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Reality check: Zuckerberg's $88bn metaverse flop

Mark Zuckerberg said the metaverse would be the future of his company - and the entire internet - now, after tens of billions of dollars spent, it's quietly being shelved in favour of AI, writes Adam Maguire.

Business • 1 hr

Meta told to pay $375m for misleading over child safety

A jury in New Mexico has found Meta Platforms violated state law in a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and of enabling child sexual ⁠exploitation on those platforms.

US • 25 Mar

A jury has found that Meta violated New Mexico's consumer protection law and ordered the company to pay $375m in civil penalties

Meta told to pay $375m in US trial for user safety claims

A New Mexico jury has found Meta Platforms violated state law in a lawsuit brought by its attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and of enabling child sexual exploitation on those platforms.

Business • 25 Mar

Meta no longer aiming to boost screen time - Zuckerberg

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed back in court today against a lawyer's suggestion that he had misled US Congress about the design of his company's social media platforms, as a landmark trial the mental health of young users, as a landmark trial over youth social media addiction continues.

World • 19 Feb

The tech giants will be subject only to a voluntary framework rather than binding rules under the revamped Digital Networks Act - Reuters sources

Big Tech spared strict EU digital rules, sources say

Tech giants Google, Meta, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon will not face heavy-handed regulations in Europe's digital rule overhaul despite calls from telecoms companies - Reuters sources.

Business • 09 Jan

Meta to offer choices on personal Facebook, Instagram ads

Meta has committed to giving Facebook and Instagram users in the European Union a choice when it comes to personalised ads, in line with the EU's Digital Markets Act, the European Commission said today.

Business • 08 Dec 25

The move eased some investor jitters over a bet that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has backed with billions of dollars, only for the business to burn more than $60 billion since 2020.

Meta to cut up to 30% of metaverse budget - Bloomberg

Meta is expected to make budget cuts of up to 30% for its metaverse initiative, Bloomberg News reported today, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Business • 04 Dec 25

EU to probe into Meta over use of AI in Whatsapp

EU regulators launched an antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms today over its rollout of artificial intelligence features in its WhatsApp messenger that would block rivals, hardening Europe's already tough stance on Big Tech.

Business • 04 Dec 25

Woman typing on a laptop with a comfortable, cozy atmosphere and warm ambient lighting, embodying focus and creativity in a relaxed home environment.

Fears of job cuts at services firm Covalen in Dublin

There are fears of job cuts at outsourcing firm Covalen, which provides services to social media giant Meta.

Business • 28 Nov 25

Meta in talks to spend billions on Google chips - report

Meta Platforms is in talks with Google to spend billions of dollars on the Alphabet-owned company's chips for use in its data centres starting from 2027, The Information reported, a move that would cast Google as a serious rival to semiconductor giant Nvidia.

Business • 25 Nov 25

Spain orders Meta to pay €479m to digital media firms

A Spanish court has ordered Facebook owner Meta to pay €479m to Spanish digital media outlets for unfair competition practices and infringing European Union data protection regulation, a ruling the company will appeal.

Business • 20 Nov 25

Meta defeats antitrust case over acquisitions

Facebook parent company Meta Platforms defeated a US attempt to unwind its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp when a federal judge ruled the company does not hold a social media monopoly.

Business • 19 Nov 25

Bubble Trouble: Is too much being spent on AI?

Firms are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on artificial intelligence with little to show for it, leading many major tech and trading exports to conclude that the industry is in a bubble, writes Adam Maguire.

Business • 11 Nov 25

Meta to raise $30 billion in its biggest bond sale

Social media giant Meta Platforms will raise up to $30 billion in its biggest bond offering ever, it said in a filing yesterday, as Big Tech rushes to fund the costly expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Business • 31 Oct 25

Meta forecasts bigger capital costs next year

Meta has forecast "notably larger" capital expenses next year thanks to investments in artificial intelligence, including aggressively building data centres to power its AI push.

Business • 30 Oct 25

EU finds Meta and TikTok in breach of transparency rules

The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that both TikTok and Meta are in breach of their obligations to grant researchers adequate access to public data under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Business • 24 Oct 25

Meta cutting hundreds of roles in AI unit

Meta is cutting around 600 positions out of the several thousand roles in its Superintelligence Labs, the Facebook owner said today as it looks to make its artificial intelligence unit more flexible and responsive.

Business • 22 Oct 25

Work and Technology Correspondent Brian O’Donovan talks to Katie and David on Behind the Story

Podcast: Deepfakes and AI – Will we question everything?

New rules being brought in for teens interacting with AI still rely on people telling the truth, Brian O'Donovan has told Behind the Story

Business • 17 Oct 25

New safeguards for teens interacting with Meta's AI tools have been introduced by the company

Meta introduces new AI safeguards for teens

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced new safeguards for teens interacting with its artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Business • 17 Oct 25

Instagram teen accounts are to be guided by PG-13 film ratings by default, Meta has said

Instagram teen accounts to be guided by PG-13 ratings

Meta has announced that Instagram teen accounts are to be guided by PG-13 film ratings by default, meaning teens will see content that is similar to what they would see in a PG-13 movie.

Business • 15 Oct 25

Meta launches smart glasses with built-in display

Meta Platforms has launched its first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display, seeking to extend the momentum of its Ray-Ban line, one of the early consumer hits of the artificial intelligence era.

Business • 18 Sep 25

Meta and TikTok win challenge against EU tech fees

Meta Platforms and TikTok have today won a legal challenge to the way EU regulators calculated a supervisory fee imposed on them under landmark tech rules, but will receive no money back while officials reformulate the levy.

Business • 10 Sep 25

Meta signs $10 billion cloud deal with Google - source

Google has struck a six-year cloud computing deal with Meta Platforms worth more than $10 billion, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, the search giant's second big agreement recently after one with OpenAI.

Business • 22 Aug 25

Meta, X and LinkedIn appeal VAT claim by Italy

US tech giants Meta and LinkedIn have lodged an appeal against an unprecedented VAT claim by Italy that could influence tax policy across the 27-nation European Union, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter have said.

Business • 22 Jul 25

Meta investors, Zuckerberg reach deal to end $8bn trial

Mark Zuckerberg and current and former directors and officers of Meta Platforms agreed today to settle claims seeking $8 billion for the damage they allegedly caused the company by allowing repeated violations of Facebook users' privacy, a lawyer for the shareholders told a Delaware judge.

Business • 17 Jul 25