Tags: Facebook

Meta has begun testing a public-facing AI chatbot on its Threads platform, assigning the bot the handle @meta.ai. Users in five countries can tag the account in posts or replies and receive real‑time answers powered by Meta’s Muse Spark model. The feature mirrors X’s AskGrok, but unlike the X tool, the Threads bot posts its replies publicly and currently cannot be blocked, sparking a wave of criticism from early users. Lire la suite

Meta announced new AI-driven tools designed to spot and delete accounts belonging to children under 13 on Facebook and Instagram. The technology scans text for clues such as grade level or birthday mentions and analyzes photos and videos for visual cues like height and bone structure. When a potential under‑age user is flagged, the account is deactivated pending age verification. The rollout begins in select markets and will expand globally, while the company also introduces automatic teen‑account placement for 13‑ to 15‑year‑olds and parent‑managed WhatsApp accounts. Regulators in the EU have opened an investigation into Meta’s compliance with the Digital Services Act. Lire la suite

Meta announced that its AI system will now examine photos, videos and text on Facebook and Instagram for visual cues such as height and bone structure to identify users under 13. The technology, which does not use facial recognition, will deactivate accounts deemed underage and require age verification. The rollout begins in the United States, with plans for the UK and EU in June, and follows a recent New Mexico jury verdict that ordered Meta to pay $375 million for violating state child‑safety laws. Lire la suite

Meta announced Muse Spark on Wednesday, the inaugural AI model from its Superintelligence Labs. Marketed as a "ground‑up overhaul" of the company’s artificial‑intelligence work, the proprietary system will draw on public content from Instagram, Facebook and Threads to enhance its answers. While Meta says future Muse models will be open source, Spark marks a clear break from the earlier Llama family. Benchmarks show the model performing on par with or better than rival offerings from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and xAI, though Meta admits gaps remain in long‑term reasoning and coding tasks. Lire la suite

Meta AI is built into Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp and cannot be fully disabled, but users can mute its presence. Detailed steps show how to silence Meta AI in Instagram, turn off comment summaries on Facebook, mute the chat in Messenger, and hide the AI conversation in WhatsApp. Muting reduces AI prompts and notifications while keeping the apps functional. Lire la suite

Meta has taken down an AI‑generated deepfake video that falsely portrayed independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly announcing her withdrawal from the race. The video, posted by an account named RTÉ News AI, was shared nearly 30,000 times on Facebook before removal. Connolly condemned the clip as a "disgraceful attempt to mislead voters" and affirmed her continued candidacy. Meta cited violations of its community standards on impersonation, while Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán confirmed the platform’s swift response. The incident highlights ongoing challenges in policing political deepfakes on social media. Lire la suite

Meta has introduced a new opt‑in tool that scans users' camera rolls, uploads unpublished photos to the company's cloud, and offers AI‑generated suggestions to make images more shareable. The service is limited to US and Canadian Facebook users and only uses uploaded media for AI training if the user edits or shares the resulting creations. Meta assures that the feature will not employ the photos for ad targeting and that the media will not improve its AI models unless the user takes specific actions. Lire la suite

Meta AI now appears in Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, offering suggestions and comment summaries that many users find intrusive. While the feature cannot be removed entirely, each app provides a way to mute the AI chat and turn off its automatic functions. By accessing the chat settings or privacy options within each platform, users can silence Meta AI, hide its messages, and stop comment summaries from appearing on their posts. These steps give users control over the AI presence without needing to uninstall any apps. Lire la suite

Meta has rolled out a new AI‑powered feature that translates, dubs, and lip‑syncs short‑form Reels on Facebook and Instagram into English, Spanish, Hindi, and Portuguese. The tool mimics the creator’s tone and cadence, adds optional lip‑movement matching, and is free for creators with at least 1,000 followers and all public Instagram accounts in supported regions. Viewers can toggle translations on or off and see clear labeling indicating AI‑generated audio. The launch positions Meta ahead of competitors by offering a fully automated voice‑cloning solution for global audiences. Lire la suite

Facebook announced a redesign of its Reels feed that pushes newer videos higher in users’ streams, promising roughly 50% more same‑day posts. The change is paired with an AI‑driven search bar that offers suggested queries based on user interests. New friend‑bubble icons let viewers jump straight into direct messages with creators whose Reels they like. AI‑generated videos are treated the same as human‑made content, with the platform relying on likes, comments and “Not Interested” taps to tailor each user’s experience. The updates aim to keep viewers engaged while balancing authenticity and emerging AI media. Lire la suite

Meta announced that conversations with its Meta AI assistant on Facebook and Instagram will be used to personalize the ads and content users see. The change will roll out without an opt‑out option, while chats on WhatsApp remain excluded. Meta says it will respect boundaries around sensitive topics, and the rollout skips Europe and the UK due to GDPR restrictions. The move turns AI interactions into another data source for ad targeting, raising privacy concerns among users. Lire la suite

Meta announced that beginning Dec. 16 it will tailor ads and content recommendations on Facebook and Instagram based on users' interactions with its AI features. The company said it will notify users on Oct. 7 and that the changes will roll out in the United States and most other regions. Personalization will draw from AI chats—voice or text—while users retain control through Ads Preferences and feed settings. Meta emphasized internal privacy reviews and safeguards to protect personal data, noting that the feature applies only to platforms linked in the Accounts Center. Lire la suite

Meta announced that data gathered from user interactions with its AI products will be used to power more precise ads on its social platforms. The company will update its privacy policy to reflect this change, which will apply worldwide except in regions where local laws restrict such data use. While Meta says there is no opt‑out and that ads will not appear within the AI tools themselves, it will exclude conversations about sensitive topics from ad targeting. The move expands Meta’s existing ad‑targeting capabilities by adding a new source of user insight. Lire la suite

Meta announced that it will begin using data from conversations with its AI chatbots to personalize content and advertising on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The move, set to start on December 16, will be communicated to users through in‑product notifications and emails beginning October 7. Meta says the data will help tailor feeds and ads but will exclude topics such as religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade‑union membership. Critics note there is no opt‑out option, raising privacy concerns. Lire la suite

Meta is rolling out new facial recognition‑powered safety features on Facebook in the United Kingdom, European Union and South Korea to curb accounts that impersonate public figures. The technology, first used in the United States last year to flag fraudulent celebrity ads and aid account recovery, now lets the company compare profile pictures of suspicious accounts with verified public‑figure images. Public figures can opt in to the program, and the rollout will extend to Instagram in coming months. Meta says the move has already helped reduce user reports of "celebrity bait" ads globally. Lire la suite

X is contesting a Karnataka High Court ruling that would compel the platform to obey millions of takedown requests via the government‑run Sahyog portal, a system X describes as a censorship tool that bypasses judicial review. The company says the order threatens free expression and could expose platforms to criminal liability for non‑compliance. X’s appeal follows earlier disputes with Indian authorities, including challenges to block orders in 2024 and 2022 and a 2021 confrontation that saw officials threaten jail for Twitter employees. Lire la suite

Aaron Sorkin will write and direct a sequel to “The Social Network” titled “The Social Reckoning,” slated for release on October 9, 2026. The film replaces Jesse Eisenberg with Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg and centers on former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, whose leaked internal documents exposed Meta’s alleged prioritization of profit over people. The storyline draws from Haugen’s testimony about Instagram’s impact on teenage girls, alleged ethnic violence in Ethiopia, and the disproportionate focus on English‑language misinformation. The project aims to dramatize the controversy surrounding Meta’s practices and the fallout from the high‑profile leaks. Lire la suite

Meta has introduced Vibes, a dedicated feed within its Meta AI app that showcases AI-generated short-form videos. Users can browse creations from others, produce their own clips from scratch or by adapting existing videos, and share them via direct messages or cross‑post to Instagram and Facebook. The company says more features for AI‑driven creation are forthcoming. CEO Mark Zuckerberg described Vibes as an early look at new product directions, and Meta Superintelligence Labs will collaborate with Midjourney and Black Forest Labs on upcoming AI projects. Lire la suite

Meta is extending its mandatory teen account program to Facebook and Messenger on a global scale. The specialized accounts, first introduced on Instagram, now require younger teens aged 13 to 15 to obtain parental permission for safety‑related settings. Built‑in parental controls let caregivers monitor screen time, view contacts, and enforce stricter privacy rules. Meta also broadens its school partnership initiative, allowing U.S. middle and high schools to fast‑track bullying reports. The rollout occurs amid ongoing lawsuits and investigations into the company’s child‑safety record. Lire la suite

Instagram has announced it now has 3 billion monthly active users. To keep growth momentum, the platform will test features that let users fine‑tune the algorithm behind Reels and other feeds, including toggling interest topics and a redesigned navigation bar that emphasizes direct messages. The rollout comes as Meta faces antitrust scrutiny over its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, with internal tensions highlighted between Instagram’s rise and Facebook’s declining appeal among younger users. Lire la suite