During the drafting of Bangladesh’s Personal Data Protection Ordinance (PDPO) 2025, Meta repeatedly pressured policymakers to reduce the legal definition of a child’s age from 18 years. The company raised this issue in multiple high-level meetings, including those involving the US Embassy and bilateral discussions. Officials clarified that defining a child’s age falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, not the ICT division. Despite this, Meta did not explain why the change was so critical.

The article notes that Bangladesh has 70–80 million Facebook users, including 6–8 million minors aged 13–17. It argues that stricter child data protection limits Meta’s ability to profile users, monetize content, and train AI systems. The PDPO aligns with GDPR principles, requiring explicit user consent for data use and reuse, including AI training. The law also restricts child profiling and targeted advertising.

The report highlights broader global concerns about social media data use, citing cases in Australia and Europe. It concludes that Bangladesh’s data protection law aims to safeguard children’s digital rights and ensure accountability from global tech platforms operating in the country.

Meta is reportedly planning large-scale layoffs that could impact 20% or more of its workforce, according to three sources cited by Reuters. The move is said to be part of efforts to offset the company’s growing artificial intelligence infrastructure expenses and to prepare for efficiency gains expected from AI-assisted operations. No date or final figure for the job cuts has been set, and Meta has not commented on the reports.

If confirmed, the layoffs would mark Meta’s most significant workforce reduction since its 2022–2023 restructuring, when it cut about 21,000 jobs in total. The company employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been driving an aggressive push into generative AI, offering large compensation packages to attract top researchers and committing $600 billion to data center investments by 2028. Meta recently acquired Moltbook, a social platform for AI agents, and is spending at least $2 billion to buy Chinese AI startup Manus.

The reported cuts align with a broader trend among major U.S. tech firms, including Amazon and Block, which have also reduced staff while citing AI-driven efficiency improvements.

Verifick.com has introduced what it calls Bangladesh’s first AI-supported writing editor, designed to identify and disclose AI-generated content while preventing plagiarism. The platform, developed by Theorex Consulting, tracks the entire writing process, including typing speed, word count, and whether AI assistance was used or disclosed. It aims to make writing more transparent rather than simply detecting AI use.

The tool includes several features such as an AI Writing Editor that blocks cut, copy, and paste actions, an AI Detection system capable of analyzing up to 10,000 words, and a Trust Meter that monitors user behavior in real time. Users can also access a Writing Coach that provides professional suggestions and helps improve writing quality, provided AI use is disclosed. Payment for the service can be made through mobile banking, with monthly packages starting at 500 Bangladeshi taka.

According to Verifick.com, the platform seeks to promote ethical writing practices by combining AI detection with transparency tools that show how much of a text was written by a human versus AI.

Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) has launched a pilot program to provide high-speed satellite-based Starlink internet on three intercity trains. The service, introduced on Friday, allows passengers to access free Wi-Fi while traveling on the Parjotok Express, Upoban Express, and Bonolota Express. This initiative is part of the government’s broader plan to offer free Wi-Fi at all airports and railway stations across the country.

The trial was observed by Rehan Asif Asad, adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology. He stated that the government is taking various steps to enhance national connectivity, and the introduction of Starlink internet on moving trains is a continuation of that effort. Passengers can now connect easily by scanning a QR code. The service is currently in a testing phase and will be improved in the future.

BSCL Managing Director and CEO Imadur Rahman said the company is working to strengthen digital connectivity in line with the government’s manifesto.

Microsoft has announced the launch of Copilot Health, a new secure space within its Copilot platform designed to help users make sense of their personal health information. The service integrates medical intelligence to provide personalized, actionable insights based on users’ health records, wearable data, and medical history. Copilot Health aims to enhance doctor visits by helping users arrive better prepared with relevant questions and context. The rollout begins with a waitlist for early users in the United States.

According to Microsoft, Copilot Health consolidates data from over 50 wearable devices and more than 50,000 U.S. hospitals through HealthEx, as well as lab results from Function. It uses advanced AI, including the Microsoft AI Diagnostic Orchestrator, to identify health patterns and generate insights. The platform emphasizes privacy and security, with encrypted data storage, strict access controls, and no use of personal data for model training. It has achieved ISO/IEC 42001 certification for AI management systems.

Initially available in English for U.S. adults aged 18 and older, Copilot Health will expand to additional languages and regions in future phases. It is not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions.

The United Arab Emirates has arrested ten foreign nationals accused of publishing misleading and fabricated video clips on social media. According to the state-run Emirates News Agency, the arrests were ordered after the videos, which depicted false attack scenes, were deemed a threat to national security and social stability. Attorney General Hamad Al Shamsi has directed that the suspects face emergency trials.

Investigations revealed that the videos included scenes of air defense systems intercepting attacks, fallen missiles, and crowds, some of which were created using artificial intelligence to simulate explosions and assaults. Certain clips falsely suggested that incidents occurring abroad had taken place within the UAE, while others used emotional imagery involving children to imply security threats.

The UAE Public Prosecution has begun interrogating the suspects and ordered their detention. Authorities warned that spreading false information or endangering national security through digital or modern technologies will not be tolerated. Convicted individuals could face at least one year in prison and fines of up to 100,000 dirhams.

Facebook Marketplace has launched new Meta AI-powered tools designed to make selling faster and more efficient for users in the US and Canada. Sellers can now upload item images and let Meta AI automatically generate draft listings, fill in details, and suggest prices based on similar local listings. The platform also enables sellers to offer shipping with prepaid labels and manage all shipped orders through a centralized dashboard.

To improve communication, Meta AI can now draft and send automatic replies to buyer inquiries using information from the listing, such as item description, availability, pickup location, and price. Sellers can preview and edit these replies during listing creation. Additionally, Meta has introduced AI-generated profile summaries that display key details about a seller’s Facebook activity, including account age, friend count, and Marketplace history, to enhance transparency and trust.

These updates mark a continued evolution of Facebook Marketplace, which has been connecting millions of buyers and sellers for a decade and now hosts over 3.5 million daily listings across the US and Canada.

Google has introduced Groundsource, a new AI-powered methodology designed to improve the prediction of urban flash floods. Announced on March 12, 2026, Groundsource uses the Gemini model to analyze decades of public reports and Google Maps data, creating a high-quality historical dataset of flood events. The system identified over 2.6 million historical flood incidents across more than 150 countries and trained a new model capable of forecasting urban flash floods up to 24 hours in advance. These forecasts are now available through Google’s Flood Hub platform.

The initiative is part of Google’s broader Crisis Resilience efforts, which aim to provide early warnings for natural hazards. Groundsource addresses a long-standing data gap that had limited the ability to predict flash floods before they occurred. By transforming public information into structured datasets, the project enhances global preparedness and supports scientists and partners with an open-source benchmark for further research.

Google noted that the same AI-driven approach could be extended to other natural disasters such as landslides or heat waves, contributing to improved global resilience and disaster readiness.

Perplexity announced on Wednesday a new AI agent called Personal Computer, designed to run continuously and integrate local applications with Perplexity Computer. The system operates on Perplexity’s secure servers but is powered by Apple’s M4 Mac mini hardware. The company describes the platform as working within a secure environment that includes safeguards such as approval requirements for sensitive actions, full audit trails for each session, and a kill switch for user control. Each query runs in its own secure sandbox.

The announcement follows earlier social media interest in using Mac minis for AI workloads, including the open-source assistant Clawdbot. Perplexity claims its Personal Computer is “more powerful than any AI system ever launched.” However, details remain unclear regarding which Mac mini configuration is used, whether Apple supplies the hardware, and how the system will be sold. Currently, only a waitlist is available, with no pricing information disclosed.

Rumors also suggest Apple may soon release an M5 Mac mini, though Perplexity’s announcement does not mention chip specifications or configurations.

Star Cineplex is set to launch a new multiplex cinema branch in Narayanganj during Eid-ul-Fitr 2026, according to the company. The new branch is located at Simanto Tower in Jalkuri, Narayanganj, and will officially open on Eid day. It features three halls, two with 178 seats each and one with 75 seats, all equipped with modern sound systems, giant screens, and world-class facilities.

Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, Assistant General Manager of Media and Marketing at Star Cineplex, described the new branch as an Eid gift for Narayanganj residents, particularly for local movie lovers. He said the opening fulfills a long-standing demand from the area’s audience and reflects the company’s satisfaction in expanding as planned.

Ahmed added that Star Cineplex prioritizes high-quality viewing environments and advanced technology to meet evolving audience preferences. The company plans to open additional branches later this year, extending its presence from major cities to district and sub-district levels across Bangladesh.

Meta announced that it is expanding its custom silicon program with four new generations of Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) chips to be developed and deployed within the next two years. The new chips will support ranking, recommendations, and generative AI (GenAI) workloads, marking a faster release cycle than typical industry standards. MTIA 300 is already in production for ranking and recommendations training, while MTIA 400, 450, and 500 will focus primarily on GenAI inference production through 2027.

The company’s AI infrastructure strategy centers on a portfolio approach that combines its own MTIA chips with silicon sourced from other industry leaders. Meta has deployed hundreds of thousands of MTIA chips for inference workloads across organic content and ads, achieving higher compute efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to general-purpose chips. The modular design of MTIA allows new chips to integrate seamlessly into existing rack systems, reducing time-to-production.

Meta’s roadmap emphasizes rapid, iterative development, an inference-first design philosophy, and alignment with industry standards such as PyTorch, vLLM, Triton, and the Open Compute Project. This approach aims to sustain innovation speed and scalability as the company advances toward its goal of enabling personal superintelligence.

NVIDIA has launched Nemotron 3 Super, a 120‑billion‑parameter open model with 12 billion active parameters designed to power complex agentic AI systems at scale. The model, available immediately, integrates advanced reasoning capabilities to complete tasks efficiently and accurately for autonomous agents. It features a 1‑million‑token context window to maintain full workflow memory and prevent goal drift in multi‑agent applications.

Nemotron 3 Super employs a hybrid mixture‑of‑experts architecture that delivers up to five times higher throughput and twice the accuracy of its predecessor. Running in NVFP4 precision on the NVIDIA Blackwell platform, it achieves up to four times faster inference than FP8 on NVIDIA Hopper without accuracy loss. The model has achieved top rankings on Artificial Analysis and DeepResearch Bench leaderboards for efficiency and reasoning coherence. NVIDIA is releasing it with open weights under a permissive license, enabling deployment across workstations, data centers, and cloud environments.

Industry partners including Perplexity, Amdocs, Palantir, Siemens, and Dell Technologies are integrating Nemotron 3 Super into their AI ecosystems to enhance search, software development, cybersecurity, and manufacturing automation. The model is accessible through build.nvidia.com, OpenRouter, and Hugging Face.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)–affiliated Tasnim News reported that major US technology companies with alleged technological cooperation with Israel could be considered potential targets. The report stated that offices and cloud infrastructures of several US-based firms have been listed as facilities whose technologies were claimed to be used for military purposes, describing them as part of Iran’s new target list.

According to Tasnim, as regional conflict increasingly involves infrastructure, Iran’s definition of legitimate targets is expanding. The companies named in the report include Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle. The report also noted that parts of these firms’ cloud-based infrastructures are located in various Israeli cities and in several Gulf countries.

No immediate comment was available from the mentioned companies or the countries concerned, according to the report sourced from Al Jazeera.

China has released its 141-page 15th Five-Year Plan, presented at the National People’s Congress on March 5, outlining an ambitious strategy to dominate next-generation technologies, raw materials, and industries. The plan positions artificial intelligence (AI) as a central pillar across the economy, with goals to double humanoid robotics production within five years, accelerate quantum communication and nuclear fusion research, and advance brain-computer interface technologies. It also projects AI-related industries to exceed 10 trillion yuan in value during the plan’s term.

Analyst Shanaka Anselm Perera described the plan as a national technological mobilization rather than a mere economic policy, calling it a “war plan” that contrasts with the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. While Washington focuses mainly on semiconductor production, Beijing’s approach spans AI integration across heavy industry and services, investment in quantum computing, and control over critical raw materials, especially rare earth elements.

The plan strengthens China’s grip on rare mineral processing and export controls, potentially challenging U.S. defense supply chains that depend on these materials for systems like the F-35 fighter jet. Analysts warn this could reshape future power dynamics long before any battlefield confrontation.

ChatGPT has launched new interactive visual explanations to make learning math and science more engaging and intuitive. The update introduces dynamic visual modules for over 70 core concepts, allowing users to manipulate variables and observe real-time changes in formulas and graphs. These tools are available globally across all ChatGPT plans starting today, aiming to help users better grasp abstract ideas through hands-on exploration.

The announcement follows findings from a Gallup survey showing that more than half of U.S. adults struggle with math, and many parents lack confidence in helping their children learn it. ChatGPT already serves 140 million users weekly who rely on it to understand math and science concepts, prepare for exams, and explore new topics. The new feature builds on research suggesting that interactive, visual learning can strengthen conceptual understanding compared to traditional instruction.

Educators have noted that the feature emphasizes conceptual understanding by encouraging learners to explore deeper connections between ideas, helping them retain knowledge more effectively.