New York, February 10, 2026, 16:29 EST — After-hours
- Meta slipped roughly 1% post-close, underperforming the Nasdaq, which ended the session with milder losses.
- A German court has told a Meta network subsidiary to hand over roughly €30 million to Deutsche Telekom.
- India’s given platforms just three hours to pull down illegal content, starting Feb. 20.
Shares of Meta Platforms (META.O) slipped roughly 1% in late trading Tuesday, changing hands most recently at $671.01. The Facebook and Instagram parent faced a flurry of new legal and regulatory developments during the day.
The news hits just as the stock faces a rough patch. Big tech’s been a balancing act lately: investors weighing the promise of AI-fueled expansion against rising expenses—cash, headcount, and, increasingly, legal battles as regulators clamp down.
Stocks in the U.S. ended Tuesday on a mixed note. The Nasdaq slipped, while investors weighed unchanged retail sales figures and looked ahead to a postponed nonfarm payrolls release expected Wednesday. “Nobody wants to get too far above their risk budget,” said Mark Luschini, strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott. 1
A German court has ordered Meta’s Edge Network Services to pay Deutsche Telekom roughly 30 million euros for network services, a spokesperson confirmed. The dispute centers on peering points—those nodes where networks exchange traffic—and ties into telecoms’ broader push for Big Tech to shoulder more of the cost for broadband rollouts. Meta said it “fundamentally disagreed” with the ruling and is weighing its next move. 2
Elsewhere in Europe, WhatsApp secured support from the EU’s highest court for its appeal against a fine raised to 225 million euros ($268 million) by the region’s privacy regulator. The company’s spokesperson called the decision a positive step, emphasizing their commitment to the right to contest European Data Protection Board rulings. 3
Meta slammed EU antitrust regulators Monday after the company was hit with charges of violating competition rules, and regulators threatened to stop Meta from blocking rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp’s Business API. That interface lets companies connect their services directly to WhatsApp. “There is no reason for the EU to intervene,” a Meta spokesperson said by email. 4
The Indian government just slashed the window for social media companies to pull down unlawful content—now, they’ve got three hours after notification, a steep cut from the earlier 36-hour deadline. “It’s practically impossible for social media firms to remove content in three hours,” said Akash Karmakar, partner at Panag & Babu. The updated rules kick in February 20. Meta wouldn’t comment. 5
Meta’s legal battles in the U.S. are stacking up. This week in Los Angeles, a woman from California kicked off her suit against Meta and Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube, alleging the platforms were engineered to hook kids—Meta’s own CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly set to take the stand in their defense, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, over in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a separate jury listened to opening arguments from the state, which claims Meta reaped profits while exposing minors to sexual exploitation and damaging their mental health, Reuters added. 6
Meta’s Javier Olivan has put in a Form 144 to unload 517 Class A shares, according to another filing. The shares are set for sale through a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which automates the process. 7
Still, Meta’s fortunes can shift quickly. If advertising stays solid and the company persuades Wall Street that its AI bets are delivering real returns—beyond just bigger budgets—investors have a history of shrugging off turbulence. Legal fights? Appeals are always an option, and regulatory battles often stretch out for months. But a loss can still mean reworking products, or facing ongoing compliance expenses.
Looking ahead, Wednesday brings the U.S. payrolls report—traders are eyeing it for any ripple through mega-cap tech stocks. India’s so-called three-hour takedown rule is also on their radar; that kicks in February 20.
