Meta’s Australian boss says the company remains focused on innovation and growth, despite a hefty US tax charge that shaved $16 billion off the tech giant’s quarterly profit.
Will Easton, Managing Director of Meta ANZ, said Australia remains an important market as the company leans into artificial intelligence and new wearable tech.
“We had a strong quarter, with our focus on driving growth with our advertising partners and our ongoing innovation agenda,” he said.
“This past quarter, we unveiled a new category of wearable AI products, including the Oakley Meta Vanguard and the Ray-Ban Meta 2.0 glasses… we can’t wait for more Australians to experience them.”
Ad revenue strong, profit hit by one-off charge
Meta’s quarterly revenue rose 26% year-on-year to US$51.2 billion, exceeding analyst expectations. However, according to news.com.au, the one-time US tax charge under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” dragged down net income, which would have otherwise reached US$18.6 billion.
Costs also rose sharply, up 32% to US$30.7 billion, as the company continues investing in AI infrastructure and talent. Capital expenditure is expected to hit between US$70–72 billion this year, marking Meta’s biggest push yet to position itself as a global leader in AI.
Zuckerberg focuses on ‘personal super intelligence’
CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors the company’s goal is to “establish Meta as the leading frontier AI lab” and deliver tools that will “improve the lives of billions of people around the world.”
Looking ahead, Meta expects fourth-quarter revenue to land between US$56–59 billion, driven by strong ad growth, though lower revenue is forecast from its Reality Labs division.
The company also flagged higher expenses in 2026 as it scales infrastructure and AI capacity, while navigating increasing regulatory scrutiny in the EU and US.
Facebook gets a facelift
The results come as the company unveils its first brand campaign for Facebook in four years.
The work, created by Droga5, aims to reintroduce the Facebook brand to young adults who had drifted away from the platform.
The launch film, ‘Home for the Holidays’, directed by Smuggler’s Miles Jay, captures hometown friends reuniting on Thanksgiving Eve, showing how small connections can grow into something bigger.
“It taps into a kind of nostalgia people have for human-to-human connection that frankly we feel like Facebook does better than other social media apps and is something worth talking about,” Briana de Veer, Facebook’s brand marketing global director, told Ad Age.
“It’s very much born from insights about how people are using the Facebook app to connect, but heightened in a way that punctuates this idea that those small, relatable moments can lead to really meaningful moments that otherwise might not happen.”