For a decade, Meta's artificial intelligence strategy was defined by one word: free. Open weights, open research, models given away to commoditise rivals' moats. On July 9, that era quietly ended. Meta launched Muse Spark 1.1 — and for the first time in its history, put a price on its own AI.&nbsp;What Meta Launched&nbsp;Muse Spark 1.1 comes out of Meta Superintelligence Labs, the elite unit Mark Zuckerberg assembled to chase frontier AI. It is a multimodal reasoning model built for agentic work — tool use, computer use, coding and multi-step execution — with a one-million-token context window. It ships in public preview through the new Meta Model API, the company's first paid developer platform.&nbsp;The pricing is the pitch: $1.25 per million input tokens and $4.25 per million output tokens, with $20 in free credits to start. Zuckerberg framed it as roughly a quarter of what Anthropic and OpenAI charge for comparable models.&nbsp;And the API is built for defection: it is drop-in compatible with both the OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs, meaning a developer can switch their application to Meta's model by changing a few lines of configuration. The switching cost is engineered to be near zero — aimed squarely at rivals' paying customers.&nbsp;The End Of The Open-Only Era&nbsp;The significance is strategic more than technical. Meta spent years arguing that open models were its competitive weapon — that giving AI away would commoditise the closed labs' advantage while Meta monetised through its apps. Muse Spark 1.1 is the concession that the calculus has changed: Meta's newest frontier model now sits behind a paid API, exactly the way OpenAI's and Anthropic's do.&nbsp;It is also the revenue line investors have been waiting for. Meta has poured tens of billions into AI infrastructure and talent; until July 9, none of its frontier models had ever directly earned a dollar. Meta has not abandoned open releases — but its best new work now has a price tag, and that tells you where the company believes the value sits.&nbsp;The Price War Context&nbsp;Muse Spark lands in the middle of the great AI price collapse of July 2026. OpenAI's new GPT-5.6 family starts at $1 per million tokens. Musk's Grok 4.5 runs $2 and $6. China's Kimi K3 undercuts everyone at $0.30 per million on cached input — and gives its weights away entirely on July 27. Frontier-class AI, which cost dollars per million tokens a year ago, is racing toward pennies.&nbsp;Meta's entry as the aggressive price challenger completes the picture: every major lab is now fighting on cost, and the margin pressure that once applied only to open-source alternatives has reached the closed frontier.&nbsp;The Curious EU Absence&nbsp;One detail stands out: the public preview is available to US developers only, with no European Union access at launch. Meta has not detailed its reasoning — but the timing is hard to miss. The launch landed in the same fortnight that Brussels preliminarily found Instagram and Facebook's addictive design in breach of the Digital Services Act, with fine exposure above $12 billion, and ordered Google to open Android to rival AI assistants. Regulatory friction is visibly starting to shape where AI products launch first — and where they don't.&nbsp;The company that spent a decade commoditising everyone else's moat has built a toll booth of its own. In 2026, it seems, frontier AI has become too expensive to give away — even for Meta.

Meta Superintelligence Labs launched Muse Spark 1.1 on July 9 through the new Meta Model API — the first time Meta has ever charged for a model. Priced at roughly a quarter of Anthropic and OpenAI's rates, drop-in compatible with their SDKs, and unavailable in the EU at launch.

For a decade, Meta's artificial intelligence strategy was defined by one word: free. Open weights, open research, models given away to commoditise rivals' moats. On July 9, that era quietly ended. Meta launched Muse Spark 1.1 — and for the first time in its history, put a price on its own AI. What Meta Launched Muse Spark 1.1 comes out of Meta Superintelligence Labs, the elite unit Mark Zuckerberg assembled to chase frontier AI. It is a multimodal reasoning model built for agentic work — tool use, computer use, coding and multi-step execution — with a one-million-token context window. It ships in public preview through the new Meta Model API, the company's first paid developer platform. The pricing is the pitch: $1.25 per million input tokens and $4.25 per million output tokens, with $20 in free credits to start. Zuckerberg framed it as roughly a quarter of what Anthropic and OpenAI charge for comparable models. And the API is built for defection: it is drop-in compatible with both the OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs, meaning a developer can switch their application to Meta's model by changing a few lines of configuration. The switching cost is engineered to be near zero — aimed squarely at rivals' paying customers. The End Of The Open-Only Era The significance is strategic more than technical. Meta spent years arguing that open models were its competitive weapon — that giving AI away would commoditise the closed labs' advantage while Meta monetised through its apps. Muse Spark 1.1 is the concession that the calculus has changed: Meta's newest frontier model now sits behind a paid API, exactly the way OpenAI's and Anthropic's do. It is also the revenue line investors have been waiting for. Meta has poured tens of billions into AI infrastructure and talent; until July 9, none of its frontier models had ever directly earned a dollar. Meta has not abandoned open releases — but its best new work now has a price tag, and that tells you where the company believes the value sits. The Price War Context Muse Spark lands in the middle of the great AI price collapse of July 2026. OpenAI's new GPT-5.6 family starts at $1 per million tokens. Musk's Grok 4.5 runs $2 and $6. China's Kimi K3 undercuts everyone at $0.30 per million on cached input — and gives its weights away entirely on July 27. Frontier-class AI, which cost dollars per million tokens a year ago, is racing toward pennies. Meta's entry as the aggressive price challenger completes the picture: every major lab is now fighting on cost, and the margin pressure that once applied only to open-source alternatives has reached the closed frontier. The Curious EU Absence One detail stands out: the public preview is available to US developers only, with no European Union access at launch. Meta has not detailed its reasoning — but the timing is hard to miss. The launch landed in the same fortnight that Brussels preliminarily found Instagram and Facebook's addictive design in breach of the Digital Services Act, with fine exposure above $12 billion, and ordered Google to open Android to rival AI assistants. Regulatory friction is visibly starting to shape where AI products launch first — and where they don't. The company that spent a decade commoditising everyone else's moat has built a toll booth of its own. In 2026, it seems, frontier AI has become too expensive to give away — even for Meta.

For a decade, Meta's AI strategy was to give its models away. On July 9, that era ended: Meta Superintelligence Labs launched Muse Spark 1.1 on the new Meta Model API — the first time Meta has ever charged for a model — priced at roughly a quarter of what Anthropic and OpenAI charge, with drop-in compatibility designed to poach their customers. Notably absent at launch: the European Union.

Meta starts charging for AI but who will pay? Muse Spark 1.1 is its first paid model ever

The European Union has put the scroll itself on trial. On July 10, after a two-year investigation, the European Commission announced preliminary findings that Meta is in breach of the Digital Services Act — not over what Instagram and Facebook show, but over how they are built. The addictive design of the platforms, Brussels says, may violate European law.&nbsp;What The Commission Found&nbsp;The Commission's preliminary findings name the specific machinery of the modern feed: infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalised recommendation algorithms tuned for engagement. Together, the Commission says, these features fuel the user's urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into what it calls autopilot mode — contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use of the platforms.&nbsp;It is a striking regulatory statement: the core design pattern of social media — the bottomless, self-playing, notification-driven feed — described by a major regulator as a potential legal violation in itself.&nbsp;What Brussels Wants Changed&nbsp;The Commission is calling on Meta to disable key addictive features by default — including autoplay and infinite scroll — to introduce effective screen-time breaks, and to modify its recommendation algorithms to be less focused on maximising engagement.&nbsp;In other words: the feed would end somewhere, videos would wait to be played, and the algorithm would be legally required to care about something other than keeping you watching.&nbsp;The $12 Billion Number&nbsp;If the preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6 percent of its total global annual turnover — which, based on last year's earnings, could exceed $12 billion. That would rank among the largest regulatory penalties in the history of the technology industry.&nbsp;The findings are not final. Meta now has the opportunity to review the evidence against it and submit a formal response before the Commission takes a final decision.&nbsp;Why This Case Is Different&nbsp;Europe has fined big tech before — over privacy, over competition, over data. This case is different in kind: it targets design. No regulator of this size has previously declared that the fundamental mechanics of the attention economy — the features that made the feed the most successful product format in history — may be unlawful by construction. The logic, if it stands, extends to every infinite feed on every platform, from short video to news apps.&nbsp;And Brussels has a track record of exporting its rules. Companies rarely build one product for Europe and another for everyone else — GDPR's cookie banners and privacy controls went global. If Meta is forced to cap the scroll in Europe, the design change could reach far beyond it.&nbsp;The Bigger Week In Brussels&nbsp;The Meta findings landed in the same ten-day stretch in which the Commission issued binding orders forcing Google to open Android to rival AI assistants and share its search data with competitors. While Washington debates a voluntary AI watchdog and Beijing recruits countries into its new AI governance bloc, Europe is doing what it does: regulating the machines directly.&nbsp;For fifteen years, the technology industry's core bet has been that engagement is good business. Europe has just made it a legal liability — with a twelve-billion-dollar price tag attached.

The European Commission preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act over Instagram and Facebook's addictive design — infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and engagement-tuned algorithms. Brussels wants them off by default; the fine exposure tops $12 billion.

The European Union has put the scroll itself on trial. On July 10, after a two-year investigation, the European Commission announced preliminary findings that Meta is in breach of the Digital Services Act — not over what Instagram and Facebook show, but over how they are built. The addictive design of the platforms, Brussels says, may violate European law. What The Commission Found The Commission's preliminary findings name the specific machinery of the modern feed: infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalised recommendation algorithms tuned for engagement. Together, the Commission says, these features fuel the user's urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into what it calls autopilot mode — contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use of the platforms. It is a striking regulatory statement: the core design pattern of social media — the bottomless, self-playing, notification-driven feed — described by a major regulator as a potential legal violation in itself. What Brussels Wants Changed The Commission is calling on Meta to disable key addictive features by default — including autoplay and infinite scroll — to introduce effective screen-time breaks, and to modify its recommendation algorithms to be less focused on maximising engagement. In other words: the feed would end somewhere, videos would wait to be played, and the algorithm would be legally required to care about something other than keeping you watching. The $12 Billion Number If the preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6 percent of its total global annual turnover — which, based on last year's earnings, could exceed $12 billion. That would rank among the largest regulatory penalties in the history of the technology industry. The findings are not final. Meta now has the opportunity to review the evidence against it and submit a formal response before the Commission takes a final decision. Why This Case Is Different Europe has fined big tech before — over privacy, over competition, over data. This case is different in kind: it targets design. No regulator of this size has previously declared that the fundamental mechanics of the attention economy — the features that made the feed the most successful product format in history — may be unlawful by construction. The logic, if it stands, extends to every infinite feed on every platform, from short video to news apps. And Brussels has a track record of exporting its rules. Companies rarely build one product for Europe and another for everyone else — GDPR's cookie banners and privacy controls went global. If Meta is forced to cap the scroll in Europe, the design change could reach far beyond it. The Bigger Week In Brussels The Meta findings landed in the same ten-day stretch in which the Commission issued binding orders forcing Google to open Android to rival AI assistants and share its search data with competitors. While Washington debates a voluntary AI watchdog and Beijing recruits countries into its new AI governance bloc, Europe is doing what it does: regulating the machines directly. For fifteen years, the technology industry's core bet has been that engagement is good business. Europe has just made it a legal liability — with a twelve-billion-dollar price tag attached.

After a two-year investigation, the European Commission has preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act over the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook — naming infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and engagement-tuned algorithms. Brussels wants them off by default. The fine exposure: up to 6% of global turnover, more than $12 billion.

'$12 billion scroll': EU finds Instagram and Facebook's addictive design breaks its law

Meta on Friday (Jul 10) said that it was discontinuing an artificial intelligence feature introduced earlier this week that allowed users to generate images using content from public Instagram accounts. The company’s decision comes after the tool triggered widespread backlash over privacy concerns, with critics, including a Hollywood union, questioning how public posts were being used.“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public ​content could be referenced in this way,” Meta said in a statement.“We’ve ​heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it’s no longer available,” it added.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-orders-meta-to-remove-child-sexual-abuse-ads-from-instagram-demands-explaination-in-7-days-1783235163711">India orders Meta to remove Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse, demands explanation in 7 days</a><h2>Why was Muse Image removed from Instagram?</h2>The feature was developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs and launched on Tuesday (Jul 11). It was integrated into the Meta AI chatbot and allowed users to use existing photos to generate and modify images. However, controversy erupted immediately when users realised the tool automatically opted in public Instagram accounts, meaning their personal images were being used to train or anchor the generation model without explicit prior consent.The rollout drew immediate condemnation from high-profile figures and industry advocates. Emmy-winning Hacks star Hannah Einbinder took to Instagram to warn her followers about the automatic activation, urging the public to manually disable the feature.On Thursday (Jul 9), the actors' union SAG-AFTRA issued a blistering statement urging members and other Instagram users to opt out of the feature.“Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images ​is unacceptable, and an ​utter miscalculation of ⁠public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use,” SAG-AFTRA said.Watch | Tinder, Bumble, Grindr and Meta expand AI dating features<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tinder-bumble-grindr-and-meta-expand-ai-dating-features-1783601830314/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/tinder-bumble-grindr-and-meta-expand-ai-dating-features-1783601830314/embed</a> &nbsp;

Meta has discontinued its new AI image-generation feature that used content from public Instagram accounts after widespread privacy concerns and criticism, including from a Hollywood union.

Meta on Friday (Jul 10) said that it was discontinuing an artificial intelligence feature introduced earlier this week that allowed users to generate images using content from public Instagram accounts. The company’s decision comes after the tool triggered widespread backlash over privacy concerns, with critics, including a Hollywood union, questioning how public posts were being used. “Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,” Meta said in a statement. “We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it’s no longer available,” it added. Also read | India orders Meta to remove Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse, demands explanation in 7 days Why was Muse Image removed from Instagram? The feature was developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs and launched on Tuesday (Jul 11). It was integrated into the Meta AI chatbot and allowed users to use existing photos to generate and modify images. However, controversy erupted immediately when users realised the tool automatically opted in public Instagram accounts, meaning their personal images were being used to train or anchor the generation model without explicit prior consent. The rollout drew immediate condemnation from high-profile figures and industry advocates. Emmy-winning Hacks star Hannah Einbinder took to Instagram to warn her followers about the automatic activation, urging the public to manually disable the feature. On Thursday (Jul 9), the actors' union SAG-AFTRA issued a blistering statement urging members and other Instagram users to opt out of the feature. “Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of ⁠public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use,” SAG-AFTRA said. Watch | Tinder, Bumble, Grindr and Meta expand AI dating features https://www.wionews.com/videos/tinder-bumble-grindr-and-meta-expand-ai-dating-features-1783601830314/embed

Meta has discontinued its new AI image-generation feature that used content from public Instagram accounts after widespread privacy concerns and criticism, including from a Hollywood union.

‘Missed the mark’: Meta removes Instagram AI image feature after backlash over privacy

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Meta starts charging for AI but who will pay? Muse Spark 1.1 is its first paid model ever

EU Finds Instagram And Facebook's Addictive Design In Breach Of Its Law

‘Missed the mark’: Meta removes Instagram AI image feature after backlash