Facebook users experienced disruptions accessing the platform’s desktop version from Sunday noon due to server or technical issues. Many users reported encountering messages such as ‘account temporarily enabled’ or pages failing to load when attempting to log in. The issue appears to be linked to Meta’s backend updates or server malfunctions, according to the report.

Numerous users took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share their experiences using the hashtag #FacebookDown, posting screenshots of the error messages they received. Despite widespread user reports, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, had not issued any official statement regarding the cause or resolution of the problem at the time of reporting.

The outage has raised concerns among users who rely on Facebook’s desktop version for communication and business activities, though the duration and full extent of the disruption remain unclear.

The US government has approved the launch of a mirror satellite named Earendel-1, designed to reflect sunlight onto specific areas of Earth at night, according to a report by Petapixel. The satellite, roughly the size of a bedside table, will orbit about 400 miles above Earth and deploy a 60-foot-wide square mirror. It will direct sunlight to illuminate a circular patch about three miles wide, effectively turning night into day for limited zones.

Ben Nowak, co-founder of Reflective Orbit, said customers committing to at least 1,000 hours of annual use would pay $5,000 per hour for the service. While the cost—totaling $5 million per year—places it beyond most photographers’ budgets, authorities noted potential use in emergency situations. The US government also plans to launch up to 1,000 larger satellites in the future, each capable of reflecting light equivalent to 100 full moons.

Astronomers and biologists have voiced strong opposition, warning that such artificial illumination could disrupt natural light-dark cycles, harm wildlife, and alter human sleep patterns.

Saudi Arabia has introduced a new technology-driven service at the Grand Mosque in Mecca to assist Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. According to a Gulf News report published on Saturday, the initiative provides real-time crowd information for areas designated for Tawaf and Sa’i, allowing worshippers to choose less crowded routes and perform rituals more comfortably.

The authority responsible for maintaining the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque stated that the digital platform delivers live updates on crowd density and offers guidance to help avoid congestion. The service aims to enhance the overall experience of worshippers by improving movement and safety within the holy site.

Pilgrims can access the service through a QR code, which provides continuously updated information to facilitate smoother movement around the mosque. The system is expected to make crowd management more effective and ensure a more seamless and comfortable pilgrimage experience.

The United Kingdom government has announced a nighttime social media curfew for 16- to 17-year-olds, restricting access to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube from midnight to 6 a.m. Users will still be able to disable the restriction through account settings. The government also plans to deactivate features like auto-play and infinite scroll, which it says contribute to addiction. The proposal is expected to be introduced in Parliament by the end of 2026 and take effect next spring.

Officials argue that the curfew and related measures will help improve teenagers’ attention, sleep quality, and family life. The move follows a June decision to ban social media use entirely for those under 16. However, child protection advocates and experts have criticized the plan as insufficient, noting that teens can easily bypass the settings. Some politicians and academics have also questioned its practicality and potential unintended consequences.

Government ministers maintain that the policy will strengthen the UK’s global leadership in regulating technology companies and promote healthier digital habits among young people.

The Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) has demanded the immediate arrest of those involved in recent attacks, looting, and extortion targeting internet service providers across the country. The association warned that if the perpetrators are not arrested within seven days, customer support services will be suspended. The demand was made during a human chain organized by the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers Association in front of the National Press Club on Wednesday.

ISPAB President Aminul Hakim said that internet service is no longer a luxury but a vital part of banking, education, healthcare, government, and digital communication systems. He expressed concern over the growing number of attacks on internet infrastructure, offices, and workers, citing recent incidents in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi and Chattogram. ISPAB General Secretary Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan added that ensuring the safety of the internet business is the responsibility of the state and urged the government to take effective measures.

Speakers at the event emphasized that attacks on the internet sector go against national interests and called for swift government action to protect the industry.

The Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to arrest those involved in an extortion and attack incident at an internet service provider office in Chattogram. The warning came during a press conference held by ISPAB’s Chattogram division at the Chattogram Press Club on Tuesday. The association claimed that if the perpetrators are not detained within the deadline, internet services across the country could be disrupted due to growing insecurity among providers.

According to ISPAB, a group of assailants attacked the office of Digital DotNet in Chattogram on Monday afternoon, demanding around two crore taka in extortion. When the demand was not met, they vandalized the office, causing significant damage to equipment and furniture. ISPAB’s Chattogram division convener Rajib Shahriar Rubens said the incident has left many entrepreneurs and employees in the internet sector feeling unsafe.

The association demanded immediate arrests, exemplary punishment for those responsible, and stronger security measures for internet service providers to prevent further disruptions.

The European Union has announced plans to introduce new age-based restrictions on children's use of social media across its 27 member states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement in Brussels on Monday, describing it as potentially the EU’s most significant step yet to protect children from online risks. The proposal, prepared by two experts, recommends a gradual approach to social media access based on age.

According to the proposal, children under 13 would be allowed limited social media use only under the supervision of parents, guardians, or teachers. Restrictions would gradually ease as users grow older. Von der Leyen emphasized the need for age-appropriate rules and said the Commission would present a formal proposal after the summer, possibly detailing it in her upcoming “State of the Union” address in September.

The initiative follows similar actions or considerations in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, China, India, and the United States. Technology companies have stated that they already have measures and age limits in place to protect younger users.

Bangladesh and France have discussed expanding cooperation in digital technology, telecommunications, science, research, innovation, and skilled human resource development to strengthen their longstanding friendship. The discussion took place when French Ambassador Jean-Marc Serre-Charlet paid a courtesy call on Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday.

Minister Anam highlighted that an Earth Observation Satellite could play a vital role in disaster management, agriculture, land administration, and environmental protection. He said the government is assessing the feasibility of establishing such a satellite and prioritizing international collaboration. The minister noted France’s extensive experience in satellite technology and expressed hope for a new era of cooperation through knowledge and skill exchange.

Ambassador Serre-Charlet stated that France is ready to assist Bangladesh in feasibility studies, technology transfer, training, and capacity building for the satellite project. He added that the technology could support agriculture, disaster management, urban planning, border security, and maritime surveillance, and emphasized interest in joint research with Bangladeshi universities.

Wikipedia has come under renewed scrutiny in India after a defamation lawsuit filed by Asian News International (ANI) in 2024. The Delhi High Court warned that the platform could be banned in India if it fails to comply with national laws. This has reignited global debate over how Wikipedia operates and how reliable its information truly is.

Wikipedia, launched in 2001, is a free, open-source online encyclopedia managed by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation. It hosts over 60 million articles and receives more than 10 trillion monthly page views. Around 300,000 volunteers worldwide write and verify its content without pay, following strict editorial guidelines that require information to be based on reliable published sources. Disputed entries are reviewed by senior editors and marked accordingly.

While Wikipedia acknowledges that it should not be treated as a primary source, experts note that widely known topics tend to be more accurate due to frequent review. Critics have raised concerns about gender imbalance among contributors and ideological bias. The platform operates without ads, relying on user donations, and faces restrictions or bans in at least 13 countries, including China, Myanmar, and North Korea.

TikTok has released its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for the first quarter of 2026, detailing actions taken between January and March to maintain platform safety. According to the report, the company removed 13,218,004 videos from Bangladesh for violating community guidelines, representing about 0.8 percent of total uploaded content during that period. The platform’s automated moderation system identified and deleted 99.6 percent of these videos before any user complaints, with 94.4 percent removed within 24 hours. Following review, 320,593 videos were later reinstated.

Globally, TikTok deleted 184,012,576 videos during the same quarter, amounting to 0.5 percent of total uploads. The global rate of automated detection and removal stood at 99.3 percent. The company also deleted 86,288,705 fake accounts and closed 25,764,372 accounts suspected to belong to users under 13 years old.

In addition to video moderation, TikTok removed 237,517,128 comments worldwide, marking an increase from the previous quarter. The report noted that 18.6 percent of deleted videos contained sensitive content, while others violated safety, behavioral, or decency policies.

Telecommunication, Information Technology, and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam announced that the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant will be connected to Bangladesh’s national grid by the end of August. He shared the update on Tuesday morning during a discussion with ICT and telecom journalists at the ICT Tower in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The minister explained that the government is closely monitoring ongoing projects to prevent wasteful spending and ensure timely completion. As part of this effort, uranium has already been loaded into the nuclear reactor. If all processes proceed as planned, the plant will begin supplying electricity to the national grid by late August.

He also mentioned that, following the Prime Minister’s directive, work will soon begin on creating a “One ID” system that will store all information about a citizen from birth to death.

South Korea is set to launch its fourth medium-sized Earth observation satellite on Tuesday from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the United States, using a Falcon 9 rocket operated by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. According to South Korean media reports, the satellite weighs about 500 kilograms and has completed all functional tests and fueling over the past month. It is now fully prepared for launch.

The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) stated that the satellite will separate from the rocket approximately two hours and 22 minutes after liftoff. About 31 minutes later, it is expected to make its first contact with the ground control center via the Svalbard ground station. The satellite carries several domestically developed instruments, including a camera capable of capturing images of the entire Korean Peninsula every three days.

The satellite will support applications in agriculture and forest management, monitoring of forest changes, disaster response, climate change analysis, and public safety enhancement.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan stated that in the modern world, security is no longer confined to border defense or traditional systems. Speaking on July 1, 2026, at the launch of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party’s media cell ‘Prantik Konthoswor’, he said that digital leadership, cyber security, and technology-based skills are now the foundation of future security frameworks.

The minister described ‘Prantik Konthoswor’ as an integral part of the government’s broader plan for digital transformation and information management. He urged the Ansar and Village Defence Force to engage its large workforce in modern technology and digital communication for national development. Citing the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft, he emphasized that protecting digital infrastructure from cyberattacks is now more critical than physical security.

Swapan highlighted that technology evolves continuously and called for a shift from analog to digital thinking. He urged the new platform to maintain ongoing innovation and capacity building. State Minister Habibur Rashid and Ansar Director General Major General A.M. Sajjad Mahmud also spoke at the event, where the importance of combating misinformation was underscored.

Australia has strengthened its law prohibiting social media use by children under 16, doubling the maximum fine for violating platforms to 99 million Australian dollars. The revised legislation empowers the independent eSafety Commissioner to demand proof from social media companies on compliance measures and to conduct more effective investigations and enforcement actions. The government acknowledged that many minors continue to access restricted platforms despite the ban, which took effect on December 10 of the previous year.

Investigations have begun against major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube for alleged non-compliance. A report by the eSafety Commission found that seven out of ten under-16 users with pre-ban accounts still manage to access these platforms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells criticized major technology companies for failing to take sufficient steps to enforce the law.

Australia’s initiative has influenced other countries, with the United Kingdom announcing plans for a similar ban by spring 2027. The UK proposal also considers nighttime restrictions for users under 18 and measures to limit infinite scrolling.

Grameen Communications and Japan’s Wic Co. Ltd. have jointly initiated the launch of a digital social business platform named Spark, aimed at empowering Bangladeshis worldwide through technology, skill development, employment, and financial inclusion. A memorandum of understanding was signed on the sidelines of the second day of Social Business Day, according to a press release from Yunus Centre issued on Monday.

The agreement was signed by Yoshikane Nakamichi, Representative Director of Wic Co. Ltd., and Firoz Mahmud, Managing Director of Grameen Communications. The signing ceremony was attended by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chairman of Yunus Centre; Ashraful Hasan, Chairman of Grameen Group; Nazneen Sultana, Executive Vice Chairman of Grameen Communications; Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of Yunus Centre; and Dr. Asir Ahmed, Associate Professor at Kyushu University, Japan.

According to the release, the Spark platform will connect Bangladeshis across the globe in a unified digital ecosystem, enabling skill-based income, freelancing, and employment opportunities. It will also promote financial inclusion, micro-investment, and asset building to enhance long-term economic resilience.