Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states over landmark teen social media addiction claims
Meta will pay $17 billion over ten years and implement stronger child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram to settle addiction claims from 47 states. The settlement resolves litigation alleging Meta intentionally designed addictive features that harmed youth mental health, with California receiving at least $1.5 billion.
Read full story →Meta just told some of its former managers to become managers again
Meta is asking some individual contributors in its Applied AI division to return to managerial roles after implementing a flat structure with up to 50 contributors per manager. The division, formed in March with 7,000 employees, previously eliminated management layers during its 2023 efficiency campaign.
Central Eurasia names its 2026 Road to Battlefield winners: Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ
Three startups,Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ,won the Central Eurasia regional final of Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026. They will compete at the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco this October.
China’s car exports beat last year’s record with four months to go
China exported over 6.2 million passenger cars in the first eight months of 2024, surpassing its entire 2023 export total with four months remaining. Plug-in hybrids drove much of Europe's growth, as these vehicles escape EU tariffs on Chinese cars.