The European Union is set to slap Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta with a fine that could stretch to $1 billion or more for allegedly violating its strict antitrust rules, The Post has learned – setting up a possible showdown with President Trump, who has compared the EU’s penalties to “overseas extortion.”The European Commission, the EU’s antitrust watchdog, is expected to conclude that Meta is not in compliance with the Digital Markets Act, sources close to the situation told The Post on Monday.The landmark law too ...

The recommendations of Wall Street analysts are often relied on by investors when deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock. Media reports about these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts changing their ratings often affect a stock's price. Do they really matter, though?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Meta Platforms (META) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.Meta Platforms currently ha ...

Group 1 - OpenAI and Meta Platforms are in discussions with Reliance Industries to explore partnerships for expanding AI offerings in India [1][3] - A potential collaboration between Reliance Jio and OpenAI is being considered to distribute ChatGPT, with Reliance also looking to sell OpenAI's models to enterprise customers via an API [1][3] - Reliance is planning to build a three-gigawatt data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, which would be the largest in the world, to host and run Meta and OpenAI models [4][6] Group 2 - OpenAI is contemplating reducing the ChatGPT subscription price to several dollars from the current $20 per month, although it is unclear if this has been discussed with Reliance [2] - Reliance aims to ensure that local customer data remains within India by hosting OpenAI models locally [3] - Reliance Industries is a major conglomerate in India, involved in various sectors including petrochemicals, telecommunications, and green energy [5]

Core Viewpoint - Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is considering introducing a subscription service for UK users to access an advert-free version of its platforms following a settlement in a significant privacy lawsuit [1][4]. Group 1: Legal Settlement - Tanya O'Carroll, a human rights campaigner, filed a lawsuit against Meta in 2022, claiming the company violated UK data laws by not respecting her request to stop collecting her data for targeted advertising [2]. - The lawsuit was settled on Friday, with O'Carroll declaring a "victory" as Meta agreed to cease using her personal data for targeted ads, supported by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) [3][4]. - O'Carroll emphasized that the ICO's position could lead to more lawsuits regarding privacy rights, highlighting the importance of individual privacy in the digital age [4]. Group 2: Meta's Response and Future Plans - Meta expressed disagreement with O'Carroll's claims but acknowledged its commitment to UK privacy laws, specifically GDPR, and is considering a subscription model for UK users to avoid ads [4][5]. - The company already offers a no-ads service in the EU for €7.99 per month, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice in 2023 [5]. - Advertising constitutes approximately 98% of Meta's revenue, indicating a significant shift in strategy if a subscription model is implemented [4].

Core Points - A human rights campaigner, Tanya O'Carroll, has successfully forced Meta to stop using her data for targeted advertising through a legal settlement [1][3] - The settlement is based on U.K. and E.U. data protection laws that grant individuals the right to object to the use of their personal data for direct marketing [2][5] - O'Carroll's case sets a precedent for others to exercise their rights against Meta's data processing practices [3][5] Legal Context - O'Carroll argued that Meta's personalized ads constitute direct marketing, which should be subject to user objections under existing data protection laws [2][5] - Meta claimed that its personalized ads are not direct marketing, but the settlement indicates a shift in the legal landscape regarding data privacy [3][5] - The case highlights the ongoing challenges in enforcing privacy laws against surveillance-based advertising models like Meta's [5][7] Regulatory Environment - The U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) supported O'Carroll's position, suggesting that other users may have stronger grounds for objecting to data processing [8] - Meta has faced numerous GDPR complaints and fines since the regulation came into effect in May 2018, but its core business model remains largely unchanged [6][7] - There are indications that enforcement actions are beginning to impact Meta's operations in Europe [7] Future Implications - O'Carroll anticipates that Meta may adopt a "pay or consent" model in the U.K., similar to its approach in the E.U., requiring users to either consent to data tracking or pay for ad-free services [9] - The specifics of the tracking-free access provided to O'Carroll remain undisclosed, but she confirmed that she will not incur any costs [9]

Core Insights - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously stated that selling access to Llama AI models is not the company's business model, yet recent court filings reveal that Meta does earn revenue through revenue-sharing agreements related to Llama [1][2] Revenue Generation - Meta shares a percentage of the revenue generated by companies hosting its Llama models, although specific hosts are not disclosed in the filings [2][3] - Notable partners that host Llama models include AWS, Nvidia, Databricks, Groq, Dell, Azure, Google Cloud, and Snowflake [3] Business Strategy - Zuckerberg has mentioned the potential for licensing access to Llama models and monetizing them through business messaging services and advertisements in AI interactions, although no specifics were provided [4] - The majority of the value derived from Llama is attributed to improvements made by the AI research community, which enhances various Meta products, including Meta's AI assistant [5][6] Capital Expenditures - Meta plans to significantly increase its capital expenditures, estimating $60 billion to $80 billion for 2025, primarily for data centers and AI development teams, which is roughly double the CapEx for 2024 [7] - To help offset these costs, Meta is reportedly considering launching a subscription service for Meta AI that would add unspecified capabilities [7]

Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan says that the company's decision not to offer services in China has allowed the tech corporation to better defend core principles surrounding free expression. Kaplan's comments echo a statement made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Georgetown University in 2019, where he explained why Facebook, Instagram, and other services do not operate in China."I wanted our services in China because I believe in connecting the whole world and I thought we might help create a m ...

For savvy investors, stock market corrections serve up money-making opportunities on a golden platter. That's because stock market corrections are indiscriminate, dragging down the prices of stocks both good and bad.With that in mind, let's take a closer look at one fantastic growth stock that has plummeted by more than 20% in recent weeks but remains a solid long-term buy-and-hold candidate: Meta Platforms (META 0.31%). What's Happened to Meta?Just over a month ago, Meta's shares were in the midst of a his ...

Meta Platforms (META 0.81%) stock is climbing higher Thursday despite a bearish backdrop for the broader market. The company's share price was up 1.1% as of 3 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.31%) was down 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC -0.46%) was down 0.6%.Meta's valuation is moving higher today following recent comments from company officials reaffirming support for virtual-reality (VR) initiatives. The company is playing a leading role in advancing VR, but it's been a costly initiative f ...

Amid an ongoing regulatory battle with European privacy authorities, Meta announced on Thursday that its AI-powered virtual assistant, Meta AI, is finally launching in the European Union. The chatbot-like tool will be rolled out across Meta’s portfolio of social platforms, albeit with a more limited feature set compared to what it offers in its domestic U.S. market.Separately, Meta also confirmed to TechCrunch that Meta AI will be arriving in WhatsApp in the U.K., having so far been limited to Facebook, Ins ...