Technology

Meta offers EU users ad-light option in push to end investigation

Source

Ars Technica

Published

Dec 8, 2025

TL;DR

AI Generated

Meta has agreed to offer European Union users an ad-light option in an effort to resolve an investigation by the European Commission. The social media giant's move comes after facing fines and regulatory scrutiny for its data tracking policies. The EU had previously fined Meta and ordered it to change its business model. The company's latest offer of reduced personalized advertisements aims to provide users with an alternative to data tracking or paying for an ad-free service. Regulators will review the changes before potentially closing the probe, signaling progress in the ongoing investigation.

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Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is cutting 8,000 jobs to pay for AI infrastructure — insatiable compute demand means the company can't rule out further headcount reductions

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced at a town hall that the company plans to cut 8,000 jobs due to the increasing costs of AI infrastructure. These layoffs will affect about 10% of Meta's workforce and are linked to the company's expanding AI budget. Zuckerberg mentioned that the focus on AI hardware is diverting funds from employee-related expenses, hinting at possible future reductions. Despite the layoffs, Meta reported strong Q1 earnings, raising questions about the necessity of the job cuts. The move highlights a broader debate about the role of AI in driving layoffs in the tech industry.

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Analyst: Xbox will start relying more heavily on ads for indirect monetization

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