World | Business & Economy | Trending: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has caused a stir within the company by ordering the removal of tampons and sanitary pads from men’s bathrooms at its offices.

Zuckerberg's latest move: Meta order for removal of tampons from men's bathrooms sparks backlash

Meta has secured a legal victory over NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus spyware, in a significant court ruling that upholds the company's right to sue over surveillance abuses.

Meta secures major legal victory against Pegasus spyware maker NSO group in surveillance abuse case

Facebook is under scrutiny once again for a significant drop in reporting incidents of child sexual abuse on its platform. Official figures reveal a staggering decline of nearly 7 million reports in just one year. What's stopping them from detecting and reporting these abuses? Watch this video for full story.

Facebook Accused of Endangering Children's Lives

In a recent podcast with Dwarkesh Patel, Zuckerberg said that most of the code for Meta’s Llama project will soon be written by AI. He also added that AI is already as good as the “average very good person” in a team.

AI could take over coding tasks within 18 months, says Mark Zuckerberg

World: “Meta AI is built to get to know you, so its answers are more helpful,” said the company. “It’s easy to talk to, so it’s more seamless and natural to interact with,” Meta added.

Meta’s answer to ChatGPT is here, and it’s a ‘social’ AI app: What are its key features?

Trending | SCIENCE & TECH | World | The Wall Street Journal has reported that Meta plans to introduce a new AI chatbot named "Digital Companions" across its platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

'Fantasy sex, role-play, friends with benefits': Meta's latest AI disaster doesn't spare even kids

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in a US court for a second day to defend the company’s acquisition of Instagram amid an FTC-led anti-trust trial. Zuckerberg denied claims that the buyout was meant to crush competition. Watch this report for more details!

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg denies Instagram acquisition was to kill competition

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in Meta antitrust trial over Instagram deal

World: Tech investors in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street had hoped Trump would ease regulations in his second term, with many expecting a lighter touch on mergers and fewer rules. But so far, Trump’s new team has signalled otherwise.

Trump’s big tech war: What antitrust cases mean for Google, Meta, Apple and the Future of AI | Explained

FTC alleged that Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp violated competition laws of the US. business & economy trending science & technology

Will Zuckerberg lose Instagram, Whatsapp? Landmark antitrust case could force Meta to divest crown jewels | Details here

Meta-owned social media giant WhatsApp was down for several users globally on Saturday (Apr 12), according to outage tracking website Downdetector.

WhatsApp down: Users unable to send messages, make calls as second outage reported in a day

World: Teenagers under the age of 16 will no longer be able to use Instagram Live unless they have permission from a parent.   Trending

Meta bans under-16s from going live on Instagram: Here's what new safety rules mean for parents

#Gravitas An investigation has found that Facebook has hosted and profited from more than 100 paid advertisements promoting illegal Israeli settlements and far-right settler activity in West Bank.

Meta Cashes In On Ads For Illegal Israeli Settlements

Trending: Instagram houses a blend of photos, Stories, and Reels, but critics argue that it has become cluttered. By creating a dedicated space for short-form videos, Meta could streamline Instagram’s core features while giving Reels a focused platform.

Meta may launch standalone Instagram Reels app to challenge TikTok

World: The sudden influx of such disturbing content left users wondering whether it was a technical glitch or a deliberate change in Instagram’s algorithm. Trending

Instagram’s ‘content’ filter fails: Users report surge in disturbing posts - What’s really happening?

Meta is building the world's longest undersea cable which will connect five continents! This multi-billion-dollar investment aims to boost global connectivity and digital inclusion. Will this project truly bridge the digital divide? Watch this report to know more.

Undersea cable revolution: Meta's big bet

Meta has confirmed its ambitious 'Project Waterworth,' aimed at building the world’s longest undersea internet cable. Spanning over 50,000km, the cable will exceed Earth's circumference and boost global connectivity.

Meta announces world's longest undersea cable, spanning 50,000km

Trending: One of those employees, Elana Reman Safner, a product counsel for MetaWorks, says she was blindsided after returning from maternity leave.

'I was blindsided': Laid-off Meta employee claims workers on leave were targeted

Meta is ramping up AI hiring while laying off thousands of employees. Reports suggest that 3,600 jobs will be slashed this week as the company shifts focus toward artificial intelligence-driven projects.

Meta layoffs accelerate as company focuses on AI expansion

World, science & technology: WhatsApp told the Guardian, that they had "high confidence" that the users in question had been targeted and "possibly compromised". 

WhatsApp says nearly 100 journalists and civil society members targeted by Israeli spyware company Paragon

World, Trending news: Meta had previously provided sanitary products including tampons in male washrooms for nonbinary and transgender staff members.

Meta employees stage ‘quiet rebellion’ over removal of tampons from men’s bathrooms

Meta has agreed to pay former President Donald Trump $25 million to settle a lawsuit regarding his claims about the company's handling of his accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta to pay Trump $25 Million to settle lawsuit over Facebook and Instagram

World | Trending | The lawsuit was filed by the president after Meta suspended his accounts following the US Capitol attack. Trump has signed settlement papers that require Meta to pay roughly $25 million to resolve the lawsuit.

Why has Meta agreed to pay $25 mn to US President Trump?

Begin your day with WION's comprehensive morning news brief, delivering the latest headlines and key updates to keep you informed and ready for the day ahead.

Morning news brief: Passenger plane collides with helicopter in Washington; Trump plans to detain 'illegal aliens', and more

World: Sheryl Sandberg, who recently parted from Meta, faces legal challenges as a Delaware court accuses her of email deletion linked to the Cambridge Analytica controversy.

Meta’s former COO Sheryl Sandberg sanctioned by Delaware judge over alleged email deletions

World | However, by Friday, the error had apparently been fixed. When asked to name the US president, Meta’s chatbot responded without any error.

‘Biden was sworn in as president,’ Meta’s AI bewildered following Trump inauguration

Many Instagram and Facebook users discovered they were unexpectedly following accounts for President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump. Meta clarified that this transition occurs with new administrations. Users can unfollow these accounts, though some may face delays. Watch this report for more details!

Meta denies claims of pushing users to follow Trump team accounts

Meta has shared a photograph of how this feature would allow WhatsApp users to share status updates as stories across Instagram and Facebook. 

Meta to allow WhatsApp users to share status updates on Instagram, Facebook

World | Zuckerberg’s comments didn’t go down well with professionals and techies, who were quick to condemn the META CEO’s newfound chauvinism.

‘Neo-Nazi madness': Zuckerberg slammed by Meta lawyer, techie over ‘masculine energy’ comment

Tech giant meta, along with other major corporations are making headlines once again with plans for significant layoffs. These job cuts come as part of broader trends in the corporate world to streamline operations and cut costs amid rapid technological advancements.

Global Firms Expect AI-driven Job Cuts Over The Next 5 Years | World Business Watch | WION

Meta India on Wednesday (Jan 15) issued an apology over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark on the 2024 Indian general elections, where he claimed that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost polls last year. Watch in for more details!

'Inadvertent Error': Meta Apologises For Zuckerberg's Remark

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to cut approximately 5% of its workforce via performance-based terminations. Watch this report for more details!

Global firms expect AI-driven job cuts over the next five years

Meta planning to lay off 5 pc of its workforce in round of performance-linked job cuts

Days after Mark Zuckerberg remarks on a podcast that several governments, including the one in India, lost power in elections held after the Covid-19 pandemic, Meta apologised for the comments.

Meta apologises for Zuckerberg's remark on India 2024 polls

Trending | SCIENCE & TECH | Business & Economy | World | In a memo to staff, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he has decided to "move out low-performers faster" as 2025 would be an "intense year."

Why is Mark Zuckerberg firing employees in Meta ahead of FY2025?

World | Trending | Social media users were quick to notice that the name of Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan, was not mentioned anywhere in the invite. 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to co-host reception for Trump’s inauguration

Meta India on Wednesday (Jan 15) issued an apology over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark that the incumbent government in India lost power in the 2024 elections. 

Meta apologises over Zuckerberg's remark on 2024 India elections; 'inadvertent error'

India News | World: Meta CEO Zuckerberg had said in a podcast with Joe Rogan that incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost elections in 2024. 

India to summon Meta over Zuckerberg's 'factually incorrect' claim about 2024 election results

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Saturday said that US authorities like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) can read our WhatsApp messages by physically accessing devices. Watch this report for more details!

Mark Zuckerberg Says CIA Can Access Your WhatsApp Messages | World DNA | WION

Meta CEO Zuckerberg says CIA can access your WhatsApp messages

Meta CEO: CIA can read messages by physically accessing devices

US President Joe Biden blasted Meta for scrapping fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in the United States, calling the move "really shameful". Watch this report for more details!

Joe Biden slams Meta's plan to scrap US fact-checking feature

Joe Biden blasts 'really shameful' Meta decision to scrap US fact-checking

Joe Biden slams Meta's move to scrap fact-checking

International Fact-Checking Network denies Mark Zuckerberg's claim that their program is censorship, calling it false. Watch this report for more details!

Fact-checking network refutes Zuckerberg's claims of censorship on Meta platform

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg alleges Biden officials pressured Meta for Covid content censorship, claiming they would often scream and curse at executives for compliance.

Zuckerberg claims Biden officials would 'scream' to enforce Covid 'censorship' on Facebook

Word | Science & Tech | Business & Economy | Meta blames changing legal and policy landscapes for dissolving DEI efforts, including diverse hiring and supplier diversity programs.

Meta dismantles diversity programmes after ending fact-checks. Is Zuckerberg trying to appease Trump?

World: Citing Meta's "lack of transparency," Messias said the company "will have 72 hours to inform the Brazilian government of its actual policy for Brazil."

Meta faces 72-hour deadline from Brazil over transparency in fact-checking practices

Meta's shocking announcement that it is ending its US fact-checking program triggered scathing criticism from disinformation researchers. Watch this report for more details!