Meta Misled Users Over Privacy, Content Policies, New Mexico Jury Finds

businessworld.in Sep 26, 2026

Meta Misled Users Over Privacy, Content Policies, New Mexico Jury Finds

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 26, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

A Santa Fe jury found Meta Platforms liable for misleading New Mexico residents about Facebook’s data handling and content‑policy enforcement, concluding the company violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act more than 43 million times. The verdict stems from a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Attorney General in 2021, rooted in the Cambridge Analytica scandal that exposed up to 87 million users’ information. Jurors determined that Meta’s public statements suggested users controlled their data and that the platform applied its rules uniformly, while evidence showed third‑party apps accessed data and enforcement was uneven, especially regarding hate speech and misinformation. Judge Francis Mathew will set the monetary penalty, with the state seeking up to $5,000 per violation, potentially exceeding $200 billion.

💡 Why It Matters

· The ruling underscores that even massive tech firms can be held accountable for deceptive privacy claims, forcing stricter scrutiny of their data‑sharing practices.

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Meta’s Muse Rally Tests Whether AI Spending Is Finally Turning Into a…

Meta’s shares jumped after the September 8 launch of Muse, its first consumer‑focused AI personal agent, marking the clearest test yet of the company’s AI spend. Investors, who have oscillated between optimism and concern throughout 2026, saw the stock rise 18% year‑to‑date despite volatility, reflecting renewed confidence that AI could become a revenue source beyond advertising. Muse moves beyond chat‑based tools, offering to manage email, complete online forms, navigate websites and coordinate digital services on a user’s behalf. The product leverages Meta’s extensive consumer reach across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, positioning the firm to capture a larger share of emerging consumer‑AI usage. Analysts, including Citizens’ Andrew Boone, liken Muse’s impact to prior inflection points such as Claude Code and ChatGPT.

💡 Muse shows Meta can turn its heavy AI outlays into a direct consumer offering, leveraging its platform ecosystem to generate new revenue streams.

techcrunch.com · Sep 26

At Meta Connect, the company’s smart glasses were everywhere

Meta dominated its Connect conference with a parade of smart‑glasses prototypes, signaling the company’s full commitment to wearable AI. Attendees, staff and influencers all wore the devices, and most demos required them. Among the highlights were unreleased audio‑only glasses that replace cameras with six microphones, addressing recent privacy criticism. The lightweight frames let users stream music, take calls and interact with Meta’s upcoming Muse personal agent, which can execute tasks and answer questions via voice. A second variant targets the hearing‑impaired, offering selectable focused or omnidirectional amplification at an estimated $150 price, far below typical hearing‑aid costs. Meta’s research team said development spanned five years, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that smart glasses represent the next computing platform.

💡 By swapping cameras for microphones, Meta directly tackles the privacy backlash that has stalled wearables, while the affordable hearing‑aid glasses open a massive, underserved market, giving the firm a realistic path to mainstream adoption.

techcrunch.com · Sep 25

Meta opens early access program for new Muse features

Meta announced an early‑access program for its Muse AI app at the Connect 2026 developer conference. Users can request participation by sharing a prompt on X or copying a pre‑written message. The program targets AI enthusiasts who will test new features before the public release. Muse’s upcoming capabilities include a digital avatar for video chat, expanded shopping partnerships, a Mac app that controls the computer, and integration with Meta’s AI glasses for voice‑activated commands. The initiative aims to gather feedback from a tech‑savvy audience.

💡 By inviting power users to test its newest tools, Meta can refine Muse’s functionality ahead of competitors, ensuring the platform meets the demands of early adopters who shape broader AI adoption.

techcrunch.com · Sep 25

Meta is putting its muscle behind Muse as the AI app takes…

Meta has accelerated the adoption of its AI chatbot Muse, pushing the app’s downloads from 2.5 million to over 3.4 million within a week after showcasing it at the Meta Connect developer conference. The event introduced new features such as video‑chat avatars, Mac support, a dedicated email address, partner integrations and future smart‑glasses compatibility. Market‑intelligence firms report varying totals—Sensor Tower cites 3.4 million installs, Apptopia 4.3 million, and Appfigures about 2.3 million—reflecting the app’s rapid rise in the U.S. and Canada. Daily active users jumped 27 % post‑conference, and Muse claimed the top spot on both the U.S. App Store and Google Play within weeks of launch, aided by Meta’s extensive cross‑platform house ads and external advertising that accounted for roughly 6 % of impressions.

💡 Muse’s meteoric climb demonstrates how Meta’s integrated promotion can fast‑track an AI product to market dominance, reshaping user expectations for conversational agents.

theverge.com · Sep 25

Meta employees ordered ‘attorney/client privilege’ hats while fighting child safety disclosures

Meta’s legal team has requested that documents related to alleged child‑safety violations be withheld under attorney‑client privilege. The request follows a lawsuit accusing the company of failing to protect teens from harmful content. Plaintiffs argue the privilege is over‑applied and cite a recently unsealed memo revealing internal discussions about the policy. The dispute highlights tensions over transparency and accountability in tech regulation. The case is part of a broader litigation wave targeting social‑media platforms for addiction, safety, and mental‑health concerns.

💡 The ruling could set a precedent for how much internal corporate debate is shielded from public scrutiny in tech‑industry lawsuits.

popsci.com · Sep 25

Meta’s new $1,300 VR Glasses will weigh less than a stick of…

Meta unveiled its next‑generation VR glasses at Meta Connect, promising a 100‑gram frame that relies on a detachable pocket‑sized puck for processing, battery and storage. The glasses will retail for $1,299.99 and launch in spring 2027, offering a “controller‑free” experience with built‑in micro‑OLED displays, pancake lenses, speakers and passthrough cameras. By moving the Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite chipset and a three‑hour battery into the puck, Meta claims the device is five times lighter than the current Quest 3, which weighs 515 grams, and rivals Apple’s Vision Pro in comfort. The announcement also included Ray‑Ban Meta Audio at $349, a third‑generation camera‑equipped Ray‑Ban model at $449, a Meta Ray‑Ban Display at $799, and a petabit‑per‑second transatlantic cable for future immersive content ecosystems worldwide.

💡 Reducing headset weight to sunglasses‑like levels could turn VR from occasional novelty into a comfortable, everyday medium for media consumption.