Facebook and Instagram ran nudify-app ads from a single Chinese firm, watchdog says
Facebook and Instagram ran nudify-app ads from a single Chinese firm, watchdog says

Awatchdog group says Meta ran thousands of advertisements for apps that digitally undress women, and that the network placing them traces back to a single company in China. The finding lands on a platform that has spent more than a year insisting it is…

The vertical video takeover is here
The vertical video takeover is here

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things vertical video, follow David Pierce. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started For a while, every social and media platform […]

Modi breaks Instagram’s Reel record with 300 million views as student protests sweep India
Modi breaks Instagram’s Reel record with 300 million views as student protests sweep India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted two selfie videos on Instagram as student protests swept the country, with the first Reel drawing more than 300 million views in 24 hours and breaking the platform’s record for a single clip. The 75-year-old l…

After backlash, Meta pauses plan to ‘rate limit’ its smart glasses
After backlash, Meta pauses plan to ‘rate limit’ its smart glasses

Remember when Meta was planning to charge a $20 monthly subscription fee for the smart glasses feature that lets people hear each other more clearly – even though that feature runs locally on your glasses and doesn’t require the cloud? Meta has paused those plans, spokesperson Tyler Yee confirms to The Verge. The company is […]

Meta just created a moderation nightmare for its smart glasses
Meta just created a moderation nightmare for its smart glasses

Meta’s smart glasses have been a PR headache for the company. Public backlash has been swift, and fierce; people are concerned about the erosion of privacy and expansion of surveillance. Some especially bad actors are using the glasses to film themselves “pranking” random strangers. Women have become unsuspecting social media content for men filming themselves […]

Meta is making its AI chatbot more like an assistant
Meta is making its AI chatbot more like an assistant

Meta is upgrading its AI chatbot with new productivity features in a bid to compete with rivals like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude. The update will allow Meta AI to tap into your calendar to help you plan events and generate daily briefings, as well as perform in-depth research that you can steer as it progresses. […]

Meta leaves RE100 clean energy pact after a decade as its gas buildout for AI outpaces renewables
Meta leaves RE100 clean energy pact after a decade as its gas buildout for AI outpaces renewables

Meta has withdrawn from RE100, the global corporate clean energy initiative it joined a decade ago as Facebook, after the Climate Group confirmed the company can no longer meet the programme’s technical criteria. The departure follows Meta’s commitment…

Meta launches a standalone Seller app for Facebook Marketplace with AI-powered listings
Meta launches a standalone Seller app for Facebook Marketplace with AI-powered listings

Meta has launched Seller, a standalone app built for people who sell regularly on Facebook Marketplace, giving them dedicated tools for managing listings, communicating with buyers, and tracking sales performance in a single place. The free app is avai…

Meta wins dismissal of WhatsApp privacy suit as judge questions whistleblower detail
Meta wins dismissal of WhatsApp privacy suit as judge questions whistleblower detail

A federal judge has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging that Meta can read WhatsApp messages despite its end-to-end encryption promises, ruling that the complaint lacked sufficient detail about the basis for its whistleblower claims. The…

Meta is banning the ‘pervert glasses’ creeps from Instagram
Meta is banning the ‘pervert glasses’ creeps from Instagram

Meta has a nickname problem. Its Ray-Ban smart glasses have earned an ugly label: “pervert glasses”. Men wear them to film women in the street. Pranksters wear them to ambush shop workers. Now Instagram is trying to scrub the evidence. The platform wil…