Meta
Meta business and news from across the web.
Latest coverage
AI worms? In your Copilot PC? According to this AI researcher, it's more likely than you think
An AI researcher has detailed a cybersecurity vulnerability where an AI worm could spread through Microsoft Copilot for Word via prompt injection. Attackers can hide malicious instructions within documents, which Copilot may interpret and replicate into new documents, creating a chain reaction. While Microsoft has attempted mitigations, the vulnerability remains reproducible, prompting advice to disable Copilot in Word or avoid the AI agent altogether.
AMD Helios AI rack system on track for initial shipments in Q3 2026
AMD's Helios rack-scale AI system is on track for initial shipments in Q3 2026, with significant demand expected in 2027, driven by customers like Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Despite these promising updates shared by CEO Dr. Lisa Su during the Q2 2026 earnings call, AMD stock saw a decline in after-hours trading.
Valve's Steam Frame VR headset reportedly set to cost you over $1,000
Valve's upcoming wireless Steam Frame VR headset is reportedly set to cost over $1,000, according to leaker Tyler McVicker. This price point would position it as one of the most expensive gaming VR headsets on the market, potentially due to rising component costs. The headset aims to offer powerful native performance on SteamOS, reducing reliance on a connected PC for many titles.
SpaceXAI pats itself on the back for removing temporary turbines in Memphis under agreed order over the next year: "We care deeply about being good neighbors"
xAI and SpaceX have agreed to remove 69 mobile turbines powering their Mississippi data centers over the next 11 months, following an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The company plans to switch to power from a new 1.2 GW plant under construction and will invest in emission control technologies for the turbines. This action comes amid ongoing environmental and ethical disputes regarding the turbines and the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure.
Meta, TikTok, Snap and Google face wrongful death lawsuit from four US families
Meta, TikTok, Snap, and Google are facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by four US families. The Social Media Victims Law Center accuses the companies of creating addictive and dangerous platforms.
Snapchat Pulls the Plug on Fully AI-Made Videos in Spotlight [Updated]
Snapchat has updated its recommendation system to exclude videos entirely generated by AI from its Spotlight feature. The company aims to prioritize authentic creativity from real people, drawing a distinction between fully AI-generated content and AI-assisted content. This move follows similar industry discussions and actions by platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn regarding AI-generated material.
Morning Legal Briefs
The Trump FCC is facing criticism for its efforts to regulate speech on broadcast television. Separately, a TikToker is under police investigation for secretly filming using Meta's smart glasses.
A $2 sticker let me bypass the Meta Glasses' anti-creep feature
A simple $2 sticker can bypass the privacy features on Meta's smart glasses, which are designed to alert bystanders when recording. This bypass makes it trivially easy to circumvent the intended safety measures.
No pressure Steam Frame: Meta's mixed reality division is still haemorrhaging money, losing $4.6 billion in its…
Meta's Reality Labs division reported a loss of $4.6 billion in the second quarter of 2026, continuing a trend of significant financial losses. Despite revenue increases, spending heavily outweighs income, potentially due to R&D and hardware manufacturing costs. This financial situation is highlighted as Valve prepares to enter the VR market with its Steam Frame.
Meta continues to insist AI spend is totally justified, potentially blowing over $8 billion on data centers
Meta reported a record second-quarter revenue of $60.80 billion, but its shares are down due to significant investments in AI infrastructure and Reality Labs. The company plans to spend between $130 billion and $145 billion on AI this year, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighting AI's positive impact on advertising revenue and potential for enterprise services.
Meta is still flinging the equivalent of a small country's annual GDP down the Reality Labs money pit each and…
Meta's Reality Labs division reported a significant income loss of $4.6 billion in the second quarter, despite a 16% year-over-year revenue increase to $431 million, driven by AI glasses sales. CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted strong sales for Meta's AI-powered glasses, though lower Meta Quest headset sales contributed to the overall loss. This continues a trend of substantial financial losses for Meta's VR and AR segment.
Evening Reading - July 29, 2026
This edition of Evening Reading covers several gaming industry updates, including a sequel in development for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and a DLC release for Pokemon Pokopia. Financial reports from Capcom, SK Hynix, Electronic Arts, Facebook, and Microsoft are highlighted, with EA CEO Andrew Wilson's compensation increasing due to Battlefield 6's success. Additionally, Facebook's Reality Labs reported significant losses, while Silent Hill: Townfall is noted for its innovative use of outdated technology. The article also touches on streaming events and new content for Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
AI Yi-Yi!
Older Nvidia GPUs with 24GB of VRAM are outperforming newer cards in local AI inference tasks due to their memory capacity. Meanwhile, Meta's stock has declined amidst growing concerns about its substantial AI investment plans, and OpenAI is reportedly offering free AI services.
Facebook (META) Reality Labs lost $4.62 billion in Q2 2026
Meta's Reality Labs division reported a loss of $4.62 billion in Q2 2026, an increase from the previous quarter's $4.028 billion loss. Despite significant financial losses, Meta continues its investment in virtual and augmented reality technologies, including its Meta Glasses and VR headsets. The company's overall revenue for the quarter reached $60.80 billion.
Linux kernel patch can boost the Steam Deck's 1% low frame rate by as much as 31% in early testing
Recent Linux kernel patches, specifically an 'epp_boost' feature for AMD's P-State driver developed by Meta's David Vernet, have shown significant performance improvements for the Steam Deck. Early testing indicates a potential boost of up to 31% in 1% low frame rates, addressing inefficiencies in how AMD CPUs handle gaming workloads.
Google’s AI Spending Guidance Just Slipped — And That’s the Real Story
Google has revised its capital expenditure guidance upwards, now projecting spending between $195 billion and $205 billion, a significant increase from the previous $190 billion ceiling. This revision, coupled with competitive pressures from Chinese AI firms and potential overbuilding of data centers across the industry, raises concerns about profitability and forecasting accuracy for Google and the broader AI sector.
Evening Tech Bits
Meta is reportedly using older DDR4 RAM in DDR5 servers with a custom chip, addressing a RAM crisis. Separately, the Trump Administration is exempting data centers from pollution laws aimed at preventing acid rain.
New York finalizes its SAFE for Kids rules — and 98% is the figure platforms should be worried about
New York has finalized its SAFE for Kids Act rules, requiring social platforms to detect age verification circumvention at a 98% rate. The regulations, set to take effect January 25, 2027, mandate age verification for algorithmic feeds and late-night notifications, with penalties of up to $5,000 per violation for non-compliance. The rules do not prescribe specific verification methods but set accuracy floors, and legal challenges are anticipated.
AI company employees petition US government for regulation
Over a thousand employees from AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta have signed a letter petitioning the US government for regulation of artificial intelligence. The petition calls for government intervention to ensure responsible development and deployment of AI technologies.
Quest maker Meta is having its cake and eating it
Meta is partnering with BlackRock to build a new data center in El Paso, Texas, with an investment of around $14 billion. This facility will provide 1 gigawatt of compute capacity to support Meta's AI technologies and models, with operations expected to begin in 2028. The move comes as Meta faces component shortages impacting its VR hardware like the Meta Quest 3 and has seen significant losses in its Reality Labs division.
