On CNBC’s Squawk Box, Joel Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs officer, detailed the company’s unprecedented $600 billion commitment to AI infrastructure over the next several years, with a significant portion earmarked for domestic data centers and chip R&D. Kaplan stated that Meta plans to create over 15,000 new U.S.-based engineering and operations jobs to support its AI push. The investment will fund expansion of hyperscale server farms in Virginia, Texas and Ohio and underwrite development of the next-generation AI accelerator chips powering Meta’s Llama language models. Kaplan reiterated Meta’s goal of delivering ‘personal superintelligence’—an AI that adapts to individual user needs—underscoring his belief that these capabilities will unlock new monetization streams through personalized ad experiences and virtual assistants embedded directly in Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Data from Sensor Tower shows that Reels accounted for 52% of all ad impressions on Instagram during 2025, up sharply from 35% the prior year, as advertisers redirected budgets to short-form video. In the U.S., Reels comprised 46% of time spent in the Instagram app—an increase of nine percentage points year-over-year—while on Facebook that figure climbed to 29%. Despite Reels’ lower monetization efficiency compared with the traditional Feed, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in October that combined Instagram and Facebook Reels ad revenues surpassed a $50 billion annual run rate. Analysts from Neuberger Berman and Sensor Tower believe the continued shift will drive overall ad spend growth even if per-impression rates remain lower than Feed placements.

According to Similarweb metrics reported on Jan. 18, Meta’s Threads app averaged 141.5 million daily active mobile users in early January, overtaking Elon Musk’s X platform, which logged approximately 125 million. Since its launch in 2023, Threads has leveraged Meta’s ecosystem integration—cross-posting from Instagram and shared identity infrastructure—to drive sustained adoption on iOS and Android. While X retains an edge in desktop visits with roughly 150 million daily web users, meta analysts note that Threads’ mobile momentum highlights Meta’s ability to challenge established rivals by bundling text-based social features with its broader app suite.

The UK Gambling Commission issued a public reprimand stating that Meta Platforms ‘turns a blind eye’ to illegal online casino advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, despite repeated takedown requests. In its notice, the Commission cited more than 200 instances of unlicensed gambling operators promoting services to U.K. users in late 2025 and warned that continued non-compliance could result in fines or platform restrictions. Meta responded by pointing to its AI-driven ad-screening tools and pledged to increase human review of high-risk ad categories, but offered no timeline for enhanced enforcement measures.