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Meta Announces WhatsApp Surpasses 3 Billion Monthly Active Users

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the messaging platform WhatsApp has surpassed 3 billion monthly active users on Wednesday. The milestone was shared during Meta’s Q1 earnings conference call, where the company also discussed its latest results and expectations for the upcoming period.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Meta announced WhatsApp surpassed 3 billion monthly active users during the last Q1 earnings call.
• Zuckerberg wants to expand in the U.S. and include more AI features.
• Many users have been engaging more with the new Meta AI function.

According to TechCrunch , WhatsApp’s user base has turned the platform into one of Meta’s most valuable businesses. The communication platform was purchased in 2014 for $19 billion and has been significantly growing since the acquisition.

The company recently expanded its AI features across more regions in Europe —after regulatory delays—, and more users have been using the technology through WhatsApp.

“We see people engage with Meta AI from several different entry points. WhatsApp continues to see the strongest Meta AI usage across our family of apps,” Meta’s CFO, Susan Li, said during the conference call.

The platform has been widely adopted in many countries, but Zuckerberg wants to expand more in the United States, where other messaging platforms prevail— WhatsApp reached 100 million users in the region last year.

“We hope to become the leader over time [in the U.S. messaging market], but we’re in a different position there than we are in most of the rest of the world on WhatsApp,” said Zuckerberg. “So I think that the Meta AI app as a standalone is going to be particularly important in the United States to establish leadership in — as the main personal AI that people use.”

Meta said WhatsApp provides a large portion of the company’s revenues and that the team is working on new features, like AI agents, to expand and engage more with customers.

The tech giant is currently facing an antitrust trial as it has been accused of building a monopoly after the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp .

Image by Kevin Horvat, from Unsplash

Cyberattack Hits Australian Banks: Employee Logins Stolen and Sold Online

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Cybercriminals stole login credentials from nearly 100 employees across Australia’s top banks, leaking them on the dark web and Telegram channels.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Nearly 100 Big Four bank employees had logins stolen by infostealing malware.
• Credentials were leaked on the dark web and Telegram for hackers to access.
• Most victims were current or former employees and contractors with email access.

Nearly 100 employees from Australia’s Big Four banks—ANZ, CommBank, NAB, and Westpac—have had their work logins stolen by cybercriminals, as reported by ABC News . The logins were taken using a type of malware called an “infostealer,” which secretly extracts valuable data from infected computers and phones.

ABC reports that these stolen login credentials were distributed through dark web forums and Telegram channels, providing hackers with easy access. The majority of those affected include active and former employees, as well as contractors who still maintain email access to corporate systems.

ABC previously reported that analyst Leonid Rozenberg described the situation as though hackers had an unrestricted entry point. Once access is gained, a hacker can install ransomware and steal large volumes of customer data.

Experts warn that even with multi-factor authentication (MFA) in place, security is not guaranteed—hackers need only one compromised login to breach a system. Rozenberg emphasized that attackers require just a single credential to carry out extensive damage, as reported by ABC.

The breach extended beyond direct bank employees. According to ABC, third-party service providers—including those handling communication and customer management—also had their credentials stolen. Rozenberg noted that attackers target not only direct bank access but also the external services banks rely on.

This discovery emerged after researchers found that the same malware had also stolen more than 31,000 banking passwords from customers, as noted by ABC. Cyber experts clarified that the malware resides on customer or employee devices, not on the banks’ internal systems.

According to Rozenberg, the malware poses a threat to any business, in any industry, anywhere in the world.