AI Cloud Boom, TikTok Deal Near, Oracle–Meta Talks, H-1B Shock, Meta Ad Outrage

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How AI startups are fuelling Google’s booming cloud business
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• Google Cloud is seeing strong growth thanks in part to AI startups choosing it as a provider; recently added customers include “Lovable” and “Windsurf.”

• The cloud division is now growing rapidly — in 2024 Google pulled in about $43.2B in cloud services, up from ~$33.1B in 2023, and has lined up ~$58B in projected new revenue over the next two years.

• To attract startups, Google offers incentives such as up to $350,000 in cloud credits, dedicated clusters of Nvidia GPUs, and integration with its Gemini models.

TikTok deal signed soon, includes U.S. control of algorithm, White House says
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• A deal is close in which TikTok’s U.S. platform will become majority owned by Americans and its core algorithm will be under U.S. control.

• Oracle is set to handle TikTok’s data and security under the agreement.

• Details are still being negotiated, including who will comprise the ownership group; mixed messages from Chinese officials suggest uncertainty remains.

Oracle in talks with Meta for $20B cloud computing deal
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• Oracle and Meta are reportedly in advanced negotiations over a multiyear cloud computing contract valued at around $20 billion, for handling Meta’s AI workloads.

• The deal would help Meta scale its infrastructure (especially for its Llama models), and would mark Oracle gaining ground among the major AI infrastructure providers.

• Oracle’s cloud business is growing fast (e.g. 55% growth for its cloud infrastructure unit) and is making heavy investments in data centres to meet AI demand.

Amazon, Google, and Microsoft warn employees to rush back to the US
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• The U.S. administration has announced a change: employers must pay a $100,000 fee per H-1B visa application, starting Sept 21, 2025; this has caused big tech firms to warn visa-holders to stay in the U.S. or return before the deadline.

• Memos from Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and others advised employees with H-1B (and some with H-4 dependent visas) to avoid international travel and/or try to get back into the U.S. before Sept 21 to avoid complications.

• The fee rule applies to new visa petitions; there is confusion and concern among visa holders and companies about how this will be enforced, and some legal challenges are anticipated.

Parents outraged as Meta uses photos of schoolgirls in ads targeting man
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• Meta used photos of schoolgirls (as young as 13) in school uniforms to advertise its Threads app to a 37-year-old man, via Instagram posts public (or cross-posted) from parents. Parents were unaware the photos could be used in this way.

• Many parents describe the use of the images as exploitative, upsetting, or sexualised; the images were used as “bait” in ads, according to critics.

• Meta’s defense is that the photos were publicly shared (or settings allowed public posts), they didn’t violate policy, and users have controls over privacy/recommendations. But the incident has sparked calls for regulatory scrutiny, especially under children’s safety and harms codes.