Month: June 2023
FBI finally tracks “swatting” incidents as attacks increase nationwide
Experts aren’t sure the database will reverse troubling swatting trend.
Enlarge (credit: Roberto Machado Noa / Contributor | LightRocket)
Last month, the FBI created a national online database to finally start coordinating law enforcement reports about “swatting” attacks nationwide, NBC News reported yesterday.
Swatting is a form of domestic terrorism that is sometimes deadly and has become more widespread in the US, according to a March report from Hal Berghel, a computer science professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Berghel’s report defined swatting as:
A malicious act that involves making fraudulent 911 calls to cause emergency response teams, such as law enforcement special weapons and tactics teams, or SWAT teams (that’s where the gerund’s root comes from), to react forcefully to a nonexistent public threat.
Scott Schubert, of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services, told NBC News that the database will help combat the growing swatting problem by facilitating “information sharing between hundreds of police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country pertaining to swatting incidents.”
The FTC plans to slap companies with hefty fines for using fake reviews
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a formal ban on fake reviews and testimonials. Companies would also be prohibited from using phony followers and views to inflate their social media metrics if the rule takes effect as it stands.This isn’t the first time the agency has trained its sights on fake reviews. In its first such case in 2019, it fined a third-party Amazon seller for paying for fake reviews (Amazon itself has sued phony review providers). Earlier this year, the FTC levied a $600,000 penalty against the owner of a vitamin brand for “review hijacking” on Amazon.The new rule, which the agency said it was working on in October, is close to being finalized and it includes steep penalties for those caught peddling fake reviews and testimonials. As The Washington Post points out, the FTC plans to slap businesses that “buy, sell and manipulate online reviews” up to $50,000. Not only is that fine for each phony review, it’s also for every time a consumer sees it. So, if the FTC finds out that one fake review has been viewed just 20 times, the business that bought it could be on the hook for $1 million.“Our proposed rule on fake reviews shows that we’re using all available means to attack deceptive advertising in the digital age,” Samuel Levine, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “The rule would trigger civil penalties for violators and should help level the playing field for honest companies.”Explicitly, the FTC aims to ban “businesses from writing or selling consumer reviews or testimonials by someone who does not exist, who did not have experience with the product or service, or who misrepresented their experiences.” Similarly, companies won’t be allowed to obtain or disseminate reviews and testimonials that they “knew or should have known that they were fake or false.”Repurposing an existing review to make it appear that it was written for a different product (i.e. review hijacking) will be outlawed, as will offering payments or other kinds of compensation for positive or negative reviews. The FTC says companies can still ask users to leave a review, as that’s an important way for small businesses to enhance their reputations.Managers and officers won’t be allowed to post reviews of their company’s products without clear disclosures and nor can they ask family members or employees to do so in certain circumstances. Under the proposed rule, companies won’t be allowed to run websites that claim to offer independent reviews of categories of products and services that include their own offerings.Review suppression will be banned as well. Companies won’t be allowed to use intimidation tactics, such as legal threats and false accusations, to push customers to remove or avoid leaving a negative review.In addition, the FTC seeks to ban companies from using fake followers and views to fluff up their social media numbers. “The proposed rule also would bar anyone from buying such indicators to misrepresent their importance for a commercial purpose,” the agency said. This is a provision that could have far-reaching consequences beyond commerce — influencers may have to ensure they don’t factor in bots when they try to secure brand deals.Meanwhile, the proposed notice for the rule takes note of the popularity of generative AI. “It has been reported that an AI chatbot is being used to create fake reviews,” it reads. “As the reporting notes, the widespread emergence of AI chatbots is likely to make it easier for bad actors to write fake reviews.”The rule won’t take effect immediately. It will be open to public comments for a 60-day period, after which the agency will consider changes before finalizing the directive.A lot of these provisions make sense. In essence, the FTC is trying to ensure that businesses and brands are transparent and honest with consumers. Actually enforcing these measures, however, is a different matter. The agency told the Post that it won’t be getting extra resources to tackle purveyors of fake reviews, but a codified rule can strengthen its hand in court. Taking on companies based overseas that sell and post phony reviews might be a difficult task too. Still, a formal ban on these practices and the threat of eye-popping fines may be enough to deter some companies from using fake reviews.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ftc-plans-to-slap-companies-with-hefty-fines-for-using-fake-reviews-192833691.html?src=rss
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a formal ban on fake reviews and testimonials. Companies would also be prohibited from using phony followers and views to inflate their social media metrics if the rule takes effect as it stands.
This isn’t the first time the agency has trained its sights on fake reviews. In its first such case in 2019, it fined a third-party Amazon seller for paying for fake reviews (Amazon itself has sued phony review providers). Earlier this year, the FTC levied a $600,000 penalty against the owner of a vitamin brand for “review hijacking” on Amazon.
The new rule, which the agency said it was working on in October, is close to being finalized and it includes steep penalties for those caught peddling fake reviews and testimonials. As The Washington Post points out, the FTC plans to slap businesses that “buy, sell and manipulate online reviews” up to $50,000. Not only is that fine for each phony review, it’s also for every time a consumer sees it. So, if the FTC finds out that one fake review has been viewed just 20 times, the business that bought it could be on the hook for $1 million.
“Our proposed rule on fake reviews shows that we’re using all available means to attack deceptive advertising in the digital age,” Samuel Levine, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “The rule would trigger civil penalties for violators and should help level the playing field for honest companies.”
Explicitly, the FTC aims to ban “businesses from writing or selling consumer reviews or testimonials by someone who does not exist, who did not have experience with the product or service, or who misrepresented their experiences.” Similarly, companies won’t be allowed to obtain or disseminate reviews and testimonials that they “knew or should have known that they were fake or false.”
Repurposing an existing review to make it appear that it was written for a different product (i.e. review hijacking) will be outlawed, as will offering payments or other kinds of compensation for positive or negative reviews. The FTC says companies can still ask users to leave a review, as that’s an important way for small businesses to enhance their reputations.
Managers and officers won’t be allowed to post reviews of their company’s products without clear disclosures and nor can they ask family members or employees to do so in certain circumstances. Under the proposed rule, companies won’t be allowed to run websites that claim to offer independent reviews of categories of products and services that include their own offerings.
Review suppression will be banned as well. Companies won’t be allowed to use intimidation tactics, such as legal threats and false accusations, to push customers to remove or avoid leaving a negative review.
In addition, the FTC seeks to ban companies from using fake followers and views to fluff up their social media numbers. “The proposed rule also would bar anyone from buying such indicators to misrepresent their importance for a commercial purpose,” the agency said. This is a provision that could have far-reaching consequences beyond commerce — influencers may have to ensure they don’t factor in bots when they try to secure brand deals.
Meanwhile, the proposed notice for the rule takes note of the popularity of generative AI. “It has been reported that an AI chatbot is being used to create fake reviews,” it reads. “As the reporting notes, the widespread emergence of AI chatbots is likely to make it easier for bad actors to write fake reviews.”
The rule won’t take effect immediately. It will be open to public comments for a 60-day period, after which the agency will consider changes before finalizing the directive.
A lot of these provisions make sense. In essence, the FTC is trying to ensure that businesses and brands are transparent and honest with consumers. Actually enforcing these measures, however, is a different matter. The agency told the Post that it won’t be getting extra resources to tackle purveyors of fake reviews, but a codified rule can strengthen its hand in court. Taking on companies based overseas that sell and post phony reviews might be a difficult task too. Still, a formal ban on these practices and the threat of eye-popping fines may be enough to deter some companies from using fake reviews.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ftc-plans-to-slap-companies-with-hefty-fines-for-using-fake-reviews-192833691.html?src=rss
Reddit API changes are imminent. Here’s what’s happening to your favorite apps
Ars spoke to devs about their apps’ future & what they learned from this ordeal.
It’s been a contentious journey, but Reddit’s new API pricing will take effect on July 1. What started as a fight over creating an affordable option for valued third-party Reddit apps has evolved into a bitter battle pitting Reddit against indignant developers, mods, and users. Protests remain, but some users are now preparing to exit the platform, including some of Reddit’s most seasoned moderators.
Where does that leave third-party developers, some of which said they would have to pay Reddit $20 million annually to continue? Ars Technica spoke with developers to learn where their apps stand, how some will manage to stay afloat, and what Reddit’s changes mean for the future.
Surviving apps
When Reddit announced that, starting on July 1, it would no longer permit free API access except for certain non-commercial apps, many Reddit app developers responded by telling users that they were unsure if they could keep the apps running. Now that the new API pricing ($12,000 per 50 million API requests) is set to be reality, here’s a look at the most popular apps that will still be available.
Top NIH Official Advised Covid Scientists That He Uses Personal Email To Evade FOIA
A top adviser to Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health admitted that he used a personal email account in an apparent effort to evade the strictures of the Freedom of Information Act, according to records obtained by congressional investigators probing the origin of Covid-19. The official also expressed his intention to delete emails in order to avoid media scrutiny. The Intercept: “As you know, I try to always communicate on gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’d constantly,” wrote David M. Morens, a high-ranking NIH official, in a September 2021 email, one of a series of email exchanges that included many leading scientists involved in the bitter Covid origins debate. “Stuff sent to my gmail gets to my phone,” he added, “but not my NIH computer.” After noting that his Gmail account had been hacked, however, he wrote to the group to say that he might have to use his NIH email account to communicate with them instead. “Don’t worry,” he wrote, “just send to any of my addresses, and I will delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
A top adviser to Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health admitted that he used a personal email account in an apparent effort to evade the strictures of the Freedom of Information Act, according to records obtained by congressional investigators probing the origin of Covid-19. The official also expressed his intention to delete emails in order to avoid media scrutiny. The Intercept: “As you know, I try to always communicate on gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’d constantly,” wrote David M. Morens, a high-ranking NIH official, in a September 2021 email, one of a series of email exchanges that included many leading scientists involved in the bitter Covid origins debate. “Stuff sent to my gmail gets to my phone,” he added, “but not my NIH computer.” After noting that his Gmail account had been hacked, however, he wrote to the group to say that he might have to use his NIH email account to communicate with them instead. “Don’t worry,” he wrote, “just send to any of my addresses, and I will delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
WhatsApp just made transferring chat history so easy but there may be one big limit
This update removes cloud transfer from the equation, but it appears the two phones may need to run the same OS.
WhatsApp is making it easier to transfer chat logs from your old phone to a new one just by scanning a QR code.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the initial announcement on his Instagram channel where he states this method lets you move your data privately without ever having to leave your devices.” Looking at the video he posted, you first open up the QR code on the older device, then scan said code on the newer phone. Give it about 10 seconds to finish up and you’re done. Other reports state the Chat Transfer tool can be found under the Chats section in the Settings menu.
?? Now you can transfer your full chat history seamlessly, quickly and securely across the same operating systems without ever having to leave the app. Out today ? pic.twitter.com/UqNpyw8bCCJune 30, 2023
Compared to the old method of having to back up your history on either Google Drive or iCloud, this is a lot more straightforward. You’re effectively cutting out the middleman plus you don’t have to worry about hitting storage limits if your WhatsApp account has several gigabytes worth of media saved on it.
As great as this new feature may be, it appears there is a catch. TheVerge claims the QR code chat log transfer “only works between devices running the same operating system, so Android to Android or iOS to iOS.” If you want to move your data from, say, a Samsung Galaxy phone to an iPhone or vice versa, you’ll have to head over to WhatsApp’s Help Center for instructions on how to do so.
We asked Meta to confirm if this is true. We’ll update this story at a later time.
Availability
Meta is currently rolling out the Chat Transfer tool in waves to all its users. Be sure to keep an eye out for the patch once it arrives. No word if there are plans to add a similar feature to the desktop version of WhatsApp.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, that’s because WABetaInfo first revealed the update back in early May when it was only available to beta testers. The publication has since shown off other interesting changes coming to WhatsApp. For instance, a WhatsBeta beta on Android from late May introduces screen-sharing for video calls, which you can activate right after installation and try out with others. There are also plans to introduce multi-account support to the platform giving people a way to swap between profiles on the same smartphone.
While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best secure smartphones for June 2023.
Twitter Rolling Out Support for Picture-in-Picture on iOS
Twitter appears to be adopting support for picture-in-picture mode on the iPhone and iPad, with some Twitter users reporting access to a feature that allows them to watch Twitter videos while doing other tasks on the iPhone and iPad.
Starting a video in Twitter and then swiping out of the app leaves the video player open, so Twitter users can use other apps while continuing to watch video content from the social network.
Twitter has had an in-app picture-in-picture option previously, but the new feature allows Twitter video to be watched while using other apps, similar to how YouTube and other video content apps work on iPhones and iPads.
Looks like Twitter videos now support the iOS system wide PiP.Note that it’s rolling out slowly, so it’s normal if some of you don’t have it yet pic.twitter.com/QeCrI670XA— iSoftware Updates (@iSWUpdates) June 30, 2023
Not all Twitter users have access to the picture-in-picture feature as of yet, which suggests that Twitter is still in the process of rolling out support. Accessing the feature requires the latest version of the Twitter app on iPhone or iPad.Tag: TwitterThis article, “Twitter Rolling Out Support for Picture-in-Picture on iOS” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Twitter appears to be adopting support for picture-in-picture mode on the iPhone and iPad, with some Twitter users reporting access to a feature that allows them to watch Twitter videos while doing other tasks on the iPhone and iPad.
Starting a video in Twitter and then swiping out of the app leaves the video player open, so Twitter users can use other apps while continuing to watch video content from the social network.
Twitter has had an in-app picture-in-picture option previously, but the new feature allows Twitter video to be watched while using other apps, similar to how YouTube and other video content apps work on iPhones and iPads.
Looks like Twitter videos now support the iOS system wide PiP.
Note that it’s rolling out slowly, so it’s normal if some of you don’t have it yet pic.twitter.com/QeCrI670XA
— iSoftware Updates (@iSWUpdates) June 30, 2023
Not all Twitter users have access to the picture-in-picture feature as of yet, which suggests that Twitter is still in the process of rolling out support. Accessing the feature requires the latest version of the Twitter app on iPhone or iPad.
This article, “Twitter Rolling Out Support for Picture-in-Picture on iOS” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums