The EU investigates Meta & TikTok over handling Israel-Hamas war

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The EU investigates Meta & TikTok over handling Israel-Hamas war
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The EU has launched a probe into the Meta and TikTok handling of the Israel and Hamas conflict. The Commission has asked both platforms to explain how they tackle illegal content and disinformation amid war.

Since the war between Israel and Hamas began, the EU has started to scrutinize social platforms for handling disinformation and false content users share. The EU Commissioner Thierry Breton first accused X (Twitter) of being a platform to “disseminate illegal content and disinformation.”

He then warned X and Meta of violating the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The EU also blamed X for “the spreading of terrorist and violent content and hate speech.”

The new investigation into Meta and TikTok is a part of the EU’s DSA initiative that keeps social platforms accountable for the content they’re showing users. The European Commission has asked both companies to respond to the request by October 25.

Meta & TikTok should explain to the EU how they’re handling the Israel-Hamas conflict

The European Commission assesses the next steps after reviewing the response. Platforms could also face a fine for “incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in response to a request for information.” Failing to respond in time also results in more fines.

Under the DSA, social platforms should remove posts that might endanger public security. Any platform that fails to comply with the law could face a fine of up to 6% of its global turnover. The European Commission has also made further requests from Meta and TikTok, including how these platforms protect the integrity of elections and how they protect minors.

It remains to be seen if X and Meta would face a fine over mishandling the Israel-Hamas conflict. From the X side, the CEO says they’ve removed or labeled tens of thousands of pieces of content related to the conflict. Yaccarino added that the platform has responded to over 80 takedown requests from the EU.

While social platforms and the European Union are fighting over handling data, Google sent $8 million in relief funds to Israel-Hamas war victims. The fund will be distributed among local NGOs.


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SpyNote Android Trojan Emerges As Recent Spyware Threat

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SpyNote Android Trojan Emerges As Recent Spyware Threat
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Heads up, Android users! A new Android trojan “SpyNote” has is actively targeting Android devices, serving as a potent spyware. The malware spreads via malicious SMS messages, hence, making it inevitable for the users to remain cautious when interacting with unsolicited messages containing URLs.

SpyNote Trojan Acts As A Potent Android Spyware

According to a recent report from F-Secure, their researchers have caught new spyware in the wild targeting Android devices.

Identified as “SpyNote,” the Android trojan is a spyware and data stealer, spreading to potential victims via SMS phishing (smishing).

Specifically, the attack begins by sending a text message to the victim user, carrying the phishing link. The message lures the victim into clicking the link by inviting them to download fake apps.

Once clicked, the malware downloads on the target device and gains access to various functionalities by requesting various permissions. These accesses let the malware steal information from the target device, including the list of installed apps, login credentials, and user actions.

The malware also records audio and phone calls and exhibits numerous other spying functionalities, such as keylogging, capturing screenshots, and stealing data.

Besides, to remain undetected, Spynote possesses advanced stealth capabilities. It not only hides the fake app icon from the target device but also hides from the “Recent screen” to evade detection.

While running in the background, the malware continues receiving commands from the attackers to perform subsequent functions.

The researchers have shared a detailed technical analysis of the malware and its attack pattern in their report.

Factory Reset Is The Only Way Out To End SpyNote Attack

In most cases, where malware reaches a device via a malicious app, uninstalling the app can resolve the issue. However, given SpyNote’s sneaky behavior, deleting it manually from the device is almost impossible.

Also, removing it from the device using developer options won’t help since the malware bears “diehard services.” Hence, the only option for the user to eliminate the attack is a factory reset, leading to data loss.

Nonetheless, users can effectively prevent this attack in the first place by avoiding interaction with any unsolicited links received via text messages or emails. Moreover, users must always ensure downloading apps from the official Google Play Store only.

Though the Play Store isn’t completely immune to listing malicious apps, the probability of encountering malware is still lower compared to unofficial app sources.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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Elon Musk announces two new subscription tiers for X Premium

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Elon Musk announces two new subscription tiers for X Premium
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X Premium, formerly known as Twitter Blue, will soon have two new subscription tiers. Company owner Elon Musk has announced that one of them will cost less than the current plan while the other will cost more. He didn’t share the pricing details or a precise launch date.

X is readying new subscription tiers for X Premium

Musk has made several changes to Twitter since his takeover of the company a year ago. Most notably, he rebranded the platform to X and offered the verification tick as part of the Premium/Blue subscription. Priced at $8 a month or $84 a year ($11 monthly and $115 annually when subscribed through iOS and Android apps), X premium gives you benefits such as fewer ads, longer posts, edit/undo posts, longer videos, access to X Pro (aka Tweetdeck), and more.

Musk says the service will now be available in two more plans. The cheaper plan will offer the same set of features but won’t reduce ads. You’ll see ads all over the platform (the current plan reduces the number of ads by 50%). The pricier tier, on the other hand, will completely remove ads from the platform. Musk didn’t specify if it will bring a few additional features too. His words don’t suggest anything as such.

The X owner also didn’t make it clear when the new plans will be rolled out. He is known for hurrying with these kinds of changes, so the wait may not be much longer now. Musk has previously hinted at making X a fully paid social media service. This could be a baby step toward it. He may be gauging what proportion of its users are willing to pay to unlock additional features. The company has already started charging an annual fee to new users.

X is now charging new users to get full access to the platform

X is exploring various ways to reduce bot accounts and simultaneously increase its revenue streams. As part of these efforts, it recently started levying an annual fee to new users for full access to the platform. The so-called “Not A Bot” program is currently available in New Zealand and the Philippines. It costs NZD 1.43 and PHP 42.51 (equivalent to $1) a year in the two countries, respectively.

The company says this will bolster its “already significant efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform, and bot activity.” New users who don’t pay the annual fee or subscribe to X Premium/Verified Organizations can only take “read-only” actions such as reading posts, watching videos, and following accounts. X hasn’t shared details about its plans for expanding this program to other markets.


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Instagram is testing Polls in the Comment Section

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Instagram is testing Polls in the Comment Section
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Instagram is apparently testing the ability to make polls in the comment section of your posts on the platform. Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, confirmed this on Thursday. It’s a rather interesting feature to be adding, and likely has more to do with Threads than Instagram.

Currently, Instagram is testing this feature out, and allowing some users to create polls in the comments on their posts. This gives creators another way to use their content to get more engagement. It looks like the original poster will be able to make polls only. So a troll wouldn’t be able to stumble upon your post and create a poll for others to vote in.

It’s a small test right now, but Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg did note that this will be “rolling out to everyone soon”.

Polls is a feature users wanted on Threads, not Instagram

Over on Threads, users have been asking for this feature for weeks, if not months. So it’s interesting to see it being built for Instagram first. But this will likely allow Instagram to push it out to Threads pretty quickly. Polls could be pretty nice on Instagram, especially if your entire post is about a question.

Based on the screenshot we have seen from Mosseri, Polls are set to work the same as they do on stories right now. Where you can see how many voted for each option. But not quite who voted for what – the original poster can see that, however.

This is just the next step in Instagram adding more and more features to comments, to keep people on the app longer. It recently gave users the ability to add GIFs in the comments, which has been a big hit so far. Instagram has also started allowing users to make lists, so they can share things with certain people only. And this is all a way to keep people on Instagram longer and seeing more ads.

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Official OnePlus Open videos show off its design & features

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Official OnePlus Open videos show off its design & features
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OnePlus has released two official promo videos for its first foldable smartphone, the OnePlus Open. The company is focusing on the phone’s design in one of them, and on its features in the other one.

Before we get down to it, do note that the OnePlus Open launched yesterday. We already reviewed the device, and you can also check out our everything you need to know article for more information.

Official OnePlus videos show us the design & features of the OnePlus Open

The first video that the company released is titled ‘OnePlus Open – Design’. It’s kind of self-explanatory, and it has a duration of around 40 seconds. You will see the phone’s design up close and personal in this video. The clip is embedded below.

The second video is considerably longer at almost two minutes, and is included below. This one is also quite cinematic, and it first shows off the phone’s design, and then focuses on its features. You will get to see some of the phone’s software features first, which are part of OxygenOS.

The phone’s main display, and cameras are also in focus in this video. OnePlus also highlights fast charging on the device, as the phone does offer 67W charging, and the charger is included in the box.

The OnePlus Open has a twin brother, the OPPO Find N3

The OnePlus Open may technically be OnePlus’ first foldable, but its sister company, OPPO, has been releasing foldables for years. In fact, this phone looks exactly the same as the OPPO Find N3, which also launched yesterday.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC fuels the phone, while three extremely capable cameras are included on the back. Hasselblad’s color science is also a part of the picture. Two 120Hz displays are in use here, and both of them are the brightest in the industry. They go up to 2,800 nits of brightness.

This phone actually offers a lot more in terms of specs, as it’s arguably the best-equipped foldable smartphone in that regard.


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Universal Music files lawsuit against Anthropic for generating copyrighted lyrics

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Universal Music files lawsuit against Anthropic for generating copyrighted lyrics
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots generating copyrighted works from major artists have long been a concern for studios. Now, in a recent development, Universal Music Group (UMG) and other music publishers have filed a lawsuit against Anthropic, alleging that its chatbot distributed copyrighted lyrics without the necessary permissions.

At the heart of the drama is Anthropic’s AI chatbot, Claude 2, which reportedly generates lyrics similar to popular songs, such as Katy Perry’s “Roar,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Moreover, the fact that the chatbot generates phrases and lyrics similar to such songs without explicit instructions suggests that the company used copyrighted work to train its chatbot.

While sharing song lyrics online is common, the lawsuit filed by Universal Music in a federal court in Tennessee argues that Anthropic’s AI models are copying and spreading substantial amounts of copyrighted material. This means that the company not only failed to obtain proper licenses but also did not provide fair compensation or credit to the creators for their work.

“These responses make clear that Anthropic understands that generating output that copies others’ lyrics violates copyright law. However, despite this knowledge and apparent ability to exercise control over infringement, in most instances, Anthropic fails to implement effective guardrails to prevent the infringement of publishers’ works,” say the plaintiffs.

Part of a bigger problem

This lawsuit once again highlights the growing concerns of music labels as AI companies increasingly use copyrighted work to train their AI models. This has led to several lawsuits against other AI companies such as OpenAI, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney. However, what makes this situation worse is that Anthropic was one of the four companies present at a meeting at the White House in May to discuss responsible AI development with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Furthermore, while Universal Music acknowledges the value of AI tools, it states that what Anthropic did was copyright infringement rather than innovation. Moreover, UMG has also raised questions about Anthropic’s control over its chatbot since the company could stop it from responding to prompts that infringe on copyright.


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X (formerly Twitter) lost 600 million visitors in September, according to new data

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X (formerly Twitter) lost 600 million visitors in September, according to new data
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X (Twitter) has been in the hot water recently with criticism from both users and governments. Now, new data shows that the social media platform has lost about 600 million visitors in September alone, reports Android Headlines.

X on the decline: lost 600 million visitors in September, according to new data


The data comes from SimilarWeb, a company that tracks visits to most websites. According to the data, X dropped from 6.4 billion visitors in August to 5,8 billion in September. This is not an enormous number of visitors lost but still amounts to an almost 10% decrease, which is not negligible either.

Additionally, of the 176 countries that visited X In September, we’re seeing 83% of them recording a decline in traffic. Also, Google Trends data show that searches for Twitter have been dropping consistently since Elon Musk took over.

It will be interesting to see how the platform moves on from that: if it gains new visitors or loses some more, and only time can really tell. Recently, the company announced a pilot program in New Zealand and the Philippines where new users will have to pay $1 per year to post on X. It’s curious to see how this will go down.


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Pixel 8 Pro shines in DXOMARK camera tests

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Pixel 8 Pro shines in DXOMARK camera tests
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Google‘s Pixel smartphones are renowned for their exceptional camera capabilities. The company’s experience in this area comes to the fore with each new generation. Hopes were high for the Pixel 8 series, particularly the Pro model, to elevate the image quality to a new level and it has delivered. An Independent assessment from DXOMARK shows that the new Pixel offers a top-notch camera performance, including the selfie camera.

Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best camera phones out there

The Pixel 8 Pro features the same 50MP main camera as the Pixel 7 Pro but with a slightly wider aperture (f1.7 vs f1.9). It is a 1/1.31-inch sensor with 1.2µm, multi-directional octaPD autofocus, multi-zone laser autofocus, and optical image stabilization. Google has paired the camera with the same 48MP telephoto lens (5x optical zoom), but once again with a wider aperture. The ultrawide camera upgrades from a 12MP sensor to a 48MP one.

In its tests, DXOMARK found that the Pixel 8 Pro is the best camera phone for outdoor shooting. It achieved an all-time-high score of 172 for photos and videos shot in bright environments. The phone also captured pleasant colors and detail during low-light shooting, though not as good as outdoor shots. The firm noticed temporal noise in videos. There were also segmentation errors in bokeh mode and occasional loss of fine detail.

However, subject exposure and skin tones were accurate in all lighting conditions. Autofocus worked fast and accurately for both photos and videos, while zoom shots and macro photos also offered good detail and colors. Stabilization worked effectively too. Videos occasionally showed sharpness differences between frames but nothing major to severely affect the Pixel 8 Pro’s overall camera score.

The firm awarded the phone a score of 153, placing it in the fourth position in the global ranking. Huawei’s P60 Pro leads the chart with a score of 156, followed by the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro (both 154). The Pixel 7 pro had scored 147, so it’s a notable improvement for the Pixel 8 Pro. You can read DXOMARK’s full rear camera assessment of the new Pixel here.

Only one phone topped the phone in selfie camera performance

Coming to the selfie camera, the Pixel 8 Pro does even better. DXOMARK found its 10.5MP front camera excellent for both photos and videos in all lighting conditions. It offered accurate color rendering, white balance, exposure, detail, and stabilization. There were occasional color casts, fine noise, and depth estimation artifacts in bokeh mode, but the phone still scored 145 to sit in the second position in DXOMARK’s ranking, behind the iPhone 15 Pro Max (149). Click here to read the full report.


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Time to vote, Instagram fellows: Polls in the comments coming soon

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Time to vote, Instagram fellows: Polls in the comments coming soon
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It’s not even November 2024 and it’s already time to cast a vote! Some Instagram users are getting a fresh feature that allows them to create polls in the comments on their posts.

Engadget has the story – for now, the new Instagram polls feature is not made available to everyone, but only to select creators who now get to draw more attention to their posts.

The social media’s new feature has been disclosed by Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram. He announced the test to his broadcast channel, highlighting that Instagram polls could be added to the comments on both feed posts and Reels.

His boss Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his own update that it’s just a small test right now, but soon it will be rolling out to all Instagram accounts.

That’s not the first time Instagram users cast a vote


Of course, polls on Instagram are nothing new, but until now, it was only possible to cast a vote on polls in Stories in the form of a sticker. As the Adam Mosseri screenshot shows, other users could see the statistics behind a given poll – like how many people voted in total.
Time to vote, Instagram fellows: Polls in the comments coming soon

Details lack at this point on how long these comment polls will remain open after they’re open to vote on. It could very well be the case that users who assemble them will have the option to set a timeframe for the poll’s lifespan. Are mail-in ballots permitted?

The comments section is getting pumped


Give or take, half a year has passed since Instagram decided to boost the posts’ comment section. In May, Instagram rolled out the option to post GIFs in the comments (How do you pronounce it – “GIF” or “JIF”? Leave a comment below), while also testing a more tailored Stories experience.

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Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition could be on the way, images leak

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Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition could be on the way, images leak
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Samsung is readying a special edition Galaxy Z Flip 5. The device is reportedly called the “Retro Edition,” a name it derives from its Galaxy Z Flip 4-like finish. Images published by MSPowerUser show the foldable with a blue rear panel and silver aluminum frame with a matte finish. Details about its release date, price, and availability are not known.

Samsung expands Galaxy Z Flip 5 color options with Retro Edition

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 arrived alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in late July this year. Like previous models, Samsung offers the clamshell foldable in a host of colors. You can buy the phone in Cream, Graphite, Lavender, and Mint colors pretty much everywhere. Whether you prefer a classic and timeless look or something more fresh and vibrant, the company has got you covered.

On top of this, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also available in Blue, Gray, Green, and Yellow colors from Samsung’s official website. These options add more variety, letting buyers pick a color that better reflects their personality and preferences. The Korean firm is now giving the foldable a completely new look with a blue hue that evokes a retro vibe.

Based on the leaked images, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition will have the same finish as the navy blue Galaxy Z Flip 4 with a silver frame. Samsung offered the latter through its Bespoke Edition program. The program lets buyers select their preferred color combinations for the back panels and the frame. It appears “navy blue+silver” was the most popular combination, encouraging the company to give this year’s model a similar finish.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition leak 1

It’s worth noting that the new Flip has a bigger cover display. The top half of its back side is covered by the screen and cameras. So the blue rear panel only applies to the lower half. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a smaller cover display and lets users customize the color of the top half as well. This change is probably why there’s no Bespoke Edition available this year.

The special edition foldable may not launch globally

This isn’t the first time Samsung is making a special edition foldable. The company has done so on numerous occasions in the past, often collaborating with brands and celebrities for unique colors and other customizations. It mostly kept those options confined to select markets, selling a limited number of units in regions where the partner brands and celebrities have a huge fan following.

It’s unclear if Samsung will do the same with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 Retro Edition. This doesn’t appear to be a collaboration with anyone, but the company may offer the device in a bundle with unique accessories. It could launch the phone in markets where its foldables are already popular. The report says this special edition foldable will debut “in the coming weeks.” We will let you know when we have more information.


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