Meta apologised to the government during a Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting over the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post last week, days after receiving a government notice. The company said its deepfake detection mechanism mistakenly flagged the video, causing a technical glitch that temporarily removed the content. However, the parliamentary panel rejected the apology, saying accountability required more than an explanation. Members demanded that Meta identify responsible officials and face legal action. The committee also passed a resolution condemning the platform and urged Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to initiate strict action against Meta's officials, arguing that the incident warranted stronger regulatory and legal scrutiny than an apology alone. (PC: Times Now)

A Parliamentary Standing Committee has demanded a public apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook video, warning that the company’s safe harbour protection under Section 79 could be reviewed if it fails to respond. Committee chairman and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey called the incident “serious”, alleging it reflected an attempt to destabilise the country after the Prime Minister’s video remained unavailable for about five hours. Meta has maintained that the removal resulted from an internal technical glitch and was unrelated to any government request or content moderation decision. The company restored the video within hours and issued an apology for the error. (PC: Music Tech)

Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf has described the recent cyberattack involving rogue OpenAI AI models as a "wake-up call" for the technology industry. The incident occurred after OpenAI said some of its advanced AI models escaped a secure testing environment and launched an unauthorised cyberattack during a trial. Wolf said Hugging Face faced around 17,000 attacks from multiple IP addresses before containing the breach. OpenAI is investigating the incident with Hugging Face. Security experts say the case highlights growing risks from autonomous AI systems and the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures and improved safeguards across the industry. (PC: BBC)

OpenAI said some of its advanced AI models escaped a controlled testing environment and hacked AI company Hugging Face. The company called it an "unprecedented cyber incident" and said the models acted on their own to complete testing goals. Hugging Face earlier said the attack was "different from anything we had handled before." The platform hosts open-source AI models and datasets. OpenAI said the models reached the internet despite being in an isolated environment. Both companies are now investigating the incident. OpenAI also said it would strengthen its safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Bengaluru-based startup Vimag Labs is developing software-defined, magnet-free electric motors to reduce dependence on China's dominance in rare earth minerals used for EVs. Instead of permanent magnets, the company's patented technology uses copper coils, steel and proprietary software to generate magnetic fields, delivering comparable performance while enabling over-the-air updates and potentially improving driving range. Founded after pandemic-related supply disruptions, Vimag says its motors can be manufactured entirely in India using conventional materials and electronics. The startup has secured five Indian patents, is testing its technology with leading EV manufacturers, and plans to ship between 1,000 and 10,000 motors this year as it scales production and prepares a fresh funding round. (PC: India Today)

The Centre has issued a notice to Meta, directing Instagram to immediately remove all paid advertisements and content facilitating Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM), sources said. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also ordered action against any algorithmic amplification of sexually exploitative content and sought a detailed explanation from Meta within seven days. According to sources, failure to provide the required information could invite action under the Information Technology Rules and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The notice follows allegations that paid Instagram advertisements promoted child sexual abuse content, with officials rejecting any defence that the material originated from third-party sources. (PC: Times Now)

The Indian government has directed Meta to pause any further rollout of WhatsApp’s proposed username feature and submit an explanation within three days, according to sources. The move comes as authorities seek clarity over the feature’s implications before allowing its wider deployment. Officials have reportedly asked Meta to explain how the usernames system will function and address any concerns linked to its implementation. The government’s intervention temporarily halts the rollout while awaiting the company’s response. The development remains ongoing, with additional details expected after Meta submits its explanation. Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the specific concerns behind the directive or announced any final decision on the feature. (PC: X)

Apple has sharply increased prices of several products in India, making the country one of the hardest-hit markets in its latest global price revision. Prices of MacBooks, iPads, Apple TV and HomePod devices have risen by 14% to 70%, depending on the model. The company said rising memory and storage chip costs, driven by strong demand from the AI industry, forced the increase. Apple said it had absorbed higher component costs for months but could no longer avoid raising prices. The latest hike does not affect iPhones. Analysts say other technology companies may also increase prices if component costs remain high. (PC: economic times)

Anthropic has accused Chinese tech giant Alibaba of using nearly 25,000 fake accounts to extract capabilities from its Claude AI model through around 28.8 million interactions between April 22 and June 5, 2026. According to Reuters, Anthropic alleges the effort was aimed at improving Alibaba’s AI systems through “distillation,” a technique where smaller models learn from advanced AI outputs. The company claims individuals linked to Alibaba’s Qwen division accessed Claude using fraudulent accounts and raised the issue with US lawmakers ahead of an AI security hearing. Anthropic previously voiced similar concerns involving other Chinese AI firms, intensifying debates over AI competition, intellectual property, and national security. (PC: Inspired Pencil)

Entrepreneur and Kunal Shah, founder of fintech platform CRED, has been appointed as the new global head of WhatsApp, becoming the first Indian to lead the messaging platform. He will succeed Will Cathcart, who will transition to a newly created Meta division focused on next-generation products. The leadership change comes alongside Meta Platforms' $900 million investment in CRED, securing a 20% minority stake and valuing the fintech company at $4.5 billion. Shah will step away from day-to-day responsibilities at CRED while remaining a shareholder. The move marks a significant leadership shift for WhatsApp as Meta expands its ambitions across messaging, payments, business services and AI-powered products. (PC: X)