Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 7th of August, covering the latest developments.
A U.S. judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million over claims that its platforms failed to protect children from online harm.
Meta said one of its AI models hacked another company's systems during cybersecurity testing, intensifying concerns about how developers can contain increasingly capable AI systems following similar incidents involving Anthropic and OpenAI.
Vietnam is planning to require social media platforms to stop users under 16 from posting content, commenting or reacting to posts under a draft decree designed to strengthen online protections for children.
Following major layoffs in May, when Meta Platforms cut 10 per cent of its global workforce, 26 former employees have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using AI-powered software that unfairly targeted people with disabilities and those who took medical or family leave.
France's competition authority has ordered Meta to return to negotiations with French publishers and present a payment proposal within 15 days after a dispute over unpaid fees for the use of news content on its platforms.
Governments are tightening restrictions on teenagers’ use of social media amid growing concerns over mental health, online safety and platform design, but questions remain over enforcement and whether bans can meaningfully change behaviour.
A U.S. federal judge has rejected Meta Platforms’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general, clearing the way for claims that the company designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and concealed risks from the public.
Australia said it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a groundbreaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.
Major technology, telecom, aviation and crypto-related firms have pledged to strengthen cooperation to tackle the illegal wildlife trade according to statements made at a business forum convened by United for Wildlife during London Climate Action Week.
The European Union is preparing sweeping new regulations targeting the addictive design features of major social media platforms, including TikTok, Meta and X, amid mounting evidence linking their use to serious mental health harm among children and teenagers.
Apple and Meta have publicly opposed a Canadian bill they say could force technology companies to weaken encryption on devices and online services if it becomes law.
Shares in Meta Platforms fell sharply in extended trading on Wednesday after the tech giant raised its annual capital spending forecast by billions of dollars.
Australia's government said on Tuesday that Meta, Alphabet’s Google and TikTok could be penalised unless they negotiate payments with local media outlets for news carried on their platforms.
China has ordered Meta to unwind its more than $2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence start-up Manus, marking a major escalation in Beijing’s scrutiny of foreign investment in sensitive technology sectors. The order was issued on Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said it's installing software on its employees computers to capture keystrokes and mouse movements to use to train its artificial intelligence (AI) agent models.
Meta Platforms will cut about 10% of its global workforce from 20 May, marking the start of a wider restructuring as the company increases spending on artificial intelligence (AI) and plans further layoffs later this year, according to sources familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. could impose "big" tariffs on British goods if the UK does not remove its digital services tax. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said Washington was ready to act in response to the levy on major American technology firms.
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 from 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
The Australian government has threatened to go to court in a bid to sue social media giants for allegedly flouting a ban on under-16s, as its internet regulator disclosed it is investigating some of the biggest platforms for suspected non-compliance with the world-first measure.
A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for $6m in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, a ruling that could influence thousands of similar cases.
A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found Meta Platforms violated state law in a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and of enabling child sexual exploitation on those platforms.
Meta Platforms is increasing compensation for top executives, including its first-ever offer of stock options, as it tries to fend off competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) race and incentivize leaders to stay with the company for several years.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in a high-profile trial in Los Angeles examining claims that the company’s platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
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