Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Latest Updates
-
The Protein Gap In Women’s Diets: Gynaecologist Explains Why This Nutrient Matters From Puberty To Menopause -
Ralph Lauren Showcases ‘Jhumkas’ At Paris Fashion Week, Rekindling Debate On Credit For Indian Craft -
Viral Video: Pakistani Family Celebrates India’s T20 World Cup Victory With Cake, Sings Indian National Anthem -
Who Is Aditi Hundia? Viral Video Shows Ishan Kishan Celebrating India’s T20 World Cup Win With Girlfriend -
India Seal Historic T20 World Cup Win: Samson Tournament Star, Bumrah Match Hero, Dhoni Posts Special Message -
Horoscope for Today March 09, 2026 - Small Steps, Big Progress -
International Women’s Day 2026: 7 Powerful Ayurvedic Foods Every Woman Should Start Adding To Her Daily Diet -
What If WiFi, GPS Or Dishwashers Didn’t Exist? This Instagram Reel Credits Women Behind Everyday Inventions -
Women’s Day 2026: Why Creating Relaxation Spaces At Home Matters For Women Balancing Multiple Roles -
Women’s Day 2026 Binge Watch: 10 Movies That Celebrate Women Who Challenge Norms And Rewrite Their Stories
Facebook AKA Meta Warns: 50,000 Accounts Were Targets Of Spyware
Nearly 50,000 Facebook users in more than 100 countries around the world have received a warning from the social media giant that they might have been targeted by surveillance companies. Facebook's parent company, Meta, released a report on Thursday saying that "cyber mercenaries" regularly spy on dissidents, critics of authoritarian regimes, journalists, families of opposition members and human rights activists — on behalf of paying clients.
"[It] looks like indiscriminate targeting on behalf of the highest bidder," Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Facebook, said following a months-long investigation.
'Surveillance-for-hire'
Meta said it suspended around 1,500 mostly fake accounts run by seven organizations across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The accounts were linked to seven firms in Israel, India, North Macedonia and China, but more than two dozen countries are said to have used their surveillance services.
"The surveillance-for-hire industry is much broader than one company," Gleicher said. Meta issued cease and desist letters and said it shared information with law enforcement agencies.
Surveillance through social media
Meta investigators say the companies would collect information about users and often use fake accounts to gain their trust and trick them to install software compromising their devices.
The hackers can then access users' passwords, photos, videos and messages. They can also activate cameras and microphones without users knowing.
Cyber surveillance industry under a microscope
Meta's fight with the spy firms comes amid a wider move by US tech companies, lawmakers and President Joe Biden's administration against the cyber-surveillance industry.
Notably, the Israeli spyware company NSO Group — the company behind the Pegasus spyware — has come under fire in recent months.
Meta is already taking legal action against NSO over reports that it exploited a bug in its WhatsApp messaging service to install malware for surveillance.
NSO is opposing the lawsuits and wasn't named in Thursday's report.
lo/fb (AFP, Reuters)
Source: DW
Continue with Google