Latest news with #MetaPlatformsInc
New Straits Times
04-08-2025
- New Straits Times
KL police seek Meta's help in actor defamation case
KUALA LUMPUR: City police will work with Meta Platforms Inc. to identify the individual behind a defamatory and provocative post targeting a popular male actor and singer. Acting Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad said the identity of the social media account owner remains unknown. "I have instructed our investigating officers to contact Meta Platforms Inc. in Singapore to help trace the individual behind the Threads account. "We will also seek assistance from the Cyber Division of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) to trace the IP address of the account owner," he said when met at the City police headquarters today. He said investigations were still ongoing, and statements have been recorded from four witnesses. It was reported on July 21 that police received a report from a local actor and singer over an alleged defamatory and provocative social media post made on the 'Threads' platform. The post is claimed to have damaged the complainant's reputation. The report was lodged at 4.12pm on July 18, involving a post by a social media account that allegedly contained slanderous, provocative, and seditious elements. Usuf was quoted as saying the post was made publicly and is believed to have the potential to tarnish the complainant's image and reputation. The case is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which covers the misuse of network facilities. Those convicted under Section 500 could be liable for a maximum of two years' jail, a fine, or both. Section 233 stipulates a maximum fine of RM500,000 or two years' jail or both if found guilty, as well as a further fine of RM5,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction. Usuf also confirmed that the case was not related to the ongoing investigation involving local artiste Shila Amzah.
The Star
04-08-2025
- The Star
Police seeking owner of defamatory Threads account
KUALA LUMPUR: The police have yet to identify the owner of a Threads account responsible for posting a defamatory and provocative message targeting a well-known male actor and singer. Acting Kuala Lumpur police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad said he has instructed the investigating officer to contact Meta Platforms Inc, based in Singapore, to trace the account holder. 'We will also seek assistance from the Cyber Crime Division of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) to track the Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the account,' he said on Monday (Aug 4). He added that the investigation is ongoing, and statements from four witnesses have been recorded. The police are currently finalising the investigation into the defamatory and inciting post, which would then be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action. Meanwhile, Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has also been asked to assist in identifying the Threads account owner. On July 18, the actor-singer lodged a police report over the post, which allegedly contained slanderous, provocative, and seditious elements, and was widely circulated online. The case is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities.
NDTV
01-08-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Meta Stock Soars 12% After Crushing Earnings and Unveiling Huge AI Plans
Meta Platforms Inc (META) shares surged 12% on Thursday morning after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and gave an optimistic outlook for the third quarter, according to a news release by the social media giant. For Q2, Meta posted earnings per share (EPS) of $7.14 and revenue of $47.5 billion. Analysts had expected EPS of $5.89 and revenue of $44.83 billion. This marks a strong improvement from the same period last year, when the company reported EPS of $5.16 and revenue of $39.07 billion. As per the company's report, Meta's advertising revenue reached $46.5 billion, surpassing the forecast of $44.07 billion. Meanwhile, its Reality Labs division, which focuses on virtual and augmented reality, reported a loss of $4.5 billion, slightly better than the expected $4.8 billion loss. Looking ahead, Meta expects third-quarter revenue between $47.5 billion and $50.5 billion, higher than Wall Street's projection of $46.2 billion. The strong earnings come as Meta increases investment in artificial intelligence. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently appointed Shengjia Zhao, a former OpenAI researcher, as the head of its new Superintelligence Lab. Meta has also made major hires from companies like GitHub, Safe Superintelligence, Apple, and Scale AI-where it invested $14.3 billion and recruited CEO Alexandr Wang. Additionally, Meta is heavily investing in AI infrastructure. Zuckerberg announced that the company will spend hundreds of billions of dollars building several multi-gigawatt data centres across the U.S., including one called "Hyperion," which will eventually reach 5 gigawatts of capacity.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Meta shares surge 10 per cent on strong Q2 2025 earnings beat and bullish revenue forecast
Meta Platforms Inc. delivered a robust earnings report for the second quarter of 2025, significantly surpassing Wall Street expectations and fueling a more than 10% rally in its after-hours stock trading. The company's strong performance comes amid heavy investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure and talent acquisition, demonstrating that these expenditures have yet to impact its profitability or investor confidence. Key financial highlights: Earnings per Share (EPS): Meta posted $7.14 per share, well above the $5.88 analysts expected, representing a substantial 38 per cent year-over-year Revenue: The company generated $47.52 billion in revenue, exceeding the $44.81 billion forecasted by Wall Street, marking a 22 per cent increase compared to the previous Revenue: Meta's core advertising business contributed $46.5 billion, outperforming expectations of $44.07 Labs: Although still in the red, the Reality Labs division—which focuses on virtual and augmented reality—reported a loss of $4.49 billion, slightly less than the anticipated $4.8 Margin: Improved to 43 per cent from 38 per cent in the same quarter last Active Users: Meta now reaches approximately 3.48 billion users, up by 210 million Capitalisation: Stands at roughly $1.76 trillion. Meta also raised its guidance for the third quarter of 2025, projecting revenue between $47.5 billion and $50.5 billion, comfortably above analysts' consensus estimate of $46.23 billion. The midpoint of the forecast sits around $49 billion, about 6 per cent higher than expectations, underscoring confidence in continued growth. Investments and AI ambitions The company continues to double down on artificial intelligence, with major capital investments and a strategic hiring spree that includes poaching top AI researchers from competitors. Capital expenditures for 2025 are now expected to be between $66 billion and $72 billion, up from a prior range of $64 billion to $72 billion. Meta's CFO, Susan Li, highlighted that infrastructure costs related to AI initiatives will remain a significant expense driver moving forward. CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasised AI's strategic role in Meta's future, describing ambitions to bring 'personal superintelligence' to nearly 3.5 billion users across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. He envisions AI empowering individuals with tools to better shape their world, distinguishing Meta's vision from competitors that focus on centralised automation. Meta's solid earnings beat and optimistic forecast sent its shares soaring by more than 9% during after-hours trading. This marks the tenth consecutive quarter that Meta has exceeded earnings expectations and the twelfth quarter of revenue surpassing estimates, a streak that reflects strong execution despite competitive and technological challenges.
The Star
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Meta to stop selling political ads in the EU, citing regulation
The decision on political ads marks the latest in a series of conflicts between Meta and European regulators, who are working to rein in the power and data collection of big tech companies. — Reuters Meta Platforms Inc will stop selling political and issue-focused advertising in the European Union, citing new regulations that the company believes creates "an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty.' The Facebook and Instagram parent will disband its political advertising business in the EU beginning in early October, according to a recent blog post. The company cited new rules on transparency and targeting of political advertising, which take effect in October and limit the data that can be used to aim political messages at individuals. Meta wrote in its blog post that it had "extensive engagement with policymakers' about this issue before the regulation was finalised, but the rules will "effectively remove popular products and services from the market, reducing choice and competition.' Alphabet Inc's Google also announced late last year that it will stop selling political ads in the EU. The decision on political ads marks the latest in a series of conflicts between Meta and European regulators, who are working to rein in the power and data collection of big tech companies. EU regulators have challenged Meta's plans to offer an ad-free version of its social networking services, and have fined the company almost €1bil (RM4.9bil) in the past 12 months. They also challenged Meta's artificial intelligence features, leading the company to pause their rollout in the bloc, and earlier this month Meta said it won't sign the code of practice for Europe's new set of laws governing AI. It's unlikely the move on political ads will have a significant impact on Meta's business. Chief financial officer Susan Li said in February 2024 that political advertising globally is "not really a material contributor' to the company's revenue growth, though it still sells political and issue-focused ads in the US and other countries. – Bloomberg
