Apple Launches New Age Verification Tool | Meta Plans $35 Billion Data Center Push| The World Report

Apple is introducing "age assurance" technology to protect children's privacy on apps. The tool lets parents set a child's age in Apple accounts and share only an age range with apps, not full birth dates. This move comes as US states debate new laws requiring stricter age checks for social media and other platforms. Apple says its system avoids collecting sensitive data directly while still meeting legal needs. Meta welcomed Apple's step but wants app stores to handle full verification instead. In another development, Meta is in talks to raise 35 billion dollars to finance its massive data center expansion. Apollo Global is expected to lead the deal. With AI demands surging, Meta plans to spend up to 65 billion dollars this year on infrastructure, including a 10-billion-dollar AI data center in Louisiana. Meta says the Louisiana center's energy use will be fully offset with renewables. The funding talks come amid investor concerns over high costs and as rival Microsoft pulls back on some data center leases. Watch The World Report for the latest updates.