Categories
Entertainment

The European Union is investigating Meta’s election policies

[ad_1]

The EU has officially opened a significant investigation into Meta for its alleged failures to remove election disinformation. While the European Commission’s statement doesn’t explicitly mention Russia, Meta confirmed to Engadget the EU probe targets the country’s Doppelganger campaign, an online disinformation operation pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Bloomberg’s sources also said the probe was focused on the Russian disinformation operation, describing it as a series of “attempts to replicate the appearance of traditional news sources while churning out content that is favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policies.”

The investigation comes a day after France said 27 of the EU’s 29 member states had been targeted by pro-Russian online propaganda ahead of European parliamentary elections in June. On Monday, France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot urged social platforms to block websites “participating in a foreign interference operation.”

A Meta spokesperson told Engadget that the company had been at the forefront of exposing Russia’s Doppelganger campaign, first spotlighting it in 2022. The company said it has since investigated, disrupted and blocked tens of thousands of the network’s assets. The Facebook and Instagram owner says it remains on high alerts to monitor the network while claiming Doppelganger has struggled to successfully build organic audiences for the pro-Putin fake news.

Mark Zuckerberg onstage during a company keynote presentation. Profile view from his left side.Mark Zuckerberg onstage during a company keynote presentation. Profile view from his left side.

Meta

The European Commission’s President said Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA), the landmark legislation passed in 2022 that empowers the EU to regulate social platforms. The law allows the EC to, if necessary, impose heavy fines on violating companies — up to six percent of a company’s global annual turnover, potentially changing how social companies operate.

In a statement to Engadget, Meta said, “We have a well-established process for identifying and mitigating risks on our platforms. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work.”

The EC probe will cover “Meta’s policies and practices relating to deceptive advertising and political content on its services.” It also addresses “the non-availability of an effective third-party real-time civic discourse and election-monitoring tool ahead of the elections to the European Parliament.”

The latter refers to Meta’s deprecation of its CrowdTangle tool, which researchers and fact-checkers used for years to study how content spreads across Facebook and Instagram. Dozens of groups signed an open letter last month, saying Meta’s planned shutdown during the crucial 2024 global elections poses a “direct threat” to global election integrity.

Meta told Engadget that CrowdTangle only provides a fraction of the publicly available data and would be lacking as a full-fledged election monitoring tool. The company says it’s building new tools on its platform to provide more comprehensive data to researchers and other outside parties. It says it’s currently onboarding key third-party fact-checking partners to help identify misinformation.

However, with Europe’s elections in June and the critical US elections in November, Meta had better get moving on its new API if it wants the tools to work when it matters most.

The EC gave Meta five working days to respond to its concerns before it would consider further escalating the matter. “This Commission has created means to protect European citizens from targeted disinformation and manipulation by third countries,” EC President von der Leyen wrote. “If we suspect a violation of the rules, we act.”

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

The EU is already investigating Apple, Meta and Google over fees and defensive policies

[ad_1]

We had the first wave of changes and tweaks to Apple, Google and other big tech companies’ policies and services just before the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act (DMA) took a harder line against monopolistic behaviors and practices. See: third-party app stores with Apple, the option to pay for Facebook (haha!), the ability to choose your own default browser, search engine, and more.

But the EU isn’t quite satisfied. Alphabet and Apple, says the European Commission, have not sufficiently allowed “app developers to ‘steer’ consumers to offers outside the gatekeepers’ app stores, free of charge.”

The EC says Alphabet might still be leading users to Google-owned services like Google Flights. Apple may not be allowing users meaningful choice in selecting alternatives to default iOS services or preferences, such as the ability to uninstall any preloaded app.

In January, Apple announced changes to the App Store to comply with the DMA, including the ability to use alternative app marketplaces on iOS in the EU. Included in Apple’s updates was a new “core technology fee” of €0.50 developers will have to pay per user per year after the first million installs of an app — even if a user downloads the software from a third-party marketplace. Many of Apple’s rivals about the App Store changes. Some criticized the company’s fees for third-party payments in the US too.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

Under-14s are completely banned.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just signed a bill into law with far stricter rules on how kids under 16 can use and access social media. The bill requires a parent or guardian’s consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to make an account or use a pre-existing account on a social media platform. The companies behind these platforms must also abide by requests to delete these accounts within five business days. Failing to do so could rack up major fines, as much as $10,000 for each violation. The bill doesn’t name any specific social media platforms but suggests any service that promotes “infinite scrolling” will have to follow the new rules. So yeah, the usual suspects.

Continue reading.

You will still have to pay for them.

Spotify has teamed up with content partners BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Thinkific Labs Inc. and Skillshare to offer content in making music, getting creative, learning business and living healthily. The test courses are available only to UK users, with free and premium subscribers receiving at least two free lessons per course. The series will range from £20 ($25) to £80 ($101), regardless of a person’s subscription tier. The course content seems to be somewhere between Masterclass and LinkedIn Learning — make of that what you will.

Continue reading.

15 teens will advise the company.

TMATMA

Getty

Last summer, TikTok said it planned to form a “youth council” of teens to advise the company as part of a broader push to beef up safety features for the app’s youngest users. That group is now official, just as TikTok contends with a bill that would force parent-company ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban in the United States. While it’s unclear how much influence TikTok’s youth council will ultimately wield over the company’s policies, it underscores just how important teens are to the platform. The company has tried to mobilize its users, many of them teens, to oppose the bill being discussed by the US government.

Continue reading.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
News

Tracking the Digital Footprints: Investigating the Traceability of Stolen Cryptocurrencies

In the exciting realm of cryptocurrencies, where wealth can shift instantly, there’s a darker side hiding just out of sight. The theft of digital coins is sadly common, leading many to wonder if these vanished assets can be tracked down and reclaimed. Today, we’re going to delve into the intriguing realm of how crypto forensics companies track digital footprints to investigate the traceability of stolen cryptocurrencies.

The Cryptocurrency Crime Scene

Picture this: you wake up one fine morning, ready to check your crypto wallet, only to find it’s empty. Panic sets in, and you realize that you’ve fallen victim to a cryptocurrency theft. You’re not alone; cryptocurrency thefts have been on the rise. But here’s the twist – cryptocurrencies operate on a decentralized ledger called blockchain, which means every transaction is recorded. Can this help track down the culprits?

Understanding the Blockchain

Before we dive into the tracking process, let’s understand what makes it all possible – the blockchain. Think of it as a digital ledger, an open book where every cryptocurrency transaction is written down. These transactions are grouped into blocks and linked together in a chain, creating a secure and transparent record. But how can we use this to our advantage in tracking stolen cryptocurrencies?

The Tracking Process: Step by Step

Gather Information:

The first step in tracking stolen cryptocurrencies is gathering information about the theft. This includes details like the time of the theft, the wallet address involved, and any suspicious activities leading up to it.

Identify the Wallet Address:

Every cryptocurrency transaction involves sender and receiver wallet addresses. These addresses are alphanumeric strings unique to each wallet. To start tracking, you’ll need to identify the wallet address that received your stolen crypto.

Blockchain Analysis:

Here’s where the magic happens. The blockchain is public, meaning anyone can view transactions. You can use blockchain explorers like Etherscan (for Ethereum) or Blockchair (for Bitcoin) to search for the wallet address and trace its transactions.

Follow the Trail:

Once you’ve identified the thief’s wallet address, you can start tracing their digital footprints. Follow the trail of transactions to see where your stolen cryptocurrency went next. It might have changed hands several times.

Exchange Investigations:

Cryptocurrency thieves often try to cash out on exchanges. Keep an eye on popular exchanges for any deposits matching the stolen amount. Exchanges are required to follow KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures, making it harder for thieves to remain anonymous.

Law Enforcement Involvement:

If you’ve traced the stolen crypto to an exchange or identified the thief, it’s time to get law enforcement involved. Provide them with all the evidence you’ve gathered. They may work with international agencies to recover your funds.

Challenges in Tracking

While the process might sound straightforward, tracking stolen cryptocurrencies is no walk in the park. Here are some challenges you might encounter along the way:

Anonymity: Cryptocurrency transactions can be pseudonymous, meaning wallet addresses are not directly tied to real-world identities. This anonymity can make it difficult to pinpoint the culprits.

Mixers and Tumblers: Some thieves use mixing services or tumblers to obfuscate the trail of stolen cryptocurrencies. These services shuffle funds between multiple addresses, making tracking more challenging.

Jurisdictional Issues: Cryptocurrency operates in a borderless digital realm. Tracking and recovering stolen funds might involve navigating complex jurisdictional issues, especially if the thief is in another country.

Hacking Techniques: Sophisticated hackers might employ various techniques to cover their tracks, including using stolen or hacked wallets to launder the stolen crypto.

Success Stories

Mt. Gox Hack: In 2014, Mt. Gox, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges at the time, suffered a massive hack resulting in the loss of 850,000 bitcoins. Over the years, investigators managed to trace a portion of these bitcoins to various wallet addresses. While not all the stolen funds were recovered, this case demonstrates the potential for tracking stolen crypto.

Twitter Hack: In 2020, a high-profile Twitter hack saw several celebrity accounts promoting a bitcoin scam. While the initial investigation focused on the hack itself, cryptocurrency forensic experts were able to trace the stolen bitcoins to different addresses. A teenager was later arrested and charged with the hack.

Preventing Crypto Theft

While it’s intriguing to explore the world of tracking stolen cryptocurrencies, prevention is always better than cure. Here are some tips to keep your digital assets safe:

Use Physical Wallets: Hardware wallets are tangible devices that keep your digital currencies offline, shielding them from internet threats.

Turn On Two-Step Verification (2SV): Boosting your exchange and wallet security with an additional protective step can keep intruders at bay.

Stay Informed: Keep yourself updated on the latest security threats and scams in the crypto world. Knowledge is your best defense.

Beware of Phishing: Be cautious of phishing emails and websites that aim to steal your login credentials. Always double-check URLs and email sources.

Secure Your Private Keys: Your private keys are the keys to your cryptocurrency kingdom. Store them in a safe place and never share them with anyone.

Consider Insurance: Some cryptocurrency exchanges and custodians offer insurance coverage for digital assets. It’s worth exploring such options for added peace of mind.

Conclusion

The world of cryptocurrencies is a thrilling one, but it’s not without risks. Prevention remains the best strategy. By adopting secure practices and staying vigilant, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to crypto theft. Remember, in this digital frontier, it’s not just about the hunt for stolen treasure but also about safeguarding your own.