Facebook

The firm said profits were $4.7bn (£3.5bn) in the three months to the end of September, up 80% year-on-year.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told investors the firm's investments in security would "impact" profitability.

US lawmakers are examining the possible use of the platform for Russian propaganda activities during the 2016 US presidential election.

"We're serious about preventing abuse on our platforms," Mr Zuckerberg said. "Protecting our community is more important than maximising our profits."

Once completed in 2020, the Jupiter cable will stretch for more than 14,000km and will be able to carry more than 60 terabits of data a second.

The two firms have joined Jupiter as part of plans to build their own global networks and cut data transport costs.

The cable is one of many in which the net's biggest firms, including Google and Microsoft, have recently invested.

Network edges

The regulators took issue with the messaging app's plan to share user data with parent company Facebook.

A group of watchdogs and regulators from EU nations, known as the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, said WhatsApp had not fixed issues raised.

WhatsApp and Facebook have yet to reply to the BBC's request for comment.

Facebook bought the messaging app in 2014 and pledged to keep it independent from its social network.

Now, you’ll be able to order food through the Facebook app itself. The company announced the recent development, which they have been testing for a year, in a blog post.

Contrary to what we initially assumed the services is actually a platform combining leading food delivery services like EatStreet, Delivery.com, DoorDash, ChowNow, and Olo, as well as, popular restaurants like Jack in the Box, Five Guys, Papa John’s, and Panera.

Mark Zuckerberg said the device, priced at $199, would be the “most accessible VR experience ever”.

Sales of the company’s VR hardware have been slow since launching the first Oculus Rift headset in March 2016.

"If VR doesn't go mass market at this price point, I think we can conclude that it never will,” said John Delaney, an analyst with IDC.

The existing budget way to get Facebook's VR is the Samsung Gear VR at $129 - but that requires a high-end Samsung smartphone in order to work.

First, the company admitted a “fail” when its advertising algorithm allowed for the targeting of anti-Semitic users.

Then on Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg said he was handing over details of more than 3,000 advertisements bought by groups with links to the Kremlin, a move made possible by the advertising algorithms that have made Mr Zuckerberg a multi-billionaire.

Gross misconduct, you might say - but of course you can’t sack the algorithm. And besides, it was only doing what it was told.

He also pledged to make political advertising more transparent on his network in future.

"We will work with others to create a new standard for transparency for online political ads," he said in a live address on his Facebook profile.

He said political advertising will now carry disclaimers about which campaign or organisation paid for it.

He added that the company was continuing to investigate instances of foreign actors abusing its advertising platform, including Russia and other "former Soviet states".

The company said $100,000 (£77,000) was spent on about 3,000 ads over a two-year period, ending in May 2017.

The ads did not back any political figures specifically, but instead posted on topics including immigration, race and equal rights.

Facebook said it was co-operating with a US investigation into the matter.

The advertisements directed users towards around 470 accounts that spread false information or were otherwise in breach of Facebook’s terms and conditions, the site said.

It covered the two years to May, encompassing the months leading up to the US presidential election. Facebook said it found no link to any presidential campaign.

The social media company said many of the ads promoted "inauthentic" accounts and pages and it had now suspended 470 such accounts.

The ads spread polarising views on topics including immigration, race and gay rights, instead of backing a particular political candidate, it said.

It's dubbed the Colorful Balloons app, and, according to the Chinese app store's description, it works similarly to Facebook's (FB, Tech30) Moments app.

"Colorful Balloons can group users' phone pictures and videos based on time, locations and characters. It can help you create albums and share them with friends and family," the description reads.

The story was first reported by The New York Times and person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNNMoney that it is a Facebook app. But the Facebook name is nowhere to be seen.