Welcome to Silicon Pulse – your roundup of the latest tech news and developments impacting your business for the week ending 19/05/2023.
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WhatsApp Adds ‘Chat Lock’ To Secure ‘Intimate’...
Extra layer of security has been added for WhatsApp messages, with ability to lock and hide sensitive conversations
Meta Paid Verification Arrives For UK Users
Paid verification for Instagram and Facebook, dubbed Meta Verified, launches in UK at a cost of £9.99 per month for each service
Appeals Court Dismisses Lawsuit To Break Up Meta
US Federal Appeals court dismisses antitrust attempt by US states to breakup Facebook parent Meta Platforms
Meta Pleases Investors After Sales Rise, As Profits Dive
Plunge in profits at Facebook parent, but Meta pleases Wall Street after sales rose for first time after three quarters of decline
US Bill To Require Parental Consent For Kids Use Of Social Media
New bipartisan bill unveiled in US will require parental consent for anyone under the age of 18 to use social media
Meta Lays Off Technical Staffers, In Another Workforce Blow
Second tranche of layoffs begin at Meta Platforms, as engineers and other technical staff are made redundant
Meta To Layoff Another 10,000 Staff
Mark Zuckerberg's 'year of efficiency' continues after he makes “difficult decision” to axe 10,000 jobs, on top of November's 11,000 layoffs
New Meta Layoffs ‘Could Match Those of Last Year’
Upcoming layoffs at Meta could reportedly cut same proportion of staff as those announced last November, as company reins in spending
Meta Considering Twitter-Like Social Network
Facebook parent Meta considering launching Twitter-style stand-alone text-based social network amidst chaos at Elon Musk-owned platform
Meta Planning Thousands More Job Cuts – Report
Zuckerberg's promise of “year of efficiency” at Meta likely to entail more job losses, according to media report
Meta Cuts Prices For VR Headsets
Struggling to sell? Meta has cut prices for two of its virtual reality headsets amid reduced consumer spending on tech
Meta Forms AI Team To Compete With ChatGPT
Facebook, Instagram parent Meta forms AI-focused team to develop text and visual tools across its products, following success of OpenAI's ChatGPT
Facebook, Instagram To Get Paid Verification
Facebook, Instagram to offer paid 'blue tick' verification starting in Australia and New Zealand this week, following similar move by Twitter
Mark Zuckerberg Gains Extra $4m To Protect Him, Family
Security cost to protect Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and his family has been increased by millions of dollars, after 'specific threats'
Meta Oversight Board Pledges Quicker Case Reviews
Facebook's Supreme Court, the Oversight Board, say it will review more content moderation cases and do it faster than before
Meta’s Chief Business Officer To Leave After 13 Years
Long-serving chief business officer Marne Levine is to leave Meta in the summer, following the departure of Sheryl Sandberg last year
Court Approves Lawsuit Against Meta In Kenya
Labour court in Kenya says Facebook parent Meta can be sued in the country by content moderator citing psychological harm
Meta Pleases Investors With ‘Year Of Efficiency’ Pledge
After heavy Metaverse spending in 2022, Mark Zuckerberg points to cost savings in 2023 after big drop in profits in 2022
Facebook Parent Seeks To Block £3bn UK Lawsuit
Facebook parent Meta seeks to block £3bn UK collective legal action claiming company abusively profited from users' personal data
Meta To Reinstate Donald Trump Facebook, Instagram Accounts
Donald Trump regains more social media accounts, after two year ban for inciting an insurrection at US Capitol
Donald Trump Petitions Meta To Restore Facebook Account
Lawyers for Donald Trump petition Meta Platforms to restore his Facebook account, after his ban for 2021 Capitol attack
Meta To Remove Material Praising Brazil Riots
Facebook parent Meta says it will remove material in favour of weekend riots in Brazil that saw protesters invade Congress and Supreme Court
Meta Blow As Irish Watchdog Confirms Hefty Fine
Facebook parent Meta may be prohibited from using personal data for advertising, after EU ruling and Irish fine
Meta Plans Decision On Facebook Trump Ban
Meta planning decision this month on whether to continue banning Donald Trump from Facebook after reinstatement on Twitter
Meta Pays $725m To Settle Cambridge Analytica Suit
Facebook parent Meta pays $725m (£600m) to settle US class action lawsuit over sharing of personal data with Cambridge Analytica
John Carmack Quits As Meta Defends Massive VR Investments
Gaming industry legend John Carmack quits Meta as company's chief technology officer defends billions spent on VR and 'metaverse'
Zuckerberg ‘Removed Speech Reference To Cambridge...
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg removed reference to Cambridge Analytica from speech six months before scandal came to light, report finds
EU Advances Probe Into Meta’s Facebook Marketplace
EU files formal complaint with Meta over Facebook Marketplace in first time it has investigated company on antitrust grounds
Meta Halts Construction Of Two Data Centres In Denmark
Meta axes construction of two additional data centres in Europe, as Facebook continues cost cutting measures