Meta tackles outage as new AI questions on Instagram emerge
Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, were hit by widespread technical problems on Sunday morning, July 19. Users in several countries reported being unable to access their accounts or log in, with the problems reportedly starting around 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. ekonomika.pravda.sk ↗
The outage mainly affected web access to Meta's services. According to available information, in some cases the social networks were only accessible via the mobile app. Thousands of problems were reported, and at the time of the first reports, no official statement was available from Meta. SITA ↗
The new development adds to broader pressure on the company. After a few days, Meta pulled the Muse Image tool, which allowed users to create images using artificial intelligence from public content on Instagram. The feature faced criticism for privacy violations, since for public accounts the option to use the content could be turned on automatically. ekonomika.pravda.sk ↗
At the same time, the company is introducing a safety measure for teenagers using its AI assistant. If a conversation indicates a risk of suicide or self-harm, a parent may receive a notification. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, restrictions on nighttime use of social networks for 16- and 17-year-olds are being prepared, covering the period between midnight and 6:00 a.m., including a break for chatbots. Tagesspiegel ↗
Meta is also facing a lawsuit from 26 former employees in California, who claim the company used artificial intelligence tools to evaluate workers during mass layoffs. The European Commission had previously preliminarily concluded that Instagram and Facebook may be violating EU digital services rules. In the United Kingdom, according to a Monday survey by the Fair Tax Foundation, two-thirds of respondents supported raising the digital services tax for large technology companies. novinky.cz ↗
The outage mainly affected web access to Meta's services. According to available information, in some cases the social networks were only accessible via the mobile app. Thousands of problems were reported, and at the time of the first reports, no official statement was available from Meta. SITA ↗
The new development adds to broader pressure on the company. After a few days, Meta pulled the Muse Image tool, which allowed users to create images using artificial intelligence from public content on Instagram. The feature faced criticism for privacy violations, since for public accounts the option to use the content could be turned on automatically. ekonomika.pravda.sk ↗
At the same time, the company is introducing a safety measure for teenagers using its AI assistant. If a conversation indicates a risk of suicide or self-harm, a parent may receive a notification. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, restrictions on nighttime use of social networks for 16- and 17-year-olds are being prepared, covering the period between midnight and 6:00 a.m., including a break for chatbots. Tagesspiegel ↗
Meta is also facing a lawsuit from 26 former employees in California, who claim the company used artificial intelligence tools to evaluate workers during mass layoffs. The European Commission had previously preliminarily concluded that Instagram and Facebook may be violating EU digital services rules. In the United Kingdom, according to a Monday survey by the Fair Tax Foundation, two-thirds of respondents supported raising the digital services tax for large technology companies. novinky.cz ↗
This summary was generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies. Please verify information in the original sources below.
Sources (3)
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| 11:50 17.07.
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denik.cz
| 10:58 19.07.
Facebook e Instagram “down” in tutto il mondo. Cosa sta succedendo
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| 10:45 19.07.
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