Also known as: Meta-hosted · Meta CEO · parent company Meta
Meta — technology company that owns WhatsApp, fined $567 million for child safety risks and facing security concerns from Somalia over WhatsApp username feature.
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The Namibian
Meta has rolled out a feature allowing up to four extra profiles per Facebook account
“parent company Meta has rolled out a fairly chunky change for the social media platform.”
Facebook will let you make up to four alternative profilesThe Namibian
Meta said in its announcement blog video messages are a real-time way to respond to chats with 60-second limit
“"Video messages are a real-time way to respond to chats with whatever you want to say and show in 60 seconds," Meta said in its announcement blog.”
WhatsApp’s new update lets users send each other short video messagesThe Namibian
Meta laid off 11,000 employees
“Since the end of the pandemic hiring spree, large numbers of employees have been fired from major tech companies, including Alphabet (12 000 employees), Amazon (18 000), Meta (11 000), Twitter (4 000), Microsoft (10 000) and Salesforce (8 000).”
Why is Big Tech firing employees by the thousands?A US judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567 million for its failure to warn the public about dangers its platforms posed to children, marking the largest fine of this kind.
11 August 2026 · Namibian Sun →
A US judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567 million for its failure to warn the public about dangers its platforms posed to children, marking the largest fine of this kind.
11 August 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Somalia's Communications and Technology Minister told the BBC that WhatsApp's planned feature allowing users to chat via usernames rather than phone numbers could pose a security risk and make it harder to counter criminals and militants. The government has approached Meta about its concerns, citing Somalia's reliance on mobile money and the risk of financial fraud and scams, particularly given al-Shabab's use of WhatsApp for extortion and propaganda.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
WhatsApp will allow users to chat using unique usernames instead of phone numbers, rolling out over the next few months to three billion account holders. Username reservation begins this week; the feature is optional and limited to 35 characters, with exceptions for certain high-profile officials and celebrities.
1 July 2026 · The Namibian →
According to his mandatory financial report for 2025, US President Donald Trump made more than $1bn from cryptocurrency dealings, including $635m in royalties from a Trump meme coin and over $500m from World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm founded by his sons and children of his special envoy. The White House denied he was profiting from the presidency.
1 July 2026 · The Namibian →
TikTok has removed 20 accounts after the BBC and researchers found dozens of unlabelled AI-generated videos of highly sexualised black female avatars on social media platforms, many linking to explicit content sites. Critics say the trend perpetuates racist exploitation and stereotypes of black women through exaggerated depictions and race-based terminology.
23 March 2026 · The Namibian →