Meta/Mark’s settlement, Target apologizes, and things we used to care about
Story of the Week (DR):
Meta settles social media addiction case with California, other states for $16.7 billion MM
5 Reasons to Be Happy
An $18 billion payout sets a historic legal precedent against Big Tech, directing billions in state funding toward youth mental health, counseling, and digital literacy programs.
Instagram and Facebook must enforce default two-hour daily usage limits and completely block account activity between midnight and 6 a.m. for users under 18.
Teens and parents gain the explicit right to disable addictive engagement algorithms in favor of a non-personalized, chronological feed.
The settlement prohibits harmful beauty filters (such as cosmetic surgery simulators), hides "like" counts by default, and silences app notifications during school hours.
Meta tied $5.3 billion of the payout to whether TikTok and YouTube adopt similar safety rules, forcing an industry-wide overhaul rather than penalizing just one app.
5 Reasons to Be Angry
Paid out over 10 years, the settlement amounts to roughly 10 days of Meta's annual profit, meaning Mark Zuckerberg's financial empire remains virtually unscathed.
Meta’s $17 billion child-safety settlement is the biggest tech payout ever—or 3x what it paid to acquihire a 28-year-old AI superstar
To put it in perspective, the $17.1 billion number is a little more than three times the roughly $5 billion personal stake that Alexandr Wang held in Scale AI, a data-labeling company that supplies the human-annotated training data AI models are built on. Last year, Meta paid $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in the company and brought in Wang to lead its AI efforts of its new Superintelligence Labs, reporting directly to Mark Zuckerberg.
Meta legally denies all wrongdoing, dodging true legal accountability for intentionally engineering addictive, mentally harmful features.
The agreement alters user interface features and screen time, but leaves Meta's underlying data-harvesting business model completely untouched.
Critical safeguards—like switching off algorithmic feeds—are opt-in settings rather than permanent defaults, shifting enforcement onto parents.
Meta only pays 70% ($12.7 billion) upfront; the remaining $5.3 billion is contingent on competitors settling on identical terms, giving Meta a potential financial discount if rivals refuse.
Worst headline of the week: Meta’s $17.1 billion settlement will be over 12-times larger than the second largest big tech privacy settlement in the past four years
Meta’s $18 billion settlement leaves out the child protections New Mexico already won at trial, its Attorney General says: including a direct ban on romantic and sexualized AI chatbot interactions with minors and stronger safeguards against adults targeting kids in private messages
MM: Settlement gaps
Age assurance:
Meta may elect to use one or more Proprietary Age Assurance Methods. In such event, Meta shall not benefit from the presumption of compliance set forth in Section II.A.3.a. Additionally, Meta will maintain continuous oversight of any Proprietary Age Assurance Method sufficient to ensure that the method is functioning as intended.
Tax deductible
The Settling States shall cause to be completed and timely filed a Form 1098-F with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) that identifies not less than 50% of the amounts paid to the Settling States as compensatory restitution and remediation within the meaning of 26 U.S.C. § 162(f)(2)(A)
THEY BUNDLED CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA INTO THE SETTLEMENT
$459m of the $17bn is the “Cambridge payout” - they can now put that behind them too
Is there a reason not to literally take Meta all the way? Why settle at all! Midterm elections? TAKE EVERYTHING!
Meanwhile, while you settle this: Meta’s creepy smart glasses are part of a much bigger plan
“At the same time, Meta is using the content generated across its ecosystem to support Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of a pervasive, AI-driven future. Zuckerberg’s 2026 manifesto describes a world where personal AI agents will do your bidding. But building those systems requires more than conventional AI models. It also requires enormous amounts of data about human behavior, much of it generated and shared through Instagram, Facebook, and other Meta apps, or captured through hardware such as phones, smart glasses, and EMG Neural Band devices.”
“We become “algorithm chow,” feeding the models intended to realize Zuckerberg’s vision.”
'We Know We Got This Wrong': Target Apologises and Pulls 'Offensive' Halloween Costume After Racist Backlash
An apology from us: We pulled an offensive Halloween costume that should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer for sale. As a company, we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.
Target Statement on Offensive Halloween Costume: As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.
The statement comes directly from Target’s Corporate Communications department speaking on behalf of the entire enterprise, rather than a single individual like the CEO or Board Chair. Corporate apologies are deliberately released without a human signature for several strategic and legal reasons:
Legal Personhood: Legally under U.S. law, Target Corporation is treated as a single legal entity (often called "corporate personhood"). It can sign contracts, hold liability, and issue official statements as an institution rather than as individual people.
Leaving executive names off the statement prevents media coverage from focusing on a specific person (e.g., "CEO Brian Cornell Apologizes"). It keeps the focus on the company's operational changes and prevents individual leaders from becoming personal lightning rods for public backlash.
These statements are rarely drafted by an executive. They are heavily scrubbed by legal counsel, crisis PR managers, and corporate strategy teams. Attaching a CEO's signature to a text engineered by a dozen lawyers and communications staff can actually feel less authentic internally.
Phrasing the apology around "we" and "the company" establishes institutional accountability. It signals that the failure occurred in corporate vetting systems, not just from one bad decision-maker.
In January 2025, Target Corporation announced the termination of its REACH initiative and restructuring of its Supplier Diversity program, marking one of the largest corporate DEI rollbacks in recent history. This decision has triggered public backlash, legal scrutiny, and investor uncertainty.
Callaway Golf CEO apologizes after Good Good ad showing male golfer shoving woman sparks backlash
Callaway Golf CEO Chip Brewer on Tuesday apologized for an advertisement that sparked an online backlash for its depiction of a male golfer shoving a female golfer to the ground when she attempts to use his driver.
"That approval should never have happened. Mistakes were made, and we are taking the matter very seriously," Brewer wrote on Tuesday. "I want to make it clear that we sincerely apologize for the video."
Callaway released a statement Thursday explaining its reasoning behind ending the brand partnership: "Over the last several days, we have reflected deeply on the hurt and disappointment caused by the video we reposted. We heard from individuals who shared personal experiences related to violence against women, and their stories were powerful reminders that this issue touches the lives of far too many people. Unequivocally, violence against women is unacceptable and should never be trivialized, normalized, or used as entertainment."
"In this instance, our content review process was not comprehensive enough …We have taken appropriate internal corrective actions and significantly strengthened our approval procedures to help ensure this does not happen again."
The brand added that it would donate $1 million to organizations that aim to "prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors, and advance education and awareness efforts."
The online video ad, which was released online and has since been pulled, sparked criticism for depicting violence against women, while some consumers said they planned to stop buying products made by Callaway.
Brewer said the ad, created by Good Good Golf, was released last week to promote a co-branded driver and had been approved by Callaway before the spot was posted online. The ad featured Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark telling Alexis Miestowski, a former Division I female golfer, in a menacing voice, "Do not touch my new driver," after he shoves her to the ground.
Good Good is an American sports YouTube channel and company based in Frisco, Texas. Founded in 2020 by Garrett Clark, Stephen Castaneda, CEO Matt Kendrick, and Matt Scharff.
Owner: Scoreboard ventures: co-founders Nahid Giga and Brian Dick
Lead Investor: Creator Sports Capital — a firm co-founded by former YouTube executive Benjamin Grubbs and investment executive Brian Kabot.
Good Good's CEO went nuclear on Callaway after the brand cut ties over an ad scandal
"Interesting that @CallawayGolf asks us to make an ad then approves it then asks us to take the fall then drops us in a coordinated media blitz and covers it up by giving a million dollars away thinking everyone will be ok with it," Matt Kendrick wrote in a post on X.
The ad fallout has had major repercussions for Good Good's business beyond the loss of its Callaway partnership. Dick's Sporting Goods yanked Good Good products from shelves, and the golf group pulled out as a title sponsor for a PGA Tour event in the fall. The reverberation has spread to the Golf Channel, which scrapped the upcoming season of its reality golf series "Big Break," whose grand prize was entry into the PGA Tour event that Good Good was supposed to have sponsored.
FFA:
14% have merit
2 women! (combined 6% influence)
Director Thomas Dundon 56% influence and 10% shares
Director Nominee Skills Matrix includes “Golf Enthusiast” (9/9)
Consumer Products Experience: 5/9
Bill Gates Warns Humanity About AI: ‘We Do Not Have the Luxury of Moving Slowly’
Bill Gates fears world leaders are unprepared for 3 major AI risks: ‘Stunted’ child development; emboldened criminals; and vanishing jobs for Gen Z
Bill Gates Issues Stark AI Warning: 'There Is No Plan' for What Comes Next
What did he say?
Gates warns AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever created or the worst source of global injustice, claiming world leaders are underprepared for the social upheaval ahead.
He proposes that governments legally set aside "human-reserved" job categories—similar to protected nature reserves—for roles requiring human empathy and connection, such as healthcare and teaching.
To offset tax policies that encourage replacing humans, Gates suggests taxing AI processing "tokens" and physical robots to fund worker retraining and stronger safety nets.
He categorizes AI’s biggest risks into three buckets: permanent job loss, empowering bad actors to launch cyber and biological attacks, and eroding child development.
Gates calls for an international AI regulatory agency—modeled after global aviation and nuclear inspection agreements—requiring tight cooperation between the U.S. and China.
He claims tech industry executives are downplaying catastrophic AI threats to public safety because there is too much money on the line.
Gates warns that agreeable AI companions risk becoming addictive to young people while weakening independent critical thinking.
‘We have a limited window': 116 companies, entities sign on to major AI cyber defense push
OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Advanced Micro Devices and more than 100 other companies and entities signed a letter on Thursday calling on businesses and policymakers to prioritize cybersecurity and “act decisively” to bolster defenses in the age of artificial intelligence.
“We have a limited window to strengthen cyber defenses,” the letter said
9% female CEOs:
Accenture: Julie Sweet (Chair/CEO)
AMD: Dr. Lisa Su (Chair/CEO)
Citi: Jane Fraser
Clearly AI: Emily Choi-Greene (Co-founder)
Equinix: Adaire Fox-Martin
FIS: Stephanie Ferris
General Motors: Mary Barra (Chair/CEO)
Lumen Technologies: Kate Johnson
Nationwide Building Society: Dame Debbie Crosbie
Oracle: Safra Catz
RunSybil: Ariel Herbert-Voss (Co-founder)
TrendAI (Trend Micro): Eva Chen (Co-founder)
Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):
DR: X Users Post Flock CEO's Address and Photos of His Home After He Says Americans Must 'Compromise' on Privacy
DR: Young People Hate AI CEOs So Passionately That It’s Almost Hard to Believe
CNBC survey asked over 1,000 US adults aged between 18 and 34 “who do you trust to act responsibly on AI?”
Palantir CEO Alex Karp 81 percent “don’t trust”
Peter Thiel 79% “don’t trust”
Mark Zuckerberg 71% “don’t trust”
Elon Musk 70% “don’t trust”
Sam Altman 69% “don’t trust”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella 65% “don’t trust”
fared the best — albeit with a pitiful 35 percent “trust” score.
DR: Jeff Bezos ordered to reinstate fired Black opinion writer at Washington Post over Charlie Kirk reaction
The ruling Thursday said the newspaper did not have sufficient cause to terminate Karen Attiah, who at the time was the last Black full-time member of the Post’s opinion desk. The arbitrator, Sarah Miller Espinosa, also ordered the Post to award Attiah full back pay and lost benefits.
After Kirk’s killing, Attiah, the founding global opinion editor for the Post and the newspaper’s only Black female opinion writer, made several posts to her Bluesky account.
Attiah was emailed a termination letter on Sept. 11, accusing her of “gross misconduct.”
“Your public comments on social media regarding the death of Charlie Kirk violate the Post’s social media policies, harm the integrity of our organization, and potentially endanger the physical safety of our staff,” the letter read.
MM: Flock CEO Says Americans Must 'Compromise' on Privacy; Then His Own Home Address Leaked Online DR
MM: Starbucks Drops Drink Powder That Enveloped Baristas in Clouds of Dust
Assholiest of the Week (MM):
Meta Settlement and AI earth destruction that has normalized what would have been horrific news, but now we shrug and re-elect the boards - SPEED ROUND!
The anti woke: Black Wealth Will Be 4 Times Lower Than Whites By 2050 - SHOULD CARE
Men: Real men don’t bike: How cars became the symbol of American manhood - DON’T CARE
Cowards: Deloitte to Pay $21.5 Million to End DOJ Fraud Investigation Over DEI Policies - SHOULD CARE
Epstein: Ex-Barclays boss denies having sex with woman dressed as Snow White after Epstein emails - SHOULD CARE
Epstein adjacent: Elon Musk’s xAI used child porn to train Grok models, lawsuit says - SHOULD CARE
Pay committees: CEOs earn 614 times more than workers at US’s 100 lowest-paying corporations - SHOULD CARE
Climate change: Study blames fossil fuel emissions for significant loss of American West's water - SHOULD CARE
Actual death: Turn Around and Don't Look': Amazon Accused of Letting Worker Die in Warehouse Amid 'Corporate Greed' Claims - SHOULD CARE
The anti labor: Disney celebrates blockbuster 2026 by kicking employees' spouses off healthcare plans - SHOULD CARE
The anti homeless: This Palantir Billionaire’s Passion Project is Criminalizing Homelessness - SHOULD CARE
Other social media companies: TikTok agrees to pay $400 million to settle Justice Department children's privacy case - DON’T CARE
“The lawsuit, related to compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, was filed by the Biden administration’s DOJ in 2024”
Headliniest of the Week
DR: Elon Musk's former right-hand man at X will give you 30 minutes of business advice for $15,000
MM: Boring
Trump Claims Junk Food Is 'Good' and Gym 'Boring' After Doctors Warn He Is 'Playing With Fire'
Elon Musk Says He’s Not Warren Buffett’s ‘Biggest Fan’ And Finds His Way of Getting Rich ‘Super Boring’ — ‘Does Anybody Want That Job?’
MM: What is a 'meat proxy'? The new term for coworkers who blindly share AI output
Who Won the Week?
DR: Futurism writer Frank Landymore for this headline: Bill Gates Announces That He Is the First Person Ever to Be Concerned About the Effects of AI after Bill said, “I am in a state of shock that I’m sort of the first one saying, ‘This is crazy. This is insane.'”
MM: Watches:
Sam Altman's love of watches is getting memed 'Lord of the Rings' style
Despite having a net worth of $400 million, Kevin O’Leary still shops at Walmart for $29 jeans: ‘I’m always looking for a great deal’
The picture in the article is him wearing not one, but TWO $15k Rolex watches, one on each wrist - the message: guy who buys jeans JUST LIKE YOU has multiple Rolexes - you should get one too!
Predictions
DR: I spend $15,000 for business advice from Elon Musk's former right-hand man at X and he tells me a really clever way to save $15,000
MM: French Canadiens, after getting the CEO of Air Canada fired and killing Trump trade talks, decide to make the United States a new Canadian province called New Quebec where French is the only legal language and renames Lake Superior “Lake French Superior”
