FTC acts to block Meta from buying VR company, fitness app
2 years, 4 months ago

FTC acts to block Meta from buying VR company, fitness app

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Wednesday took legal action to block Facebook parent Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg from acquiring virtual reality company Within Unlimited and its fitness app Supernatural, asserting the deal would hurt competition and violate antitrust laws. The regulators said that Meta already is a key player “at each level of the virtual reality sector,” owning the top-selling device, a leading app store, seven of the most successful developers in the sphere and one of the best-selling apps of all time. In the complaint against the Within Unlimited acquisition, the FTC cites a 2015 email from Zuckerberg to key Facebook executives saying that his vision for “the next wave of computing” was control of apps as well as the platform on which those apps are distributed. The FTC action ensures that “Facebook earns, rather than buys, its place in the emerging virtual and augmented reality sector,” Krista Brown, senior policy analyst at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement.

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History of this topic

Meta to signal future of AR/VR investments at annual Connect conference
1 year, 2 months ago

Meta to signal future of AR/VR investments at annual Connect conference

The Hindu  

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday is set to update investors on his plan to build the immersive metaverse that he has pitched as the future of computing at the company's first in-person conference since the start of the pandemic. Announcements at Meta Connect, Meta's biggest event of the year, will indicate how Zuckerberg plans to navigate the shift this …

Meta shuts down three VR games without explanation
1 year, 3 months ago

Meta shuts down three VR games without explanation

India TV News  

Meta, previously known as Facebook, has surprised users by announcing the discontinuation of three virtual reality games—Dead and Buried, Dead and Buried II, and Bogo—without providing any explanation. Dead and Buried II, launched in May 2019, was a release title for the original Oculus Quest by Meta's in-house game development studio, Oculus Studios. Meanwhile, Meta has revealed plans to introduce …

FTC proposes ban on Meta profiting from minors’ data
1 year, 7 months ago

FTC proposes ban on Meta profiting from minors’ data

The Hindu  

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday accused Meta's Facebook of misleading parents about protections for children and proposed tightening an existing agreement on privacy to include a ban on making money from minors' data. Specifically, the FTC said Facebook misled parents about how much control they had over who their children had contact within the Messenger Kids app and …

Boost for Mark Zuckerberg as Facebook-owner Meta breaks year-long slump
1 year, 7 months ago

Boost for Mark Zuckerberg as Facebook-owner Meta breaks year-long slump

The Telegraph  

Shares in Facebook’s parent company Meta soared last night as it broke a losing streak to post its first rise in sales in a year. However, profits fell by 24pc and the company revealed a big drop in sales at its virtual reality division, showing that Mark Zuckerberg’s expensive bet on the metaverse is stuttering. The company’s overall revenue rise, …

Just 1% of teens use VR regularly in latest blow for Meta
1 year, 8 months ago

Just 1% of teens use VR regularly in latest blow for Meta

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Less than 1 per cent of US teenagers regularly use virtual reality headsets, …

Don't Focus On Teens With Metaverse: US Senator to Meta CEO Zuckerberg
1 year, 9 months ago

Don't Focus On Teens With Metaverse: US Senator to Meta CEO Zuckerberg

News 18  

US Senators have urged Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to stop plans to open its metaverse platforms to teenagers. Meta may open access to its social virtual reality platform Horizon Worlds for users aged 13 to 17 this month as it struggles to grow its VR business. According to TechCrunch, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey wrote a letter …

Meta to buy VR startup Within after favorable court ruling
1 year, 10 months ago

Meta to buy VR startup Within after favorable court ruling

Associated Press  

A federal judge has sided with Facebook parent Meta and cleared the way for the company to buy virtual reality startup Within Unlimited, the maker of the popular fitness app Supernatural. The FTC had argued that Meta’s acquisition of the small company — reminiscent of Facebook’s early purchases of Instagram and WhatsApp — would hurt competition in the emerging virtual …

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes witness stand in FTC case
2 years ago

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes witness stand in FTC case

Associated Press  

SAN JOSE, California — Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, took the witness stand Tuesday in a trial over U.S. antitrust regulators’ effort to stop the tech giant from buying a virtual reality startup called Within Unlimited. If the deal is allowed to go through, the Federal Trade Commission argues, it would violate antitrust laws and dampen …

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in FTC case to block virtual-reality deal
2 years ago

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in FTC case to block virtual-reality deal

Live Mint  

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the witness stand Tuesday in a case in which the Federal Trade Commission is seeking to prevent the social-media company from acquiring a virtual-reality startup. The FTC is seeking an injunction blocking Meta’s planned acquisition of Within Unlimited Inc., the company behind the popular virtual-reality fitness game “Supernatural." Mr. Zuckerberg said …

Frustrated virtual reality pioneer leaves Facebook’s parent
2 years ago

Frustrated virtual reality pioneer leaves Facebook’s parent

Associated Press  

BERKELEY, Calif. — A prominent video game creator who helped lead Facebook’s expansion into virtual reality has resigned from the social networking service’s corporate parent after becoming disillusioned with the way the technology is being managed. Carmack’s departure comes at a time that Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, has been battling widespread perceptions that he has been wasting billions of dollars trying …

FTC didn’t stop Facebook-Instagram. How about Meta-Within?
2 years ago

FTC didn’t stop Facebook-Instagram. How about Meta-Within?

Associated Press  

SAN JOSE, California — Facebook parent Meta is sparring with government regulators in federal court over its pending acquisition of a virtual reality fitness company Within Unlimited CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify as a witness at the trial in San Jose, California. At issue is whether Meta’s acquisition of the small company that makes a VR fitness app …

Meta battles U.S. antitrust agency over future of virtual reality
2 years ago

Meta battles U.S. antitrust agency over future of virtual reality

The Hindu  

The Biden administration on Thursday accused Meta Platforms Inc of trying to buy its way to dominance in the metaverse, kicking off a high-profile trial to try to prevent the Facebook parent from buying virtual reality app developer Within Inc. The FTC sued in July to stop the deal, saying Meta's acquisition of Within would "tend to create a monopoly" …

FTC challenges Meta acquisition of VR company in court
2 years ago

FTC challenges Meta acquisition of VR company in court

Associated Press  

Federal regulators opened their campaign to block Facebook parent Meta’s acquisition of a virtual-reality company Thursday in a San Jose, California, courtroom. In a landmark legal challenge to a Big Tech merger, the Federal Trade Commission has sued to prevent Meta’s acquisition of Within Unlimited and its fitness app Supernatural, asserting it would hurt competition and violate antitrust laws. “Meta …

Meta junked its app, buying Within to cut competition in VR market: US agency
2 years, 1 month ago

Meta junked its app, buying Within to cut competition in VR market: US agency

Hindustan Times  

The US Federal Trade Commission said Meta Platforms Inc. stifled competition when it halted plans to build its own virtual reality fitness app and opted to buy Within Unlimited Inc. instead. “Meta itself had the intentions to enter - and thus was a reasonably probable entrant into - the VR Dedicated Fitness App market,” the agency said in a court …

Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse buffers as Meta shares burn
2 years, 1 month ago

Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse buffers as Meta shares burn

The Hindu  

The early 90s ushered in the Internet era which enabled people to access content remotely from the world wide web. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse adventure is in some ways similar to the roughly three-decades old dial-up modem. Manufacturing virtual reality About a year ago, in an effort to push away the spotlight from whistle-blower Frances Haugen and her allegations …

Zuckerberg to testify in U.S. case against Facebook’s virtual reality deal
2 years, 1 month ago

Zuckerberg to testify in U.S. case against Facebook’s virtual reality deal

The Hindu  

Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg will testify in a case by the Federal Trade Commission that argues the company's proposed deal to buy virtual reality content maker Within Unlimited should be blocked. In a court document filed with U.S. District Court Northern District Of California on Friday, the FTC listed 18 witnesses it plans to question, including …

Mark Zuckerberg to testify in US case against Facebook's virtual reality deal
2 years, 1 month ago

Mark Zuckerberg to testify in US case against Facebook's virtual reality deal

Hindustan Times  

Meta Platforms Inc Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg will testify in a case by the Federal Trade Commission that argues the company's proposed deal to buy virtual reality content maker Within Unlimited should be blocked. In a court document filed with U.S. District Court Northern District Of California on Friday, the FTC listed 18 witnesses it plans to question, including …

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify in US case against Facebook’s VR deal
2 years, 1 month ago

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify in US case against Facebook’s VR deal

Live Mint  

Meta Platforms Inc Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg to testify in a case by the Federal Trade Commission that argues the company's proposed deal to buy virtual reality content maker Within Unlimited should be blocked. In a court document filed with US District Court Northern District Of California on Friday, the FTC listed 18 witnesses it plans to question, including …

Facebook owner Meta unveils $1,500 VR headset: Will it sell?
2 years, 2 months ago

Facebook owner Meta unveils $1,500 VR headset: Will it sell?

Associated Press  

Facebook parent Meta unveiled a high-end virtual reality headset Tuesday with the hope that people will soon be using it to work and play in the still-elusive place called the “metaverse.” The $1,500 Meta Quest Pro headset sports high-resolution sensors that let people see mixed virtual and augmented reality in full color, as well as eye tracking and so-called “natural …

Zuckerberg sets for 'Meta Connect' amid quality issues with VR project
2 years, 2 months ago

Zuckerberg sets for 'Meta Connect' amid quality issues with VR project

India TV News  

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to announce the company's progress towards building the $10 billion metaverse, as internal reports claim there are still several quality issues and those building the virtual reality social network at the company are barely using it. Zuckerberg will share updates on the VR developer ecosystem, the progress building toward the metaverse, and 'Project Cambria', …

FTC files slimmed-down complaint in fight with Meta over Within acquisition
2 years, 2 months ago

FTC files slimmed-down complaint in fight with Meta over Within acquisition

The Hindu  

Antitrust enforcers who have asked a federal judge to stop Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc from buying virtual reality content maker Within filed a shorter version of their complaint on Friday. The Federal Trade Commission had filed a lawsuit in July saying that Meta's acquisition of Within Unlimited Inc would "tend to create a monopoly" in the market for virtual …

Meta Platforms agrees to delay closing Within deal given U.S. challenge
2 years, 4 months ago

Meta Platforms agrees to delay closing Within deal given U.S. challenge

The Hindu  

Meta Platforms, the parent of Facebook which is making a big play for virtual reality, has agreed to delay closing its deal for Within Unlimited, maker of the popular fitness app "Supernatural," according to a court filing. The Federal Trade Commission had filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the deal in July, and had asked a judge in federal court …

Meta VR headset users will not require Facebook account to log in
2 years, 5 months ago

Meta VR headset users will not require Facebook account to log in

The Hindu  

Meta said its virtual reality headset users do not need a Facebook account to log into their headsets, which was a concern among several users. Some VR users will have to create a Meta account sooner than others, but they must be 13 or older to set it up. People new to Facebook’s VR devices or who have previously merged …

Meta announces new way to login to its Oculus VR system
2 years, 5 months ago

Meta announces new way to login to its Oculus VR system

Live Mint  

Meta Platforms Inc is modifying how users log onto its virtual reality headsets, backtracking on an earlier change to require accounts from the company's flagship Facebook app on the devices while preserving links to social connections there. The social media giant announced plans to remove the Facebook login requirement last year, after a backlash from users who had previously accessed …

Facebook’s parent company Meta tells hardware staffers to prepare for cutbacks
2 years, 7 months ago

Facebook’s parent company Meta tells hardware staffers to prepare for cutbacks

The Hindu  

Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc is preparing cutbacks in its Reality Labs division, a unit at the centre of the company's strategy to refocus on hardware products and the "metaverse," a spokesperson confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday. The world's biggest social media company last month told investors that it would scale back costs in 2022, following a drop in Facebook users …

Apple Calls Out Meta's Hypocrisy Over 47.5 Percent Commission On VR Purchases
2 years, 8 months ago

Apple Calls Out Meta's Hypocrisy Over 47.5 Percent Commission On VR Purchases

News 18  

Tech giant Apple has criticised Meta over the “metaverse" company’s plans to charge developers up to 47.5 per cent for virtual goods sold through the Meta Quest store. On Monday, Meta announced it would take an additional 17.5 per cent cut from goods sold in “Horizon Worlds" after taking a 30 per cent platform fee for being on the Meta …

Meta, formerly Facebook, faces historic drop as stock tanks
2 years, 10 months ago

Meta, formerly Facebook, faces historic drop as stock tanks

Associated Press  

Meta is putting a lot of virtual eggs — and billions of dollars — into the metaverse basket, and Wall Street is pretty anxious about it. At the same time, it invested more than $10 billion in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to transform Meta Platforms Inc. into a virtual reality — actually, make that “metaverse-based” — company. “Betting big …

In VR, there are no rules, so parents are making up their own
2 years, 11 months ago

In VR, there are no rules, so parents are making up their own

CNN  

CNN — Last summer, Allen Roach saw something that really disturbed him: His then-11-year-old son, Peyton, used a sword to slice off the arms and legs of characters in a virtual reality medieval fantasy game, Blade & Sorcery, then threw the dismembered digital bodies off a bridge. Apps may have their own safety features such as the ability to block …

Expect in 2022: Mark Zuckerberg launching new VR headset and talking big on Meta, VR headset from Apple, Google
2 years, 11 months ago

Expect in 2022: Mark Zuckerberg launching new VR headset and talking big on Meta, VR headset from Apple, Google

India Today  

In our top predictions for 2022, we had mentioned how we expect the metaverse concept to blow up this year. And since we are talking about names, no company has embraced the metaverse concept as dearly as Meta, formerly known as Facebook. Now that the concepts of the metaverse and virtual reality and augmented reality have become the buzzwords, it …

Mark Zuckerberg's 'metaverse' faces regulation, warns digital minister
2 years, 11 months ago

Mark Zuckerberg's 'metaverse' faces regulation, warns digital minister

The Telegraph  

Britain will seek to regulate the rise of the metaverse popularised by Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook under its flagship Online Safety Bill, the UK’s digital minister has confirmed. Chris Philp, the UK’s digital minister, said metaverse companies would fall under its plans to tackle online harms and bring regulation to Big Tech firms. He said: “One of the reasons we need …

Meta officially launches its Horizon Worlds metaverse app
3 years ago

Meta officially launches its Horizon Worlds metaverse app

Daily Mail  

It has been two years in the making, but Meta has official launched its Horizon Worlds metaverse app to the public. Horizon Worlds is far from a fully realized metaverse that CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions, which a future internet where online experiences like chatting to a friend would eventually feel face-to-face interactions. Scroll down for videos It has been two …

Metaverse could be an existential threat to Facebook, warns Meta
3 years, 1 month ago

Metaverse could be an existential threat to Facebook, warns Meta

India Today  

Meta chief technology officer and former Facebook employee Andrew Bosworth in an internal memo had noted that virtual reality can be a toxic environment, especially for women and minorities. The memo, which dates back to March noted that Metaverse would be an existential threat to Facebook if it turned off mainstream customers from the medium entirely. Bosworth later posted a …

EXPLAINED: What is Metaverse and Why Facebook/ Meta Thinks it's the Future of Internet
3 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINED: What is Metaverse and Why Facebook/ Meta Thinks it's the Future of Internet

News 18  

The term “metaverse” is the latest buzzword to capture the tech industry’s imagination — so much so that one of the best-known internet platforms is rebranding to signal its embrace of the futuristic idea. In an interview with The Verge, Zuckerberg said that “the metaverse isn’t just virtual reality” and would be accessible across various computing platforms like virtual and …

Facebook's Metaverse fortune is tied to Oculus
3 years, 1 month ago

Facebook's Metaverse fortune is tied to Oculus

The Hindu  

Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pressed the proverbial reboot button and rebranded the controversial social media giant. “Our estimate is that in aggregate we are underreporting iOS web conversions by approximately 15%; however, there is a broad range for individual advertisers,” said Graham Mudd, VP of Product Marketing at Facebook. The critical tool that will make Zuckerberg’s holographic future a …

Facebook invests billions in metaverse efforts as ad business slows
3 years, 1 month ago

Facebook invests billions in metaverse efforts as ad business slows

India Today  

Facebook said on Monday it will start breaking out the financials for its virtual and augmented reality unit, an announcement that comes as its main advertising businesses face "significant uncertainty." Facebook warned that Apple Inc's new privacy rules would weigh on its digital business in the current quarter, after the social media company reported quarterly revenue below market expectations. Chief …

Facebook Plans To Hire 10,000 People In Europe To Build Its ‘Metaverse’
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook Plans To Hire 10,000 People In Europe To Build Its ‘Metaverse’

ABP News  

New Delhi: Facebook has said it plans to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to build the "metaverse", a new computing platform that aims to connect people virtually. The hiring will be done over the next five years, Metaverse is a virtual reality version of the internet which Facebook visualises as the future. In a blog post, Facebook said …

Facebook accused of squeezing rival startups in virtual reality
4 years ago

Facebook accused of squeezing rival startups in virtual reality

Live Mint  

Virtual-reality startups are accusing Facebook Inc. of using a familiar playbook to muscle out rivals in what could be the digital platform of the future -- prompting a new line of scrutiny from US competition enforcers. “Our industry is getting eaten alive by Facebook,” said Cix Liv, who co-founded startup Yur Inc., which makes technology that can be integrated into …

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