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                        <title>Latest Technology News, Tech News Pakistan | The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>China successfully tests sea-based rocket booster recovery system</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617500/china-successfully-tests-sea-based-rocket-booster-recovery-system</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617500/china-successfully-tests-sea-based-rocket-booster-recovery-system#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 26 09:17:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Net-based system aims to challenge US dominance in reusable rocket technology]]>
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				<![CDATA[China&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;successfully&nbsp;tested an experimental&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;retrieval&nbsp;system&nbsp;using a net attached to a&nbsp;sea&nbsp;platform, state media reported, in the hope of breaking United States&nbsp;dominance in reusable&nbsp;rockets.

The Long March 10B&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;lifted off from the Hainan commercial space launch site in southern&nbsp;China&nbsp;at 12:15pm (0415 GMT)&nbsp;and, about six minutes after separation of its&nbsp;booster&nbsp;and upper stage, the&nbsp;booster&nbsp;returned vertically and was recovered on an offshore platform, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The test marks&nbsp;China&#39;s first successful retrieval of an orbital-class&nbsp;rocket, putting the country closer to developing reusable&nbsp;rockets.

The&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;had sent a satellite into preset orbit on Friday, state media said. Shares in Chinese aerospace firms jumped on the news, with&nbsp;China&nbsp;Spacesat and&nbsp;China&nbsp;Satellite Communications hitting daily limits.

Read:&nbsp;China test-fires missile into Pacific

The Long March 10B has been compared to the Falcon 9, SpaceX&#39;s widely used medium-lift&nbsp;rocket. It was developed for commercial aerospace by the country&#39;s main state&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;developer, the&nbsp;China&nbsp;Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology&nbsp;(CALT), and is capable of carrying a payload of at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit.

But unlike the Falcon 9, the Long March 10B does not autonomously land on deployable legs on a ground pad or drone ship, using instead four&nbsp;&quot;landing hooks&quot; to catch the net attached to a&nbsp;sea&nbsp;platform.

&quot;Net-based&nbsp;recovery&nbsp;helps simplify the&nbsp;rocket&#39;s onboard structure, reduces vehicle mass and increases payload capacity. It is also highly adaptable to landing-point deviations, as coordinated net&nbsp;systems can effectively expand the capture window,&quot; CALT&#39;s expert Chen Muye told state agency Xinhua.

SpaceX landed a Falcon 9&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;from an orbital flight for the first time in December 2015, followed by Blue Origin&#39;s New Glenn in November 2025.

By now, SpaceX&#39;s Falcon 9 launches around 150 times a year, or roughly three times a week, with its&nbsp;booster&nbsp;reused dozens of times&nbsp;as needed. The engine-packed&nbsp;booster&nbsp;is generally viewed as the most valuable part of a&nbsp;rocket.

China&nbsp;has spent nearly a decade developing reusable&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;technologies, from early low-altitude hover&nbsp;tests&nbsp;to orbital-class&nbsp;booster&nbsp;recovery&nbsp;attempts in recent years. A&nbsp;system&nbsp;of reusable&nbsp;rockets will lower launch costs for&nbsp;China&#39;s rapidly expanding commercial satellite constellations.

Read More:&nbsp;China launches broadside at US &#39;double standards, hegemonism&#39; after criticism over missile test

Private Chinese firms are also stepping up efforts to test their reusable&nbsp;rockets amid intense global competition to acquire the technology, and&nbsp;China&nbsp;has eased&nbsp;IPO rules for firms developing reusable&nbsp;rockets to help them raise funding.

Two attempts by private Chinese firm LandSpace and state-owned&nbsp;China&nbsp;Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation&nbsp;last year failed to complete the crucial final step of landing and&nbsp;booster&nbsp;recovery.

As part of the Long March 10 family being developed for&nbsp;China&#39;s crewed lunar missions before 2030, the Long March 10B could also provide data and validate technologies relevant to the broader lunar programme. China&nbsp;plans to use the Long March&nbsp;10B&#39;s&nbsp;booster&nbsp;stage again for another launch by the end of this year, CCTV said.]]>
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			<title>Global equity fund inflows surge to three-week high on AI optimism</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617554/global-equity-fund-inflows-surge-to-three-week-high-on-ai-optimism</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617554/global-equity-fund-inflows-surge-to-three-week-high-on-ai-optimism#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 26 15:58:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Global equity funds drew $49.23 billion in weekly inflows, their biggest since June 17, LSEG Lipper data showed]]>
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				<![CDATA[Global equity funds attracted their largest weekly inflow in three weeks in the week to July 8, as strong demand for artificial intelligence-linked technology products and cooling expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes boosted risk appetite.

Global equity funds recorded net inflows of $49.23 billion during the week, their biggest weekly inflow since June 17, according to LSEG Lipper data.

Upbeat June manufacturing activity reports pointed to strong demand for AI-related products, including chips and computers. Expectations for robust earnings in the AI sector also supported investor sentiment.

The technology sector is forecast to report 54.2% year-on-year growth in second-quarter net income, according to LSEG data based on analysts&#39; average estimates.

Regional flows 

US equity funds attracted $24.97 billion in inflows, their largest in three weeks. Investors also allocated $13.67 billion and $6.95 billion to European and Asian equity funds, respectively.

Read More: UN digital agency launches initiative to boost trust in AI agents

The technology sector drew strong interest, with funds attracting $11.49 billion in inflows, up more than a quarter from $8.88 billion the previous week.

Financial and industrial sectors also recorded notable inflows of $1.52 billion and $789 million, respectively.

Bond, money market flows &nbsp;

Global bond funds attracted $31.34 billion in inflows, the largest since at least 2019.

Short-term bond funds, euro-denominated bond funds, corporate bond funds and government bond funds recorded weekly net purchases of $7.19 billion, $3.87 billion, $2.92 billion and $2.73 billion, respectively.

Investors also allocated $83.76 billion to money market funds, marking their largest weekly net purchase since June 3.

Gold and other precious metals commodity funds recorded an eighth consecutive weekly outflow, totalling $372 million.

Emerging market data covering 28,884 funds showed equity funds lost about $500 million in their 11th consecutive weekly outflow. Bond funds, however, attracted net inflows of $1.66 billion.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Meta to put AI chip into production in September as it looks to double computing capacity, memo shows</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617342/meta-to-put-ai-chip-into-production-in-september-as-it-looks-to-double-computing-capacity-memo-shows</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617342/meta-to-put-ai-chip-into-production-in-september-as-it-looks-to-double-computing-capacity-memo-shows#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 26 13:13:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Meta's in-house Iris AI chip will power Facebook and Instagram under its four-generation MTIA programme]]>
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				<![CDATA[&nbsp;Meta Platforms&nbsp;&nbsp;plans to start manufacturing an artificial intelligence chip from September as part of its plan &zwnj;to boost overall computing power to 14 gigawatts next year, showed an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

The tech firm&#39;s data center chip, code-named &quot;Iris&quot;, is part of a four-generation project for Meta Training and Inference Accelerators (MTIA) that it will design in-house. The plan is to use custom-built silicon ​to improve the AI that powers its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms

Testing the chip took only six weeks ​and found no major issues, the memo showed. That relatively quick progress signals positive momentum ⁠for an in-house effort that has&nbsp;floundered since its launch more than half a decade ago.

Meta tailored the chip for its ​own needs and is working with Broadcom&nbsp;&nbsp;to help design it and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co&nbsp; to manufacture it. The approach ​is likely to help the firm lower its massive computing costs and gain more independence from chip suppliers such as Nvidia&nbsp; and Advanced Micro Devices&nbsp;

Read More: Meta expands generative AI tools with Muse Image rollout

The bug-testing completion and production timing have not been previously reported. Meta declined to comment.

The chip is aimed at augmenting the large quantities ​of graphics processing units (GPUs) used for AI applications that Meta purchases from&nbsp;Nvidia&nbsp;and&nbsp;AMD.

However, adopting the latest GPUs at a firm ​as large as Meta &quot;has been a heavy lift, and it has cost us time,&quot; the memo showed.

Meta unveiled Iris under its technical name &zwnj;in March ⁠along with&nbsp;three other AI processors. It plans to launch a chip about every six months through 2027, whereas typically firms release AI chips at intervals of a year or more.

Seven gigawatts of computing in 2026

Meta this year plans to deploy seven gigawatts of computing infrastructure, the memo showed. It plans to double that number in 2027, the memo said.

The firm&nbsp;expects&nbsp;to spend ​as much as $145 billion on ​AI infrastructure this year, a ⁠significant portion of Big Tech&#39;s more than&nbsp;$700 billion&nbsp;projected outlay on the technology.

To expand computing infrastructure, Meta has secured long-term, multi-year supply agreements, the memo showed. Those include agreements with ​Samsung Electronics&nbsp;(005930.KS), opens new tab&nbsp;for memory chips, Sandisk&nbsp;(SNDK.O), opens new tab&nbsp;for flash storage and Sumitomo Electric&nbsp;(5802.T), opens new tab&nbsp;for fiber-optic equipment.

Such ​long-term agreements have ⁠become&nbsp;critical for data center expansion targets&nbsp;amid a memory chip shortage that&nbsp;has prompted companies such as Apple AAPL.O to raise prices.

Sandisk declined to comment. Samsung Electronics and Sumitomo Electric did not respond to requests for comment.

Components such as memory and AI chips have ⁠experienced a ​surge in demand as tech companies race to expand data centers to ​keep pace with AI&#39;s thirst for computing power.

Memory and other chip prices have risen rapidly and substantially enough that &quot;chipflation&quot; has&nbsp;become a macroeconomic concern, Morgan Stanley analysts ​said.]]>
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			<title>Canada’s Alberta seals $13b data centre deal with Meta</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617312/canadas-alberta-seals-13b-data-center-deal-with-meta</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617312/canadas-alberta-seals-13b-data-center-deal-with-meta#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 26 08:10:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2617312</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Meta also invests about $60 million in local infrastructure, including roads and water systems]]>
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				<![CDATA[Meta will invest more than $13 billion in Alberta to build its first Canadian data center, the provincial government said Wednesday, calling it one of the largest private investments in Canada&#39;s history.

In a statement, the government said the facility will be built in Sturgeon County near Edmonton. It said the project is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs during construction and 300 permanent positions once operations begin.

The provincial government said it expects to collect about $250 million annually through royalties, taxes, levies and fees linked to the project.

Meta is also investing about $60 million in local infrastructure, including roads and water systems, according to the government statement.

The statement said a separate $4.6 billion natural gas power plant, backed by Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor under the Project Greenlight initiative, is expected to reduce electricity transmission charges for Albertans by as much as 6%.

Read: Meta expands generative AI tools with Muse Image rollout

&quot;Artificial intelligence is transforming the global economy, and Alberta is making sure we lead rather than follow. We created the right conditions to attract world-leading investments while protecting the interests of Albertans. This project will create thousands of jobs, generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, and make electricity more reliable and affordable,&quot; Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said.

Meta Vice President of Data Centre Strategy and Development Gary Demasi said Alberta&#39;s &quot;strong access to infrastructure and energy, talented workforce, and outstanding community partners&quot; were key factors in choosing the site.

Alberta&#39;s Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish said that the province mandates large data centers to &quot;bring their own power&quot; and comply with strict environmental and water rules, distinguishing it from other jurisdictions competing to attract AI investment.]]>
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			<title>Crypto firms prepare defences as quantum threat to encryption draws nearer</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617161/crypto-firms-prepare-defences-as-quantum-threat-to-encryption-draws-nearer</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617161/crypto-firms-prepare-defences-as-quantum-threat-to-encryption-draws-nearer#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 26 14:46:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2617161</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[$2 trillion ‌global cryptocurrency market is currently based on blockchains secured by old-school cryptography]]>
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				<![CDATA[The cryptocurrency industry is starting to prepare for the threat of quantum computing as recent advances fuel concerns that the technology could soon be able to crack the cryptography that protects transactions ​and digital wallets.

Quantum computers can solve complex mathematical problems much faster than today&#39;s sophisticated computers, and could be used to unscramble conventional methods for encrypting digital information. That spells trouble for the $2 trillion &zwnj;global cryptocurrency market, which is based on blockchains secured by old-school cryptography and already has a history of major hacks.

While the technology remains largely experimental, crypto industry concerns have grown since March, when research from Alphabet&#39;s Google, one of several tech giants pioneering the technology, suggested quantum computers may be able to break that cryptography sooner than previously expected, according to executives and analysts. Google has said that quantum computers capable of breaking encryption could arrive by 2029, whereas previously they were seen as at least a decade out.

Recent research from Citigroup and others has also ​concluded that quantum computing, along with artificial intelligence breakthroughs, has compressed the time frame in which cryptocurrencies will become widely vulnerable to hackers.

Acknowledging the risks the technology poses to the public and private sectors, United States President ​Donald Trump last month issued executive orders to bolster US quantum capability.

Read: SBP replaces 2018 crypto ban with new VASP rules

Some crypto companies and blockchain developers are already drawing up plans to upgrade their networks with quantum-resistant cryptography, a ⁠potentially years-long effort that could require sweeping changes to the infrastructure underpinning digital assets.

&quot;It&#39;s the most direct and existential threat towards cryptocurrencies and crypto networks,&quot; said Chris Tam, head of quantum innovation at BTQ Technologies, which focuses on quantum ​security.

Blockchains use decades-old cryptography

Most blockchains rely on decades-old elliptic-curve cryptography to generate the public and private keys and digital signatures used to verify ownership of crypto assets and authorise transactions. Public keys are mathematically derived from private keys and, in many ​blockchain networks, become publicly visible once crypto assets are used in a transaction or transferred.

While conventional computers cannot feasibly derive a private key from a public key, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could potentially do so, allowing hackers to forge digital signatures and authorise fraudulent transactions.

That is a particularly acute risk for public crypto networks where transactions, unlike traditional payments, are irreversible.

&ldquo;Crypto especially is uniquely exposed because blockchains are transparent and permanent,&rdquo; said Utkarsh Ahuja, managing partner at Moon Pursuit Capital, a crypto investor.

Read further: Police register case as Karachi trader alleges $500,000 crypto robbery after abduction

Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, is considered particularly vulnerable ​because its 17-year history of transactions has generated a large number of visible public keys.

Roughly 35% of the token&#39;s circulating supply could be exposed to a quantum computing attack, according to an unpublished June working paper by independent researcher ​Ahmed Raza Muhammad Umer. Other research from last year has estimated that figure could be as high as 50%.

Just one incident in which a hacker steals and sells a large amount of a token could tank its price, said Cristiano Ventricelli, vice president &zwnj;and senior analyst ⁠of digital assets at Moody&#39;s Ratings. &quot;Everyone will feel the impact,&quot; he added.

That risk has already prompted some to rethink bitcoin investments. Christopher Wood, the closely tracked global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, in his January newsletter, removed a 10% bitcoin allocation from his model portfolio due to the long-term &quot;existential&quot; threat of quantum computing.

Blockchain upgrade plans take shape

To be sure, Ahuja and others said they believe it will still be a few years before quantum computing can crack blockchains, and that the industry will be able to upgrade to new &quot;post-quantum&quot; types of cryptography resistant to the technology.

Many crypto executives also warned that moving too early could create vulnerabilities because post-quantum cryptography is still rapidly evolving. Post-quantum digital signatures are generally much larger ​than traditional signatures, increasing storage and bandwidth requirements. They could ​raise costs and degrade user experience, particularly on ⁠blockchains with fixed block-size limits, such as Bitcoin, said Zach Pandl, head of research at crypto asset manager Grayscale, although he added he had confidence blockchains would ultimately address the issues.

&quot;There is an engineering challenge ahead, but there are engineering solutions already on the table,&quot; he added.

That challenge could take years to overcome. One senior cybersecurity executive at a major crypto ​player said he expects it will take two years for his company to become fully quantum-resistant. He and others described the potential work as akin to a Y2K-style ​overhaul when more than $300 billion was ⁠spent globally fixing the &quot;millennium bug.&quot;

Also Read: Saudi Arabia plans crypto zone for Karachi

The problem is especially thorny for blockchains, which are mostly decentralised, meaning they are operated by a community that may not be able to agree on a path forward, said Tam of BTQ Technologies.

None of the top 20 blockchains have implemented a post-quantum signature algorithm, according to people interviewed for this story. In the case of bitcoin, developers and market participants are divided over which fix to adopt and when to move, executives said. The Ethereum Foundation, which supports the blockchain that ⁠underpins ether, the ​second-largest cryptocurrency, says it is targeting 2029 for full protection from quantum computing.

&quot;The sort of disaster scenario is that it happens way sooner ​than we think,&quot; said Christopher Smith, CEO of Quantus, a blockchain that already uses post-quantum cryptography.

The Algorand Foundation, which supports the Algorand blockchain, whose native token has a market capitalisation of around $780 million, is among the early movers. Last month, it published a post-quantum roadmap and plans to start supporting ​post-quantum accounts later this year, said Bruno Martins, Algorand Foundation&#39;s chief technology officer.

&quot;It felt right to start doing [something]&nbsp;now, because it&#39;s responsible to have a plan,&quot; Martins added.]]>
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			<title>UN digital agency launches initiative to boost trust in AI agents</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617345/un-digital-agency-launches-initiative-to-boost-trust-in-ai-agents</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617345/un-digital-agency-launches-initiative-to-boost-trust-in-ai-agents#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 26 13:50:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[AI agents act independently for users, handling tasks from scheduling and shopping to complex business processes]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United Nations&#39; digital technology agency on Thursday launched a new initiative to improve trust in artificial intelligence agents as increasingly autonomous AI systems raise concerns over accountability and human oversight.

AI agents are a new generation of artificial intelligence systems designed to act independently on behalf of users, carrying out tasks ranging from scheduling and purchasing to complex business processes.

While they can improve productivity, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said they also pose risks, including impersonating people and making unauthorised decisions.

Read More: Meta to put AI chip into production in September as it looks to double computing capacity, memo shows

To address these risks, the ITU announced at the AI for Good Summit in Geneva that it would establish a Focus Group.

The group will develop frameworks to ensure AI agents remain identifiable, trustworthy and subject to meaningful human oversight, particularly in sensitive areas such as financial transactions and critical infrastructure.

&quot;AI agents will soon negotiate, transact and make decisions on our behalf,&quot; said Focus Group Co-Chair Debora Comparin, adding that common international foundations were needed to establish who the agents are and how and when they can be trusted.

The Focus Group will comprise technical, policy and legal experts. It will hold its first meeting in Paris in November and its second in Geneva in January.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>UK to regulate cloud service providers Microsoft, Google and others to protect financial stability</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617528/uk-to-regulate-cloud-service-providers-microsoft-google-and-others-to-protect-financial-stability</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617528/uk-to-regulate-cloud-service-providers-microsoft-google-and-others-to-protect-financial-stability#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 26 12:42:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[The move aims to strengthen financial firms by reducing cyber attack and technology outage risks]]>
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				<![CDATA[Britain has designated cloud service providers Microsoft&nbsp;, ​Google&nbsp;, Amazon&nbsp; and Oracle&nbsp; as critical third-party suppliers &zwnj;to its financial sector, bringing them under direct regulatory oversight.

The move is aimed at strengthening the resilience of financial firms by ​reducing the risk of widespread disruption from cyber ​attacks or technology outages.

&quot;As banks, insurers and financial ⁠market infrastructures become increasingly reliant on cloud services, ​disruption at a major supplier could affect multiple firms at ​the same time, potentially impacting services customers depend on,&quot; the government said in a statement on Friday.

The government designated Microsoft Ireland Operations ​Ltd, Google Cloud EMEA Ltd, Amazon Web Services ​EMEA SARL, and Oracle Corporation UK Ltd as critical third parties, effective &zwnj;July ⁠13.

Read More: EU tells Instagram, Facebook to change addictive features or risk fines

The firms will be supervised jointly by the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. They will be required to undergo resilience ​testing, conduct regular ​self-assessments and ⁠report major incidents.

Britain&#39;s approach contrasts with that of the European Union, which in November&nbsp;designated ​19 technology and services firms&nbsp;under a similar ​framework.

A ⁠Google Cloud spokesperson said: &quot;With effective implementation and meaningful industry engagement, this new Critical Third Party framework can enhance the ⁠long-term resilience ​of the UK&#39;s financial ecosystem ​and increase understanding, transparency, and trust between all parties.&quot;]]>
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			<title>NASA rover takes a closer look at organic carbon on Mars</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616821/nasa-rover-takes-a-closer-look-at-organic-carbon-on-mars</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616821/nasa-rover-takes-a-closer-look-at-organic-carbon-on-mars#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 26 17:54:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Rover finds organic carbon in Martian mudstone in Jezero Crater, hinting at possible ancient life signs]]>
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				<![CDATA[Using NASA&#39;s Perseverance rover, scientists are getting a greater understanding of the nature of some of the organic carbon &mdash; the molecular backbone for all known ​living organisms &mdash; detected on Mars as they explore the question of whether Earth&#39;s planetary neighbor ever harbored life.

New research describes the structure of the organic carbon &zwnj;found last year by the rover in sedimentary rock that contained a potential biosignature &mdash; a possible sign of past microbial life. This mudstone formed perhaps between 3.2 and 3.8 billion years ago beneath a now-vanished body of water in Jezero Crater in the Martian northern hemisphere.

Organic carbon can be a clue as to whether Mars ever harbored life because it serves as the chemical underpinning for the molecules that build DNA, cells ​and proteins. But its presence is not proof of life because it also can arise in nonbiological processes such as chemical interaction between rock and water.

The detection of ​organic carbon in two rocks in Jezero Crater &mdash; given the names Cheyava Falls and Walhalla Glades &mdash; was disclosed last year when the researchers ⁠announced the discovery of a potential biosignature in one of them.

The two rocks were sampled by the rover at locations about 330 feet (100 meters) apart, according to planetary scientist Ashley ​Murphy of the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona, co-leader of the new research published in the journal Science Advances..

Following last year&#39;s discovery,&nbsp;NASA released an image of the Cheyava Falls rock showing a ​very fine-grained and rusty-red-colored mudstone bearing ring-shaped features resembling leopard spots as well as dark marks resembling poppy seeds.

Such features on Earth can be associated with microbial activity. A potential biosignature is defined as a substance or structure that may have a biological origin but needs more data or further study before a conclusion can be made about the absence or presence of life.

A closer look for signs of life 

Using ​Perseverance&#39;s SHERLOC instrument, the researchers in the new study took a closer look at the complex carbon, called macromolecular carbon, present in the two rocks. They said this carbon bears ​similarities to carbon formed either through biotic or abiotic processes on Earth and to carbon formed through abiotic processes found in meteorites.

This marks the first instance of macromolecular carbon being discovered in mudstones in &zwnj;Jezero Crater, ⁠where Perseverance landed in 2021. NASA&#39;s other rover operating on Mars, called Curiosity, previously found macromolecular carbon at another site called Gale Crater, located about 2,300 miles (3,700 km) away.

Read More: NASA robot mission aims to rescue space telescope

&quot;These findings indicate that the habitability of Mars and the availability of organic materials may have been widespread across the planet billions of years ago,&quot; said planetary scientist Kyle Uckert of NASA&#39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and a co-leader of the study.

&quot;This strengthens evidence that ancient Mars had chemical ingredients and environmental conditions that could have supported life, but does not provide proof of life nor ​does it push the needle any further towards ​biotic or abiotic origins,&quot; Uckert said.

The ⁠rover&#39;s instruments do not have the capability to determine whether this carbon arose through biological processes possibly involving microbial activity.

&quot;We need the return of these samples to Earth for more rigorous testing with higher sensitivity and higher resolution laboratory instruments,&quot; Uckert said.

Now cold and desolate, Mars during ​perhaps the first third of its existence possessed a thicker atmosphere and warmer climate, allowing for liquid water on its surface. ​Like Earth and the solar ⁠system&#39;s other planets, Mars formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago.

Water is considered a key ingredient for life &mdash; an important reason why Perseverance has been exploring Jezero Crater since 2021. This area of Mars once was flooded with water and home to an ancient lake basin. Scientists believe river channels spilled over the crater wall and created a lake. These bodies of water potentially could have ⁠been habitats for ​microbes.

&quot;The only place in the universe where we know life has emerged is Earth,&quot; Uckert said. &quot;If life is ​discovered on Mars, it could indicate that the emergence of life is not restricted to Earth, assuming the right conditions and ingredients are available, which would be a profound discovery.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Indian IT firms face muted Q1 as AI shift, weak demand weigh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616793/indian-it-firms-face-muted-q1-as-ai-shift-weak-demand-weigh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616793/indian-it-firms-face-muted-q1-as-ai-shift-weak-demand-weigh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 26 13:59:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2616793</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[India's IT sector likely saw a weak April-June quarter, delaying hopes of a broader recovery]]>
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				<![CDATA[India&#39;s top information technology companies are expected to report another subdued quarter, as AI-driven pricing pressure, weak client spending, and global geopolitical turmoil continue to weigh on growth, nine brokerages said.

The April-to-June quarter is usually a strong one for ​India&#39;s $315 billion IT sector, helped by higher billing days and new project starts, but analysts expect a ​slow start to the fiscal year that would push back hopes of a recovery.

India&#39;s ⁠largest IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services&nbsp;, kicks off earnings on Thursday with peers Infosys&nbsp;, HCLTech&nbsp; and Wipro&nbsp; ​reporting later this month.

While India&#39;s top six IT firms are expected to report around 14% year-on-year revenue growth in ​rupee terms with net profit rising 12%-13%, this would largely be due to the impact of sharp rupee depreciation. Stripping out exchange rate effects, the companies are expected to post a mere 2.8% revenue growth in constant-currency terms.

Citi expects a fourth straight year ​of subdued growth for Indian IT firms, while JPMorgan sees revenue growth staying below 3%-4% for the &quot;foreseeable future&quot;.

The ​IT sector is racing to adapt to changing customer needs as companies across the globe step up the use of AI &zwnj;tools and ⁠agents to cut costs and quicken software development cycles.

Software firms have slowed hiring, with TCS Chairman N Chandrasekaran saying the &quot;day is not far&quot; when the company would have an&nbsp;equal number of AI agents and employees.

Indian IT firms are in a &quot;perfect storm,&quot; Nomura said in its earnings preview, with Middle East conflict-led uncertainty compounding AI-driven pricing pressure.

Fears ​that AI would disrupt the ​IT sector&#39;s traditional, labour-intensive ⁠business model dragged the Nifty IT index&nbsp; down 9.5% in the June quarter even as India&#39;s benchmark Nifty 50 gained 6.9%.

Read More: UN&#39;s Guterres warns AI outpacing oversight, urges global rules to protect children

The IT index has slumped about 28% so ​far in 2026, making it the worst-performing major sector in India.

The impact of AI-led ​disruption and ⁠weakness in client spending will be broad-based, according to PL Capital, with effects visible in the consumer, hi-tech, and telecom verticals.

&quot;Slower decision-making and elongated sales cycle are leading to delays in revenue conversion and execution,&quot; the brokerage said in a ⁠note.

Annual ​revenue forecasts will be a key focus for investors. Brokerages say Infosys ​and HCLTech could narrow or trim the upper end of their forecasts.

Potentially higher interest rates in the US, which makes up about 60% ​of Indian IT firms&#39; revenue, also loom.]]>
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			<title>China-Europe Earth observation cooperation moves toward greater complementarity: ESA official</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616355/china-europe-earth-observation-cooperation-moves-toward-greater-complementarity-esa-official</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616355/china-europe-earth-observation-cooperation-moves-toward-greater-complementarity-esa-official#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 26 19:28:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[xinhua.]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2616355</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[China and Europe will compare Earth observation data to support environmental protection and the green transition]]>
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				<![CDATA[China and Europe have developed mature Earth observation capabilities and are increasingly able to complement each other by combining their satellite data and scientific expertise, a European Space Agency (ESA) senior official has said.

Rune Floberghagen, head of ESA&#39;s Department of Climate Action, Sustainability and Science, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Dublin on Tuesday evening that China and Europe have both developed strong Earth observation capabilities and are increasingly complementing each other.

&quot;We all have strong assets in space,&quot; he said, adding that the two sides have also developed a shared ambition to use their data and expertise for the benefit of the planet. &quot;We are complementing each other, and using this information together is really a powerhouse.&quot;

Floberghagen was in Dublin for the 2026 Dragon 6 Mid-term Symposium. Launched in 2004 by China&#39;s Ministry of Science and Technology and ESA, the Dragon Program supports joint Earth observation research using Chinese, European and third-party satellite data.

Scientific cooperation built on trust 

Floberghagen said the program has played a fundamental role in developing Earth science cooperation between China and Europe over the past 22 years.

&quot;It has created hundreds of scientific projects that we have run together,&quot; he said. European and Chinese scientists have worked toward common goals and produced knowledge important for understanding the planet and the challenges it faces.

&quot;Without this program, this type of working together between China and Europe would not have happened,&quot; he said.

Beyond scientific results, the program has helped researchers build long-term professional and personal ties. &quot;Trust is really the key word here,&quot; Floberghagen said.

Scientists share data, information and research methods, and learn how their partners analyze data and approach scientific problems, he said.

&quot;We are, as we say, in the same boat, in a rough ocean,&quot; he said. &quot;The planet&#39;s challenges do not really know borders. They do not care about geopolitical borders or country borders. They follow the laws of physics.&quot;

China&rsquo;s growing capabilities in Earth observation 

Floberghagen said China has made &quot;tremendous&quot; progress in Earth observation and developed strong capabilities across a wide range of instruments and measurements.

He noted that Earth observation covers not only optical cameras and radar, but also measurements of atmospheric composition, sea level, vegetation, forests, land quality and agricultural conditions.

He said Europe had shared some of its early expertise in Earth observation technologies and data-processing methods with China, which had used that knowledge to build its own capabilities rapidly. The relationship has since become increasingly reciprocal, as Chinese and European missions provide measurements at different times and from different instruments.

&quot;You give your part, Europe gives its part, and together that is actually quite a wonderful thing,&quot; he said.

Having visited China several times, Floberghagen said he was also impressed by the country&#39;s ability to turn technological decisions into practical applications.

Read More: China sends astronaut on year-long space mission as it eyes 2030 moon landing

&quot;What impressed me the most in China is that when a decision is taken to implement something, it happens relatively quickly,&quot; he said. &quot;The decision is really a decision, and it happens according to plan.&quot;

Satellite and remote-sensing data can be used by firefighters, flood responders and other frontline personnel, he said, but space specialists and emergency responders must better understand each other&#39;s needs.

&quot;You need to bring these two worlds together,&quot; he said.

The Dragon Program has so far focused largely on scientific research, data quality and analytical methods, but its emphasis is shifting.

&quot;What we are seeing is an evolution into practical application,&quot; he said. &quot;I expect that this will become a bigger part of Dragon in the future.&quot;

New technologies and young scientists 

Looking ahead, Floberghagen said China and Europe would work together on new observation technologies and measurements that have only recently become possible from space.

&quot;What I expect from the Dragon collaboration is that we together look into new capabilities that we are now putting into space, new measurements that the world has never seen before,&quot; he said.

Potential research areas include changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, the health of plants and forests, photosynthesis and the evolution of the biosphere. The two sides will compare data from new instruments and explore applications supporting environmental protection and the green transition.

Young scientists will also remain an important part of the program.

&quot;Young scientists are overall very focused on preservation of the planet, on green values,&quot; Floberghagen said.

He said ESA hopes to create more opportunities for European researchers to work in China and for Chinese researchers to gain experience in Europe.]]>
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			<title>Microsoft to cut 4,800 jobs, overhaul Xbox unit</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616822/microsoft-to-cut-4800-jobs-overhaul-xbox-unit</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616822/microsoft-to-cut-4800-jobs-overhaul-xbox-unit#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 26 18:13:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2616822</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Microsoft Xbox expansion, including Activision deal, still trails Sony and Nintendo in gaming market]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Microsoft said on Monday it would cut 4,800 jobs, or ​about 2.1% of its global workforce, overhauling its Xbox gaming business and divesting up to five studios as it looks to &zwnj;boost returns after years of heavy investment in the division.

The restructuring of its gaming division will involve 3,200 job cuts, including laying off 1,600 employees on Monday.

Despite spending tens of billions of dollars to expand Xbox, including its blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has struggled to narrow the gap with Sony&#39;s PlayStation, and Nintendo, prompting a broader rethink of ​the gaming business.

The company has increasingly shifted its strategy toward distributing its games across more platforms rather than relying on console-exclusive titles ​to drive Xbox hardware sales.

The Xbox restructuring will involve divestment of four studios, Xbox&#39;s new head, Asha Sharma, said in ⁠a note to employees.

&#39;South of Midnight&#39; producer Compulsion Games and &#39;Psychonauts&#39; maker Double Fine Productions will become independent studios, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs will ​be spun off to grow &#39;Senua&#39; and &#39;State of Decay 3&#39;, Sharma said.

The management of Arkane Studios, which developed &#39;Dishonored&#39; and is currently working on a game based on ​Marvel Comics character Blade, has started consultations with its workers union in France to review options, she added.

AI-driven efficiency push 

Big Tech&#39;s historic AI outlays, set to top $700 billion this year, are piling pressure on companies to show returns from the technology and offset the rising cost of rolling it out across their businesses. Amazon and Meta Platforms have also laid off ​thousands of employees this year.

Chief People Officer Amy Coleman, however, told employees in a memo that &quot;the roles eliminated today are not being replaced by AI.&quot;

&quot;At the same time, ​what is true is that AI is changing how work gets done.&quot;

Burgeoning AI spend 

&quot;That (targeted cuts) makes the announcement read more like portfolio reallocation and operating discipline than a fresh &zwnj;catalyst for ⁠the stock,&quot; said Parth Talsania, CEO of Equisights Research.

Read More: Indian IT firms face muted Q1 as AI shift, weak demand weigh

&quot;In the near term, the market is likely to reward Microsoft less for headcount reductions and more for evidence that AI monetization is scaling faster than AI-related costs.&quot;

The company&#39;s shares were down 1.4% on Monday, following a nearly 23% slump in its shares in the first six months of 2026, their worst first-half performance since 2022.

The software giant earlier this year offered voluntary buyouts to about 7% of its US ​workforce, or about 9,000 employees. Microsoft often ​trims jobs near the end of ⁠its fiscal year in June as it sets spending plans for the new year.

&quot;Microsoft has been managing down its workforce in order to pay for its AI investments. By keeping its headcount down they have been able to ​accelerate revenue growth while maintaining the same margins,&quot; said Gil Luria, managing director of DA Davidson.

Booming AI demand has ​powered growth at ⁠Microsoft&#39;s Azure cloud-computing business, which was the exclusive seller of OpenAI&#39;s models until April, but the mounting cost of building data centers to run those services is squeezing its cash flows.

The company, expected to report results later this month, had in April forecast quarterly Azure sales above Wall Street estimates, but also issued a $190 billion ⁠spending projection ​for 2026 that massively surpassed expectations.

AI tools that can increasingly automate routine business tasks have ​also emerged as a threat to its lucrative software business, while a surge in memory chip prices driven by data center demand has forced Microsoft to raise Xbox console prices at a ​time when demand for the console was already soft.]]>
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			<title>PlayStation to end physical game discs for new releases from 2028, Sony confirms</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2615929/playstation-to-end-physical-game-discs-for-new-releases-from-2028-sony-confirms</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2615929/playstation-to-end-physical-game-discs-for-new-releases-from-2028-sony-confirms#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 26 13:15:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Pop Culture &amp; Art]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sony says all new PlayStation games will be digital-only from January 2028 as physical disc production ends]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sony has confirmed that it will stop producing physical discs for all new PlayStation game releases from January 2028, marking a major shift towards digital distribution for the platform.

In a statement published on the official PlayStation Blog, the company said all new games released from January 2028 onwards will be available exclusively in digital formats through the PlayStation Store and participating retailers offering digital game codes.

The change applies only to new releases. Sony confirmed that games launched before the January 2028 cut-off will continue to be produced and sold on physical discs.

Explaining the decision, the company said it reflects changing consumer habits and the wider entertainment industry&#39;s ongoing move away from physical media.

&quot;As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028,&quot; Sony said.

The company described the decision as &quot;a natural direction&quot; for Sony Interactive Entertainment.

&quot;This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today,&quot; the statement continued.

Sony also said players will still have multiple purchasing options, with digital titles remaining available through both the PlayStation Store and participating retailers.

&quot;We&#39;ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that&#39;s at retailers or PlayStation Store. We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support.&quot;]]>
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			<title>GTA VI pre-orders set for June 25 as Rockstar reveals cover art ahead of launch</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614052/gta-vi-pre-orders-set-for-june-25-as-rockstar-reveals-cover-art-ahead-of-launch</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614052/gta-vi-pre-orders-set-for-june-25-as-rockstar-reveals-cover-art-ahead-of-launch#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 26 10:41:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Pop Culture &amp; Art]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Rockstar has confirmed GTA VI pre-orders begin on June 25, with game's official cover art now unveiled]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Rockstar Games has confirmed that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will open on June 25, providing the clearest indication yet that the highly anticipated game remains on track for its planned launch on November 19 2026.

The announcement was made on June 18 and was accompanied by the reveal of the game&#39;s official cover art, marking one of Rockstar&#39;s most significant updates on GTA VI in recent months.

According to the developers, players will be able to pre-order the game through digital storefronts and selected retailers.

The update follows months of speculation surrounding pre-order dates, fuelled by retailer listings, online leaks and comments from Take-Two Interactive executives.

Rockstar also released a short promotional video showcasing the cover art. The artwork places protagonists Jason and Lucia at the centre of the image and features several elements associated with the game&#39;s fictional setting of Leonida, including vehicles, helicopters and wildlife.



In addition to unveiling the cover art, Rockstar refreshed the official GTA VI website with new imagery highlighting Vice City.

The updated visuals feature the city&#39;s skyline, waterfront attractions and busy port areas, offering another glimpse into the game&#39;s world ahead of release.

The confirmation of pre-orders comes after Take-Two previously stated that marketing activity for GTA VI would begin during the summer.

GTA VI is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19 2026 after previously being delayed from its original release window.]]>
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			<title>Meta expands generative AI tools with Muse Image rollout</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617010/meta-expands-generative-ai-tools-with-muse-image-rollout</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617010/meta-expands-generative-ai-tools-with-muse-image-rollout#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 26 18:28:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2617010</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Meta said Muse Image can interpret prompts, use photos as inputs and edit AI-generated images through sketches]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it is rolling out Muse Image, its first image-generation model from ​Meta Superintelligence Labs, as the Facebook owner &zwnj;expands generative AI tools across its apps.

The company said Muse Image, which is integrated into its Meta AI chatbot, can ​interpret complex prompts, use photos as inputs and ​let users edit generated images directly through ⁠sketches or annotations.

Meta said its Muse Image model will power more than 30 new AI effects for Instagram Stories and enable image generation in direct chats with Meta AI on WhatsApp, initially in select countries.

Read More: Meta&#39;s Zuckerberg says AI agent tech progressing slower than expected

The company plans to expand Muse Image to more markets and integrate the technology into Facebook and Messenger.

While basic use of Muse Image through Meta AI will remain free, additional image creation capabilities will be offered through Meta&rsquo;s subscription plans.

In April, Meta launched Muse Spark, the first text-and-reasoning AI model developed by its Meta Superintelligence Labs team, which was assembled last year as the company sought to compete with rivals in the artificial intelligence race.

Advanced AI models are driving the current AI boom, powering autonomous tasks such as software development, content generation and customer support operations.

Meta also announced an early preview of Muse Video, its AI model designed to generate videos.]]>
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			<title>Apple plans affordable iPhone 17e with upgraded chip</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2591746/apple-plans-affordable-iphone-17e-with-upgraded-chip</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2591746/apple-plans-affordable-iphone-17e-with-upgraded-chip#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 26 05:58:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2591746</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It is also expected to include Apple’s in-house cellular, Wi-Fi chips]]>
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				<![CDATA[Apple is preparing to introduce a more affordable version of the iPhone 17 alongside an upgraded version of its Siri voice assistant, according to a recent report by Bloomberg.

The company is planning to launch the iPhone 17e, which will follow last year&rsquo;s iPhone 16e &mdash; a lower-priced model that used older hardware to reduce costs.

According to Bloomberg, the new iPhone 17e will feature a more powerful processor, matching that of the standard iPhone 17. It is also expected to include Apple&rsquo;s in-house cellular and Wi-Fi chips.

The report adds that, for the first time, a lower-priced iPhone model will support wireless MagSafe charging.

Despite the upgrades, the device is expected to retain its price tag of $599 or &pound;599, with no increase anticipated.

Read:&nbsp;Everything Apple announced at its September 2025 iPhone 17 keynote event

Earlier on September 9, 2025,&nbsp;Apple unveiled its latest products during the highly anticipated iPhone 17.

They introduced the iPhone 17 lineup, a new ultra-slim model called the iPhone Air, updated Apple Watches, and the long-awaited AirPods Pro 3.

The highlight was the iPhone Air, Apple&rsquo;s thinnest iPhone ever, at just 5.6mm. Positioned as part of a multi-year redesign strategy, the Air aims to redefine Apple&rsquo;s smartphone form factor. Alongside it, the standard iPhone 17 iPhone 17 Pro and iphone 17 Pro Max also made their debut with upgraded cameras and design refinements.

On the wearable front, Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 11, featuring 5G connectivity, improved durability, and new health-monitoring capabilities, including hypertension alerts. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 introduced satellite connectivity, a larger edge-to-edge display, and up to 42 hours of battery life.

Meanwhile, the entry-level Apple Watch SE 3 received upgrades including an always-on display, the faster S10 processor, sleep apnea detection, and 5G support, starting at $249.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Samsung unveils Galaxy Z TriFold, its most expensive foldable yet</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2580147/samsung-unveils-galaxy-z-trifold-its-most-expensive-foldable-yet</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2580147/samsung-unveils-galaxy-z-trifold-its-most-expensive-foldable-yet#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 25 08:43:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Samsung says the 10-inch triple-fold model is a ‘special edition’, not aimed at mass sales]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Galaxy Z TriFold will go on sale on December 12 and costs more than twice as much as the new iPhone 17 at $2,443.

Super thin, it unfolds to a 10-inch (25.4 centimetre) display, offering &quot;increased possibilities for creating and working&quot;, the South Korean tech giant said. The triple fold function is not a world-first, as&nbsp;China&#39;s Huawei beat Samsung to the punch last year with a phone at a similar price.

Growth has been patchy in the competitive smartphone market, prompting manufacturers to find innovative, eye-catching ways to differentiate their products.

Offered solely in a black design, Samsung&#39;s new device comes in at 309 grams&nbsp;and at its thinnest point measures less than 0.2 inches. Generative artificial intelligence features are integrated into the phone, which can give real-time help through screen or camera sharing.

Samsung admitted the Galaxy Z TriFold was &quot;not intended for mass sales&quot;. Alex Lim, executive vice president at Samsung Electronics, said it was a &quot;special edition&quot; product.

The launch comes as recent industry numbers suggest Apple is on track to overtake Samsung for the first time in 14 years as the world&#39;s top smartphone maker through 2029.

Apple has also long been rumoured to be planning a foldable iPhone, possibly as early as next year.

The US company&#39;s smartphone shipments are expected to reach a global share of 19.4% in 202,5, while Samsung is expected to hold 18.7%, with Apple effectively dethroning its rival for the first time, according to research firm Counterpoint.]]>
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			<title>WhatsApp rolls out fun filters and backgrounds for video calls</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2500381/whatsapp-rolls-out-fun-filters-and-backgrounds-for-video-calls</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2500381/whatsapp-rolls-out-fun-filters-and-backgrounds-for-video-calls#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Oct 24 06:55:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2500381</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[These new features are expected to be available to all WhatsApp users in the coming weeks.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[WhatsApp is rolling out new features designed to make video calls more engaging and fun. The messaging app has introduced filters and backgrounds, allowing users to add a personal touch to their video calls, whether it&#39;s a one-on-one conversation or a group call.

Although these features are already available on competitor apps like Zoom, WhatsApp is bringing them to an app primarily used for social, rather than work-related, calls.

Similar to Instagram&#39;s filters (also owned by Meta), WhatsApp&rsquo;s filters allow users to adjust the look of their video during a call.

This means there&rsquo;s no need to worry about tidying up your space or arranging a backdrop to impress&mdash;users can simply select a background that hides any mess or distraction, making it easier to focus on the conversation.

With 10 backgrounds available, users can choose from options like Blur, Office, Living Room, Caf&eacute;, Beach, Sunset, Pebbles, Foodie, Celebration, Forest, and the quirky Smoosh.

These backgrounds give users the flexibility to transform their environment instantly, hiding clutter or adding a polished touch to their surroundings.

In addition, there are 10 filter options, including Warm, Cool, Black &amp; White, and Vintage TV, providing a playful way to change the atmosphere of your video.

WhatsApp has also introduced Touch up and Low Light features, which &ldquo;can help you feel more confident and comfortable by naturally enhancing the look and brightness of your environment, making your video calls more vibrant and enjoyable,&rdquo; according to the announcement.

To access these effects, users can simply tap the effects icon during a video call and choose from the available options.

These new features are expected to be available to all WhatsApp users in the coming weeks, further enhancing the video call experience.]]>
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			<title>Meta bans Russian state media outlets over 'foreign interference'</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2496794/meta-bans-russian-state-media-outlets-over-foreign-interference</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2496794/meta-bans-russian-state-media-outlets-over-foreign-interference#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Sep 24 08:50:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2496794</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Meta accuses outlets RT and Rossiya Segodnya of employing tactics to manipulate public opinion and evade detection]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, announced a global ban on Russian state media outlets, including RT and Rossiya Segodnya.

This decision is part of an intensified crackdown on alleged foreign interference, with Meta accusing these outlets of employing deceptive tactics to manipulate public opinion and evade detection.

The ban follows recent US actions, including money-laundering charges against two RT employees who allegedly orchestrated a scheme to influence the 2024 election.

According to Meta, Russian state-controlled media have previously attempted to evade detection through covert activities, prompting the company to take more stringent measures.

Meta&#39;s move marks a significant escalation in its approach to Russian state media, which had previously faced only limited restrictions, such as ad bans and reduced post visibility.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for treating Russian media operations as covert intelligence activities, reinforcing the government&#39;s stance on combating foreign influence.

He recently announced new sanctions against RT, labeling it as an extension of Russian intelligence operations aimed at undermining democratic processes.

RT has dismissed these accusations, labeling them as attempts to stifle its journalistic activities.

In response to Meta&#39;s ban, RT&#39;s spokesperson denounced the actions as unfounded and politically motivated.

The ban on these Russian media outlets is expected to be enforced over the coming days.

Meta has also been censoring Palestinian creators and activists during Israel&#39;s brutal onslaught on besieged Gaza.

The social media company was recently found censoring posts made by the Prime Minister of Malaysia,&nbsp;several Turkish government officials along with journliats and activitsts. Some of these take downs were attributed to glitches, which coinidently were always targeted pro-Palestinian voices in favour of Israel.

A Human Rights Watch report last year revealed that Meta&rsquo;s policies and practices have been suppressing voices advocating for Palestine and Palestinian human rights on Instagram and Facebook.&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Meet Noor Pakistan: The multilingual chatbot ready to assist at the defence exhibition</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2495041/meet-noor-pakistan-the-multilingual-chatbot-ready-to-assist-at-the-defence-exhibition</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2495041/meet-noor-pakistan-the-multilingual-chatbot-ready-to-assist-at-the-defence-exhibition#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Sep 24 12:02:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2495041</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Around 40 mobile chatbot robots offering support in 25 different languages are being prepared for the IDEAS exhibition]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Chatbots, created by engineering universities in Pakistan, will now be able to&nbsp;assist and guide international delegates at a defence exhibition taking place this November.

The AI-powered chatbot project is a collaborative effort between Dawood University of Engineering and Ziauddin University, and it has been named &ldquo;Noor Pakistan.&rdquo;

The Noor Pakistan robot, designed to assist delegates at major national events in Pakistan, is being led by Dr. Samreen, Vice Chancellor of Dawood University of Engineering.

The team developing the chatbot is guided by Dr. Sheikh Mohammad Nafeh from the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at Ziauddin University.

The student team includes Sharif Khan, Zoha, Mohammad Saeed, and others.

Dr. Sheikh Mohammad Nafeh, speaking about the project, explained that the goal is to create a bot capable of generating its own responses about major events. This bot was first unveiled at the IEEEP exhibition.

This bot will be officially presented at the IDEAS 2024 defence exhibition in November. Noor Pakistan, equipped with artificial intelligence, will function like a brain, capable of understanding and responding in multiple languages.

The chatbot will be designed in the form of a robot to provide on-the-go assistance and guidance to delegates.

For the IDEAS exhibition, around 40 mobile chatbot robots will be prepared, offering support in 25 different languages. In addition to answering questions about the IDEAS exhibition, they will guide delegates to specific halls or stalls.]]>
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			<title>From shampoo to cookies, consumer products get an AI makeover</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616797/from-shampoo-to-cookies-consumer-products-get-an-ai-makeover</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616797/from-shampoo-to-cookies-consumer-products-get-an-ai-makeover#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 26 14:37:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2616797</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nestle, Haleon and Mondelez use AI to speed product innovation, recipe design and supply chain planning]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[French cosmetics company L&#39;Oreal&nbsp;has used AI to identify molecules in its &zwnj;skincare products that can be repurposed for use in shampoo and can now create products four times faster than before, a senior executive told Reuters.

Consumer companies, including Nescafe owner Nestle&nbsp;,Sensodyne toothpaste maker Haleon&nbsp;and chocolate maker Mondelez&nbsp;, are using ​AI in product innovation, helping them in some cases test ingredients faster, generate recipe ideas ​and address supply chain vulnerabilities, executives said.

The push to integrate AI into product development ⁠comes as consumer goods companies face pressure to innovate faster and cut costs amid shifting consumer tastes.

​L&#39;Oreal, which started using AI in its labs four years ago, has identified new molecules for beauty products ​by predicting the effect they will have on skin and hair, said Fabrice Megarbane, president of its consumer products unit.

L&#39;Oreal&#39;s recent innovation was repurposing molecules used in skincare products for a shampoo that uses collagen to add lift and fullness ​to hair, Megarbane said.

&quot;You can really go much faster by imagining ... new associations of molecules and new ​benefits of molecules,&quot; Megarbane said at the Consumer Goods Forum&#39;s Global Summit in Vienna in late June.

Read More: Indian IT firms face muted Q1 as AI shift, weak demand weigh

L&#39;Oreal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus &zwnj;launched ⁠a &quot;beauty stimulus plan&quot; last year to spur innovation after L&#39;Oreal posted its slowest group sales growth in years.

AI compressing product development 

Human product innovation augmented by AI is a &quot;game-changer&quot; at chocolate maker Mondelez, Chief Information and Digital Officer Filippo Catalano told Reuters.

The technology has helped the Cadbury and Toblerone owner speed up processes and ​reimagine recipes. The firm ​said AI can create ⁠recipes, including &quot;out-of-the-box&quot; ideas, which a human expert assesses.

&quot;You can optimise how you develop your recipes,&quot; Catalano said, pointing to the possibility for reduced dependency on single ​sourcing in supply chains and the ability to adapt formulas to respond to ​changing consumer tastes.

Mondelez&#39;s ⁠AI tool is reducing the number of samples typically generated through innovation, he said. It helped develop its Gluten Free Golden Oreo cookies and a refreshed recipe for Chips Ahoy cookies, the firm said. In the ⁠biscuit category, ​60% of recipes produced using its AI tool performed better ​in areas such as nutrition, sustainability and cost.

&quot;(AI capabilities are) accelerating things you could do already, but compressing the time from months ​to weeks or years to months,&quot; Catalano said.]]>
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			<title>Google appeals Indian ruling over its ads platform, citing consumer harm</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617347/google-appeals-indian-ruling-over-its-ads-platform-citing-consumer-harm</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2617347/google-appeals-indian-ruling-over-its-ads-platform-citing-consumer-harm#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 26 14:09:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2617347</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Delhi High Court ruled against Google in the case, ordering it to pay damages of $31,600 and other costs]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[&nbsp;Google&nbsp;has challenged an Indian ​court ruling that it infringed on a company&#39;s trademark rights by allowing rivals to use its &zwnj;name as an advertising keyword, arguing the decision will hurt consumers, documents reviewed by Reuters show.

The&nbsp;May decision&nbsp;could reshape the online ads market in a country where Google last year earned $4.1 billion in gross advertising revenue but where it is also facing a raft of ​antitrust cases and court battles.

The Delhi High Court ruled against Google in the ​case, ordering it to pay damages of $31,600 and other litigation costs.

In its 4,761-page challenge, which is not public but was reviewed by Reuters, Google said the decision makes India the &quot;sole outlier&quot; among global jurisdictions &quot;with serious consequences for the digital advertising industry, online consumer choice, ​and competitive markets.&quot;

Researchers have observed that consumers may search for a brand in order to identify and assess alternatives, ​Google wrote in the July 7 filing, arguing the ruling will effectively grant trademark owners a &quot;monopoly over advertising space to the detriment &zwnj;of consumers.&quot;

In ⁠a response to a Reuters request for comment, Google confirmed it is appealing the order, which it said &quot;diverges from established legal precedents in India&quot;. It added that its ads policies reflect standard practices that enable competition.

Read More: Meta to put AI chip into production in September as it looks to double computing capacity, memo shows

Google India&#39;s appeal will be heard in the coming days.

Google selling something it doesn&rsquo;t own, judge says

If upheld, Indian lawyers and tech experts ​say the original ruling will ​have wide-ranging ramifications for how ⁠the online ads market operates.

Indian matchmaking service Shaadi.com, for example, said that it would change the economics of online ads for millions of businesses that were suffering when their ​competitors bid on their name and Google took a fee.

Justice Mini Pushkarna noted in ​the decision in ⁠May that Google could not be permitted to shrug off responsibility after making a tool available that leads to trademark infringement.

&quot;Google has attempted to sell something that it simply does not own,&quot; Pushkarna wrote.

Google&#39;s appeal rejects the position that it has ⁠infringed ​on trademarks, arguing that &quot;a keyword is merely used as an internal and ​backend trigger to display an ad&quot; and is simply &quot;making advertising space available&quot;.

Google also faces antitrust cases in India as well as legal challenges over&nbsp;AI ​training&nbsp;and stricter-than-ever&nbsp;content takedown regulations&nbsp;that began applying to tech companies from February.]]>
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			<title>Google loses fight against record €4.1 billion EU antitrust fine</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616097/google-loses-fight-against-record-41-billion-eu-antitrust-fine</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616097/google-loses-fight-against-record-41-billion-eu-antitrust-fine#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 26 11:33:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2616097</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Google has racked up close to €11 billion in EU fines in the last decades for various antitrust infringements.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Alphabet&#39;s Google on Thursday lost its fight against a record fine imposed by EU antitrust regulators ​eight years ago for using its Android mobile operating system to &zwnj;block rivals, a court ruling likely to boost Europe&#39;s crackdown on Big Tech.

The European Commission had originally handed out a &euro;4.34 billion fine to Google in 2018 for its agreements, ​which forced phone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search, the Chrome browser and ​the Google Play app store on their Android devices and ⁠prevented them from using rival Android systems.

A lower tribunal subsequently trimmed the fine ​to &euro;4.1 billion in 2022 after the world&#39;s most popular search engine challenged the ​EU penalty. Google then appealed to the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe&#39;s highest.

The court sided with the EU antitrust enforcer.

&quot;The appeal brought by Google and its ​parent company Alphabet against the judgment of the General Court is dismissed, ​thereby confirming the penalty imposed for Google Search&#39;s abuse of a dominant position in the &zwnj;context of ⁠the Android operating system,&quot; judges said.

Read More: EU targets Amazon, Microsoft cloud units for Big Tech &#39;gatekeeper&#39; rules

A Google spokesperson said that the judgment failed to take into account its investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free.

&quot;In any event, we adapted our agreements to comply with the initial ​decision back in 2018 ​and we remain ⁠focused on continued innovation and openness for our users, partners and developers&quot;, Google said.

Google has racked up close to &euro;11 ​billion in EU fines in the last decades for various ​antitrust infringements.

It ⁠will likely see more fines in the near future for allegedly favouring its own services and products in search results and for practices related to its app ⁠store, ​both of which fall under the Digital Markets ​Act aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech.

The case is C-738/22 P Google and Alphabet ​v Commission.]]>
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			<title>Indonesia to restrict social media access for children under 16, minister says</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2596121/indonesia-to-restrict-social-media-access-for-children-under-16-minister-says</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2596121/indonesia-to-restrict-social-media-access-for-children-under-16-minister-says#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 26 09:20:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2596121</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[&quot;The process will be done gradually until all platforms perform their obligations&quot; said Indonesia's digital minister]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Indonesia will restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16, its communications and digital ministry said on Friday, making it the latest country to install online guardrails to reduce the risks of addiction and cyberbullying.

A number of governments have imposed curbs on social media for children amid mounting concerns over the impact that social media is having on the safety and mental health of minors.

Australia introduced a ban on social media for under-16s in December, and Spain also said last month that it would ban access to social media for minors under 16.

Indonesia&#39;s neighbour Malaysiaannounced in November that it would also ban social media for users under the age of 16 starting from 2026.

Meutya Hafid, Indonesia&#39;s Communications and Digital Minister, said in a video statement that the government will &quot;delay access&quot; to social media accounts for children under 16 through a ministerial regulation issued on Friday.

Starting March 28, accounts owned by children under 16 on &quot;high risk platforms&quot; will be gradually deactivated, Meutya said, adding the platforms include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Roblox.

&quot;The process will be done gradually until all platforms perform their obligations,&quot; she said, without elaborating on what they need to do to meet the new requirements.

&quot;We realise this may cause discomfort in the beginning. Children may complain and parents may be confused dealing with their complaints.&quot;

&quot;Our children are facing risks, from porn, cyberbullying, online fraud to most importantly, addiction,&quot; she said, adding Indonesia will be the first non-Western country to impose such restrictions.

TikTok, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and Roblox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The details of the new regulation have yet to be revealed. Ministry officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Internet penetration in Indonesia, a country of about 280 million people, reached 79.5% in 2024, according to a survey of 8,700 people by the Indonesia internet service providers&#39; association.

The survey showed 48% of children under 12 had access to the internet, with some respondents of that age group using Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The survey showed internet penetration stood at 87% among &quot;Gen Z&quot; users aged 12 to 27.]]>
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			<title>Norway imposes near ban on AI in elementary school</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614102/norway-imposes-near-ban-on-ai-in-elementary-school</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614102/norway-imposes-near-ban-on-ai-in-elementary-school#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 26 16:04:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614102</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said using AI risks young children skipping important steps in their education]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Norway is imposing a near ban on the use of generative AI tools by elementary school pupils while also restricting their use in the education of older children to prevent a negative impact on learning, the country&rsquo;s prime minister said on Friday.

Facing a broad decline in education test scores, the government in 2024 banned smartphones from schools and gave teachers more powers to enforce discipline in the classroom.

Using AI increases the risk that young children skip important steps in their education, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told a press conference.

&ldquo;The most important thing in school is that our children learn to read, write and do mathematics,&rdquo; Store said, adding that the new standards will be imposed from the new school year beginning in late August.

Read More: The Indian workers training AI robots to take their jobs

Pupils from first through seventh grade (ages 6 to 13) should generally not use AI, while those in lower secondary school (ages 14 to 16) may cautiously adopt tools under teacher supervision, the government said.

In upper secondary education (ages 17 to 19), students should learn to use AI appropriately to prepare for further education and work, it added.

Norway began adopting computers in classrooms in the 1990s and tablets after the introduction of the iPad from 2010 onwards, reducing reliance on books and handwriting.

But in a related statement, the government also said it will propose legislation to fund more use of books in classrooms, reversing the trend towards computer tablets.

The Norwegian government in April also announced plans to ban children from using social media until age 16, following similar moves by Australia and other countries.]]>
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			<title>Meta offers support for AI models as Pakistan deepens digital push</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2555152/meta-offers-support-for-ai-models-as-pakistan-deepens-digital-push</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2555152/meta-offers-support-for-ai-models-as-pakistan-deepens-digital-push#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 25 11:23:48 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2555152</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Meta presented its latest developments in AI, including LLaMA, generative AI tools, and Urdu-language AI models]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, met with a high-level delegation from Meta, led by Sarim Aziz, Director of Public Policy for South and Central Asia, to discuss strengthening Pakistan&rsquo;s digital infrastructure, scaling artificial intelligence adoption, and empowering youth through technology.

Meta presented its latest developments in AI, including the LLaMA open-source models, Generative AI tools for public sector innovation, and work on Urdu-language AI models.

The company also expressed interest in helping Pakistan build local AI capacity and expanding technical training initiatives.

Shaza Fatima reiterated the government&#39;s full commitment to a digital Pakistan, emphasizing that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally chairs weekly meetings on the country&rsquo;s shift toward a cashless economy.

She stressed that digital skills for youth remain a top national priority, and that public-private partnerships like this are essential to unlocking the country&rsquo;s future potential.

&ldquo;The effective use of AI is not optional&mdash;it is foundational for Pakistan&rsquo;s next phase of development,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Initiatives that enhance youth capacity and improve public service delivery are not just welcome&mdash;they&rsquo;re necessary.&rdquo;

Both sides agreed to explore deeper collaboration in digital skilling, AI adoption in governance, and innovation-driven partnerships that can accelerate Pakistan&rsquo;s digital transformation.]]>
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			<title>Spain to probe X, Meta, TikTok over AI-generated child sexual abuse material</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2593046/spain-to-probe-x-meta-tiktok-over-ai-generated-child-sexual-abuse-material</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2593046/spain-to-probe-x-meta-tiktok-over-ai-generated-child-sexual-abuse-material#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 26 09:05:05 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Announcement comes as European regulators are cracking down on big tech companies]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Spanish government has ordered prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta META.O and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday.

The announcement comes as European regulators are cracking down on big tech companies, alleging the prevalence of abusive practices on online platforms ranging from anti-competitive behaviour in digital advertising to deliberate design of addictive features on social media.

The three companies named by Sanchez did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

&quot;These platforms are undermining the mental health, dignity, and rights of our children,&quot; Sanchez wrote on his X account. &quot;The state cannot allow this. The impunity of these giants must end.&quot;

He said the government would ask prosecutors to &quot;investigate the crimes that X, Meta, and TikTok may be committing through the creation and dissemination of child pornography using their AI&quot;.

Read: France moves to ban social media for users under 15

Spain is not the only country probing sexually explicit content generated by Elon Musk&#39;s xAI chatbot Grok on X - other governments have launched investigations, bans and demands for safeguards in a growing global push to curb illegal material.

Earlier this month, Sanchez announced several measures aimed at curbing online abuse and protecting children, including a proposed ban on access to social media platforms for those under the age of 16.

On the same day, French police raided the offices of Musk&#39;s X and prosecutors ordered the tech billionaire to face questions in a widening investigation amid growing scrutiny of the platform by authorities across Europe.

In November, Sanchez said that Spain&#39;s parliament would investigate Meta for possible privacy violations of its Facebook and Instagram users.

Meanwhile, Ireland&#39;s Data Protection Commission said on Tuesday it had opened a formal investigation into Grok over the processing of personal data and its potential to produce harmful sexualised images and video, including of children.]]>
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			<title>‘The Core’: Al Jazeera rolls out AI system for news production</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2583477/the-core-al-jazeera-rolls-out-ai-system-for-news-production</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2583477/the-core-al-jazeera-rolls-out-ai-system-for-news-production#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 25 08:55:18 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Partnership aims to combine AI-driven content creation with human editorial expertise]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Al Jazeera Media Network has announced&nbsp;a new ArtificiaI Intelligence&nbsp;initiative,&nbsp;developed in&nbsp;partnership with Google Cloud&nbsp;aimed at integrating AI more deeply into newsroom operations.

The project, named &ldquo;The Core,&rdquo; was announced on December 15 as an integrative AI‑driven model designed to AI&#39;s role in journalism from a passive tool to an active partner in news production, while retaining editorial control.





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Built on what Al Jazeera describes as a &ldquo;cognitive operating model,&rdquo; The Core embeds generative AI across multiple stages of the news lifecycle, including information gathering, data analysis, content creation and distribution, with human editors overseeing all editorial decisions.

According to Al Jazeera and Google Cloud, The Core integrates Google&rsquo;s AI suite across six interdependent pillars that form the system&rsquo;s backbone. These include:


	AJ Now: a central platform that assists with suggesting questions, generating angles and drafting summaries, which will use Google Cloud&#39;s compute engine, Gemini Enterprise, Vertex AI Search and other generative tools.
	AJ‑LLM (Editorial Brain): a large language model (LLM) fine‑tuned on Al Jazeera&rsquo;s own archives to help with translation, summarisation and real‑time contextual analysis.
	AJ Vision: supports immersive content creation with generative AI tools, including Imagen, Veo, and others.
	AJ Data Lake: uses data analytics to uncover trends and support data‑driven reporting using BigQuery and Gemini Data Agents.
	Operations&nbsp;Engine: focused on automating internal workflows through Gemini for Workspace.
	Academic and Knowledge Arm: Offers training for journalists on advanced AI tools.


Some observers have raised questions about potential bias associated with the use of Google Cloud, citing the company&rsquo;s broader regional technology partnerships, including Project Nimbus. Al Jazeera has said the system&rsquo;s language model will be trained on its own editorial archives and remain under continuous human oversight, which it says will help mitigate such concerns.

Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani, director general of Al Jazeera Media Network, said the initiative reflected the organisation&rsquo;s ambition to build &ldquo;a global technological ecosystem&rdquo; that strengthens its position in the AI era, while preserving editorial judgment.

Alex Rutter, managing director for AI in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Google Cloud, said the initiative&rsquo;s tools were designed to reshape how journalists research, produce and publish news, as well as how audiences engage with it.

Under the expanded partnership, Al Jazeera will deploy Google Cloud&rsquo;s AI infrastructure and agent-based systems across its global operations. Both organisations stressed that editors and reporters would remain central to all editorial decisions, with AI serving a supporting role.

Details regarding data-centre locations, regional infrastructure and deployment timelines have not been publicly disclosed.]]>
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			<title>Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2583469/meta-is-earning-a-fortune-on-a-deluge-of-fraudulent-ads-documents-show</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2583469/meta-is-earning-a-fortune-on-a-deluge-of-fraudulent-ads-documents-show#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 25 06:33:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Meta internally estimated 10% of its 2024 revenue could come from scam-linked advertising, documents show]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Meta internally projected late last year that it would earn about 10% of its overall annual revenue &ndash; or $16 billion &ndash; from running advertising for scams and banned goods, internal company documents show.

A cache of previously unreported documents reviewed by Reuters also shows that the social-media giant for at least three years failed to identify and stop an avalanche of ads that exposed Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp&rsquo;s billions of users to fraudulent e-commerce and investment schemes, illegal online casinos, and the sale of banned medical products.

On average, one December 2024 document notes, the company shows its platforms&rsquo; users an estimated 15 billion &ldquo;higher risk&rdquo; scam advertisements &ndash; those that show clear signs of being fraudulent &ndash; every day. Meta earns about $7 billion in annualized revenue from this category of scam ads each year, another late 2024 document states.

Much of the fraud came from marketers acting suspiciously enough to be flagged by Meta&rsquo;s internal warning systems. But the company only bans advertisers if its automated systems predict the marketers are at least 95% certain to be committing fraud, the documents show. If the company is less certain &ndash; but still believes the advertiser is a likely scammer &ndash; Meta charges higher ad rates as a penalty, according to the documents. The idea is to dissuade suspect advertisers from placing ads.

The documents further note that users who click on scam ads are likely to see more of them because of Meta&rsquo;s ad-personalization system, which tries to deliver ads based on a user&rsquo;s interests.


Meta estimates that it shows its users 15 billion scam ads a day. These screenshots show false ads Meta removed from Facebook after Reuters flagged them. Spice maker McCormick confirmed the ad in its name was fake. Elon Musk, the White House and law firm Hogan Lovells had no comment. Screenshot via REUTERS

The details of Meta&rsquo;s confidential self-appraisal are drawn from documents created between 2021 and this year across Meta&rsquo;s finance, lobbying, engineering and safety divisions. Together, they reflect Meta&rsquo;s efforts to quantify the scale of abuse on its platforms &ndash; and the company&rsquo;s hesitancy to crack down in ways that could harm its business interests.

Meta&rsquo;s acceptance of revenue from sources it suspects are committing fraud highlights the lack of regulatory oversight of the advertising industry, said Sandeep Abraham, a fraud examiner and former Meta safety investigator who now runs a consultancy called Risky Business Solutions.

&ldquo;If regulators wouldn&rsquo;t tolerate banks profiting from fraud, they shouldn&rsquo;t tolerate it in tech,&rdquo; he told Reuters.

In a statement, Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the documents seen by Reuters &ldquo;present a selective view that distorts Meta&rsquo;s approach to fraud and scams.&rdquo; The company&rsquo;s internal estimate that it would earn 10.1% of its 2024 revenue from scams and other prohibited ads was &ldquo;rough and overly-inclusive,&rdquo; Stone said. The company had later determined that the true number was lower, because the estimate included &ldquo;many&rdquo; legitimate ads as well, he said. He declined to provide an updated figure.

&ldquo;The assessment was done to validate our planned integrity investments &ndash; including in combatting frauds and scams &ndash; which we did,&rdquo; Stone said. He added: &ldquo;We aggressively fight fraud and scams because people on our platforms don&rsquo;t want this content, legitimate advertisers don&rsquo;t want it and we don&rsquo;t want it either.&rdquo;

&quot;Over the past 18 months, we have reduced user reports of scam ads globally by 58 percent and, so far in 2025, we&rsquo;ve removed more than 134 million pieces of scam ad content,&rdquo; Stone said.

Some of the documents show Meta vowing to do more. &quot;We have large goals to reduce ad scams in 2025,&quot; states a 2024 document, with Meta hoping to reduce such ads in certain markets by as much as 50%. In other places, documents show managers congratulating staffers for successful scam reduction efforts.

At the same time, the documents indicate that Meta&rsquo;s own research suggests its products have become a pillar of the global fraud economy. A May 2025 presentation by its safety staff estimated that the company&rsquo;s platforms were involved in a third of all successful scams in the U.S. Meta also acknowledged in other internal documents that some of its main competitors were doing a better job at weeding out fraud on their platforms.

&ldquo;It is easier to advertise scams on Meta platforms than Google,&rdquo; concluded an internal Meta review in April 2025 of online communities where fraudsters discuss their trade. The document doesn&rsquo;t lay out the reasons behind that conclusion.

The insights from the documents come at a time when regulators worldwide are pushing the company to do more to protect its users from online fraud. In the U.S., the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Meta for running ads for financial scams, according to the internal documents. In Britain, a regulator last year said it found that Meta&rsquo;s products were involved in 54% of all payments-related scam losses in 2023, more than double all other social platforms combined.

The SEC and the UK regulator didn&rsquo;t respond to questions for this report. Meta&rsquo;s Stone referred Reuters to the company&rsquo;s latest SEC disclosures, which state that the company&rsquo;s efforts to address illicit advertising &ldquo;adversely affect our revenue, and we expect that the continued enhancement of such efforts will have an impact on our revenue in the future, which may be material.&rdquo;

The regulatory pressure on Meta to do more to fight scams occurs as the company, in a race with competitors, is pouring money into artificial intelligence and plans as much as $72 billion this year in overall capital expenditures. While acknowledging the spending is &ldquo;a massive amount of capital,&rdquo; chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has sought to reassure investors that Meta&rsquo;s advertising business can bankroll it.

&quot;We have the capital from our business to do this,&quot; he said in July, when announcing that to support AI, Meta was constructing a data center in Ohio that will be the size of New York City&rsquo;s Central Park.

In the internal documents, Meta weighs the costs of beefing up its enforcement of scam ads against the toll of financial penalties from governments for failing to protect its users.

The documents make clear that Meta aims to reduce its illicit revenue stream in the future. But the company is concerned that abrupt reductions of scam advertising revenue could affect its business projections, according to a 2025 document that discusses the impact of &ldquo;violating revenue&rdquo; &ndash; income from ads that violate Meta&rsquo;s standards, such as scams, illegal gambling, sexual services or dubious health products.

The documents note that Meta plans to try to cut the share of Facebook and Instagram revenue derived from scam ads. In the meantime, Meta has internally acknowledged that regulatory fines for scam ads are certain, and anticipates penalties of up to $1 billion, according to one internal document.

But those fines would be much smaller than Meta&rsquo;s revenue from scam ads, a separate document from November 2024 states. Every six months, Meta earns $3.5 billion from just the portion of scam ads that &ldquo;present higher legal risk,&rdquo; the document says, such as those falsely claiming to represent a consumer brand or public figure or demonstrating other signs of deceit. That figure almost certainly exceeds &ldquo;the cost of any regulatory settlement involving scam ads.&rdquo;

Rather than voluntarily agreeing to do more to vet advertisers, the same document states, the company&rsquo;s leadership decided to act only in response to impending regulatory action.

Stone disputed the strategy documents&rsquo; assertions that Meta should only act if forced. That isn&rsquo;t the company&rsquo;s policy, he said.

&quot;It is easier to advertise scams on Meta platforms than Google.&quot;
Internal Meta review from April 2025.

Meta has also placed restrictions on how much revenue it is willing to lose from acting against suspect advertisers, the documents say. In the first half of 2025, a February document states, the team responsible for vetting questionable advertisers wasn&rsquo;t allowed to take actions that could cost Meta more than 0.15% of the company&rsquo;s total revenue. That works out to about $135 million out of the $90 billion Meta generated in the first half of 2025.

&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be cautious,&rdquo; wrote the manager overseeing the effort, noting that the allowed revenue hit included both scam ads and &ldquo;benign&rdquo; ones that were mistakenly blocked. &ldquo;We have specific revenue guardrails.&rdquo;

Meta&rsquo;s Stone said that the 0.15% figure cited came from a revenue projection document and was not a hard limit.

Amid intensifying pressure to do more to combat scams on Meta&rsquo;s platforms, executives presented Zuckerberg with a plan in October 2024 for what they called a moderate approach to scam enforcement. Instead of a rapid crackdown, the company would focus its efforts on countries where it feared near-term regulatory action, according to a document that outlined the strategy.

Following the meeting with the CEO, Meta executives in charge of enforcing the integrity of the company&#39;s platforms settled on trying to reduce the percentage of revenue attributable to scams, illegal gambling and prohibited goods from an estimated 10.1% in 2024 to 7.3% by the end of 2025. By the end of 2026, Meta aims to further cut that figure to 6%, and then to 5.8% in 2027, the strategy memo and other documents show.



An excerpt from a November 2024 strategy document discussing Meta&rsquo;s scam ad revenue and legal risks. Screenshot via REUTERS

A surge in online fraud

In 2022, a document from that year notes, Meta discovered a six-figure network of accounts pretending to be members of the U.S. military deployed in war zones. The accounts were sending millions of messages a week trying to charm Facebook users into losing their money. Sextortion &ndash; in which scammers obtain sexual images of a user, often a teenager, under false pretenses and then blackmail them &ndash; also was becoming commonplace on Meta&rsquo;s platforms. And a torrent of fake accounts pretending to be celebrities or represent major consumer brands were bamboozling users worldwide.

But despite the surge in online fraud, another 2022 document notes the company&rsquo;s &ldquo;lack of investment&rdquo; in automated scam detection back then. Meta classified scam ads as a &ldquo;low severity&rdquo; problem &ndash; viewing them as a bad &ldquo;user experience,&rdquo; the document says.

Internal documents show that Meta directed staffers then to focus mainly on fraudsters masquerading as celebrities and usurping major brands. Such &ldquo;impersonation scams&rdquo; risked upsetting advertisers and public figures, one 2022 document notes, and thus threatened to reduce user engagement and revenue.

But ongoing layoffs at Meta were hindering enforcement. A planning document for the first half of 2023 notes that everyone who worked on the team handling advertiser concerns about brand-rights issues had been laid off. The company was also devoting resources so heavily to virtual reality and AI that safety staffers were ordered to restrict their use of Meta&rsquo;s computing resources. They were instructed merely to &ldquo;keep the lights on.&rdquo;

Stone said that while layoffs had occurred, the company had substantially expanded the number of staff addressing scam advertising in recent years.

Meta also was ignoring the vast majority of user reports of scams, a document from 2023 indicates. By that year, safety staffers estimated that Facebook and Instagram users each week were filing about 100,000 valid reports of fraudsters messaging them, the document says. But Meta ignored or incorrectly rejected 96% of them.

Meta&rsquo;s safety staff resolved to do better. In the future, the company hoped to dismiss no more than 75% of valid scam reports, according to another 2023 document.

Erin West, a former Santa Clara County prosecutor who now runs a nonprofit devoted to combating scams, said Meta&rsquo;s default response to users flagging fraud was to ignore them.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know I&rsquo;ve ever seen something taken down as the result of a single user report,&rdquo; she said.

Last October, a recruiter for the Royal Canadian Air Force woke up to find herself locked out of her Facebook account. The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of her military status, had been hacked.

Soon a picture of a fake employment badge with her face on it appeared on her account &ndash; along with the text, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m super happy to announce I&rsquo;m crypto currency certified.&rdquo;



A sign at Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California. &ldquo;We aggressively fight fraud and scams because people on our platforms don&rsquo;t want this content, legitimate advertisers don&rsquo;t want it and we don&rsquo;t want it either,&rdquo; says spokesman Andy Stone. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The recruiter said she immediately filed multiple reports with Meta. As weeks went by without a response, her account began claiming that she had struck it rich with crypto &ndash; even acquiring land for a dream home &ndash; and she wanted to give her friends the same opportunity.

The recruiter said her supervisor tried to get the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to help, but was told that Meta doesn&rsquo;t usually respond to hacked-account reports from the Mounties. So the recruiter warned her friends not to interact with her account and asked them to report her account to Meta, too.

Asked about the incident, the RCMP said it regularly raises reports of abuse on platforms such as Meta, but declined to comment on the specific case.

Nothing happened. After about a month, Mike Lavery, a former Canadian army officer who the recruiter had worked with years before, called her. He&#39;d lost C$40,000 (about $28,000) after investing in the crypto scam.

&ldquo;I thought I was talking to a trusted friend who has a really good reputation,&rdquo; Lavery told Reuters about the recruiter&rsquo;s hijacked Facebook account. &ldquo;Because of that, my guard was down.&rdquo;

The recruiter said she cried when Lavery told her what had happened. &ldquo;People were being harmed because they trust me,&rdquo; she said. She said she pleaded with friends to continue reporting her rogue account.

&ldquo;Dozens of people reported it, multiple times each,&rdquo; she said, estimating that Meta received more than 100 reports. By the time Meta finally took her hacked account offline, at least four other military colleagues had been defrauded, she said.

Brian Mason, an Edmonton Police investigator, was able to help track C$65,000 of the victims&rsquo; stolen funds to Nigeria. But recovering the money would likely be difficult or impossible, he told Reuters, because &ldquo;the money was converted into bank accounts in Nigeria that we can&rsquo;t touch.&rdquo;

Meta declined to comment on the air force recruiter&rsquo;s hacked account or its victims.

How meta polices fraud

Internally, Meta refers to scams like this one as &ldquo;organic,&rdquo; meaning they don&rsquo;t involve paid ads on its platforms. Organic scams include fraudulent classified ads placed for free on Facebook Marketplace, hoax dating profiles and charlatans touting phony cures in cancer-treatment groups.

According to a December 2024 presentation, Meta&rsquo;s user base is exposed to 22 billion organic scam attempts every day. That&rsquo;s on top of the 15 billion scam ads presented to users daily.

Meta polices fraud in a way that fails to capture much of the scam activity on its platforms, some of the documents indicate.

After police in Singapore gave the company a list of 146 examples of scams targeting that country&rsquo;s users last fall, Meta staff found that only 23% actually violated the platform&rsquo;s policies. The other 77% &ldquo;violate the spirit of the policy, but not the letter,&rdquo; a Meta presentation about the police reports notes.

The deceptive marketing flagged by Singaporean police that Meta didn&rsquo;t act on included &ldquo;too good to be true&rdquo; offers of 80% off a designer fashion brand, promotions for fake concert tickets, and job ads posted by entities falsely claiming to be major tech companies.

Other Meta safety staffers also documented instances in which the company&rsquo;s rules on scams didn&rsquo;t appear to cover obviously bad behavior. In April, staffers noted that they&rsquo;d discovered $250,000 in scam crypto ads from an account claiming to belong to Canada&rsquo;s prime minister.

&ldquo;Current policies would not flag this account!&rdquo; an internal document says. Meta&rsquo;s Stone said the ads were removed for other reasons. The prime minister&rsquo;s office didn&rsquo;t reply to a request for comment.



An excerpt from a 2025 document noting that Meta&rsquo;s rules on scams had &ldquo;gaps.&rdquo; Screenshot via REUTERS

The &lsquo;scammiest scammers&rsquo; list and &lsquo;penalty bids&rsquo;

Even when advertisers are caught red-handed, the rules can be lenient, the documents indicate. A small advertiser would have to get flagged for promoting financial fraud at least eight times before Meta blocked it, a 2024 document states. Some bigger spenders &ndash; known as &ldquo;High Value Accounts&rdquo; &ndash; could accrue more than 500 strikes without Meta shutting them down, other documents say.

Fraudulent ad campaigns can reach massive size: Four removed by Meta earlier this year were responsible for $67 million in monthly advertising revenue, a document reviewed by Reuters shows.

To draw attention to the company&rsquo;s perceived failures, an employee earlier this year began issuing reports highlighting that week&rsquo;s &ldquo;Scammiest Scammer.&rdquo; The report profiled whichever advertiser had earned the most user complaints about scams in the past week.

Colleagues praised the initiative. But being name-checked in the report wasn&rsquo;t always enough for such accounts to get shut down. A check by Reuters of five accounts cited in one Scammiest Scammer report found that two were still live more than six months later, including one that was running ads for unlicensed online casinos. After Reuters flagged those two accounts to Meta, they were taken down.

Reuters was unable to reach the entities behind the accounts.

The company last year developed a novel approach to reduce scam advertising and keep its enforcement costs low: It began charging suspected fraudsters more.

To advertise on Meta&rsquo;s platforms, a business has to compete in an online auction. Before the bidding, the company&rsquo;s automated systems calculate the odds that an advertiser is engaged in fraud. Under Meta&rsquo;s new policy, likely scammers who fall below Meta&rsquo;s threshold for removal would have to pay more to win an auction.

Documents from last summer called such &ldquo;penalty bids&rdquo; a centerpiece of Meta&rsquo;s efforts to reduce scams. Marketers suspected of committing fraud would have to pay Meta more to win ad auctions, thus impacting their profits and reducing the number of users exposed to their ads.

For Meta, the financial impact was mixed: While the company would sell fewer scam ads, it would make more money from those that it did, offsetting some of the lost revenue.

Stone said that the goal of the effort was to reduce overall scam advertising by making suspicious advertisers less competitive in Meta&rsquo;s ad auctions.

In the months following the implementation of the penalty bid program, Stone said, testing showed both a decline in scam reports and a slight decline in overall ad revenue.



Zuckerberg at a January 2024 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation. Regulators worldwide are pushing Meta to do more to protect users from child predators, online fraud and other risks. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein]]>
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