simply have up to four different profiles based on their varied interests under the same main account.

Facebook users can now create up to 4 alternate profiles

Hackers are now using a widely spread network of fake and hacked Facebook accounts to send out phishing messages. With these messages, cybercriminals are trying to trick people into installing passwords and stealing malware.

How are hackers targeting users on Facebook?

X (formerly known as Twitter) boss Elon Musk on Wednesday once again stirred the pot by challenging Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the long impending cage fight.&nbsp;

A user on the platform said that searching for Mark Zuckerberg on Google nowadays threw more UFC content than his actual podcasts. Musk, who is highly active on X, seized the opportunity and called out Zuckerberg for not taking him on in the fight.&nbsp;

"Why won't he fight me!? Zuck said "name the place", so I named his house, but they said he was away on travel. Perhaps we can fight when we returns?" Musk said in response.

"Perhaps we can fight when we returns?" he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Why won’t he fight me!? Zuck said “name the place”, so I named his house, but they said he was away on travel. 
 
Perhaps we can fight when we returns?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1699287614941966459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: Threads: Another app to doomscroll?

<iframe allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" data-gtm-yt-inspected-18="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-25="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-31="true" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="lazy" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-threads-another-app-to-doomscroll-613460/embed?autoplay=0" title="live tv" width="100%"></iframe> 
 
Musk was referring to his own comments from last month when he said he would drive his car to Zuckerberg's house for the fight while live-streaming the journey.&nbsp;

“If we get lucky and Zuck my 👅 actually answers the door, the fight is on!” he wrote.

A day earlier, Zuckerberg said he had moved on from the fight as Musk wasn't serious about the proposed showdown between the duo.&nbsp;

“Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead,” he wrote on Threads.&nbsp;

“If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/its-on-elon-musk-shares-details-about-his-fight-with-zuckerberg-622814" target="_blank">Also read | It's on: Elon Musk shares details of fight with Zuckerberg, to be live streamed on X</a>

<h2>Musk challenges Zuck</h2>

The speculations around a potential fight between the two billionaires started in June when Musk, unimpressed by the announcement of Meta launching Threads, embarked on a verbal tirade.&nbsp;

“I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options. At least it will be ‘sane’. Was worried there for a moment,” Musk said.&nbsp;

A Twitter user replied to Musk saying he should be careful of Zuckerberg since the Facebook boss had been practising jiu-jitsu, a Brazilian martial art form.&nbsp;

“I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” replied a cavalier Musk, setting a series of back-and-forth interactions between the two billionaires.&nbsp;

Since then, the rivalry has only intensified between the duo. After Meta launched Threads, Musk and his team filed a legal case against Zuckerberg for copying X.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

X (formerly known as Twitter) boss Elon Musk on Wednesday once again stirred the pot by challenging Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the long impending cage fight. A user on the platform said that searching for Mark Zuckerberg on Google nowadays threw more UFC content than his actual podcasts.

X (formerly known as Twitter) boss Elon Musk on Wednesday once again stirred the pot by challenging Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the long impending cage fight. A user on the platform said that searching for Mark Zuckerberg on Google nowadays threw more UFC content than his actual podcasts. Musk, who is highly active on X, seized the opportunity and called out Zuckerberg for not taking him on in the fight. "Why won't he fight me!? Zuck said "name the place", so I named his house, but they said he was away on travel. Perhaps we can fight when we returns?" Musk said in response. "Perhaps we can fight when we returns?" he added. Why won’t he fight me!? Zuck said “name the place”, so I named his house, but they said he was away on travel. Perhaps we can fight when we returns? — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 6, 2023 × WATCH | Gravitas Plus: Threads: Another app to doomscroll? Musk was referring to his own comments from last month when he said he would drive his car to Zuckerberg's house for the fight while live-streaming the journey. “If we get lucky and Zuck my 👅 actually answers the door, the fight is on!” he wrote. A day earlier, Zuckerberg said he had moved on from the fight as Musk wasn't serious about the proposed showdown between the duo. “Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead,” he wrote on Threads. “If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.” Also read | It's on: Elon Musk shares details of fight with Zuckerberg, to be live streamed on X Musk challenges Zuck The speculations around a potential fight between the two billionaires started in June when Musk, unimpressed by the announcement of Meta launching Threads, embarked on a verbal tirade. “I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options. At least it will be ‘sane’. Was worried there for a moment,” Musk said. A Twitter user replied to Musk saying he should be careful of Zuckerberg since the Facebook boss had been practising jiu-jitsu, a Brazilian martial art form. “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” replied a cavalier Musk, setting a series of back-and-forth interactions between the two billionaires. Since then, the rivalry has only intensified between the duo. After Meta launched Threads, Musk and his team filed a legal case against Zuckerberg for copying X. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'Why won't he...': Musk questions Zuckerberg regarding cage fight

Four young men have been sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan while a fifth accused has been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment, all this for a post on the social media platform Facebook. These sentences have been handed down by a court in Rawalpindi. According to Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency the four men who are in their 20s and have also been sentenced to a 28-year jail term each for committing blasphemy against the holy Quran.

Pakistan: 4 young men given death sentence for online Blaspehmy

Meta Platforms on Monday (August 28) rejected a recommendation from its oversight board that it suspend the account of Cambodia's former prime minister Hun Sen over allegations he used it to threaten opponents.

Meta Platforms on Monday (August 28) rejected a recommendation from its oversight board that it suspend the account of Cambodia's former prime minister Hun Sen over allegations he used it to threaten opponents. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, Meta said that suspending accounts outside its regular enforcement framework would not be consistent with its policies, including "our protocol on restricting accounts of public figures during civil unrest." In June, the oversight board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, advised that the company suspend Hun Sen's account for six months over a video that it said violated rules on violent threats. Meta said it agreed to take down the video but added it would respond to the board's recommendation to suspend Sen following a review. Intimidation using Facebook In the video from January, Sen, 71, said that those who accused his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of buying votes in a local election last year should file a legal case, or face a beating from the party's supporters. Sen, who served as prime minister for 28 years before being replaced by his son Hun Manet last week, has been accused by human rights groups of using Facebook to intimidate political opponents and discourage criticism of his government. Sen's Facebook page, which he had temporarily stopped using, had a following of 14 million. Reuters reported that new content started to appear again just a few days after the election in July. The CPP won all but five of 125 lower house seats in the election, which was widely dismissed as a sham after the main opposition party was barred from running. On Tuesday, Meta's oversight board said that it stood by its decision and called on Facebook's parent company to "do everything in its power to deter public figures who exploit its platforms to incite violence". Meanwhile, Cambodia's ministry of post and telecommunications congratulated Facebook for its decision and reiterated that the Meta oversight board was still unwelcome. "They made bad recommendations, which were political in nature, and interfered with Cambodia's internal affairs," the ministry said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. New PM pledges to make Cambodia a 'high-income country' by 2050 Last Thursday (August 24), Cambodia's new Prime Minister Hun Manet pledged to make the kingdom a "high-income country" by 2050. "The next 25 years will be a new cycle for Cambodia," Manet said in a televised speech. Manet also said that the new strategy included improving healthcare and education, as well as addressing climate change. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Cambodia: Meta rejects recommendation to suspend ex-PM Hun Sen from Facebook

facebook

Facebook, News on Facebook, stories on Facebook, articles on Facebook, Facebook stories at Wion, Facebook news, Facebook latest news