Did Meta just foil its biggest hardware announcement of 2025? Some would say yes, but it's not all doom and gloom in Menlo Park. Meta Connect this week is expected to be a pivotal moment for the AI wearables industry, as the makers of the popular Ray-Ban smart glasses take the stage to unveil a succeeding model -- and maybe more.
The FTC inquiry seeks to understand what steps, if any, companies have taken to evaluate the safety of their chatbots when acting as companions, to limit the products' use by and potential negative effects on children and teens, and to apprise users and parents of the risks associated with the products.
Meta, the social media giant led by Mark Zuckerberg, is preparing to open its first physical store in London as part of a push to drive sales of its virtual and augmented reality devices. Property sources said the company is exploring Oxford Street as the likely location for a permanent flagship space where shoppers can try out products such as the Meta Quest headset and Ray-Ban smart glasses. The move would mark Meta's first bricks-and-mortar presence in the UK.
A senior EU policy manager at Meta has announced that she's leaving the company and gave it a "Met Most" rating in a seemingly tongue-in-cheek performance review posted on its internal forum. Christelle Dernon, a European public policy manager, said in a badge post on Meta's Workplace forum on Wednesday that she plans to leave on Friday. Dernon has worked as a public policy manager for campaigns and programs in Europe at Meta since 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Wang and other former Scale staffers have struggled with some of the idiosyncratic ways of working at Meta, according to someone familiar with his thinking, for example having to adjust to not having revenue goals as they once did as a startup. Despite teething problems, some have celebrated the leadership shift, including the appointment of popular entrepreneur and venture capitalist Friedman as head of Products and Applied Research, the team tasked with integrating the models into Meta's own apps.
U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein, who is overseeing the case, ruled this month that parts of Stonelake's suit had merit, and the case will move forward. "I hope this ruling encourages others who have experienced discrimination and toxic workplace cultures to consider the courts as one way to push for justice and accountability," Stonelake said in a statement given to TechCrunch.
Meta plans to launch a super PAC to support California candidates favoring a light-touch approach to AI regulation, Politico reports. The news comes as other Silicon Valley behemoths, like Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI's Greg Brockman, pledge $100 million for a new pro-AI super PAC.
Speaking with Bloomberg about the tech industry's "overcorrection" toward Donald Trump and the president's isolationist attitudes, he called Silicon Valley "a place of stampedes and fads," and said that while the industry may pride itself on challenging norms, "it's the most conformist place I've ever lived in my life."
Publishers are picking up new vibes from Meta, which they believe signal that the platform may be changing its stance on AI licensing. So far, it's more rhetoric than reality. Nevertheless, if it were to come to fruition, it could reset the dynamic between Meta and publishers, many of whom still feel burned by years of declining referral traffic from the platform.
Meta's new translation tools for Facebook and Instagram enable real-time conversion of user-generated content into multiple languages, facilitating wider accessibility of videos and reels internationally.
Google has agreed to pay a fine of AUS$55m in Australia after regulators ruled the company struck anti-competitive deals with major telecom operators, significantly impacting competition.
Marketers expect AI tools that enhance conversion rates or lower customer acquisition costs, rather than just theoretical insights. $64 to $72 billion is expected in 2025 capex, emphasizing the need for practical financial returns.
In 2024, security budgets for chief executives of major tech companies rose above $45 million, with Meta's allocation for Mark Zuckerberg reaching over $27 million.
