Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, XETRA:FB2A, SIX:FB) shares added more than 4% on reports CEO Mark Zuckerberg is considering scaling back the company's Metaverse investments. According to a Bloomberg News report, Meta executives have discussed potential budget cuts of up to 30% for the metaverse group in 2026, which includes Meta Horizon Worlds and the Quest virtual reality unit.
Stock futures are holding steady Thursday as investors await more economic data that could influence the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates next week; Meta is facing a new antitrust investigation over its artificial intelligence policies in WhatsApp; Salesforce earnings topped estimates after the bell Wednesday; Paramount Skydance and Netflix are reportedly continuing to modify their bids for Warner Bros. Discovery; and Dollar General is the latest discount retailer to report strong earnings this week.
Meta stock climbs 6% on report of planned metaverse cuts
Meta's move to serve only its AI chatbot, Meta AI, to WhatsApp users isn't sitting well with the competition regulators in Europe. The European Commission on Thursday said it is launching an antitrust investigation into Meta's move to ban other AI companies from using WhatsApp's business tools to offer their own AI chatbots to users on the app.
This year, one of the better performers among the Magnificent 7 had been Meta Platforms Inc.
The European Union said it was looking into a policy that prohibits AI providers from using a WhatsApp tool allowing businesses to communicate with their customers.
European antitrust regulators have launched an investigation into Meta's artificial intelligence (AI) enhancement to WhatsApp. The European Commission announced Thursday (Dec. 4) that it had launched a probe into whether the tech giant's new policy on AI providers' access to WhatApp violates European Union competition rules.
The European Commission on Thursday accused Meta Platforms of violating antitrust rules, in the latest salvo by European regulators against American technology firms.
The European bloc has launched an antitrust investigation into the social media giant over its use of AI in WhatsApp.
U.S. tech giant Meta is set to face a European Union antitrust investigation into use of artificial intelligence in its chat platform Whatsapp, a source told Reuters.
Brussels is planning a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms over the rollout of artificial intelligence features within WhatsApp, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Australia's internet regulator said a teen social media ban would be the first domino to fall in a global push to rein in Big Tech, as Meta's Instagram, Facebook and Threads began locking out hundreds of thousands of accounts ahead of a deadline next week.