News Analysis India

Tag: Mark Zuckerberg

  • Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Deploys 40K Team to Secure Global Elections Online |

    New Delhi: Meta, which offers popular apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has said that as global elections continue to dominate headlines in 2024, no tech company is investing more to protect elections online than the social media giant.

    The company said that currently; it has more than 40,000 people working on safeguarding elections online worldwide. The social media giant claimed that it has invested more than $20 billion so far in building teams and technology to protect elections online.

    General elections will be held in South Africa on May 29 this year. “As the election approaches, we’ll activate a South Africa-specific Elections Operations Centre to identify potential threats and put mitigations in place in real-time,” Meta said in a statement. (Also Read: Elon Musk Set To Meet PM Modi In New Delhi: Know Why Tesla Is Keen On India Entry?)

    The company said it has the largest fact-checking network with partners in South Africa, fact-checking in English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Sotho, and Setswana languages. “We have been working directly with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to help prepare for the elections,” the company informed.

    The company said it has made it easier for its fact-checking partners in South Africa to “find and rate content related to the elections”. “We’ll use keyword detection to group related content in one place, making it easy for fact-checkers to find.” (Also Read: Apple Simplifies iPhone Self-Repair For Consumers; Read Details)

    Before the election day, Meta will launch its ‘Voter Information Unit’ and ‘Election Day Reminder’ features on both the Facebook and Instagram platforms.

  • Zuckerberg Courts Google Deepmind Engineers For Meta: Report |

    New Delhi: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is making significant strides in bolstering its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly taking a hands-on approach, personally reaching out to experts from rival companies like Google’s DeepMind to join Meta’s AI endeavors.

    Direct Recruitment

    Sources familiar with the matter reveal that Zuckerberg has been sending direct emails to researchers, urging them to switch sides. Meta is also said to be offering jobs without formal interviews and negotiating salaries and incentives to attract top talent, according to reports from The Information. (Also Read: Good News For MGNREGA Employees! Centre Announces Pay Hike: Check State-Wise Wages Here)

    Video Recommendations

    Meta’s AI ambitions are centered around revolutionizing its platform’s video recommendations. Tom Alison, head of Facebook, disclosed Meta’s plan to consolidate recommendation systems into a single powerful AI model. (Also Read: Big Blow To Home Loan Borrowers! HDFC Bank Raises Lending Rates To 9.8%)

    Consolidation Of AI Models

    Previously, Meta used different AI models for various features like Reels, Groups, and Feed. However, the company is now experimenting with more advanced AI methods to bring all recommendations under one system.

    Chip Shortage

    Despite Meta’s ambitious AI plans, the company faces challenges due to a shortage of computer chips. Meta has been a significant buyer of Nvidia’s H100 chips, having spent $4.5 billion in 2023.

    However, with the release of Nvidia’s new Blackwell (or B200) chip, demand has surged, leading to delays in shipments. Meta anticipates waiting until 2025 for shipments, exacerbating their chip shortage predicament.

  • Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Tries Apple Vision Pro, Shares Video On Instagram |

    New Delhi: Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried Apple’s mixed reality (MR) headset, Vision Pro, and said on Wednesday that his company’s Quest 3 AR/VR headset is a better product, less expensive, and more immersive. Zuckerberg shared a video on the social media platform Instagram and said that Quest 3 is seven times less expensive.

    “Quest provides better value and is the better product. Period. Overall, Quest is better for the vast majority of things that people use mixed reality for,” he mentioned. He said that Quest 3 weighs 120 grams less, making it more comfortable to wear for longer periods. Zuckerberg said it allows for greater motion due to its lack of a wired battery pack and wider field of view than Apple Vision Pro. (Also Read: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Is Testing New ‘Memory’ Feature With Select Users)

    “I also noticed that Apple’s headset has motion blur as you move around while Quest is just a lot crisper. Vision Pro’s screen does have a higher resolution, and that’s really nice,” the Meta CEO mentioned.


    But he was “surprised by how many trade-offs” Apple had to make to the quality of the device, the comfort, ergonomics, and other aspects of the display in order to achieve that level of input.

    “Quest supports precision controllers that are great for games. Both headsets support hand tracking. Apple’s eye tracking is really nice. We actually had those sensors back in Quest Pro, we took them out for Quest 3, and we’re going to bring them back in the future,” said Zuckerberg.

    “Honestly, I’m surprised that Quest is so much better for the vast majority of things that people use these headsets for, given that price difference,” he mentioned. Apple Vision Pro costs $3,499, while Meta’s Quest 3 starts from $499.99 for the 128GB model. (Also Read: Google Meet Rolls Out ‘Companion Mode’ Feature On Android, iOS Devices)

    At the end of the video, Zuckerberg thanked his team which has been building VR headsets for a very long time. 

  • Meta Testing New ‘Trending Topics’ Feature On X Rival Threads |

    New Delhi: Meta’s Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has unveiled that the company is currently experimenting with a new feature for Threads known as “Trending Topics.” This feature aims to provide users with insights into the popular conversations happening on the platform. The initial testing phase of this feature is being rolled out to users in the US, with plans for a broader launch in other countries and languages once it’s refined.

    In a Threads post, Zuckerberg stated, “We’re launching a limited test of today’s top topics on Threads in the US. We plan to expand its availability to more regions and languages as we refine its performance.” Additionally, Meta has indicated that this feature will highlight current discussions and will be visible in searches as well as within the For You feed of the app. (Also Read: Elon Musk-owned X Will Allow Advertisers To Only Run Ads On Selected Profiles)

    Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, confirmed the testing of the “Trending Topics” feature on Threads, explaining, “The topics showcased on Threads today will be accessible through the search page and the For You feed. Our AI systems determine these topics based on real-time engagement within Threads.”

    Mosseri further elaborated, “While our AI systems select the topics, our content specialists will review them to ensure they are relevant and non-duplicative. We aim for these topics to accurately reflect the current trends on Threads, including political discussions.”

    Meanwhile, Meta has clarified its stance on political content, stating that it won’t actively suggest political content by default to users on Instagram and Threads. (Also Read: Redmi Buds 5 Launched In India With Hybrid Noise Cancellation; Check Price, Specs, And Availability)

    Threads, Meta’s text-based platform rivaling Twitter, is seamlessly integrated with Instagram, allowing users to sign up using their Instagram credentials.

  • Meta’s X Rival Threads Has 130 Million Active Users Now |

    New Delhi: Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared that Threads, Meta’s text-based conversation app, has achieved a milestone with over 130 million monthly active users. This figure surpasses the peak levels Threads experienced immediately after its launch in July 2023.

    During Meta’s earnings call, Zuckerberg expressed his optimism regarding Threads’ continued growth, emphasizing ongoing improvements and increasing user engagement. He highlighted that the current active user count exceeds the initial surge observed at the app’s launch. (Also Read: Dating In Digital Era: Russian Man Unveils ChatGPT’s Role In Crafting His Love Story, Read)

    Back in July 2023, Zuckerberg had ambitious plans for Threads, envisioning it as Meta’s next billion-user platform alongside established platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. While it’s still early days, Threads seems to be making significant strides. (Also Read: India’s Stock Exchanges Cut Paytm Daily Trading Limits To 10% After Rout)

    In comparison to X (formerly Twitter) with around 550 million monthly active users, Threads has room for growth. Meta is actively investing to scale the app, addressing initial usage decline issues by swiftly introducing key features like keyword search and multiple account support.

    Meta’s focused efforts on enhancing Threads with features such as editing capabilities, voice posts, improved discovery, and more have yielded positive results.

    Daily downloads nearly tripled to 28 million in December. The app’s expansion into the EU and increased integration with Instagram profiles further contributed to its growth.

    Looking ahead, Meta’s CFO stated that the company is committed to scaling Threads’ community even further by introducing additional features and enhancements throughout 2024.

  • Facebook-Instagram Chief Mark Zuckerberg Just Apologised To America For THIS Reason. But What About India? |

    Social media platforms have been a boon for many but at the same time, it has severely affected children and minors across the globe. Young people and children have faced not only harassment but also bullying on social media by strangers. Some even faced extortion threats and died by suicide. Now, tech CEOs who head various social media platforms faced a heated hearing in the US Senate where they were accused of having blood on their hands. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized to families over the impact of social media on children. 

    As the hearing kicked off, the committee played a video in which children spoke about being bullied on social media platforms. Senators recounted stories of young people taking their own lives after being extorted for money after sharing photos with sexual predators. Zuckerberg not only apologised but also promised industry-wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things those families have had to suffer.

    While Zuckerberg apologised to the US people, what about those in India who have faced similar harassment and abuse? While leaders in the United States have been critical of social media platforms, the same intensity and seriousness are not seen among Indian political leadership. It may be because such incidents are not widely reported in India. In the past, it has been seen that the Indian government has been reactive and not proactive to harms caused by social media, be it the case of TikTok or Twitter. 

    In December last year, the Indian Ministry of Information Technology issued notices to various social media platforms, including Telegram, YouTube, and X, instructing them to promptly remove any child sexual abuse material and groups involved in the circulation of such content.

    The notice was issued for content or material which is violative of Rule 3(1)(d) and Rule 4(4) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021). Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had earlier said that the days of ‘free pass’ for the social media sites were over.

    The government of India brought new IT rules in 2021 which provided for stricter punishment in case of violative materials on social media sites. The government had said that non-compliance with the requirements as per new rules will be deemed a breach of Rule 3(1)(b) and Rule 4(4) of the IT Rules, 2021. The IT rules under the IT Act lay down strict expectations from social media intermediaries that they should not allow criminal or harmful posts on their platforms. If they do not act swiftly, their safe harbour under section 79 of the IT Act would be withdrawn and consequences under the Indian law will follow.

    The Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000, provides the legal framework for addressing pornographic content, including CSAM. Sections 66E, 67, 67A, and 67B of the IT Act impose stringent penalties and fines for the online transmission of obscene or pornographic content.

    While the rules are in place, their full-throttle implementation has not been ensured in the absence of a proper monitoring and implementation system. While the Indian government has shown its intention to ensure free, fair and safe social media platforms, not only the social media platforms but even the users need to be aware of their rights. Social media users should also come out and report violative materials available on these platforms. Only a collective effort can lead to a safe internet ecosystem but there is no doubt that the government and the tech firms will have to play a greater role in that.

  • Meta Boss Mark Zuckerberg Issues Dramatic Apology To US Senate For THIS Reason | world news

    WASHINGTON: In a grueling session at the Senate Judiciary Committee, CEOs from tech behemoths faced a barrage of questions regarding the perilous influence of their platforms, with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg taking center stage in a momentary apology, extending remorse to families grappling with the repercussions of influence. social media usage, particularly on teenagers.

    Mark Zuckerberg’s Mea Culpa

    Addressing a tense audience, Zuckerberg’s apology resonated with families scarred by the adverse impacts of social media. “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Zuckerberg empathized, acknowledging the anguish endured by affected families and vowing continued efforts to alleviate such distressing experiences. Amidst a charged atmosphere, his words struck a chord, reflecting the gravity of the situation.

    The Grilling of Tech Titans

    The inquiry extended beyond Zuckerberg, encompassing a spectrum of tech leaders including Snap’s Evan Spiegel, X’s Linda Yaccarino, TikTok’s Shou Chew, and Discord’s Jason Citron. As scrutiny intensified, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley demanded financial restitution for affected families, amplifying the gravity of the accusations against these industry titans.

    ‘Blood on their hands’

    Senator Lindsey Graham’s impassioned address set a confrontational tone, condemning tech CEOs for purportedly having “blood on their hands.” Graham’s call for the repeal of Section 230, coupled with poignant anecdotes of familial tragedy, underlined the urgency for accountability and reform in the tech sector.

    ‘Perils Of Social Media’

    The hearing underlined bipartisan consensus on the need to address the perils of social media. Echoing rare unity, lawmakers emphasized the imperative to combat abuse facilitated by tech platforms, underscoring a shared commitment to safeguarding vulnerable users.

    Perspective Of Parents

    CEOs endeavored to humanize their corporate personas, emphasizing their roles as parents in safeguarding online spaces. Yet, Zuckerberg’s omission of explicit references to his paternal responsibilities raised eyebrows, highlighting the delicate balance between personal accountability and corporate stewardship.

    Beyond Apologies: Demands For Action

    Amidst the emotive testimonies, lawmakers resolutely pushed for tangible outcomes, advocating for regulatory oversight and, in certain instances, financial redress for aggrieved parties. As the hearing concluded, it became evident that mere apologies would not suffice; Substantive action and accountability were imperative in addressing the profound societal impacts of social media platforms.

    The Senate Judiciary Committee’s deliberations have concluded, but the reverberations of this momentous session are likely to endure, igniting a global discourse on the ethical obligations of tech giants amid mounting concerns over online safety and accountability.

  • FB, Instagram Collect All The Data They Can: Report |

    New Delhi: Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram are the two most privacy-invasive apps out there, a new report has revealed. The cybersecurity company Surfshark conducted research analyzing 100 popular apps, and they discovered that Facebook and Instagram were the most “data-hungry” of all.

    It ranked apps according to 32 criteria that are included in Apple’s privacy policy, such as payment information, browsing history, and exact location.” Since Instagram and Facebook are products of Meta Platforms, it’s no surprise these two apps collect and handle data the same way,” the researchers said. (Also Read: ‘We Have To Make Tough Choices’: Google CEO Sundar Pichai Hints More Layoffs In Coming Time)

    “Both apps collect all 32 data points defined by Apple and are the only two to do so,” they added. Facebook and Instagram used seven of the 32 user data points, including name, physical address, and phone number — for tracking. (Also Read: YouTube Trims Workforce, Lets Go Of 100 Employees In Latest Layoff Season)

    The remaining were connected to user identity but not used for tracking, the report noted. Although X (formerly Twitter) gathered less user data, it was the least reluctant to share it with outside parties.

    Nearly half of the 22 data pieces it gathered and associated with individuals were used for tracking. Overall, 10 social media and messaging applications were included in the research, and it was discovered that these apps collected more user data than the average amount.

    Meanwhile, a US judge has ruled that Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg must participate in a deposition as part of an ongoing lawsuit in Texas concerning the company’s face recognition technology.

    According to a ruling made by Justice Jeff Rambin on Tuesday, the state court has rejected Meta’s recent appeal “seeking relief from an order compelling the oral deposition” of Zuckerberg at an undisclosed date, reports CNBC.