Meta

Meta backs US nuclear projects for AI growth

A series of agreements has been announced by Meta to support nuclear energy projects in the US, aiming to secure up to 6.6 gigawatts of clean and reliable electricity for data centres and AI infrastructure by 2035. The company said the move supports grid stability while reinforcing domestic energy capacity.

The agreements include support for existing nuclear facilities operated by Vistra in Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as commitments to advanced reactor developers TerraPower and Oklo.

Meta stated that the arrangements are intended to extend the operational life of current plants while accelerating the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies.

According to Meta, the projects are expected to generate thousands of construction roles and hundreds of long-term operational jobs, while contributing to the firm’s power to regional electricity grids.

The company added that energy costs associated with its data centres are fully covered through corporate agreements, instead of being passed on to US consumers.

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Meta’s Threads tests basketball game inside chats

Threads is experimenting with gaming inside private chats, beginning with a simple basketball game that allows users to swipe to shoot hoops.

Meta confirmed that the game remains an internal prototype and is not available to the public, meaning there is no certainty it will launch. The feature was first uncovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who frequently spots unreleased tools during development.

In-chat gaming could give Threads an advantage over rivals such as X and Bluesky, which do not currently offer built-in games. It may also position Threads as a competitor to Apple’s Messages, where users can already access chat-based games through third-party apps instead of relying on the platform alone.

Meta has already explored similar ideas inside Instagram DMs, including a hidden game that lets users keep an emoji bouncing on screen.

Threads continues to expand its feature set with Communities and disappearing posts, although the platform still trails X in US adoption despite reporting 400 million monthly users worldwide.

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Meta pauses global launch of Ray-Ban Display glasses

The US tech company, Meta, has paused the international launch of its Ray-Ban Display smart glasses after seeing higher-than-expected demand in the US.

Meta had planned to begin selling the glasses in the UK, France, Italy and Canada in early 2026, but will now prioritise fulfilling US orders instead of expanding availability.

These smart glasses work with the Meta Neural Band wrist device, which interprets small hand movements.

Meta demonstrated new tools at CES in Las Vegas, including a teleprompter mode for delivering prepared remarks and a feature that lets users write messages by moving a finger across any surface while wearing the Neural Band. Pedestrian navigation support is also being extended to additional US cities.

Meta says demand has created waiting lists stretching well into 2026, prompting the pause while it reassesses global rollout plans.

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High-profile AI acquisition puts Manus back in focus

Manus has returned to the spotlight after agreeing to be acquired by Meta in a deal reportedly worth more than $2 billion. The transaction is one of the most high-profile acquisitions of an Asian AI startup by a US technology company and reflects Meta’s push to expand agentic AI capabilities across its platforms.

The startup drew attention in March after unveiling an autonomous AI agent designed to execute tasks such as résumé screening and stock analysis. Founded in China, Manus later moved its headquarters to Singapore and was developed by the AI product studio Butterfly Effect.

Since launch, Manus has expanded its features to include design work, slide creation, and browser-based task completion. The company reported surpassing $100 million in annual recurring revenue and raised $75 million earlier this year at a valuation of about $500 million.

Meta said the acquisition would allow it to integrate the Singapore-based company’s technology into its wider AI strategy while keeping the product running as a standalone service. Manus said subscriptions would continue uninterrupted and that operations would remain based in Singapore.

The deal has drawn political scrutiny in the US due to Manus’s origins and past links to China. Meta said the transaction would sever remaining ties to China, as debate intensifies over investment, data security, and competition in advanced AI systems.

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Manus acquisition signals Meta’s continued AI expansion

Meta Platforms has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based developer of general-purpose AI agents, as part of its continued push to expand artificial intelligence capabilities. The deal underscores Meta’s strategy of acquiring specialised AI firms to accelerate product development.

Manus, founded in China before relocating to Singapore, develops AI agents capable of performing tasks such as market research, coding, and data analysis. The company said it reached more than $100 million in annualised revenue within eight months of launch and was serving millions of users worldwide.

Meta said the acquisition will help integrate advanced automation into its consumer and enterprise offerings, including the Meta AI assistant. Manus will continue operating its subscription service, and its employees will join Meta’s teams.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but media reports valued the deal at more than $2 billion. Manus had been seeking funding at a similar valuation before being approached by Meta and had recently raised capital from international investors.

The acquisition follows a series of AI-focused deals by Meta, including investments in Scale AI and AI device start-ups. Analysts say the move highlights intensifying competition among major technology firms to secure AI talent and capabilities.

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Italy orders Meta to lift WhatsApp AI restrictions

Italy’s competition authority has ordered Meta to halt restrictions limiting rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp. Regulators say the measures may distort competition as Meta integrates its own AI services.

The Italian watchdog argues Meta’s conduct risks restricting market access and slowing technical development. Officials warned that continued enforcement could cause lasting harm to competition and consumer choice.

Meta rejected the ruling and confirmed plans to appeal, calling the decision unfounded. The company stated that WhatsApp Business was never intended to serve as a distribution platform for AI services.

The case forms part of a broader European push to scrutinise dominant tech firms. Regulators are increasingly focused on the integration of AI across platforms with entrenched market power.

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Meta restricts Congress AI videos in India

Meta has restricted access in India to two AI-generated videos posted by the Congress party. The clips depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group.

The company stated that the content did not violate its community standards. Action followed takedown notices issued by Delhi Police under India’s information technology laws.

Meta warned that ignoring the orders could jeopardise safe harbour protections. Loss of those protections would expose platforms to direct legal liability.

The case highlights growing scrutiny of political AI content in India. Recent rule changes have tightened procedures for ordering online takedowns.

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Meta updates AI glasses with voice and music features

Meta has updated its AI smart glasses with a conversation-focused feature that amplifies voices in noisy environments. Users can adjust the volume by swiping to the right on the temple or through device settings.

The conversation-focused feature is designed for busy environments such as restaurants, trains or bars. It is similar to Apple AirPods’ Conversation Boost, which helps users focus on a single speaker.

The update also adds Spotify integration, allowing the glasses to play songs based on what the wearer sees, such as an album cover or festive decorations. The feature links visual cues with interactive actions in apps.

The software update (v21) will initially roll out to participants in Meta’s Early Access Program. The conversation-focused feature will initially be available in the US and Canada, while the Spotify feature is offered in English across multiple markets.

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Segment Anything adds audio as Meta unveils SAM Audio

Meta has introduced SAM Audio, a new AI model that uses intuitive prompts to isolate and segment sounds from complex audio recordings. The release extends the company’s Segment Anything collection beyond visuals into audio and video workflows.

SAM Audio allows users to separate sounds through text prompts, visual cues, or time-based selections. Creators can extract vocals or instruments, remove background noise, or isolate specific sound sources in recordings without specialised audio engineering tools.

Meta describes SAM Audio as a unified model designed around how people naturally think about sound. It supports combined text, visual, and time-based prompts, enabling flexible audio separation across music, podcasting, film, accessibility, and research.

Meta says the model achieves strong performance across diverse audio environments and is already being used internally to develop next-generation creative tools. The approach lowers technical barriers while expanding the range of possible audio editing applications.

SAM Audio is available through the Segment Anything Playground, where users can test the model with sample assets or upload their own files. Meta has also made the model available for download, signalling broader ambitions to make audio segmentation a core capability of its AI ecosystem.

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Mitigated ads personalisation coming to Meta platforms in the EU

Meta has agreed to introduce a less personalised ads option for Facebook and Instagram users in the EU, as part of efforts to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act and address concerns over data use and user consent.

Under the revised model, users will be able to access Meta’s social media platforms without agreeing to extensive personal data processing for fully personalised ads. Instead, they can opt for an alternative experience based on significantly reduced data inputs, resulting in more limited ad targeting.

The option is set to roll out across the EU from January 2026. It marks the first time Meta has offered users a clear choice between highly personalised advertising and a reduced-data model across its core platforms.

The change follows months of engagement between Meta and Brussels after the European Commission ruled in April that the company had breached the DMA. Regulators stated that Meta’s previous approach had failed to provide users with a genuine and effective choice over how their data was used for advertising.

Once implemented, the Commission said it will gather evidence and feedback from Meta, advertisers, publishers, and other stakeholders. The goal is to assess the extent to which the new option is adopted and whether it significantly reshapes competition and data practices in the EU digital advertising market.

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