New film to revisit Facebook's impact; Manus AI refunds users and winds down accounts

The Oscar-winning filmmaker behind the 2010 movie The Social Network is taking on Facebook again. In recent interviews he has described the platform as "completely out of control" and accused it of knowingly amplifying rage bait. A follow-up film titled The Social Reckoning is scheduled for release in October, and a trailer is already available.

The film arrives amid continuing scrutiny of Meta, a sprawling empire that critics and former insiders have examined from many angles, including a recent tell-all book by a former employee that drew wide attention.

In AI industry news, Manus AI is refunding users and will terminate their accounts. The company, one of the most prominent agentic AI startups, was founded in China, relocated to Singapore, and was acquired by Meta in late December 2025 for about $2 billion. Regulators in China then intervened, forcing the acquisition to be unwound, leaving the business in limbo. Registered users have been emailed updates about the refund process.

In training news, a free live online session on human-centered marketing was held on Thursday, August 13 at 12pm PT, 3pm ET and 7pm UTC, covering approaches to attracting clients on social media and building trust, visibility and revenue without turning into a content machine. Registrants were promised a full replay, transcript and summary.