The verdict was delivered Friday after a two-week trial in Santa Fe over a lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in 2021. The state accused Meta of making misleading statements about how it protected users’ information and enforced its platform policies.

The case followed revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm associated with Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, had obtained personal information from as many as 87 million Facebook users through a third-party application.

Jurors found 26 of 29 statements identified by the state to be misleading. The findings covered statements concerning user data, hate speech and misinformation, while jurors rejected some of the state’s claims regarding Meta’s efforts to remove harmful content and its fact-checking practices.

Meta said it disagreed with the verdict and would continue defending itself against what it described as efforts to distort its record.

“Meta’s platforms are forums for free expression,” a company spokesperson said, adding that the company has a responsibility to protect users’ information and give them control over their data.

Torrez said the case showed how Meta’s public statements about its platforms differed from the way the company handled user data and content moderation.

The jury’s findings could expose Meta to significant civil penalties. The state says more than 43 million violations are involved, based on the number of people affected by the misleading statements.

Under New Mexico law, the court can impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation. Judge Francis Mathew will determine the penalties following the jury’s findings.

Torrez said his office would seek the maximum penalty and could also ask the court to require Meta to correct previous statements and audit its handling of user data.

Meta has argued that the state’s case relied on selected portions of its statements without sufficient context. The company has also denied that it sells users’ information.

The verdict is the second major case involving Meta to reach a jury in Santa Fe this year.

In March, another jury found Meta liable for misleading New Mexico users about the safety of children on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties. A subsequent ruling increased the amount payable to a state fund for teen mental health to $567 million and imposed measures aimed at protecting young users in New Mexico.

The latest case returns attention to the privacy issues exposed by the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the continuing legal scrutiny of Meta’s handling of user data.

The post Meta Found To Have Misled Users Over Data Practices appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The Meta VR Glasses weigh about 100 grams, according to the company, making them substantially lighter than conventional VR headsets such as Meta’s Quest 3.

The design separates the display and sensors from the main computing hardware. The processor, battery and storage are housed in a small external device that can be clipped to a pocket or bag and connected to the glasses through an optical tether.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the glasses weigh less than one-fifth as much as the Quest 3, describing the weight as roughly equivalent to a deck of playing cards.

The device uses a magnesium-alloy construction and features a 5K Infinite Display based on micro-OLED panels. Meta says the display delivers 37 pixels per degree and is designed to provide enough detail for text and other visual content.

The optical system uses pancake lenses to keep the device compact.

The glasses also support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, extending their use beyond immersive applications to entertainment and virtual cinema.

Meta’s new design represents a significant departure from the heavier headsets that have dominated the virtual reality market, as manufacturers continue to explore ways to make immersive computing devices more practical for longer periods of use.

The company is expected to provide more details about the device and its software capabilities ahead of its planned 2027 release.

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Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, will introduce charges for certain service and utility messages sent by businesses through the WhatsApp Business Platform from October 1, 2026.

The development, announced in Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform pricing update in July 2026, is expected to affect businesses that use the platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to manage customer communications at scale.

Under the new pricing structure, Meta will charge businesses on a per-message basis for service messages sent within the 24-hour customer service window.

The company said the charges would also apply to qualifying utility messages sent in response to customers within an open 24-hour customer service window.

According to Meta’s developer documentation, “Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will charge on a per-message basis for all service messages, consistent with how Meta charges for template messages.”

The company noted that service messages have not been charged since November 1, 2024.

Meta further stated that utility messages sent in response to users within an open 24-hour customer service window would also become chargeable from October 1.

Utility messages include payment confirmations, order updates, delivery notifications and other transactional communications.

The new policy is expected to have implications for banks, fintech companies, e-commerce platforms, telecommunications operators, logistics firms and large retailers that rely heavily on WhatsApp for customer support and transactional communication.

However, the charges will not apply to ordinary WhatsApp users and are not expected to affect most small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business application on mobile devices.

Currently, when a customer initiates a conversation with a business, a 24-hour customer service window opens, allowing the business to respond with free-form service messages and certain utility messages without paying Meta.

From October 1, however, businesses using the official WhatsApp Business Platform will pay for those messages on a per-message basis.

Meta has also warned businesses and Solution Providers to ensure that valid payment methods are added to their accounts before the new pricing takes effect.

It said businesses or Solution Providers without a payment method on file by September 30, 2026, would have their service messages stopped once the messages become chargeable on October 1.

For Nigerian businesses, a chargeable utility or service message is expected to cost approximately $0.0101, equivalent to about ₦14 per message based on an exchange rate of ₦1,340 to the dollar.

Marketing messages are considerably more expensive, estimated at about $0.062 per message, or approximately ₦84 at the same exchange rate.

The charges are Meta’s fees and may not represent the total cost incurred by businesses.

Companies that access the WhatsApp Business Platform through Business Solution Providers or third-party platforms may also be required to pay additional provider charges.

For instance, a Nigerian fintech sending 500,000 chargeable service or utility messages in a month could incur about $5,050, equivalent to approximately ₦6.8 million at an exchange rate of ₦1,340 to the dollar, in Meta messaging fees alone.

Industry observers say the financial impact could become substantial for companies sending hundreds of thousands or millions of customer messages monthly, despite the relatively low cost per individual message.

WhatsApp has increasingly become a major communication channel for Nigerian businesses, with financial institutions and fintech companies using the platform for customer support, payment confirmations and transaction-related communication.

Similarly, e-commerce companies, logistics operators and retailers rely on WhatsApp for order confirmations, delivery notifications and other customer interactions.

The latest development forms part of Meta’s broader shift in WhatsApp Business pricing towards a per-message model.

Consequently, Nigerian businesses that depend extensively on the WhatsApp Business Platform for customer service and transactional communications will have to incorporate the new messaging costs into their operating budgets from October 1, 2026.

The post Meta to Charge Businesses for WhatsApp Service Messages from October 1 appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The national capacity-building initiative is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s artificial intelligence talent pipeline and support the growth of the country’s AI innovation ecosystem.

According to a statement issued by the partners on Monday, the programme will provide developers, startups, students and early-career professionals with practical AI training, technical learning opportunities and startup support.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said the initiative would equip young Nigerians with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and the development of globally competitive startups.

“Through this partnership, we are equipping developers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and globally competitive startups,” Tijani said.

He said the initiative reflected the government’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s AI ecosystem through public-private partnerships and positioning the country as a leading force in Africa’s digital economy.

Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, said Nigeria has significant AI talent but requires greater access to practical training, funding and platforms to develop innovative solutions.

“Nigeria is home to some of Africa’s most dynamic AI talent. What many founders and developers need is greater access to practical training, funding and platforms to build impactful solutions,” Dada said.

She said AI Academy Nigeria would help equip more Nigerians with AI skills while creating opportunities for promising startups to expand from the local market to regional platforms.

Dr. Olushola Ayoola, Founder and CEO of RAIN, said the partnership demonstrated the value of collaboration between government, technology companies and local innovation organisations in building Nigeria’s AI capabilities.

“Building Nigeria’s AI capacity requires the kind of coordinated effort we are seeing here,” Ayoola said.

The partners said AI Academy Nigeria is designed to move participants beyond learning AI concepts to developing functional products and solutions.

The programme will be delivered through three tracks: AI Skills Development, an AI Startup Pitchathon and a six-week Developer Bootcamp.

Under the AI Startup Pitchathon, early-stage Nigerian startups using Meta’s AI technologies will have the opportunity to showcase solutions addressing real-world challenges.

Applications for the pitchathon close on August 21, 2026, after which 10 startups will be shortlisted to pitch at GITEX Nigeria on September 3.

The two winning startups will each receive $5,000 in cash funding and $2,000 in Meta advertising credits.

They will also receive an all-expenses-paid opportunity to represent Nigeria and pitch at the AI Summit by Meta in Istanbul, Türkiye, scheduled for November 23-24, 2026.

The post Meta, FG Launch AI Academy Nigeria To Boost Local AI Talent appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The company disclosed on Thursday that it deactivated 462,000 suspected underage Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts between December, when the law came into effect, and June.

The latest figures represent a significant increase from January, when Meta reported removing 331,000 Instagram accounts and 173,000 Facebook accounts.

The removals come as Australia’s internet regulator considers enforcement action against several social media platforms over concerns that they have not done enough to comply with the legislation.

Australia introduced the world’s first nationwide social media ban for users under 16 on December 10, citing concerns over the impact of social media on children’s mental and physical wellbeing.

Despite the crackdown, Australian government data and independent studies indicate that more than 80% of children under 16 remained on social media during the first three months of the ban.

The Australian government has since proposed stronger enforcement measures, including increasing the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$99 million and expanding the regulator’s investigative powers.

Representatives from Meta, TikTok, Google-owned YouTube and Snapchat are scheduled to appear before a parliamentary inquiry on Friday to discuss their compliance efforts.

“Enforcement is ongoing, and these numbers will continue to grow,” Meta said in a statement.

The company added that it remains committed to complying with Australia’s regulations and providing age-appropriate online experiences for young users.

To identify underage users, Meta said it uses artificial intelligence to analyse user profiles for contextual signals, such as birthday celebrations, references to school grades and reports submitted by other users. The company has also disabled repeated account creation attempts after an underage account has been removed.

The post Meta Removes Over 750,000 Suspected Underage Accounts in Australia Ahead of Regulatory Scrutiny appeared first on Tech Digest News.

By James Ishaku,

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated the need for a digitally skilled public sector workforce, saying the success of government reforms and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will depend largely on the digital capacity of civil servants.

Director General of the NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, stated this during a Digital Skills Masterclass organised by the Agency in collaboration with Meta for selected officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). He was represented at the event by NITDA’s Director of Digital Development Services, Olawumi Dejo.

Speaking at the event, Inuwa said Nigeria’s aspiration to build a thriving digital economy requires a public service equipped with the knowledge and competencies to embrace emerging technologies and modern governance practices.

He explained that NITDA developed the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) to provide a standardised roadmap for digital skills development across the country, ensuring that Nigerians acquire competencies aligned with international best practices while addressing local needs.

According to him, the framework is built around six core competency areas: device and software operations, information and data literacy, digital content creation, communication and collaboration, digital safety, and problem-solving.

He noted that the framework would enhance the ability of public servants to effectively utilise digital technologies, safeguard government information, strengthen collaboration across MDAs and improve the delivery of public services.

The NITDA Director General stressed that digital transformation extends beyond the deployment of technology, insisting that meaningful and sustainable reforms can only be achieved by investing in people.

“Technology alone cannot transform institutions. Real transformation happens when people acquire the right digital skills to rethink processes, improve productivity and deliver better outcomes,” he said.

Inuwa described continuous learning as indispensable in an era of rapid technological advancement, particularly with the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence, urging civil servants to continuously upskill and reskill to remain effective.

He also encouraged participants to serve as change agents within their organisations by transferring the knowledge gained during the masterclass to their colleagues through a train-the-trainer approach that would accelerate digital capacity development across the public sector.

The Director General disclosed that NITDA, in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, has trained more than 53,000 civil servants in digital skills, describing the initiative as a major step towards building an AI-ready and digitally competent public service.

He assured participants that the Agency would continue to expand digital learning opportunities to equip government workers with the skills needed to support ongoing reforms, enhance service delivery and position Nigeria to maximise the opportunities presented by emerging technologies.

The Digital Skills Masterclass is part of NITDA’s broader implementation of the National Digital Literacy Framework and its commitment to strengthening the human capital required to drive Nigeria’s digital economy.

In her remarks, Meta’s Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Victoria Oloni, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through its partnership with NITDA.

Oloni observed that the increasing adoption of digital tools across government from electronic salary payments to the use of messaging platforms for official communication shows that the public service is steadily transitioning from analogue to digital operations.

She, however, noted that the next phase should focus on achieving institution-wide digital transformation rather than isolated adoption of technology by individuals.

According to her, digital transformation is a continuous journey that requires sustained learning, collaboration and openness to innovation. She explained that the masterclass was designed to provide participants with practical skills for leveraging digital technologies to improve communication, efficiency and service delivery across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Oloni urged participants to maximise the opportunity presented by the training, emphasising that a digitally empowered workforce remains essential to building a more efficient, responsive and citizen-centred public service.

The post NITDA Seeks Digital Workforce to Deepen Public Sector Innovation appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The company announced on Thursday that the new feature is now available for families using Instagram’s Parental Supervision tools in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, with a global rollout planned before the end of the year.

According to Meta, the system uses AI to identify conversations in which a teenager makes clear references to self-harm or suicide. Before any notification is sent, the conversation will be manually reviewed to reduce the risk of false alerts.

“We understand how distressing these alerts may be for a parent to receive,” Meta said in a blog post, adding that where a teenager’s intentions are unclear, the company will err on the side of caution by notifying parents.

The new feature builds on existing parental notifications that alert families when teenagers repeatedly search for suicide or self-harm-related content on Instagram. It also complements tools that allow parents to view the topics their teenagers have discussed with Meta AI during the previous week.

Meta also expanded its “Limited Content” setting to cover interactions with its AI chatbot. The feature provides additional protections by restricting a broader range of conversations for teenage users beyond existing safeguards against sexual, romantic and alcohol-related discussions.

In addition, the company said it is developing the capability to contact emergency services when conversations with Meta AI indicate that a user—whether an adult or teenager—may be at immediate risk of suicide or self-harm.

Meta already follows a similar approach when posts on Facebook or Instagram suggest that a user may be in danger. Extending the practice to its AI chatbot comes amid increasing scrutiny from regulators and parents over how AI assistants respond to users experiencing mental health crises, particularly young people.

The post Meta to Alert Parents When Teens Discuss suicide with AI chatbot appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, seeks to halt the dismissals while the employees pursue their claims through private arbitration.

According to the complaint, Meta relied on AI-assisted systems that assessed employees using productivity metrics and other workplace data when selecting workers for redundancy. The plaintiffs argue that those systems disproportionately disadvantaged employees who had taken medical or family leave.

Meta dismissed the allegations.

“Workforce management and organisational decisions were and are made by people, not AI,” a company spokesperson said, describing the claims as without merit.

The lawsuit is believed to be among the first in the United States to challenge the alleged use of AI systems in large-scale workforce reductions.

Meta laid off nearly 8,000 employees, about 10% of its workforce, in May as part of a restructuring aimed at supporting its growing investments in artificial intelligence. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has since indicated that no further company-wide layoffs are planned this year.

The anonymous plaintiffs accuse Meta of violating federal and state anti-discrimination laws protecting workers with disabilities, pregnant employees and those taking medical leave. They also allege the company failed to assess its AI systems for bias, contrary to recently adopted regulations in California and New York City.

Court filings claim Meta used several internal AI-assisted tools, including its “Metamate” large language model, an internal knowledge management system and productivity scores generated from workplace activity such as emails, browser usage, documents and communications, to rank employees during the layoff process.

The case is expected to test how employment laws apply to the growing use of artificial intelligence in workplace decision-making.

The post Meta Sued Over Alleged AI-Assisted Layoffs Targeting Workers with Disabilities appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The preliminary findings conclude a two-year investigation into whether Meta adequately assessed and mitigated risks posed by highly personalised recommendations, autoplay and infinite scrolling on its platforms.

According to the Commission, features including Reels and Stories on Facebook and Instagram can contribute to excessive or compulsive use, particularly among younger users.

EU regulators said Meta’s existing safeguards are insufficient, arguing that screen-time management tools can be easily dismissed while parental controls require significant technical knowledge to configure effectively.

The Commission has called on Meta to disable autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, introduce more effective screen-time reminders and reduce reliance on engagement-driven recommendation algorithms.

Failure to address the concerns could expose the company to significant financial penalties under the Digital Services Act.

Meta rejected the Commission’s preliminary conclusions, saying it has already introduced extensive protections for teenagers through its Teen Accounts programme.

The company said the feature automatically applies stricter privacy settings, enables parents to restrict nighttime access and allows daily screen-time limits to be set.

Meta added that it would continue cooperating with European regulators as the investigation progresses.

The case forms part of the European Union’s broader efforts to hold major technology companies accountable for platform designs that may negatively affect users’ mental health and digital wellbeing.

The post EU Charges Meta Over Allegedly Addictive Facebook and Instagram Features appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The feature, introduced earlier this week as part of Meta’s new Muse Image AI generator, enabled users to create AI-generated images by tagging public Instagram accounts as references. Users whose photos were used were not notified, sparking backlash from privacy advocates, creators and talent agencies.

Announcing the decision on Friday, Meta acknowledged that the feature failed to meet users’ expectations.

“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way. We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available,” the company said in a blog post.

The feature was part of Muse Image, Meta’s latest AI image-generation model developed by its Meta Superintelligence Labs. While Muse remains available through the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp, the ability to generate images from public Instagram profiles has now been removed.

The controversy centered on concerns that the feature could be misused to manipulate people’s images without their knowledge or consent. Critics warned it could facilitate the creation of misleading or inappropriate AI-generated content using publicly available photos.

Meta said users had the option to disable the feature through privacy settings, but the opt-out approach drew criticism from users who argued consent should have been obtained before allowing AI to use their public images.

The reversal marks one of Meta’s quickest product rollbacks in recent years and highlights the growing scrutiny technology companies face as they integrate generative AI features into social media platforms.

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