Global smartphone sales down 6%, ChatGPT shows left-wing bias

Global smartphone sales are set to hit their lowest point since 2013 as China’s economic headwinds weakened consumer spending worldwide. Total shipments of smartphones are expected to decline 6pc this year to 1.15bn units, according to figures from Counterpoint Research. Economic pressures in China have hit consumers’ spending on electronics, the consultancy said, triggering a slowdown…

Facebook not guilty of psychological harm, second hand EV sales surge

There is no evidence the global spread of Facebook is linked to widespread psychological harm, an Oxford Internet Institute (OII) study suggests. The research looked at how wellbeing changed in 72 countries as use of the social media platform grew. It counters the common belief that social media is psychologically harmful, the researchers argue. Several…

Facebook tops 3 billion users, Threads drops from 49 to 12 million users daily

Mark Zuckerberg’s social media empire has reported a jump in advertising revenues and said that 3 billion people are now regularly checking Facebook. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and newly launched app Threads, reported an 11pc increase to revenues in the three months ending in June. The company said the number of monthly users…

Meta to launch ‘Twitter-Killer’ app, Threads, this Thursday

Facebook owner Meta is launching its new app to rival Twitter and says it will go live on Thursday. The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram. Screengrabs show a dashboard that looks similar to Twitter. Meta describes Threads as a "text-based…

ShinyShiny snippets: Meta fined €1.2bn for mishandling data

Facebook's owner, Meta, has been fined €1.2bn (£1bn) for mishandling people's data when transferring it between Europe and the United States. Issued by Ireland's Data Protection Commission, it is the largest fine imposed under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation privacy law. GDPR rules require companies to seek people's consent before using their personal data.…

ShinyShiny snippets: Meta to cut another 10,000 jobs

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced that it will cut 10,000 jobs. It comes months after the tech giant laid off 11,000 employees in November 2022. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts would be "tough", and formed part of a "year of restructuring".In addition to the 10,000 jobs being lost,…

ShinyShiny snippets: Donald Trump allowed back on Facebook and Instagram

Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts will be reinstated after a two-year suspension following the 6 January insurrection. Facebook parent Meta said in a blog post on Wednesday it would be adding "new guardrails" to ensure there are no "repeat offenders" who violate its rules....Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, said Mr Trump is now…

ShinyShiny snippets: Twitter staff locked out of office until next week

Elon Musk has locked Twitter staff out of offices until next week as hundreds of employees reportedly resigned after being given an ultimatum by the billionaire. The closure until Monday was revealed in an email to staff and no reason was given. Hundreds of employees have quit the company after Mr Musk told staff they…

ShinyShiny snippets: Meta slashes 11,000 jobs to cut costs

Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has become the latest big tech player to wield the axe in the tougher global economy, laying off 13% of its workforce. The firm announced on Wednesday it will cut its global headcount by more than 11,000 employees as part of a wider shake-up of the business that…

ShinyShiny snippets: Disney+ subscriber numbers overtake Netflix

Walt Disney edged past Netflix with a total of 221 million streaming subscribers at the end of the most recent quarter and announced it will launch a Disney+ option with advertising this December. In the just-ended quarter, Disney+ added 14.4 million Disney+ customers, beating the consensus of 10 million expected by analysts polled by FactSet, as it…