Gasgoo Munich-Meta Platforms raised its annual capital spending forecast on Wednesday, signaling plans to pour billions into artificial intelligence infrastructure—even as it braces for potential losses from a global youth backlash against social media.
The parent of Facebook and Instagram now expects capital expenditures for 2026 to land between $125 billion and $145 billion, up from a prior range of $115 billion to $135 billion.
Image source: Local information platform
Shares tumbled more than 6% in after-hours trading.
Meta also cautioned that legal and regulatory backlash in the European Union and the United States—following years of criticism over child safety on social media—"could have a material impact on our business and financial results." "We continue to face scrutiny regarding youth-related issues, with more lawsuits pending in the U.S. this year that could ultimately lead to significant losses," the company stated.
