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Mobile Syrup

Apple, Meta and Discord deceived by hackers posing as law enforcement to share customer information

Apple and Meta have reportedly handed over customer data to hackers who masqueraded as law enforcement officials, according to a Bloombergreport.

The incident happened in mid-2021 and resulted in the two tech giants giving away customer IP addresses, phone numbers as well as home addresses to the incognito hackers.

Bloomberg says that three people familiar with the situation have reported that the hackers raised an “emergency data request,” which usually happens during a criminal investigation when law enforcement wants information about a specific account. ‘

Requesting said information needs a search warrant signed by a judge, although “emergency data requests” don’t, and are usually raised in life-threatening situations.

According to the report, Snap also received a similar data request from the hackers hiding behind the facade, though it is still unclear whether Snap gave in or not.

“We review every data request for legal sufficiency and use advanced systems and processes to validate law enforcement requests and detect abuse,” a Meta spokesperson told Bloomberg. “We block known compromised accounts from making requests and work with law enforcement to respond to incidents involving suspected fraudulent requests, as we have done in this case.”

“As we have done in this case,” says the spokesperson after the company he works for handed over crucial customer information to the hackers. Nice.

Investigation into the matter has revealed that some entities behind the data breach are minors from the U.K. and the U.S. and had links with a cybercrime group known as “Recursion Team.”

Intelligence found that Recursion is no longer in operation though several of its members are now believed to be in direct affiliation with hacker group Lapsus$, who recently hacked its way into Nvidia, Microsoft, Samsung, Globant and more.

The stolen information was then used by the hackers to carry out harassment campaigns and financial fraud.

In a later update, Discord added that it also received fraudulent “emergency data requests,” and abided.

Source: Bloomberg

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Mobile Syrup

Meta to open engineering hub in Canada, hire thousands

METAVERSE META FACEBOOK. Silhouette of smartphone with Facebook, Messenger, whatsApp, Instagram, Oculus apps and blurred META logo on background. Rebrand of Facebook. Stafford, UK, October 28, 2021

Meta has plans to hire thousands of employees in Canada.

The company has announced plans to create a Toronto-based engineering hub and hire 2,500 employees over the next five years to help build the metaverse.

The hub will help establish the first Canadian Whatsapp, Messenger and remote presence engineering teams. It will also grow the Canadian Reality Labs and AI Research teams.

The roles will primarily focus on engineering and help Meta achieve the next generation of social technologies.

“The metaverse has the potential to unlock access to creative, social and economic opportunities and we want to work closely with Canadians, who are already building for this future, to shape it from the start,” Garrick Tiplady, vice president of Meta in Canada, said. 

The company is also providing 17 research labs with $510,000 in grants. The labs are working on research that will help expand the metaverse.

Those interested in working for the company can visit their website for details.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: Meta

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Mobile Syrup

Lobbying group backed by Apple, Google pushes for weaker U.S. privacy laws

A lobbying group backed by tech companies including Apple, Google, Meta (Facebook), and Amazon has reportedly backed weaker privacy legislation in the U.S.

According to Axios (via 9to5Mac), tech lobbying group State Privacy and Security Coalition (SPSC) promoted an upcoming state privacy law in Utah as the model that other U.S. states should adopt. However, critics have called Utah’s legislation too weak.

Specifically, Axios reported that consumer groups said the Utah bill wasn’t clear about how much control consumers would have over whether their information was used for targeted advertising. Moreover, the groups said the bill’s enforcement mechanism is weak.

Utah lawmakers considered and passed a state privacy bill in under two weeks. The bill is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. Utah is set to become the fourth state with a privacy law, joining Colorado, Virginia, and California. 9to5 notes that California’s law is more along the lines of Europe’s GDPR.

States have begun stepping up to introduce privacy laws and regulations while the federal government’s attempts to do the same languish in Congress. However, there’s an incentive for a single, federal law over multiple state laws since it’s easier for tech companies to comply with one law instead of 50 individual laws. Moreover, one effective law is easier for people to understand.

Axios says that Iowa is considering a similar bill to Utah, and other states are also weighing their own privacy bills. Although the SPSC told Axios it’s trying to help align state privacy laws in the absence of federal law, it’s concerning that the lobbying group has chosen to promote alignment around weaker regulations.

Also concerning is Apple’s involvement, given the company’s strong messaging about its privacy commitments — commitments that may not actually help consumers that much.

Although U.S. state and federal regulation won’t apply to Canadians, it’s important to follow how the U.S. approaches privacy legislation as it could become a blueprint for other countries. On that note, Canada is in the process of updating some of its own tech legislation, including Bill C-10 and C-11. However, critics say C-11 doesn’t go far enough in curtailing tech companies’ ability to gather data on Canadians.

Source: Axios Via: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

You might soon be able to view, mint, buy and sell NFTs on Instagram and Facebook

METAVERSE META FACEBOOK. Silhouette of smartphone with Facebook, Messenger, whatsApp, Instagram, Oculus apps and blurred META logo on background. Rebrand of Facebook. Stafford, UK, October 28, 2021

Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook are reportedly developing new tools that will allow its users to display their Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as their profile pictures, according to a report from The Financial Times.

Meta, which has already emphasized that it wants to move away from its ‘social media company’ tag and shift its focus to building a virtual reality (VR) metaverse is reportedly planning to host its own NFT marketplace where users would be able to view, mint, buy and sell NFTs on the platform. These plans, however, are in their early stages, and could change.

In December, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri stated that the company was “actively exploring NFTs,” while Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg’s plans are already widely known by now.

Further, Meta’s reported NFT marketplace will make use of Facebook’s digital currency wallet Novi. “A lot of the supporting functionality relating to Novi will be powering the NFTs,” one person with knowledge of the plans told The Financial Times.

While the move is ambitious, Meta is rather late to the party. Twitter is already testing features to showcase NFTs while Reddit has already launched its CryptoSnoos NFT collection.

The move from Meta and Instagram could turn out lucrative. For what it’s worth, at the time of writing, a total of 30,339 NFT sales with a volume of $51 million have transacted today.

Source: Financial Times

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft withdraws itself from attending CES 2022

CES 2022 is due to be held between January 5th through to January 8th and the show’s biggest partners continue to drop out. As COVID-19 Omicron variant numbers continue to rise, Microsoft is the latest to withdraw itself from having a presence on the show floor.

In a statement the company shared with The Verge, Microsoft will no longer be attending the upcoming event in person. “After reviewing the latest data on the rapidly evolving COVID environment, Microsoft has decided not to participate in-person at CES 2022,” a company spokesperson said.

Rather than have a presence on the CES 2022 show floor, Microsoft will be migrating its efforts to hosting itself digitally for the Microsoft Partner Innovation Experience and the Automotive Press Kit.

Microsoft is the latest exhibitor to drop out as the landscape of an in-person show continues to become worrisome. Large companies such as Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Meta have all withdrawn their presence. Each of them has taken notice of the rise in Omicron cases and decided against sending staff members to the show.

Other companies that have chosen to withdraw include Intel, Lenovo, Hisense,

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Earlier this week, CES organizers confirmed that the Las Vegas, Nevada show will indeed be held early on in the new year. In a statement posted on Twitter, the organizers stated that “focus remains on convening the tech industry and giving those who cannot attend in person the ability to experience the magic of CES digitally.”

CES 2022 will see many COVID-19 health measures in place. All attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination. Additionally, masks are to be worn while inside the event space. Rapid tests will also be provided to attendees.

Source: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Apple reportedly hires Meta’s AR communications lead as 2022 headset launch approaches

Although unconfirmed by Apple, the existence of an AR headset device developed by the iPhone maker continues to stack. Apple has reportedly hired Meta’s former AR communications and public relations lead, Andrea Schubert.

News of Schubert’s new role was first reported on by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest Power On newsletter (seen by 9to5Mac). Gurman states that Schubert’s hire is the latest move by Apple as it prepares itself to launch its first AR headset sometime in 2022.

Schubert has worked at Meta since 2016. Her role largely revolved around leading the AR, XR, Portal and Research comms teams at Reality Labs, Meta’s consumer hardware division. She was largely involved in the launch of Oculus Rift & Rift S, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest & Quest 2.

Previous reports have said that Apple’s AR headset will be a more premium device in the company’s catalogue. It’s said to feature two 8K high-resolution displays. Advanced eye tracking is also said to be another core feature of the headset. As far as processing power, Apple’s AR headset is believed to use an M1-based chipset. Apple’s headset may also need to be tethered to an iPhone, Mac, or iPad, similarly to early versions of the Apple Watch, in order to function. The price for the headset is rumoured to be around the $3,800 CAD price point.

With Apple entering a brand new segment of technology, it’ll be important to nail the messaging behind the headset. Schubert has a proven history in launching AR/VR devices so her expertise could be invaluable to Apple in the new year and beyond. The hype over AR and VR has dwindled down a bit compared to previous years. However, with interesting software to go along with it, Apple may be able to offer a tantalizing new device.

Source: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

Meta now listed as Facebook developer on Google Play and App Store

Earlier this year, Facebook was rebranded as Meta, and now the change is reflected on the Google Play Store and iOS.

First reported by Android Police, apps directly associated with Facebook, such as the Messenger app, now list ‘Meta Platforms, Inc.’ as their developer. Previously, Facebook was listed as the developer.

The change only seems to apply to apps directly connected with the Facebook name. While Whatsapp and Instagram are also part of the Facebook family, they aren’t listed as being developed by Meta Platforms, Inc.

MobileSyrup has noted the same change also applies to iOS. While Facebook and Messenger have a change in developer, Instagram lists ‘Instagram, Inc.’ as the developer. WhatsApp lists ‘WhatsApp Inc.’

According to 9to5Google, the change reflects the recent updates in the corporation’s identity and won’t necessarily change the Facebook experience.

Source: Android Police, 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Meta now listed as Facebook developer on Google Play and App Store

Earlier this year, Facebook was rebranded as Meta, and now the change is reflected on the Google Play Store and iOS.

First reported by Android Police, apps directly associated with Facebook, such as the Messenger app, now list ‘Meta Platforms, Inc.’ as their developer. Previously, Facebook was listed as the developer.

The change only seems to apply to apps directly connected with the Facebook name. While Whatsapp and Instagram are also part of the Facebook family, they aren’t listed as being developed by Meta Platforms, Inc.

MobileSyrup has noted the same change also applies to iOS. While Facebook and Messenger have a change in developer, Instagram lists ‘Instagram, Inc.’ as the developer. WhatsApp lists ‘WhatsApp Inc.’

According to 9to5Google, the change reflects the recent updates in the corporation’s identity and won’t necessarily change the Facebook experience.

Source: Android Police, 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Meta testing live chat support for Facebook creators locked out of their account

Meta’s Facebook platform is now testing a live chat help feature for users who have been locked out of their Facebook accounts.

Facebook detailed the change on its ‘Meta for Creators’ website, noting that it’s testing live chat help for “some English-speaking users globally, including creators.” This marks the first time Facebook has offered live support for this kind of issue, and for now, it will focus on people who can’t log in to their accounts due to unusual activity or because of alleged community standards violations.

The change marks a significant shift for Meta/Facebook. The service has lagged behind other popular creator platforms when it comes to community moderation and page management tools. Plus, large creator accounts are more likely to be targeted for account theft, making tools for recovering accounts more valuable.

A BuzzFeed News report from August detailed an underground economy of people who claim to have inside access at Meta. These insiders charge money to help restore accounts — creators who rely on social media for their business may find themselves with no choice but to pay when they get locked out.

Along with the live chat for account recovery, Meta announced other changes including improved comment moderation with keyword blocking, moderation assistance that can auto-hide comments with links or images, the ability to block users and any new accounts they make and a dedicated spot to view hidden comments.

There’s also a small test of live chat support for English-speaking creators in the U.S. who don’t have an assigned relationship manager. That can help mid-tier creators get quick responses to questions about things like payouts and new features.

Those interested can check out all the changes here.

Source: Meta Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Instagram will bring back ‘a version’ of its chronological feed next year

Meta-owned Instagram plans to bring back “a version” of its chronological feed next year, according to company head Adam Mosseri.

During a Senate hearing on Instagram and teen safety (via Engadget), Mosseri said he supports “giving people the option to have a chronological feed.”

“We’re currently working on a version of a chronological feed that we hope to launch next year,” said Mosseri, noting that the company had been working on it “for months” and that it aimed to launch the feature in the first quarter of 2022.

Instagram later confirmed to Engadget that it was working on a chronological feed option as well as a ‘favourites’ feed that will surface posts from designated friends. Both will be optional, and Instagram shared on Twitter that it’s adding choices so users “can decide what works best for them.”

The confirmation comes after developer and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi recently found an Instagram feature that would let users sort their feed by ‘home,’ ‘favourites’ or ‘following.’

It’s not clear if any of those include the chronological feed. Another recent Instagram test saw the company add ‘suggested posts‘ to users’ feeds.

Adding a chronological feed would be a significant shift for Instagram, which previously removed its chronological feed more than five years ago. Since then, Instagram has vigorously defended its algorithmic feed even as it faced increased scrutiny over how its algorithms ranked and suggested content, particularly for younger users.

The move may also be a ploy to ward off potential regulation. Mosseri’s testimony before the Senate comes as part of a wider set of hearings about teen mental health, which has so far heard from executives at Snap, TikTok and YouTube. Further, U.S. Congress introduced a bill in October to strip Section 230 protections from online platforms that recommend harmful content to users.

Regardless, fans of the chronological feed will be happy to hear Instagram is bringing it back. However, it remains to be seen if Instagram’s “version” of a chronological feed will satiate users, if it will be beneficial or if it will perpetuate existing problems with the platform.

Source: Engadget