Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., revealed on Thursday that Apple Inc. and Android mobile devices in Italy and Kazakhstan were spied on by Italian Spyware using hacking tools manufactured in Italy. The story claims that tools to eavesdrop on the private messages and contacts of the targeted devices were developed by the Milan-based RCS Lab, whose website identifies European law enforcement agencies as clients.
With
more businesses manufacturing intercepting technology for law
enforcement, the worldwide spyware market is growing.
Anti-surveillance
campaigners accuse them of assisting governments, which in some
circumstances employ such instruments to suppress human and civil
rights.
Image source: www.reuters.com
Google’s
findings on RCS Lab come as European and American regulators consider
additional restrictions on the selling and import of spyware.
“These vendors are enabling the proliferation of dangerous hacking tools and arming governments that would not be able to develop these capabilities in-house,” Google mentioned.
Source: indianexpress.com
Apple,
as well as the governments of Italy and Kazakhstan, did not respond
immediately to requests for comment.
RCS
Lab claims that its products and services conform with European
regulations and help law enforcement organizations in their
investigations.
“RCS Lab workers are not exposed, nor do they participate in any activities conducted by the relevant customers,” the company told Reuters in an email, adding that any misuse of its goods was unacceptable.
Source: gadgets360.com
Google
claimed to have taken security measures to safeguard Android users
and to have made them aware of the spyware.
The
global spyware market for governments is expanding, with more and
more companies developing intercepting tools for law enforcement
agencies. Anti-surveillance campaigners accuse them of assisting
governments that, in some situations, utilize such tools to repress
human and civil rights.
The
Israeli spy agency NSO’s Pegasus malware, which was used by multiple
nations to spy on journalists, activists, and dissidents, brought the
industry into the public eye in recent years.
Bill Marczak, a security researcher at Citizen Lab, claims that although RCS Lab’s application isn’t as stealthy as Pegasus, it can still read messages and view passwords. He added, “This shows that even though these devices are ubiquitous, there’s still a long way to go in securing them against these powerful attacks,”
Source: indianexpress.com
RCS
Lab presents itself as a supplier of “lawful interception”
equipment and services, including voice, data collection, and
“tracking devices,” on its website. It states that it can
find 10,000 targets every day in only Europe.
According to Google researchers, RCS Lab previously collaborated with the contentious, now-defunct Italian Spyware firm Hacking Team, which also created surveillance software for foreign agencies to hack into phones and computers. After being the target of a large hack in 2015 that led to the disclosure of numerous internal documents, Hacking Team filed for bankruptcy.
Billy
Leonard, a senior researcher at Google, claims that in some
instances, Google implied that it believed hackers using RCS spyware
worked along with the target’s ISP, suggesting connections to actors
with government backing.
I am a second-year student pursuing Liberal Arts from Nmims. I am a painter, I love reading and have a great interest in cooking. I am also a trained kickboxer. I’ve always had a passion for writing and hence in my free time, I work as a freelance writer.
We generate digital data every time we write an email, tap an Instagram ad, or swipe our credit cards. At the speed of a click, information travels around the world, becoming a kind of borderless money that sustains the digital economy. The flow of bits and bytes, which was mostly unregulated, fuelled the emergence of transnational mega-corporations such as Google and Amazon and transformed global communications, business, entertainment, and media. The era of open borderless data is coming to an end.
France, Austria, South Africa, and more than 50 other countries are stepping up attempts to regulate the digital data generated by their citizens, government agencies, and businesses. Governments are progressively defining laws and norms on how data may and cannot flow around the world, driven by security and privacy concerns, as well as commercial interests and authoritarian and nationalistic impulses. The best goal is to achieve “digital sovereignty” with borderless data.
Consider
the following:
The
Biden administration in Washington is circulating an early draught
of an executive order designed to prevent adversaries like China
from obtaining American data.
Judges
and lawmakers in the European Union are pressing for stronger
internet privacy regulations and artificial intelligence
restrictions to protect information generated within the 27-nation
union.
Indian
lawmakers are working on a plan that would limit the amount of data
that may leave the country of over 1.4 billion people.
According
to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the number
of laws, regulations, and government policies requiring digital
information to be maintained in a given country more than quadrupled
to 144 between 2017 and 2021.
While
countries like China have long walled off their digital ecosystems,
the imposition of more national regulations on information flows
signals a significant shift in the democratic world and affects how
the internet has operated since its commercialization in the 1990s.
The
implications for company operations, privacy, and how law enforcement
and intelligence organizations investigate crimes and carry out
surveillance activities are enormous. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google
have launched new services that allow businesses to retain records
and information inside a certain geographic area. Data migration has
also become a topic of geopolitical debate, with a new treaty for
information exchange across the Atlantic reached in principle in
March.
“Over the last decade, the amount of data has grown to the point where there is pressure to bring it under sovereign control,” said Federico Fabbrini, a professor of European law at Dublin City University who edited a book on the subject and argues that data is inherently more difficult to regulate than physical goods.
Source: indianexpress.com
The
new limits are unlikely to take down popular websites for most users.
However, depending on where they live, consumers may lose access to
some services or features. To avoid being sued under rules limiting
the use of biometric data, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, recently
announced that it will temporarily stop delivering augmented reality
filters in Texas and Illinois.
The fight over borderless data reflects deeper economic divisions around the world.
Image source: www.deccanherald.com
Data
localization: why and why not?
According
to Eduardo Ustaran, a lawyer at Hogan Lovells, a law company that
helps corporations comply with new data requirements, shifting
attitudes regarding digital information are “linked to a wider
trend toward economic nationalism.”
The
core concept of “digital sovereignty” is that digital waste
generated by a person, business, or government should be stored in
the country where it was generated, or at the very least treated in
line with government-set privacy and other regulations. Some
authorities prefer that information be held by a local company in
circumstances where it is more sensitive. the world economy
That’s
a significant change from today. The majority of files were formerly
saved locally on home computers and corporate mainframes. However, as
internet speeds and telecommunications infrastructure improved over
the last two decades, cloud computing services enabled someone in
Germany to save images on a Google server in California, or an
Italian company to host a website using Amazon Web Services in
Seattle.
JCP
prescription for Data Bill explained:
After
national security contractor Edward Snowden disclosed dozens of
documents detailing widespread US surveillance of digital
communications in 2013, it became a watershed moment
Concerns
grew in Europe that relying on American companies like Facebook made
Europeans vulnerable to surveillance by the US. This resulted in
protracted legal battles over online privacy and trans-Atlantic talks
to protect communications and other data sent to American companies.
The
aftershocks continue to be felt. While the US promotes a free,
unrestricted approach that allows data to flow freely across
democratic nations, China, along with Russia and others, has walled
off the internet and kept data within reach in order to monitor
populations and stifle dissent. Europe is creating a new route, with
carefully regulated markets and data privacy legislation.
Why
is the Personal Data Protection Bill harmful for businesses?
The tech industry has raised concerns as new laws have been implemented. The online economy, according to groups representing Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, is fuelled by the free flow of data. They claimed that if tech businesses were to keep everything locally, they wouldn’t be able to offer the same products and services all over the world. Nonetheless, countries took action. Customers of Google’s internet measuring software, Google Analytics, which is used by many websites to collect audience statistics, were cautioned this year not to use it because it could expose Europeans’ borderless data to American eavesdropping in France and Austria.
After
receiving criticism for giving the contract to an American company,
the French government canceled a partnership with Microsoft to handle
health-related data last year. Instead, officials promised to work
with local businesses. Businesses have adapted. Microsoft said it was
taking steps to make it easier for customers to preserve data inside
specific geographic areas.
Customers can choose where their borderless data is housed in Europe, according to Amazon Web Services, the largest cloud computing service.
In
the past year, Google Cloud has negotiated agreements with local tech
and telecom companies in France, Spain, and Germany, ensuring that
customers’ data is protected by a local company while using Google’s
services. Ksenia Duxfield-Karyakina, who manages Google Cloud’s
public policy efforts in Europe, stated, “We want to meet them
where they are.”
According
to Liam Maxwell, director of government transformation at Amazon Web
Services, the company would adjust to European rules, but clients
should be free to acquire cloud computing services based on their
needs, not where the technology provider is from.
More
fights over digital information loom, according to Max Schrems, an
Austrian privacy activist who won litigation against Facebook over
its data-sharing policies. He anticipated that the European Court of
Justice would strike down the US-EU data arrangement proposed by
Biden because it does not meet EU privacy rules.
“There was a time when data was completely unregulated, and people could do whatever they wanted,” Schrems explained. “Now we see that everyone is trying to govern it, but in various ways.” This is a global problem.”
I am a second-year student pursuing Liberal Arts from Nmims. I am a painter, I love reading and have a great interest in cooking. I am also a trained kickboxer. I’ve always had a passion for writing and hence in my free time, I work as a freelance writer.
Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference, hosted the keynote address. As predicted, Google made plenty of announcements about its hardware and software intentions. We received updates on Android 13, Chrome OS, the Pixel 6A, the Pixel Watch, Nest Hub, and other topics. As one would expect from the opening keynote of a developer conference, Google did spend some time on Android 13, however, most of the material provided has been known since the software update’s public beta became available.
Image source: digit.in
The most interesting parts of the Google I/O speech focused on new Pixel products. Here’s what was revealed at Google I/O:
Android 13
Google announced a number of upgrades coming to the next edition of its operating system, titled Android 13. Google’s emphasis for this iteration of the operating system is on all sorts of computing that people enjoy, as well as helping all of your devices work better together to solve problems and assist you throughout the day. The latest Android operating system is already in public beta on Pixel 6 phones and lower. Still, Google made it clear that Android 13 would be plenty of enhancements, from Material You upgrades to the reintroduction of Google Wallet.
The Pixel Watch With Fitbit Integration
During the keynote, Google announced its new Pixel Watch, although only as a preview. Finally, Google will have its own smartwatch, and we think it’s about time.
We’ve been intrigued by how Google will put its personal twist on the finest Fitbits of the future since the search giant bought Fitbit over antitrust worries. The Pixel Watch, which runs on Wear OS 3 and has a rounder look than the Apple Watch, was introduced. It will be released alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, which were also teased at the speech.
Pixel Buds Pro
The noise-canceling AirPods Pro is one of the most popular truly wireless earbuds on the market, and it’s no wonder that other firms are following Apple’s lead.
The Pixel Buds Pro were confirmed during the Google IO 2022 keynote, putting them on a level with the AirPods Pro in terms of features. It has superior sound, including active noise cancellation, volume EQ, transparency mode, and other features. We’re excited to see ANC because it’s a first for the Pixel Buds. The Pixel Buds Pro have a similar style to previous models and they still support hands-free “Hey Google” activation. With ANC turned on, the battery life appears to be adequate at 7 hours on a single charge. You’ll receive 20 hours total, which includes the case. Charcoal, fog, coral, and lemongrass are the four colours available for the case.
Google Pixel 6A
In 2022, Google announced many new products, the first of which was the Pixel 6a, which was unveiled in March 2022 to compete with the iPhone SE 3. The Pixel A-series is always anticipated since it brings all of Pixel’s top photography features to an affordable smartphone. The Pixel 6A, as expected, is powered by Google’s Tensor processor and comes with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. It sports a 6.1-inch display and a battery capacity of 4,306 mAh.
Pixel 7 And 7 pro
With an early peek of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro with an improved, stainless-steel body and an updated look to the back cameras, this was the most shocking reveal for Google IO 2022. The Pixel 7 and 7Pro will sport a dual/triple camera configuration, similar to the current model. In contrast to the Pixel 6’s solid black bar, the cameras have a smooth circular appearance. They’ll have Tensor processors of the next generation. Both phones will, of course, come with Android 13.
Pixel Tablet
After exiting the tablet market in 2019, the announcement of a Pixel Tablet for 2023, as well as an emphasis on more than 20 apps being optimized for tablets by the time Android 13 arrives, is startling. The tablet will be equipped with a Google Tensor chip and will be compatible with other Pixel devices. It will also feature very large bezels, according to the render Google published.
Google Glass
At Google IO 2022, this was a ‘One More Thing’ revelation, confirming that AR Glasses were on the way. While no specifications, costs, or availability were provided, a demonstration of live translation during a discussion was astounding. While we may be a few years away from purchasing a pair, it gave viewers a sense of how AR glasses could be used in their everyday lives.
Google Search will soon be able to help users find doctor appointment availability so they can schedule their health checkups without having to rely on a third-party service. On Thursday, the update was unveiled at Google’s second annual healthcare-focused event, The Check-Up. Aside from the Google Search update, the Mountain View, California-based company announced plans to integrate support for detecting atrial fibrillation (AFib) into Fitbit fitness-tracking devices to help people receive alerts for signs of an irregular heart rhythm at its virtual event. Google also unveiled a series of Health AI updates aimed at transforming smartphones into stethoscopes or ultrasound machines for early diagnosis in even the most remote locations.
Google Search is rolling out the ability to find appointment availability for doctors and local care providers by partnering with healthcare providers and a number of scheduling solution providers. The search results will show users the available appointment dates and times for doctors in the area.
When you use Google Search to look for a specific practitioner or facility, the appointment availability will appear. Once you’ve found a suitable appointment date, click the Book button next to the available slot. You will be directed to a third-party booking site.
Image source: www.theweek.in
In the United States, Google is collaborating with a few healthcare providers and scheduling solution providers, including MinuteClinic at CVS. In the coming days, the feature will be rolled out to users searching in English in the United States. However, it is hoped that it will eventually be available in other markets.
Fitbit also announced that, in addition to Google appointment booking, it is developing an AFib algorithm that will work with the existing optical Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor on its wearables to detect and alert users about irregular heart rhythm. The algorithm is currently being reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fitbit is expected to release an update for consumer fitness-tracking bands and smartwatches in the near future. According to Google, its in-house algorithm correctly identified undiagnosed AFib 98 percent of the time, citing internal research.
Apple, for example, has built-in support for detecting and alerting users about AFib. Fitbit’s move, on the other hand, could bring AFib detection to a wide range of price points.
Google also announced that health information panels on YouTube will be expanded to markets such as Brazil, India, and Japan. Previously, it was only available in the United States.
Separately, at The Check Up event, Google announced its early-stage developments under the Health AI division. One of these advancements is the use of a smartphone’s built-in microphones as a stethoscope.
When placed over the chest, Google’s inbuilt microphones are used to record a participant’s heart sounds, according to research.
The latest study looks into whether a smartphone can detect heartbeats and murmurs, according to the company. However, because it requires specific hardware inputs, the detection will be limited to specific smartphone models. In a blog post, Greg Corrado, Google’s Head of Health AI, said, “We’re currently in the early stages of clinical study testing, but we hope that our work can empower people to use the smartphone as an additional tool for accessible health evaluation.”
Google is also investigating photos from smartphone cameras to help detect diabetes and non-diabetes diseases with partners such as EyePACS and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
Apart from using smartphone cameras to detect heartbeats, murmurs, and diabetes signs, Google has announced that it is working on using artificial intelligence (AI) and smartphones to provide maternal ultrasound screening. Northwestern Medicine has partnered with the company to develop and test its models for expanding research.
The overall research into combining AI and smartphones to improve healthcare is still in its early stages, and it may take some time and additional effort to bring to the general public.
Sweden’s price comparison website on Monday, PriceRunner filed a lawsuit against Google for EUR 2.1 billion (roughly Rs. 17,930 crores) for promoting its own shopping comparisons in search results.
In recent years, Europe has tightened regulations on Big Tech’s business practices, and the EU is working on legislation to do so. US behemoths are facing fines and legal challenges in a number of European countries.
The Swedish tech startup expects the “final damages amount of the lawsuit to be significantly higher” because “the violation is still ongoing.”
According to CEO Mikael Lindahl, the lawsuit is also a fight “for consumers who have suffered tremendously for the past fourteen years and still today from Google’s infringement of competition law.”
Image source: dw.com
The Swedish tech startup filed its lawsuit with the Patent and Market Court in Stockholm after the European Union General Court ruled that Google “breached EU antitrust laws by manipulating search results in favor of their own comparison shopping services.”
The European Commission imposed a EUR-2.4 billion (roughly Rs. 20,490 crores) fine on Google in 2017, claiming that results from Google’s own comparison service were “displayed in a more eye-catching manner.” An EU court upheld the fine in November, claiming that results from Google’s own comparison service were “displayed in a more eye-catching manner.”
PriceRunner said it was pursuing restitution for profits lost in the UK since 2008, as well as Sweden and Denmark since 2013.
Google has a “monopoly-like position” in the European Economic Area (EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), according to PriceRunner, with more than 90% of the market share for internet search engines.
The price comparison website is headquartered in Sweden, with offices in Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom. It has previously stated its intention to expand into additional countries.
PriceRunner was bought by Swedish fintech Klarna in November for an undisclosed sum, though media reports put the price at over $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,540 crores).
About PriceRunner
PriceRunner is a product and price comparison service with a global user base of 18.2 million people. The website is completely free to use and contains 2.2 million products from 5 900 shops. Users can compare prices on a wide range of items. In addition to price and product comparison, there are hundreds of product tests and guides available. The company operates in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, among other countries.
PriceRunner’s mission is to make online shopping more convenient for consumers by assisting them in finding the best products and deals available. PriceRunner offers hundreds of product reviews and comparisons from a variety of retailers, as well as the ability to compare products, prices, and delivery options. Product experts carry out the tests over a long period of time in order to simulate the product’s intended use.
PriceRunner does not sell products; rather, it makes money by sending traffic to online stores and by displaying banner ads. PriceRunner currently employs 175 people in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Nicklas Storkers has been the company’s CEO since 2016. In October 2021, PriceRunner acquired the Norwegian price comparison site Prisguiden, expanding its operations to Norway.
According to a report, Apple will retain its title as the world’s most valuable brand in 2022, with a valuation of $355.1 billion (roughly Rs. 26,72,600 crores). The Cupertino company’s value has increased by 35% as a result of its increased market recognition. After Apple, Amazon, and Google were named among the year’s top three most valuable brands. TikTok, on the other hand, has become the world’s fastest-growing brand, with a valuation that is expected to increase by 215 percent by 2022.
Apple has become the first brand to reach a market valuation of $3 trillion, according to Brand Finance’s latest ranking report. In 2021, the company’s branding increased from $263.37 billion (roughly Rs. 19,83,000 crore) to $355.1 billion in 2022.
According to the report, Apple’s brand value increased by 35% year over year to reach a new high. The success of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 around the world was a major factor in the company’s growth. The company’s slew of products across other verticals, however, only added to this. The new generation of iPads, iMacs, MacBooks, and the AirTag are among them.
Image source: tosshub.com
In addition, Apple’s diverse range of services has grown significantly. Apple Music, Apple Pay, Apple TV, and other platforms grew in popularity and revenue, propelling Apple’s brand value to new heights.
“The iPhone continues to account for roughly half of Apple’s sales. “However, with a new generation of iPads, an overhaul of the iMac, and the introduction of AirTags, Apple has given more attention to its other suite of products this year,” the company said.
In 2022, Amazon is ranked second in Brand Finance’s Global 500 ranking, following Apple. With a 38 percent increase to $350.3 billion, the US e-commerce behemoth joined the iPhone maker in surpassing the $300 billion mark (roughly Rs. 26,36,800 crore). “Amazon considers logistics to be critical, and it is building its own end-to-end supply chain with a growing fleet of trucks, vans, and planes. The brand has invested an estimated $80 billion in its logistics division between 2020 and 2021, compared to a combined $58 billion in the previous five years, according to the firm.
According to Model Finance, Google’s model worth increased by 38 percent this year to $263.4 billion (roughly Rs. 19,82,880 crore). According to the agency, because Google relies on advertising for the vast majority of its revenue, it was initially harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic as advertising spending fell. The search giant’s business, on the other hand, rebounded as the world adjusted to the new standard, according to the report. This year, Microsoft remained in fourth place in Model Finance’s World 500 ranking, trailing only Google. The company’s value has increased by over 31% to $184.2 billion (roughly Rs. 13,86,390 crore). Walmart has surpassed Samsung to become the fourth most valuable brand in 2022, according to Brand Finance. The company now has a brand value of $ 111.91 billion, up 20% from $ 93.18 billion last year. Samsung, on the other hand, dropped to fifth place with a brand value of $ 107.28 billion (about 860,200 rupees). The company has risen to the top 25 most valuable brands in brand finance, making it the only Korean company to do so. In this year’s Brand Finance 500 rankings, Huawei, unlike Samsung, has risen from 21st to 9th place. The value of Chinese companies has increased by 29% to $ 71.2 billion, according to the company.
“US sanctions hit Huawei’s smartphone business hard, but the company responded positively by ramping up investment in both domestic technology companies and R&D, as well as shifting its focus to cloud services,” according to Brand Finance.
Source: gadgets.ndtv.com
TikTok has been named the world’s fastest-growing brand by Brand Finance, in addition to the leading top-value brands. Over the last year, the short-video app’s brand value has increased by 215 percent to $59 billion (roughly Rs. 4,43,300 crore). It ranked 18th among the top 500 most valuable brands in the world, according to the brand valuation consultancy.
Snapchat, like TikTok, became a popular app this year, with its brand value increasing. According to Brand Finance, the app’s brand value increased by 184 percent to $6.6 billion (roughly Rs. 49,600 crore).
For the second year in a row, the firm has named WeChat the world’s most powerful brand. According to the report, it had a brand value of $62.30 billion (roughly Rs. 4,68,100 crore) in 2022.
In the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking for 2022, the technology sector was once again the most valuable. According to the firm, the sector’s total brand value has surpassed $1.3 trillion (roughly Rs. 97,66,315 crore). It’s important to note that the brand values reported by Brand Finance are calculated independently by the company and do not reflect the brand’s market capitalization.
