The Rundown is reporting that Meta paused an employee tracking program after a permissions error exposed private data companywide. Wired said the initiative, known as the Model Capability Initiative, began in April and logged keystrokes, mouse movements, and screenshots from most U.S. employees for AI training. It said collected data, including private conversations, became visible to more workers than intended, leading to an internal backlash and a 1,500-person employee petition opposing the program before the breach. Meta classified the incident as a SEV 2 and stated there is no indication the data was improperly accessed.
The Rundown also said Instagram is expanding its TV app to Samsung devices and testing new long-form video formats, episodic series, and live creator programming. It noted that the TV app, previously limited to Amazon Fire TV and Google TV, now includes personalized channels and Stories support, with the ability to cast Reels from phones. Instagram is recruiting creators for episodic content, aiming to compete with streaming services for TV attention.
Additionally, The Rundown highlighted that Microsoft and Chevron signed a 20-year deal to build a 2.67-gigawatt gas-powered data center in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The Wall Street Journal said this could become one of the largest data centers in the U.S. The 2,000-acre Reeves County site will reportedly run on GE Vernova and Caterpillar turbines, powered by Chevron’s Permian Basin gas. The co-located design aims to deliver power directly to Microsoft, reducing grid impact and providing Chevron with stable cash flows.
Separately, The Rundown noted that Stanford researchers found that blocking an aging-related protein, 15-PGDH, led to the regrowth of lost knee cartilage in mice. It said this discovery offers hope for a drug to treat osteoarthritis without joint replacement surgery. The protein inhibitor is already in Phase 1 clinical trials for age-related muscle weakness and has shown a safe profile in healthy volunteers.
In other tech news, The Rundown reported that Oracle cut approximately 21,000 jobs, 13% of its workforce, in the past year, attributing some replacements to AI. It also said a Tesla crashed into a Texas home, killing a 76-year-old woman, with the company stating the driver, not Autopilot, was speeding at 73 mph; NHTSA is investigating. SpaceX saw about $400 billion wiped from its market value. WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart is stepping down, to be replaced by Kunal Shah. Lucid slashed 18% of its staff, around 1,500 jobs. Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot died at 69 in a plane crash. Rivian owners filed a class action suit alleging false promises of hands-free driving. Octopus Energy and CATL formed Swaptopus to roll out battery swap stations for heavy trucks across Europe. AI drug discovery firm Insilico Medicine signed a $2.5 billion deal with South Korea's SK Biopharmaceuticals. President Donald J Trump signed two executive orders to accelerate U.S. quantum computing, aiming for a powerful research-grade quantum computer by 2028. Italian software company Bending Spoons is seeking a $1.62 billion Nasdaq IPO at a roughly $19 billion valuation.