iWorld
2016’s top moments on Facebook
MUMBAI: Each year, Facebook reviews the moments, events and trends that people shared and talked most about. Today, we’re excited to share those top moments from 2016. The top moments represents most talked about, shared and discussed topics that dominated the year that went by.
The methodology to determine the top trenders is simple. The top 10 moments of this year’s Year in Review were measured by how frequently a topic was mentioned in Facebook posts made between 1 January and 27 November, 2016. To put this list together, mentions were analyzed in an aggregated, ‘anonymised’ way and then ranked to create a snapshot of the year on Facebook. The top 10 Live videos were measured by total cumulative views.
While across the world, US Presidential Election, Brazil’s politics and Pokemon Go ruled conversations, in India, things were mostly festive this year with the top trending topic in the country being ‘Diwali’ followed by what Indian follow religiously ‘Cricket’. Uri Attacks and surgical strikes were the third most talked about topic on FB, given its grave significance, in the backdrop of the current nationalistic wave. Here is the full list.
Top 10 most talked about topics from India in 2016 on Facebook:
1. Diwali
2. Cricket
3. Uri attacks and surgical attacks
4. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Movie)
5. Hardwell (India Tour)
6. Priyanka Chopra
7. Rio Olympics
8. Pokemon Go
9. Pathankot
10. iPhone 7 launch
Global Top Moments on Facebook
1. US Presidential Election
2. Brazilian Politics
3. Pokemon Go
4. Black Lives Matter
5. Rodrigo Duterte & Philippine Presidential Election
6. Olympics
7. Brexit
8. Super Bowl
9. David Bowie
10. Muhammad Ali
This year was also the first time Facebook had introduced its live video options, and thus the top live videos warrant its own list.
Top 10 live videos on Facebook from India:
https://www.facebook.com/ajaz.qamer/videos/1769859169954467/
https://www.facebook.com/sonakshisinhaofficial/videos/10154155457904701/
https://www.facebook.com/AmitabhBachchan/videos/1440239589343159/
https://www.facebook.com/IamSRK/videos/1660059270686996/
https://www.facebook.com/aajtak/videos/10154902993692580/
https://www.facebook.com/KajolDevgan/videos/1756974501230484/
https://www.facebook.com/BollywoodTabloidOfficial/videos/1183974758358529/
https://www.facebook.com/aajtak/videos/10154980331897580/
https://www.facebook.com/AAPkaArvind/videos/1129804343783728/
https://www.facebook.com/AjayDevgn/videos/1067612059943103/
Top 10 global live videos:
1. Candace Payne, Chewbacca Mom
2. Ted Yoder, Soundscapes
3. Buzzfeed, Countdown to the next presidential election
4. Atlanta Buzz, People are lining up to hug police officers in Dallas
5. NBC News, Election results
6. Under the Hood, Video of a truck completely carved out of wood
7. Viral Thread, Population count from US to CA
8. CNN, Election results on Empire State building
9. Dena Blizzard, Pokemon Go for moms ”Chardonnay Go”
10. Super Deluxe, Election map
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
