Meta

Meta announces LlamaCon as it accelerates AI push

Meta has unveiled plans to host its first-ever developer conference dedicated to generative AI, called LlamaCon. Scheduled for April 29, the event will focus on Meta’s open-source AI efforts, particularly its Llama models.

The company aims to share updates that will help developers build new AI-powered applications. Additional details are expected in the coming weeks, with Meta’s broader annual conference, Meta Connect, set for September.

The company has positioned itself as a leader in open-source AI, boasting hundreds of millions of downloads of its Llama models. Major firms, including Goldman Sachs, AT&T, and Accenture, are among those integrating Llama into their services.

However, reports suggest that Meta has been caught off guard by the rapid rise of Chinese AI company DeepSeek, whose latest models may challenge Llama’s dominance. Meta has reportedly launched internal efforts to study DeepSeek’s approach to efficiency and cost reduction.

With a planned $80 billion investment in AI this year, Meta is pushing ahead with new Llama models that could include reasoning, multimodal, and autonomous capabilities. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed confidence in Llama’s potential to become the most widely used AI model.

However, Meta is also facing legal and regulatory challenges, including lawsuits over alleged copyright violations and privacy concerns in the European Union that have delayed some AI launches.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Meta plans the world’s longest undersea cable

Meta has announced plans for Project Waterworth, an ambitious 50,000km subsea cable system set to be the longest in the world. The infrastructure project aims to enhance global connectivity by linking the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other regions. Designed with 24 fiber pairs, the system will offer significantly higher data capacity, supporting Meta’s growing AI-driven services and contributing to digital inclusion and economic growth in key markets.

The tech giant has been at the forefront of undersea cable development for over a decade, collaborating on more than 20 similar projects. With most of the world’s internet traffic reliant on such cables, concerns over security have intensified, particularly as geopolitical tensions rise. In response to recent incidents, NATO has increased surveillance of critical maritime infrastructure, while the UK is reassessing its ability to safeguard its undersea network against potential threats.

Meta plans to lay sections of the cable at depths of up to 7,000 meters and employ advanced burial techniques in high-risk areas to minimise risks. This move follows recent disruptions, such as the damage to Tonga’s undersea cable, which left much of the island in a digital blackout. Meanwhile, Meta’s decision to scale back fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram has drawn criticism, highlighting the broader implications of its expanding digital footprint.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Ray-Ban Meta sales drive smart glasses growth

EssilorLuxottica is set to ramp up production of its smart glasses, driven by the success of its Ray-Ban Meta range developed in partnership with Meta. Since their launch in September 2023, over two million units have been sold, with growing user engagement indicating a shift towards mainstream adoption.

The eyewear giant, which has collaborated with Meta since 2019, aims to expand its smart glasses portfolio with new brands and features. The company is also considering subscription-based services and additional functionalities to enhance user experience.

To meet rising demand, EssilorLuxottica plans to increase production capacity to 10 million units annually by the end of next year. Manufacturing will be expanded across China and Southeast Asia, enabling the company to support future product releases, including the development of Nuance Audio glasses with integrated hearing solutions.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Meta opens Facebook Marketplace to rivals after EU antitrust fine

Meta has announced a new programme allowing rival classified ad providers to list their adverts on Facebook Marketplace, following a €797 million EU antitrust fine for unfair competition.

The European Commission ruled in November that Meta had given its own service an unfair advantage by tying Marketplace to Facebook and imposing restrictive trading conditions on competitors.

The company has challenged the fine in court but says the new initiative, called the Facebook Marketplace Partner Program, is a response to EU competition concerns.

The programme was tested last month in Germany, France, and the United States in partnership with eBay. Under the scheme, third-party online classified ad services can display their listings on Facebook Marketplace alongside user-generated listings.

Meta maintains that the EU’s decision unfairly targets US companies, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously describing EU actions as akin to a “tariff regime.”

The European Commission is now reviewing whether Meta has fully complied with the ruling. If found lacking, the company could face further scrutiny and potential penalties. The move marks a significant shift in how Marketplace operates, potentially reshaping competition in the online classified ads sector.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Trump and Musk’s X reach $10 million lawsuit settlement

Elon Musk’s platform X, formerly Twitter, has agreed to pay about $10 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump. The case arose after Trump’s account was suspended following the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021. This marks the second social media settlement with Trump after Meta Platforms agreed to pay $25 million last month.

Trump filed lawsuits in 2021 against major platforms, including Facebook, X, and YouTube, alleging they unlawfully silenced conservative voices. Despite Trump’s reported close relationship with Musk, who contributed $250 million to his campaign, his legal team chose to pursue the settlement with X.

Musk, who leads Tesla and chairs the Department of Government Efficiency, a White House initiative, has not commented on the matter. Trump’s attorneys are reportedly also seeking a settlement with Google over his YouTube ban.

Requests for comment from X, Alphabet, and the White House remain unanswered. Settlements highlight the continuing legal battles between Trump and major tech companies over content moderation policies.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Germany investigates Apple’s App Tracking Transparency

Germany‘s Federal Cartel Office has expressed concerns over Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, which could potentially violate antitrust rules for large tech companies. The regulator’s preliminary findings come after a detailed three-year investigation into the feature, which allows iPhone users to block advertisers from tracking their activities across multiple apps. The investigation is part of broader scrutiny over the influence of major tech companies on the digital advertising ecosystem.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Federal Cartel Office noted that Apple now has the opportunity to respond to the allegations. The authority’s concerns focus on whether ATT unfairly impacts the business models of other companies that rely on data-driven advertising, such as Meta Platforms, app developers, and startups. These businesses argue that the feature could severely limit their ability to target users with personalised ads, affecting their revenue generation strategies.

Apple has defended ATT as a crucial privacy tool that empowers users to have more control over their data. The company argues that the feature helps to protect user privacy by giving individuals the option to block third-party tracking. However, its critics, particularly in the advertising industry, contend that ATT has created an uneven playing field, disadvantaging businesses that depend on targeted advertising. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for Apple’s business practices in Europe.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Positron raises millions to challenge Nvidia in AI chips

AI chip startup Positron has raised $23.5 million in a bid to compete with industry leader Nvidia. The Reno-based company, which manufactures its chips in Arizona, claims its processors consume less than a third of the power of Nvidia’s high-performance H100 chips while maintaining similar capabilities. Investors in the funding round included Valor Equity Partners, Atreides Management, and Flume Ventures.

Positron’s chips are designed for AI inference, the stage where trained AI models are used rather than developed. While demand is currently higher for training chips, analysts predict that inference chips could soon become the more sought-after option as AI applications expand. This shift has led major players such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta to invest heavily in AI infrastructure, with spending expected to reach tens of billions of dollars this year.

Although Nvidia dominates roughly 80% of the AI chip market, rising costs and concerns over reliance on a single supplier have pushed major tech firms to seek alternatives. With its latest funding, Positron positions itself as a strong contender in the growing US and global AI chip industry, offering a more energy-efficient option for future AI applications.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu

Amazon removes diversity references as companies scale back DEI policies

Amazon has removed references to ‘inclusion and diversity‘ from its latest annual report, signalling a shift away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The change follows an internal memo from December, in which Amazon announced it was winding down certain DEI programmes by the end of 2024. Instead of maintaining separate initiatives, the company plans to integrate DEI efforts into broader corporate processes.

Tech giants such as Meta and Google have also been scaling back diversity programmes, facing pressure from conservative groups threatening legal action. Disney has similarly adjusted its DEI approach, removing mentions of its ‘Reimagine Tomorrow‘ programme while introducing an initiative to hire US military veterans. The trend reflects a broader corporate retreat from diversity-focused policies that gained traction after the 2020 protests against racial injustice.

Political opposition to DEI has grown, with President Donald Trump’s administration vowing to eliminate diversity policies in the private sector. In response, attorneys general from twelve US states, including New York and California, have reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing civil rights protections against workplace discrimination. The debate over DEI’s future remains contentious as businesses and lawmakers continue to clash over its role in corporate America.

UK gambling websites breach data protection laws

Gambling companies are under investigation for covertly sharing visitors’ data with Facebook’s parent company, Meta, without proper consent, breaching data protection laws. A hidden tracking tool embedded in numerous UK gambling websites has been sending data, such as the web pages users visit and the buttons they click, to Meta, which then uses this information to profile individuals as gamblers. This data is then used to target users with gambling-related ads, violating the legal requirement for explicit consent before sharing such information.

Testing of 150 gambling websites revealed that 52 automatically transmitted user data to Meta, including large brands like Hollywoodbets, Sporting Index, and Bet442. This data sharing occurred without users having the opportunity to consent, resulting in targeted ads for gambling websites shortly after visiting these sites. Experts have raised concerns about the industry’s unlawful practices and called for immediate regulatory action.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is reviewing the use of tracking tools like Meta Pixel and has warned that enforcement action could be taken, including significant fines. Some gambling companies have updated their websites to prevent automatic data sharing, while others have removed the tracking tool altogether in response to the findings. However, the Gambling Commission has yet to address the issue of third-party profiling used to recruit new customers.

The misuse of data in this way highlights the risks of unregulated marketing, particularly for vulnerable individuals. Data privacy experts have stressed that these practices not only breach privacy laws but could also exacerbate gambling problems by targeting individuals who may already be at risk.

Meta partners with UNESCO to improve AI language technology

Meta has launched a new initiative with UNESCO to enhance AI language recognition and translation, focusing on underserved languages. The Language Technology Partner Program invites collaborators to provide speech recordings, transcriptions, and translated texts to help train AI models. The finalised models will be open-sourced, allowing broader accessibility and research.

The government of Nunavut in Canada is among the early partners, contributing recordings in Inuktut, a language spoken by some Indigenous communities. Meta is also releasing an open-source machine translation benchmark to evaluate AI performance across seven languages, available on Hugging Face.

While Meta presents the initiative as a philanthropic effort, improved AI language tools could benefit the company’s broader goals. Meta AI continues to expand multilingual support, including automatic translation for content creators. However, the company has faced criticism for its handling of non-English content, with reports highlighting inconsistencies in content moderation across languages.