Tag: whatsapp

Apple Opposes UK Push to Bypass End-to-End Encryption, Says It Will Remove iMessage and FaceTime: Report

Apple has strongly opposed a move by the British parliament to amend an act that would allow the government to order messaging services to weaken the encryption that protects their users. The Cupertino company said it will not compromise the end-to-end encryption that it offers to its iMessage users for one country. UK lawmakers are looking to weaken encryption of messaging services in an attempt to catch criminals, as part of proposed amendments to an existing law.

The Online Safety Bill, which contains proposed amendments to the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016, has reached the UK parliament for consideration and the government has started a consultation process that will take eight weeks to conclude. One of the proposed amendments will involve requiring services like iMessage and Signal to install technology that will monitor child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on their platforms.

Apple has submitted a detailed, nine-page long note arguing that this demand from the UK government would violate the promise of privacy that it gives to its users, according to a BBC report.

The proposed changes include backdoors into encrypted messaging apps, along with asking companies to reveal details about any new security features they might be planning to deploy to their respective platforms. It is worth noting that creating a backdoor for law enforcement or other forms of lawful interception would also create vulnerabilities that could be misused by hackers and cyberciminals.

Apple has additionally said that it was not willing to weaken its security measures for users globally, specifically for one country.

The iPhone-maker has threatened to remove support for iMessage and FaceTime in the UK, if the government pushes through with the proposed changes to the IPA Act.

Meredith Whittaker, the president of the Signal messaging app was quick to retweet BBC’s report on the issue, applauding Apple’s stern stance against the demands of the UK government.

Previously, Whittaker has also reacted in a manner similar, stating that Signal would rather walk away from the UK, then agree to the proposed changes.

Meta-owned WhatsApp has also opposed the UK’s request to let officials snoop on WhatsApp users’ conversations that are currently protected by end-to-end encryption.

The UK government’s eight-week-long consultation process will take into account the views of the industry. The Home Office responded to the BBC stating that the IPA Act was created to protect the public from “criminals, child sex abusers and terrorists” and that “no decisions have yet been made” while referring to the consultation that is part of the review process.

Will the Nothing Phone 2 serve as the successor to the Phone 1, or will the two co-exist? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Meta’s Twitter-Rival Threads App Said to Skip Launch in EU

Facebook owner Meta‘s new Threads app, meant to rival Twitter, will not be available in the European Union when it launches Thursday because of regulatory concerns, a source close to the company said.

The app is seen as the biggest challenge yet to Twitter since the takeover by Elon Musk sent the social media platform, hugely popular with politicians and celebrities, into chaos.

A source close to Meta said Wednesday that the tech giant was holding back from a Threads release in the EU’s 27 countries as it sought clarity on the bloc’s Digital Markets Act that will come into full force next year.

The DMA is a landmark law that sets strict rules for the internet’s biggest companies in Europe.

One of those regulations prohibits platforms from sharing data across different services. It also restricts companies directing platform users to their own products.

The description of Threads on app stores in the United States indicated that a user’s personal data, including contact and geolocation information, will be collected and used for advertising purposes.

Meta has already run afoul of EU rules for its attempts to use data from WhatsApp to strengthen Instagram and Facebook, something European regulators forbade it from doing.

A spokesman for Ireland’s Data Protection Commission told the Irish Independent that Meta confirmed that it would not be releasing the app in Europe “at this point”.

Ireland is home to Meta’s EU headquarters, and the national regulator is in charge of oversight of the company in Europe.

Contacted by AFP, Meta did not immediately comment. 

Meta was one of seven companies, including Amazon and Apple, that informed the EU on Tuesday that they meet the threshold to come under the new rules when they come into force next year.

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Meta Loses Antitrust Case in Top EU Court Over 2019 German Privacy Breach Checks

Antitrust authorities overseeing firms such as Facebook owner Meta Platforms are entitled to also assess privacy breaches, Europe’s top court ruled on Tuesday, potentially handing them more leeway in Big Tech probes.

The ruling followed a challenge by Meta after the German cartel office in 2019 ordered the social media giant to stop collecting users’ data without their consent, calling the practice an abuse of market power.

The case before the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) looked at whether the German antitrust agency overstepped its authority by using its antitrust power to address data protection concerns, which are the remit of national data protection authorities.

Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, challenged the finding, prompting a German court to seek advice from the CJEU.

In response to the ruling, a Meta spokesperson said: “We are evaluating the Court’s decision and will have more to say in due course.”

The CJEU judges said regarding antitrust investigations that “it may be necessary for the competition authority of the member state concerned also to examine whether that undertaking’s conduct complies with rules other than those relating to competition law.

The CJEU, however, said antitrust regulators must “take into consideration any decision or investigation by the competent supervisory authority pursuant to that regulation”.

The German cartel office welcomed the ruling.

“Data is a decisive factor in establishing market power. The use of the very personal data of consumers by the large internet companies can also be abusive under antitrust law,” its head, Andreas Mundt, said.

Thomas Graf, a partner at law firm Cleary Gottlieb, was more cautious about whether antitrust authorities would want to go into the details of privacy law.

“You still need to explain why it is relevant for antitrust law and demonstrate restrictive effects and abuse, and they will need to coordinate with the GDPR authorities,” he said.

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a privacy and security law that imposes obligations on organisations anywhere that target or collect data related to people in the EU.

“Are antitrust authorities going to become GDPR regulators? I don’t think so,” Graf said.

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) also welcomed the ruling: “In a complex digitalised economy, more than ever we need authorities to think outside the box and to consider data protection,” BEUC Deputy Director General Ursula Pachl said.

The case is C-252/21 Meta Platforms and others (User conditions for a social network).

© Thomson Reuters 2023

From the Nothing Phone 2 to the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, several new smartphones are expected to make their debeut in July. We discuss all of the most exciting smartphones coming this month and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Meta Restores Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp After Outage Reports From Several Users

Meta Platforms said on Friday that services on its social media apps Facebook and Instagram were restored, more than two hours after an outage that affected thousands of users.

At one point, nearly 20,000 users in total said they were having trouble accessing Facebook and Instagram and Meta’s messaging service WhatsApp, according to outage-tracking website Downdetector.com.

Meta announced on Twitter that it is working to resolve issues, shortly after the outage reports started emerging.

Outage reports had come down to less than 500 as of 6:30pm ET (4:00am IST, Saturday), according to Downdetector.

Downdetector tracks outages by collating status reports from several sources including user-submitted errors on its platform. The outage may be affecting a larger number of users.

Issues with Meta’s Ads Manager, the advertising tool that lets brands buy and create Facebook ads, were also resolved, the company said.

However, the outage issues were not global. In India, Facebook and Instagram were working fine for most of the users.

In other news, Meta has recently rolled back a policy that was put in place to curb the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19 on Facebook and Instagram. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter came under immense pressure to tackle misinformation related to the pandemic, including false claims about vaccines, prompting them to take stringent measures.

The Facebook parent in July last year sought the opinion of its independent oversight board on changes to its current approach, given the improvement in authentic sources of information and general awareness around COVID.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Meta Rolls Back Policy to Curb COVID-19 Misinformation on Facebook, Instagram

Meta Platforms said on Friday a policy that was put in place to curb the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19 on Facebook and Instagram would no longer be in effect globally.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter came under immense pressure to tackle misinformation related to the pandemic, including false claims about vaccines, prompting them to take stringent measures.

Earlier in 2021, Facebook said it took down 1.3 billion fake accounts between October and December and removed more than 12 million pieces of content on COVID-19 and vaccines that global health experts flagged as misinformation.

The Facebook parent in July last year sought the opinion of its independent oversight board on changes to its current approach, given the improvement in authentic sources of information and general awareness around COVID.

However, Meta said on Friday that the rules would still stand in countries, which still have a COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, and the company would continue to remove content that violates its coronavirus misinformation policies.

“We are consulting with health experts to understand which claims and categories of misinformation could continue to pose this risk,” Meta said in a blog post.

Earlier in November, Twitter also rolled back its COVID-19 misinformation policy.

In another recent development, Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has started verified service in India at a monthly subscription price of Rs. 699 for mobile apps, the company said on Wednesday. Meta is planning to roll out verified service on the web in the coming months at a subscription price of Rs. 599 per month.  

Apple’s annual developer conference is just around the corner. From the company’s first mixed reality headset to new software updates, we discuss all the things we’re looking forward to seeing at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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WhatsApp Web Rolling Out ‘Call Back’ Alert for Beta Users to Prevent Unanswered Calls from Going Unnoticed

WhatsApp added the voice call feature to its desktop app in 2021. Now, the social media platform is reportedly bringing more updates to the voice and video calling features on the web version. The Meta-owned instant messaging app is reportedly rolling out a ‘call back’ notification that will ensure that no missed call goes unnoticed. The update is currently reported to be rolling out for beta users on the Microsoft Store, with the new version 2.2323.1.0. The feature will gradually roll out to more users globally.

In the new beta update for WhatsApp web, the “call back” prompt will be shown next to the missed call alert for WhatsApp users on Windows, according to the screenshots shared in a WABetaInfo report.

Currently, when a video or voice call get missed on WhatsApp, it simply shows as a missed call alert.

With the new beta update, as soon as the users would tap on the call back icon, it would let them return the calls instantly, whether they are voice or video calls.

Beta testers of WhatsApp web will need to install the app’s latest version 2.2323.1.0 from Microsoft Store to get this feature. WhatsApp web’s previous 2.2322.1.0 version will also be able to run this feature for some users.

Meta will reportedly be rolling out this update globally soon and it shall reach more users in the coming weeks.

Hopping on the generative AI trend, Meta is also planning to load WhatsApp with a ChatGPT-like chatbots in the coming days, which will be able to converse with the users in different personas. The company also announced last month about its progress on testing tools that use AI to generate image backgrounds and variations of written copy for their ad campaigns.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also beta testing the display of profile icons next to messages on group chats.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Meta Verified Introduced in India for Mobile Apps for Rs. 699 per Month

Social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has started verified service in India at a monthly subscription price of Rs. 699 for mobile apps, the company said on Wednesday. Meta is planning to roll out verified service on the web in the coming months at a subscription price of Rs. 599 per month.  

“Meta Verified is available for direct purchase on Instagram or Facebook in India starting today. People can purchase a monthly subscription for Rs. 699 on iOS and Android. In the coming months, we’ll also introduce a web purchase option for Rs. 599 a month,” the company said in a statement. For a verified account subscription, Facebook and Instagram users will need to verify their account with a government ID. The verified account will provide impersonation protections and account support.  

“We’re expanding our test of Meta Verified to India after seeing good results from our early testing in several countries globally. We’ll also continue honouring verified badges that were granted previously based on existing criteria,” Meta said. To be eligible, accounts must meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history and applicants must be at least 18 years old.

Applicants are then required to submit a government ID that matches the profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account they are applying for. “We want to make it easier for creators to establish a presence so they can focus on building their communities on Instagram or Facebook. As we continue to expand and evolve Meta Verified globally, there will also be no changes to accounts that were previously verified,” Meta said.  

Social media platform Twitter was the first entity to start charging a monthly subscription for a verified account. The company rolled out the Twitter Blue subscription service early this year at a monthly fee of Rs. 650 on the web and Rs. 900 on mobile devices to maintain their verification status. 

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G was recently launched by the company in India alongside the more expensive Galaxy A54 5G smartphone. How does this phone fare against the Nothing Phone 1 and the iQoo Neo 7? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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WhatsApp Found Using Microphone in Background, Company Blames Issue on Android Bug

WhatsApp is allegedly accessing microphones on some Android devices in the background. The issue came to the spotlight after a Twitter engineer complained about this potential privacy in a tweet that was boosted by the company CEO Elon Musk. The engineer claimed that the Meta-owned instant messaging app has accessed his Google Pixel 7 Pro’s microphone during the night even though the app was not actively in use. WhatsApp later denied the claims saying that this is an Android bug “that misattributes information in their Privacy Dashboard” and that the company had asked Google to look into the issue.

The director of engineering at Twitter, Foad Dabiri, posted a screenshot of his Pixel 7 Pro suggesting that WhatsApp repeatedly accessed the microphone of the phone even when the app wasn’t being actively used. The screenshot from Android’s Privacy Dashboard shows that WhatsApp had used his microphone at least nine times overnight between 4am and 7am local time, all without any interaction from the user. “WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6AM (and that’s just a part of the timeline!) What’s going on?” he wrote.

Following Foad Dabiri’s claim, multiple WhatsApp users on Pixel’s support forums as well as Twitter, have said that the green dot with a microphone on their device is shown as active even after exiting or closing the app. Some have complained about this issue for more than a month. After checking the Permissions History from the Settings menu on Android devices, some users have claimed that WhatsApp has been accessing the microphone in the background. Microphone activity from WhatsApp has also been spotted in Android’s Privacy Dashboard that shows and adjusts app permissions.

Dabiri’s concern has also drawn a response from Twitter CEO, Elon Musk. Musk retweeted Dabiri’s post, saying “Trust Nothing, Not even nothing.”

WhatsApp has responded to the issue and dismissed all claims saying it is a bug within Android. In a statement shared on Twitter, the instant messaging platform said this is an Android bug “that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard”. The Meta-owned company said it had asked Google to investigate the issue.

Additionally, WhatsApp repeated that users have entire control over their microphone settings. “Once granted permission, WhatsApp only accesses the mic when a user is making a call or recording a voice note or video – and even then, these communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot hear them,” it added.

Separately, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday, May 10, that the government will investigate the accusations against WhatsApp. The IT Ministry “will act on any violation of privacy even as new Digital Personal Data protection bill (DPDP) is being readied,” he said. 

OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that’s dominated by Apple’s iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Truecaller to Make Caller ID Service Available on WhatsApp for Improved Spam Detection, CEO Says

Truecaller will soon start making its caller identification service available over WhatsApp and other messaging apps to help users spot potential spam calls over the Internet, the company told Reuters on Monday.

The feature, currently in beta phase, will be rolled out globally later in May, Truecaller Chief Executive Alan Mamedi said.

Telemarketing and scamming calls have been on the rise in countries like India, where users get about 17 spam calls per month on average, according to a 2021 report by Truecaller.

India’s telecom regulator in February directed carriers like Jio and Airtel to start blocking telemarketing calls over their networks using artificial intelligence filters. Truecaller has said it is in discussions with telecom operators to implement such a solution.

“Over the last two weeks, we have seen a spike in user reports from India about spam calls over WhatsApp,” Mamedi said, noting that telemarketers switching to Internet calling was fairly new to the market.

WhatsApp is the most used messaging platform in India. The company says it uses spam detection technology to spot and take action on accounts engaging in abnormal behaviour and lets users block and report problematic accounts.

For Truecaller, India is its biggest market with 250 million users. It has 350 million users globally and earns its revenue from advertising, subscription services, and verified listings from businesses.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

OnePlus recently launched its first tablet in India, the OnePlus Pad, which is only sold in a Halo Green colour option. With this tablet, OnePlus has stepped into a new territory that’s dominated by Apple’s iPad. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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FTC Says Meta Misled Parents on Child Protection Measures, Proposes Ban on Profiting From Minors’ Data

The US Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday accused Meta’s Facebook of misleading parents about protections for children and proposed tightening an existing agreement on privacy to include a ban on making money from minors’ data.

Specifically, the FTC said Facebook misled parents about how much control they had over who their children had contact with in the Messenger Kids app and was deceptive about how much access app developers had to users’ private data, breaching a 2019 agreement on privacy.

The FTC’s proposed changes include barring Facebook from making money off data collected on users under the age of 18, including in its virtual reality business. It would also face expanded limitations in using facial recognition technology.

Meta shares fell as much as 2 percent on Wednesday but pared most of those losses and were off 0.3 percent at $238.50 (roughly Rs. 19,400).

Meta, which also owns Instagram, relies on digital ads targeted on the basis of its user’s personal data for more than 98 percent of its revenue.

The company maintains the world’s biggest social networks but is battling the short video app TikTok for young users’ attention after it soared to popularity with American teens several years ago.

In a statement, Meta said the FTC action was “a political stunt” and that the FTC failed to act against “Chinese companies, like TikTok.”

“We will vigorously fight this action and expect to prevail,” the company said.

The FTC move on Wednesday is the first step in the process of changing the 2019 agreement. Facebook will have 30 days to respond. The company also can appeal any commission decision to an appeals court.

“This is a very substantial statement from the FTC about whether or not Meta has fulfilled its duties to protect children,” said Debra Williamson of Insider Intelligence, adding that “the revenue implications are not likely very large.”

Williamson said that some 5.2 percent of Facebook’s monthly US. users are under 18, along with 12.6 percent of Instagram users.

“Facebook has repeatedly violated its privacy promises,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The company’s recklessness has put young users at risk, and Facebook needs to answer for its failures.”

The FTC has twice before settled with Facebook over privacy violations.

The first was in 2012. Facebook agreed in 2019 to pay a record $5 billion (roughly Rs. 408 crore) fine to resolve allegations it had violated the 2012 consent order by misleading users about how much control they had over their personal data. That order was finalized in 2020.

Separately, the FTC sued to stop Meta from buying the virtual reality content maker Within Unlimited but lost in court. The agency also asked a federal court in 2020 to order Facebook to sell Instagram, which it bought for $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,170 crore) in 2012, and WhatsApp, which it bought for $19 (roughly Rs. 1,552,59 crore) billion in 2014. The case is underway.

© Thomson Reuters 2023  

The Vivo X90 Pro has finally made its debut in India, but is the company’s flagship smartphone for 2023 equipped with enough upgrades over its predecessor? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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