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Meta accused of discriminating against non-Chinese workers in latest layoff
18 days ago
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Disable autoplay and infinite scroll or risk fines, EU tells Meta
15 days ago
- The European Commission has preliminarily found that Meta's Facebook and Instagram features like autoplay, infinite scroll, and personalized content recommendations are addictive and harmful to users' physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for minors and vulnerable adults.
- Meta has been given an opportunity to dispute these claims and has defended its actions, highlighting the introduction of Teen Accounts that allow parental controls such as blocking nighttime access and capping daily screen time at 15 minutes.
- The EC criticized Meta's mitigation efforts as insufficient, stating that time management tools and parental controls are not effectively tackling the risks, and recommended disabling addictive features by default, implementing screen time breaks, and adjusting the recommender system to be less engagement-oriented.
Meta Deletes Face-Recognition System from Smart Glasses App After Wired Report
15 days ago
- Meta removed an unreleased face-recognition system called NameTag from its Meta AI app after WIRED revealed it was embedded in the app installed on over 50 million phones.
- The NameTag system was designed to convert faces captured by Meta's smart glasses into biometric signatures and compare them against a local database, with unrecognized faces stored for future processing.
- Meta executives dismissed WIRED's report as misleading and claimed the feature did not exist, despite code evidence, and the company declined to answer questions about data retention and privacy concerns.
- Privacy advocates warned the system could enable stalking and abuse, and criticized Meta's tactics, calling for stronger legal protections and enforcement of consumer privacy laws.
- The updated Meta AI app removed most NameTag code, but some fragments remain, and the removal is seen as evidence of the need for more robust privacy regulations with private rights of action.
Four awful new privacy-eroding features from Meta in a month
12 days ago
- Instagram planned to use public profile photos for AI-generated images on WhatsApp, but backtracked after backlash.
- Meta secretly included facial recognition in its AI app for Ray-Ban smart glasses, removed it after being exposed.
- Meta tested smart glasses that continuously record audio and take photos without user indicators.
- Meta accidentally released a map feature in Brazil showing users' exact locations, leading to investigations.
Meta trying to destroy whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams, US senator says
8 days ago
- US Senator Josh Hawley accuses Meta of using 'lawfare' to target whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams over allegations about Meta's dealings with China and impact on teens.
- Wynn-Williams, former Facebook policy head, made claims in her memoir but is under arbitration restrictions preventing her from discussing the book, which Meta disputes as false.
- Hawley demands documents on Meta's monitoring of Wynn-Williams and her family, citing concerns over surveillance and aggressive legal tactics to silence her.
- Meta argues Wynn-Williams is using legal processes to sell books, broke a severance agreement, and denies claims about bankruptcy threats or targeting teens emotionally.
- Hawley urges congressional action to protect whistleblowers from corporate retaliation, highlighting the public interest in Meta's conduct and transparency.
Meta is testing an AI bedtime story app for people with no imagination
4 days ago
- Meta is piloting an AI storytelling app called StoryKit, which generates children's stories with custom characters, settings, lessons, and music.
- The app uses AI safety filters, has no social features, and is only available to users over 18.
- The author criticizes the app for replacing human imagination and meaningful parent-child connection with AI-generated scripts.
- The author suggests parents can choose not to use such technology and instead rely on traditional storytelling.
Meta's New Feel-Good AI Ad Uses a Song About the World Ending
a day ago
- Meta published an ad on Instagram using David Bowie's song 'Five Years' to promote AI, despite the song being about the end of the world.
- Critics argue the ad's use of a dystopian song is either ignorant or insidious, highlighting a disconnect between the message and the song's original context.
- Meta's ad features optimistic narration while avoiding the song's darker lyrics, drawing comparisons to other tech ads that misuse music or concepts (e.g., FTX, Google).
- Tech companies like Anthropic and Google have also released ads attempting to alleviate fears about technology, often with questionable messaging.
- The ad reflects a broader trend of tech firms using emotional marketing to counter public skepticism about AI and other technologies.
Zuckerberg's AI optimism blitz using nostalgia to sell AI future amid backlash
a day ago
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a video promoting an optimistic view of AI, using nostalgic imagery of people connecting via Meta's platforms.
- Marketing experts criticized the video for avoiding real concerns about AI's impact, such as job displacement and integration into platforms.
- Meta is facing employee lawsuits over AI-related layoffs and backlash from workers in its Applied AI unit, as well as legal issues with its Ray-Ban glasses.
- Other tech leaders like OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei have walked back earlier predictions about AI eliminating jobs, now suggesting automation expands roles rather than replaces them.
- Nostalgia marketing is used by Meta to shift attention from contentious AI debates and make the technology feel more genuine and human.
Why Would Meta Download So Much Porn?
9 hours ago
- Meta is accused of downloading large volumes of porn, nonconsensual celebrity nudes, 3-D-printable handgun blueprints, and hacked passwords.
- Strike 3, a porn producer, is suing Meta for allegedly downloading nearly 3,000 of its copyrighted videos.
- Evidence suggests Meta downloaded content like 'GirlsDoPorn' archives, deepfake celebrity porn, and password lists.
- Meta claims the downloads were for personal consumption, not AI training, but the pattern and volume suggest otherwise.
- Judge Eumi Lee found Meta's arguments unconvincing, citing algorithmically coordinated downloads across multiple networks.
- Meta used BitTorrent to acquire content, which also involved sharing (seeding) the files with others.
- Internal Meta documents show employees were uncomfortable with downloading copyrighted books via BitTorrent for AI training.
- The case highlights tech companies' heavy reliance on mass data collection, often involving piracy.

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meta

Meta accused of discriminating against non-Chinese workers in latest layoff

Disable autoplay and infinite scroll or risk fines, EU tells Meta

Meta Deletes Face-Recognition System from Smart Glasses App After Wired Report

Four awful new privacy-eroding features from Meta in a month

Meta trying to destroy whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams, US senator says

Meta is testing an AI bedtime story app for people with no imagination

Meta's New Feel-Good AI Ad Uses a Song About the World Ending

Zuckerberg's AI optimism blitz using nostalgia to sell AI future amid backlash

Why Would Meta Download So Much Porn?