Yazılar

Meta to finalize nearly $30 billion financing deal for Louisiana AI data center

/in /tarafından

Meta Platforms is nearing completion of an almost $30 billion financing deal for its massive Hyperion data center project in Louisiana, in what would mark the largest private capital transaction in history, according to a Bloomberg News report on Thursday.

The financing package, led by Blue Owl Capital and Morgan Stanley, underscores the staggering scale of investment required to power next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure. Meta and Blue Owl will split ownership of the site in Richland Parish, with Meta retaining a 20% stake, Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The structure involves more than $27 billion in debt and about $2.5 billion in equity through a special purpose vehicle (SPV). Meta itself will not take on the debt directly but will remain developer, operator, and tenant of the project, which is expected to be completed in 2029.

The deal builds on Meta’s recent $1.5 billion investment in a Texas data center and highlights the growing competition among so-called hyperscalers—including Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet—to expand capacity for AI computing workloads.

According to Bloomberg, the financing’s final stage was completed on October 16, when PIMCO anchored the bond issuance, structured under Rule 144A, with other investors taking smaller allocations of the debt, which matures in 2049.

Meta, Blue Owl, and Morgan Stanley have not yet commented on the report.

Dutch Court Orders Meta to Simplify Facebook and Instagram Timelines

/in /tarafından

A Dutch court has ordered Meta Platforms to change how it presents Facebook and Instagram timelines, ruling that users must be given a simple and direct way to opt out of personalized content based on profiling.

The decision, issued on Thursday, found that elements of Meta’s current design violate the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping law intended to curb manipulative digital practices and increase user control over online platforms.

Under the ruling, Meta has two weeks to implement the changes in the Netherlands. Users must be able to select a chronological timeline or another non-profiled feed, and — critically — that choice must remain active instead of resetting when users close the app or browser.

The court said Meta’s practice of automatically reverting users to the algorithmic “recommended content” feed amounted to a “dark pattern”, a manipulative design that limits free choice and infringes on the right to freedom of information.

“People in the Netherlands are not sufficiently able to make free and autonomous choices about the use of profiled recommendation systems,” the court said.

The timing of the ruling was also significant: the court noted that these design practices could influence public opinion ahead of the Dutch general election on October 29, emphasizing the importance of media neutrality and user autonomy.

META TO APPEAL

Meta said it would appeal the decision, insisting it had already made substantial adjustments to comply with the DSA and had notified Dutch users about how to view non-personalized feeds.

“We introduced substantial changes to our systems to meet our regulatory obligations under the DSA,” a Meta spokesperson said. “Proceedings like this threaten the digital single market and the harmonized regulatory regime that should underpin it.”

Meta also argued that such rulings should be handled at the EU level rather than by individual member states, warning that fragmented national court decisions could undermine the DSA’s unified enforcement goals.

DIGITAL RIGHTS GROUP CELEBRATES

The Dutch digital rights organization Bits of Freedom, which filed the case, welcomed the court’s ruling.

“It is unacceptable that a few American tech billionaires can determine how we view the world,” said spokesperson Maartje Knaap, calling the decision a major victory for digital freedom and user rights in Europe.

The ruling marks a new milestone in the EU’s effort to hold global tech firms accountable under the DSA — and could inspire similar challenges in other member states as regulators and courts push for greater transparency and user control in digital platforms.

Meta to Use AI Chat Data to Personalize Content and Ads Starting December

/in /tarafından

Meta Platforms announced that beginning December 16, the company will start using users’ interactions with its generative AI tools to personalize both content and advertising across its major apps, including Facebook and Instagram.

The change — which will roll out globally except in the UK, the European Union, and South Korea — will apply to anyone who uses Meta AI, the company’s generative chatbot available via text or voice. Starting October 7, Meta will notify users of the update. However, there will be no option to opt out of this data integration.

AI INTERACTIONS TO SHAPE RECOMMENDATIONS

Meta said that user conversations with its AI — whether discussing travel, sports, or hobbies — will become an additional data signal alongside likes, follows, and other activity to help refine content recommendations and ad targeting.

For example, a user chatting with Meta AI about hiking might later see hiking-related groups, friends’ outdoor posts, or ads for hiking gear.
“People’s interactions simply are going to be another piece of the input that will inform the personalization of feeds and ads,” said Christy Harris, Meta’s privacy policy manager.

The company clarified that AI interactions involving sensitive topics — such as religion, sexuality, health, political affiliation, or ethnicity — will not be used for advertising purposes.

A MASSIVE PERSONALIZATION PUSH

The update is part of Meta’s broader strategy to make its AI ecosystem deeply integrated across all its apps. According to the company, Meta AI now has over 1 billion monthly active users, marking one of the fastest-growing AI deployments worldwide.

At the company’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the goal for 2025 is to make Meta AI the leading personal assistant, emphasizing personalization, natural voice interactions, and entertainment.

The integration comes amid a new phase of AI monetization among tech giants. Both Google and Amazon are already leveraging AI to boost cloud revenues, but Meta’s move is unique for its cross-platform scale and its decision to blend AI chat data with social and ad algorithms.

By combining behavioral, conversational, and contextual signals, Meta aims to offer advertisers more effective targeting while keeping users more engaged through hyper-personalized recommendations.