WhatsApp Banned More Than 2 Million Accounts In India in a month

WhatsApp Banned More Than 2 Million Accounts In India in a month, WhatsApp has confirmed that as many 2 million user accounts in India were banned on the instant messaging platform between 15th May and 15th June. This comes as part of the India’s Monthly Report under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

The company revealed that it had banned 20,11,000 accounts in this one-month period. WhatsApp identifies Indian accounts via the country code +91 of the mobile phone number used to register. It also added that India alone accounts for 25 percent of all banned accounts in the world.

The company identifies an Indian account via +91 phone number.

Stating that more than 95% of such bans are due to the unauthorized use of automated or bulk messaging, the company added that these numbers have increased significantly since 2019 because its systems have increased in sophistication, and hence are detecting more accounts even as it believes there are more attempts to send bulk or automated messages.

“In addition to the behavioural signals from accounts, we rely on available unencrypted information including user reports, profile photos, and group photos and descriptions, besides deploying advanced AI tools and resources to detect and prevent abuse on our platform,” WhatsApp further added.

WhatsApp talks in detail, in the report, about the mechanisms in place to tackle abuse on the platform. These are in addition to the complaints received using the redressal mechanisms. The Facebook-owned social media platform says that the abuse detection method works in three stages—during registration, while messaging and in response to negative feedback from user reports and users blocking an account.

According to WhatsApp, it received a total of 70 reports for account support, 204 for ban appeals (of which it took action on 63), 20 for other support, 43 for product support, and 8 for “security issues.” It added that nearly 95 percent or 19 lakh of the account bans were carried out automatically after the service detected “automated bulk messaging” or spam.

AT&T Resets Millions of Customer Passcodes After Data Leak: What You Need to Know

AT&T recently confirmed a significant data breach affecting over 7.6 million current customers and 65 million former customers. The leaked information, which dates back to 2019 or earlier, includes personal details like names, addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers. Fortunately, financial information and call history were not compromised. In response to the breach, AT&T has reset passcodes for affected customers. Passcodes, usually four-digit numbers, serve as an additional layer of security when accessing accounts. However, security experts warn that the encrypted passcodes leaked alongside customer information could be easily deciphered, posing a risk of unauthorized account access. Affected customers are advised to set up free fraud alerts with major credit bureaus and remain vigilant for any suspicious activity related to their accounts. AT&T is proactively reaching out to impacted customers via email or letter to inform them about the breach and the meas...

Signal Introduces Usernames for Encrypted Messaging: A Secure Way to Connect

Signal, the encrypted messaging service, is launching a new feature in the coming weeks: support for usernames. This beta feature allows users to establish unique usernames, enabling connections without divulging phone numbers. source: Signal Blog To create a username, navigate to your settings and select "Profile." Once you've chosen a unique username, generate a QR code or link to share with others. Recipients can connect by entering your username into the chat bar. Usernames can be changed at any time, though previous usernames may be claimed by others. Signal began testing usernames last fall. Unlike social media platforms, Signal usernames do not serve as logins or public handles. They offer a discreet means of communication without revealing personal phone numbers. While a phone number is required to register for Signal, sharing it is optional. Usernames remain private and do not appear on profiles or in chats unless shared explicitly. As Randall Sarafa, Signal'...

Wordpress.com is selling user data to AI companies

In September 2023, WordPress.com quietly updated a developer page about accessing a "Firehose" of around a million daily WordPress posts, clarifying that these feeds are intended for search engines, AI products, and market intelligence providers. This change, which was not previously noted, has sparked discussion, especially after revelations that Automattic, the owner of WordPress.com and Tumblr, plans to share user data with OpenAI and Midjourney. The recent buzz surrounds questions about which WordPress blogs are included, data retroactivity for opt-outs, and the lack of transparency from Automattic. This company has been selling access to post data for years, including through the Jetpack plugin, but has recently announced exclusions for select AI partners. Automattic's deals with OpenAI and Midjourney are particularly contentious as they aim to enhance generative AI tools. This data sharing, facilitated by partners like SocialGist and DataStreamer, offers insights in...

THEHACKCITY

Search This Blog