Mark Zuckerberg has an image problem - so why is Meta's business booming?

Filed by Dirk Danger

Meta faces a wave of lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny over claims its platforms harm young users, including a $18bn settlement with 48 states and a $942m judgment in New Mexico. Despite this, its apps are more popular than ever, with second-quarter revenue up 28% and user growth continuing. The company recently launched new AI products, including an agentic assistant called Muse, but this push may depend on rebuilding public trust, as the product requires access to credit card information and email inboxes. CEO Mark Zuckerberg remains unpopular, with a new film portraying him as a villain and two-thirds of Americans holding unfavorable views, yet Meta's business has so far proven resilient to bad publicity.