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Seems like opting out of website cookies doesn't actually guarantee you are opted out of website cookies
A recent audit by webXray found that major technology companies, including Google, Meta, and Microsoft, often ignore global opt-out signals for website cookies. The report indicates that many cookie banners fail to prevent tracking, leading to potential legal liabilities for companies.
Most US teens say TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat aren't hurting (or helping) their mental health
A Pew Research report indicates that most U.S. teenagers do not believe social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are harming their mental health. While a minority report negative effects on sleep and productivity, the majority feel the apps neither help nor hurt these aspects. Parents, however, tend to hold a more negative view of social media's impact on their children.
Morning Safety Dance
Rockstar Games has confirmed that stolen data released by hackers was authentic, stating that the information was not obtained through security breaches. Separately, an article discusses how the FBI can recover deleted messages from encrypted apps like Signal.
The Morning After: Meta is reportedly working on an AI model of Mark Zuckerberg
Meta is reportedly developing an AI model trained on Mark Zuckerberg's mannerisms and statements to interact with employees. Separately, a leaked memo suggests Xbox CEO Asha Sharma believes Game Pass is too expensive for players, indicating potential pricing changes. Additionally, Apple is testing up to four styles of smart glasses, aiming to compete with Meta's Ray-Ban Meta model.
Meta warned by dozens of organizations that facial recognition on its smart glasses would empower predators
Dozens of civil rights organizations have urged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to abandon plans to incorporate facial recognition technology into its smart glasses, citing concerns that it would empower predators and stalkers. The coalition, including groups like the ACLU and Electronic Privacy Information Center, argues that the technology, internally known as 'Name Tag,' cannot be made safe through design changes and wants the feature completely eliminated. Meta has faced similar public outcry and legal challenges regarding facial recognition in the past.
AI Yi-Yi!
Meta has developed an AI version of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, to interact with employees. This initiative aims to enhance engagement and communication within the company through artificial intelligence.
Meta is reportedly building an AI clone of Mark Zuckerberg
Meta is reportedly developing an AI clone of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, training it on his mannerisms and public statements to interact with employees. This initiative follows news of Zuckerberg creating a personal AI agent to assist him with his job responsibilities.
Apple reportedly testing out four different styles for its smart glasses that will rival Meta Ray-Bans
Apple is reportedly testing four distinct styles for its upcoming smart glasses, aiming to compete with Meta's Ray-Ban models. These designs range from rectangular to oval frames, with potential color options. The smart glasses, internally codenamed N50, are expected to launch in late 2026 or 2027 and will focus on seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem.
The US government wants Reddit to snitch on one of its users through a grand jury
The US government, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has issued a grand jury subpoena to Reddit, demanding the identification of a user who allegedly criticized the agency. Reddit's attorneys argue that user anonymity and free speech are protected under the First Amendment, calling the subpoena an "escalation." This incident follows a pattern of government agencies requesting user data from various online platforms.
Estonia is the rare EU country opposing child social media bans
Estonia's education minister Kristina Kallas stated that child social media bans, proposed or enacted in several European countries, will not solve the underlying problems. She argued that the responsibility should lie with governments and corporations to regulate platforms, rather than placing the burden on children to self-regulate. The minister also warned that bans could lead to an erosion of freedoms and that children would likely find ways to circumvent such restrictions.
The Morning After: Amazon pledges its satellite internet starts this year
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that its satellite internet service, Leo, will begin service by mid-2026, promising download speeds up to 1Gbps. The company aims for faster speeds, lower costs, and integration with other Amazon products. Separately, Greece will ban social media for children under 15 starting in 2027, and Amazon is discontinuing support for older Kindle and Fire tablet models.
Instagram comments can now be edited (within 15 minutes)
Meta has introduced a new feature allowing users to edit Instagram comments within a 15-minute window after posting. This functionality, similar to message editing, enables users to modify their comments multiple times during that period. The update is part of recent changes Meta has made to the social app, including testing a subscription service for Stories.
Research suggests AI infrastructure projects are worth the investment less than 30% of the time
Research from Gartner indicates that nearly one in five projects attempting to integrate AI into IT infrastructure and operations fail, often due to unrealistic expectations. Factors contributing to these failures include skill gaps, poor data quality, and limited data access, although successful implementations in IT service management and cloud operations were also reported.
AI Yi-Yi!
Anthropic has launched a new product designed to simplify the creation of AI agents. Meanwhile, Meta has introduced a new AI model, positioning Mark Zuckerberg within the competitive landscape of advanced AI development.
Triple-I Initiative Showcase 2026: Castlevania, Dead As Disco, And Every Game Shown
The Triple-I Initiative Showcase featured 40 game announcements, including world premieres and DLC for existing titles. Highlights included new looks at Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, Dead as Disco, and Windrose, alongside reveals for games like Final Sentence and Crop. Several titles announced release dates or entered early access, with many coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
Meta's Muse Spark model brings reasoning capabilities to the Meta AI app
Meta has launched Muse Spark, a new lightweight AI model designed for consumer use, available through the Meta AI app and website. This model features 'Instant' and 'Thinking' modes for flexible responses, can coordinate multiple AI subagents for complex tasks like trip planning, and is natively multimodal, processing images, video, and audio. It also includes a shopping assistant similar to ChatGPT and will be rolled out to more countries and Meta platforms in the coming weeks.
Virtual Reality Check
Unity and Meta have extended their multi-year partnership to develop next-generation virtual reality experiences. This collaboration aims to leverage their combined technologies to advance VR content creation and immersion.
WhatsApp adds a better, native interface for CarPlay
Meta has released an updated version of WhatsApp for CarPlay, featuring a significantly improved native interface. The new version offers direct access to contacts, recent chats, and call history, along with shortcut buttons for sending messages and making calls, moving beyond the previous Siri-dependent functionality.
UK Meta employee reportedly downloaded 30,000 private photos from Facebook users
A former Meta employee in the UK is under investigation for allegedly downloading approximately 30,000 private photos from Facebook users using a custom software program. Meta discovered the breach over a year ago, terminated the employee, notified affected users, and referred the case to law enforcement for investigation by the London Metropolitan police's cybercrime unit.
Morning Safety Dance
A former Meta employee is under investigation for allegedly downloading private photos of Facebook users. The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding data security and employee access to sensitive information within large tech companies.