Shoppers Don’t Trust Crypto as Small Business Payment Method, Study Finds

As businesses continue recovering from the pandemic's economic consequences, many are promoting the multiple payment methods they offer. Providing more flexibility for consumers encourages a smoother checkout experience. And with so many payment methods being used in the digital space today, many shoppers will prefer some over others. That’s why offering multiple payment options is vital for staying current and keeping people’s business.

Choosing the best payment methods to accept is especially crucial for small businesses. Unfortunately, accepting digital payment methods can significantly cut into their profits. Some companies must charge extra fees at checkout to cover the costs, which might be bad for business. How do small businesses feel about modern payment methods, and are customers willing to pay extra fees to use them? And how do shoppers feel about using cryptocurrency? A new study from Clarify Capital sheds light on the digital era's most popular and trusted payment methods.

The study first explored the most reliable forms of payment according to shoppers and small business owners. Visa and Mastercard were the top two most trusted payment methods, while well-established PayPal ranked third, and newcomer, Zelle, came in last place. The top spots indicated that people still prefer credit cards in the age of digital payments. PayPal’s high ranking is likely due to its brand name recognition, which can play a major part in consumers’ willingness to trust a brand. Some other big brands that have entered the merchant space as viable methods of payment include Apple, Google, and Amazon.

As cryptocurrency continues to rise in popularity, it’s becoming a more common payment method among consumers. While it has its pros and cons, many consider crypto to be a more secure payment method than credit and debit cards. Crypto transactions don’t require third-party verification, and the blockchain general ledger verifies and records each transaction – both of which decrease the possibility of a data breach. On the merchant side, accepting cryptocurrency can reduce transaction fees, and the finality of a crypto payment protects sellers and helps them better manage their cash flow.

While these findings are encouraging, do people feel comfortable using crypto to pay for goods and services? According to the Clarify Capital study, the answer to this question is a resounding “no” – crypto was the least trusted payment method among the consumers surveyed. However, 65% of them also said that businesses offering crypto as a payment method would make them more loyal to that store or brand. It’s an interesting juxtaposition. Whether the hesitancy around cryptocurrency stems from a lack of knowledge or apprehension because of its newness, consumers are having a hard time accepting the concept as part of their daily life.

When it comes to the payment methods that consumers do trust, the big question is whether or not they’re willing to pay more to use them. The study showed that while 60% of small businesses paid fees to offer certain payment platforms, 22% relied on consumers to cover the costs, and 17% split the cost between themselves and their customers.

It’s understandable that most businesses would cover the costs of accepting certain payment methods, considering 34% of respondents would feel negatively toward a company that charged them a fee to process their payment. Despite this finding, some consumers were willing to pay extra to use their payment method of choice: 21% said they’d shell out a little extra to use Amazon Pay, while 20% said they’d do so to use Google Pay.

Consumers have varying payment preferences, but can some payment options actually attract business? Forty-six percent of those surveyed said they’d be most likely to shop at a small business that accepted Visa, while 44% said they’d shop where PayPal was an option. Forty-one percent said Mastercard, 39% said Amazon Pay, and 34% said cryptocurrency – which was significantly more than Venmo (26%), despite its popularity for making digital payments. Perhaps that’s because people more often use Venmo to send and receive money between friends than to pay merchants.

The average amounts spent using newer digital payment methods (ones other than the traditional credit card or cash) varied widely. On average, those who used Google Pay spent $459 per month, while those who used Amazon Pay spent $412. Apple Pay users spent an average of $223 per month, while for those who use PayPal, it was $212. The number dropped to $206 for Venmo and $185 for Cash App. Could there be a reason behind these rates of use?

Beyond brand recognition, the overall experience is what often leads users back to digital apps and platforms, making user experience a key factor for merchants to consider when choosing which payment methods to offer. With so much shopping done online these days, people are used to a quick and streamlined checkout process, so it’s more important than ever to ensure a simple and easy checkout experience. This study revealed some of the pitfalls that might cause businesses to lose sales at this stage.

When study respondents were asked what might cause them to abandon their online shopping cart, 51% said it would be surprise costs and charges, while 48% said they’d most likely be deterred by security concerns. Other top deal breakers were asking for too much information and having to navigate multiple checkout pages. Less concerning were things like an online shop either not being mobile-friendly (29%) or not having an autofill option (20%), but these could still tip the scales for some shoppers. On the flip side, 76% of consumers said that having a one-click payment option would increase their chance of completing a purchase. On average, consumers spend $369 per month through one-click purchases.

The Clarify Capital study indicated that amidst a sea of payment options, Americans still seem to prefer their Visas and Mastercards. While digital payment methods are certainly the way of the future, there’s still a long way to go before consumers widely trust some of the newer payment platforms. Still, small businesses would benefit from offering multiple options as long as they don’t burden their customers with extra fees. And while most consumers aren’t quite ready to do their shopping with crypto, small businesses will also want to consider accepting this increasingly common form of currency at some point. As long as it’s easy to use, it's only a matter of time before people become more amenable to using crypto and other digital payment methods.

Read next: Digital Marketers Received a 23% Pay Bump in 3 Years
by Web Desk via Digital Information World

Google Search Tests Out New Label for Short Articles

Many users who are entering keywords into Google’s powerful search engine want to find short articles because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing them to digest all of the required information in the shortest amount of time possible. Google is well aware of that, which is why the search engine giant is experimenting with a new label that can earmark short reads for its users, spotted by Brodieclark.

This new label is called “Quick Read”, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that only some users have mentioned seeing it in their Google SERP. The purpose of this label is to indicate to users that an article can be read in under 5 minutes. Some users also noted different version of the label, including one such as “<5 Min Read”, so Google is clearly trying a few things out to see what sticks once all has been said and is now out of the way.

While there is no way of knowing whether or not this feature would be part of Google’s next update, if it gets rolled out we might see an even greater wave of short form content. Short form content is already taking the internet by storm, and the prospect of receiving a label that would draw user attention would sweeten the deal further with all things having been considered and taken into account.

We might start seeing a lot more short form content, and Google has been giving this type of content higher rankings on its SERP for quite some time now. One thing to note here is that this test has been conducted both for web users as well as mobile users which makes it more likely that the beta test would turn into a permanent feature.

It will be interesting to see how this feature changes the landscape of SEO, as well as the content industry in general. Google is a powerful force within the world of the internet, so this change could be quite influential.

Read next: New Warning For Malware Campaign Disguised As Google Translate On The Rise
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Google Is Ready To Shake Things Up In The World Of Android VPN With Major Rule Changes

Google will reportedly be introducing some major rule changes in the world of Android VPN.

The tech giant confirmed today that the changes will be implemented soon and it will begin with the blocking of VPN apps present on the Google Play Store that interfere with ads.

Google’s policy for developers that came to light in July of this year mentioned that from the start of November, only certain VPN applications that utilize VPNService would be allowed to move forward.

This service is designed to assist apps in providing virtual private networks. Hence, only such apps can be trusted to make the most secure device-level tunnels across remote servers.

Google also delineated how permissible VPN applications wouldn’t be allowed to collect users’ personal information without being open about the method and taking users’ consent on the matter.

At the same time, the search engine giant says they shouldn’t manipulate the traffic coming forward or interfere with advertisements too. And that’s because that sort of behavior could have serious repercussions on monetization for other services.

During the earlier part of 2022, Google mentioned how it would be introducing some great changes across its Play Store. This includes the likes of putting forward some major restrictions across different VPN apps.

This is available for download across various Android smartphones. But now, new reports have spoken about how The Register unveiled some major concerns pertaining to an ad-blocking application from Sweden called Blokada. The latter argues that the new rules would hinder its workings by interfering with its software design.

At the same time, a spokesperson for DuckDuckGo revealed how the new policy change wouldn’t have any major effect on their workings but the team is still in the process of conducting a thorough review.

But we’d just like to inform you that Google is not the only one tightening up VPN rules on apps. Apple’s current policy also forces apps to make use of an API called NEVPNManager.

Read next: New Warning For Malware Campaign Disguised As Google Translate On The Rise
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

WhatsApp is releasing one new feature each for both android and iOS

When the covid-19 pandemic hit 3 years ago, it forced everyone into their homes. Then came WhatsApp, the saving grace of socialites disguised as a chatting app. The app was created by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, the app was also later bought by Meta Inc.

The app recently released that it has one new update each for both the Android and iOS versions of the chatting app.

The Android update is probably the more useful of the two as it is that feature that will let users report a problem whenever they would be facing any problems while using WhatsApp.

As we all know, technology is not always perfect and sometimes flaws can come through on any platform and Whatsapp is no different, that’s why the messaging app is working on a bug reporting feature. This feature will let users report any sort of problem that they might be having with their usage of the app like the app stops working or messages can’t be seen.

According to a screenshot posted by WABetaInfo, reporting a bug in the app is not at all hard. Just go to settings, click on the report bug and fill in the given box. You can also include screenshots but those are optional and users are advised to check that if they are posting screenshots, they don’t contain any personal or sensitive data.

Moving on to the iOS part, WhatsApp has released an update that allows users to delete messages for everyone for an extended period.

Previously there was a time limit on when users could delete messages for everyone but now the time limit is still there but the timings have been stretched to 2 days and 12 hours. After that amount of time, nobody can delete any messages sent in any group or chat.

At first, this update was available to beta users only but after being mentioned in the official catalog it seems that this update has become official and will be available for everyone soon. It should be noted that this feature was announced by WhatsApp 3 weeks ago but is noted in the catalog that makes it official.

WhatsApp has always managed to come up with great features and we are sincerely hoping that these two will not disappoint.

Read next: Meta’s Dreams Of Turning WhatsApp Into A ‘Super App’ Are Coming True In India
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

University Teachers: Types of Professors You Meet at the University

In a three-year or master's course of study, we will meet a series of mythological beings with superb names: university teachers.

These fantastic creatures that roam the Middle-earth of education, often left in a panic in the wastelands of university bureaucracy, are the ones who have the delicate task of transmitting knowledge to unsuspecting students.

The university professors are our interface with the university (in addition to the fantastic secretariats and their very listless staff). The joys and sorrows of the students, responsible for their exam marks, or rather for the judgment and evaluation of the student's preparation, are often plagued by a disease that makes them particularly bad: being in love with themselves.

Joking aside, having a good university study method is essential to have excellent preparation and amaze the professor during the exam.

In this way, the student is prepared and wins his grades, without having to adopt the excuse of having bad teachers. One way to do that, obviously, is to approach writing professionals with a “write my college paper” request.

The Overly Pedantic One

The professor specifies immediately recognizes himself. Usually, early, he arrives with his 24-hour style briefcase, or with his backpack. He puts it on the desk, opens it, and takes out the pc or notepad.

He sits down, connects it to the projector, checks that everything is working, and places the screen on the first slide. Then he remains seated, checks a few emails on his cell phone, and watches the classroom fill up.

There is nothing superfluous on the desk, speak in a relatively calm tone and often the slides are detailed. Although detailed, he still manages to make them usable and does not mechanically read them, if he can add some of his own.

Normally the precise professor is a man, in principle, fewer teachers have this type of behavior.

At the exam he is basically a little stupid professor. He doesn't like giving very high grades and the tasks or questions are quite complex. But he doesn't enjoy putting low grades or failing for sheer pleasure. He is methodical, uses logic, and wants to see the real preparation of the students. So, both exams and assignments are important – for the latter, you can always order essay paper.

The Dreamer

Unlike the pedantic, the doting professor is one of those professors who are in the clouds.

Tend to be good, you can find the doting enthusiast of his subject, with creative slides and engaging speeches, or the one who tends to be more listless.

The doting is sometimes early, sometimes late. In these cases, she arrives in the classroom in a hurry, perhaps with her dress a bit ruffled. He connects to the PC, but the slides do not start, and punctually calls a volunteer student to help him.

During the explanations, he sometimes gets lost inside talks, starts question and answer sessions, and doesn't finish the lesson plan at the end.

This type of professor is well distributed between men and women.

He tends to turn a blind eye to the exam and often scores high.

The One Who Forces Jokes

Here is another one of those that we can count among the professors.

That's right, those who make constant jokes, and who try to be nice are really not that great teachers.

Among the variety of university professors, I would say that it is one of the most at risk of criticality.

Let's put it this way: he arrives at class, makes jokes about the subject and maybe they are also nice. Then he makes jokes about the students, maybe those who are playing the game and showing up. Usually, these students intervene more in class and interact more.

And they have a fast track to the exam. The others? Who doesn't lend themselves to the game?

Either he remains anonymous and is evaluated for what he is, or for some reason he goes to hell with the teacher and becomes targeted by his low grades or his jokes.

This is a purely male category; the teachers usually do not make the forced funny guy.

The Enthusiast

A noteworthy college professor, the enthusiast is the best blessing a college student can receive. This category of university teachers has 2 fundamental characteristics:

He is truly passionate about his subject.

These are university professors who believe in the mission of teaching. And you can see it from how they involve you in class. Often the slides are simple, they stand up, they explain, and they have the ability to harpoon your concentration.

And they are basically good. They can ask complex questions during exams, but unless you get big blunders, grades are never low and they tend to almost never get angry, yet they get the respect of the class and during class, there is no fly.

We would like more like them. Students can usually just delegate all their assignments to MasterPapers and just come to the professor’s lectures just to listen in.

College Professors: Are They Really Like That?

And here we are at the end of our article on university teachers.

Are all university professors as we have described them in this article?

No, generalizing often means trivializing, but it's perfect for having a laugh together

We have seen together 4 of the most represented categories, but we are sure that this classification is not entirely complete.

There are fantastic professors, bastard professors, professors close to retirement with old habits, and young professors who innovate.

With any professors that you have, you still have to know how to write excellent papers - A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing College Papers Like A Pro.

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Barbara Miller is so good that she normally has 4-6 orders to choose from on a daily basis. Constantly in high demand, Mrs. Miller, nevertheless, does everything that is in her power to make every customer satisfied with the service. “Perhaps the best writer I’ve ever had, top work...” - we couldn’t have said it better ourselves! It’s our great honor to have Barbar on the team and it’s our goal to make her stay with Master Papers for as long as possible.
by Web Desk via Digital Information World

Google Employee Quits Job And Accuses Company Of Complicity In Violations Of Human Rights For Palestinians

A Jewish Google employee has recently quit her job but left the firm with plenty to say regarding alleged retaliation.

Ariel Koren didn’t shy away when it came down to speaking her mind. She accused the search engine giant of complicity in its violations of human rights belonging to Palestinians. This came in the form of a letter that was recently addressed to fellow Google members.

Koren also boldly declared how bad she and other employees were made to feel when they decided to raise their voices and speak for Palestine. In the same way, she adds that instead of Google being fair and listening to what she and others said, as mentioned in their ethics policy, the firm shut them out completely.

The search engine giant also chose to aggressively put ahead military contracts and banned people from voicing their thoughts via a classic silencing pattern. This came in the form of retaliation toward her and so many others. Koren expressed these thoughts on a Medium blog as well.

The Jewish employee also outlined how she’s been affiliated with the organization for nearly seven years now. And she just so happened to be one of the two members of the firm who spoke against the company last year when Project Nimbus was announced.

The latter was a deal held between Google, Israel’s government, Amazon, and the military too. This came ahead when Israel was involved in killing innocent Palestinians located in Gaza. And on that note, Google decided it wished to be a part of the project, raising eyebrows for many.

It was declared that via this project Nimbus, both Google and Amazon would provide their assistance in creating a computing system. Moreover, this would help give Israel’s government and its military the support they required as far as artificial intelligence with support through machine learning tools was concerned.

Koren didn't stop there. She highlighted that during her tenure, she constantly saw Google behaving unfairly and silencing those that supported Palestinians. It also didn’t have a keen interest in diversity, hence failing to live up to its claims of being an ethical organization.

But it’s not just Palestine that Google doesn't support, Koren claims. It’s Arabs, Muslims, and Jews too who raise voices against violations of human rights for Palestinians. And if that means retaliating against their own employees and instilling an aura of fear, then so be it.

Koren called out Google’s behavior as weaponizing and one that was unjust for various reasons. She said that to retaliate against employees that stand up for what’s right and raise their voices against the firm’s work is just wrong.

There is previous evidence that showed how the company requested Koren to shift to Brazil in 2021 after she raised her voice against Project Nimbus. At that time, she happened to be on disability leave.

While Koren adds that her decision to quit the organization was a tough one, she knows that it was the right decision. After all, this was the only way she could raise her voice against the oppression taking place.

She called herself fortunate for having the privilege to talk against Google in a safe manner. And that’s one thing that her fellow colleagues and pals hailing from Palestine do not have.

Recently, an email was shared by Insider that showed a spokesperson from Google confirming that they do not allow retaliation at its workplace. They also investigated claims by former employee Koren, sharing that there was zero retaliation over there too.

In addition to that, Google says that the case was also dismissed by one government agency when the same employee filed claims of facing retaliation at the firm.

Read next: Google Docs is updated with an easy-to-use emoji command. Here’s all you need to know
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Facebook No Longer Interested In Its Independent Gaming App As Shutdown Date Announced

It may be just two years since Facebook launched its standalone gaming application. But now, it’s keen on shutting it down forever.

The date for the shutdown has been revealed to be October 28 of this year. Therefore, now, when users open the app up, they’ll find a banner stating how the app isn’t going to be available on both the App Store and Google Play Store after the date outlined.

At the same time, users won’t be finding the app in these particular stores anymore too.

The company recently unveiled a message that highlighted the change. Facebook adds that despite this news coming forward, its main mission will continue to be connecting players, their fans, and creators as one with all the games they adore.

They also extended gratitude to everyone that actively took part in the venture and showed great interest and enthusiasm since the launch. Those who have been a part of the app can download search data as the date for the app’s discontinuation is coming near.

We saw the app launch in 2020, and that is when the pandemic struck. Many witnessed their favorite players participate while taking part in championships themselves.

It’s no denying the fact that Facebook experienced its fair share of hurdles along the way too. Remember, a lot of rejections of the gaming app came from Apple’s side. According to Apple, it went against its rules that prevent apps whose main purpose is simply distributing games.

Hence, Apple forced the company in getting rid of actual gameplay content seen on the app.

Speaking to media outlets recently, one spokesperson from Meta says they realize how important of a factor gaming is for everyone. And they will continue to remain committed to providing entertaining content that users love.


H/T: @MattNavarra

With a promise to continue supporting the gaming community, the spokesperson said it would be seeing new projects soon on the main Facebook app where users can play, watch, and connect with all others every month.

For now, we’re not quite sure why Facebook has opted to shut down its gaming app. But there are chances that the firm may shed light on the decision in the future.

The news comes as Meta has been engaged in testing out new ordeals while getting rid of older ones. One of the most recent ones is related to Facebook shutting down the live shopping program. The reason outlined was so the app would focus more on its Reels, which are generating more revenue.

Therefore, after October 1, users would no longer be allowed to host shopping events via live streams on Facebook. This feature was first launched around two years back and did well at providing users with convenience at the time.

Meanwhile, there is news about Meta being busy with a test for another live streaming platform called Super. Here, influencers will get the opportunity to host live events, earn money, and also engage with audiences directly.

And to help make sure the app is a success, it has even paid influencers anywhere between $200 to $3000 to use the feature for half an hour!

Read next: Meta’s Stock Price is Crashing, And This Data Shows It Might Fall Further
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

How to Use Instagram for Your Brand's Social Media Marketing

Isn’t Instagram the worst place to conduct branding exercises and sell stuff? Well no, actually, Twitter holds the record for being the worst thing to happen to businesses on social media. It is so stuffed with bots that there is no level of engagement analytics you can trust. Instagram is a tough nut to crack, but it isn't bought and paid for by celebrities (even though they try), so there is still plenty of space for small and large businesses. Here is how you use Instagram for your brand’s social media marketing.

Make it 70% Real World and 30% Shine

There is an almost accepted feeling on Instagram that the best accounts represent life with a 30% shine to it. Be it women using nose and eyelash filters, to cars using Photoshop to add that extra sparkle.

If you are showing off any sort of product, you are supposed to add around 30% of glamour and shine. Don’t just show your boxes of nails, show your boxes of nails with shiny sharp spiked tips that twinkle against the sunrise of the exotic land that you have photo-shopped into the background.

Framing and Context

You may have wondered why the last example had a sunrise. Why not a sunset? Wouldn’t screws sparkle better in the starlight? Perhaps with a beautiful sky of stars behind your sparkling nails?

Actually, the sunrise was a very purposeful choice. Nails are used by people who work during the day. They are a get-up-and-go product, and a sunrise is better suited for such a product.

Framing and context is another way of saying your setting, atmosphere, your hidden meaning and your overt meaning. Liquor adverts are shown at night, not during the sunrise in the morning. Cars are shown running through brightly lit streets or on brightly lit roads. They are not shown on gloomy days because it suggests a gloomy time. Yet, funeral posts on Instagram are set during gloomy and rainy days. The framing and context of your posts is important if you want to create the correct image and impression on your viewer.

Growing Your Channel

If you are looking to grow your Instagram profile organically, then you are in for a long road because it takes years. If you are looking to get started right away, then you need a head start with something like a website that offers Instagram Accounts for Sale. Buy an account that already has a following, and even if you lose 60% of those followers when you take over, you are still in a better position than somebody starting out with 100 followers.

Instagram bases your worth and your future promotions on your history. They care a little bit about your content’s meaning, though it isn't nearly as sophisticated as how YouTube picks what it promotes. Instead, Instagram looks at how many people clicked like on your posts in the past, and if you have no history or a history with few likes, then Instagram will promote other accounts over your own.

Should I Buy Likes and Followers?

No you shouldn’t. As mentioned earlier, Instagram does judge your profile by how many likes and followers you have had in the past, but it looks at rank averages and median numbers. Suddenly, getting several thousand likes on your account will make no difference over the long term. It will be eliminated as an abnormality.

When you buy likes and followers, they don't follow the usual curve of likes and followers. They don't taper off as they would in real life. Bought interactions start and then they stop, and this is a problem because Instagram will just mark those interactions as abnormalities and will pay them no more mind. It isn't that they think you bought Instagram followers or likes, they won’t care at all, they will just continue to rank your profile based on your previous likes and interactions rather than the chunk you just bought.


by Web Desk via Digital Information World

According to new data your home device might know you better than your family

As technology develops, man makes living easier for himself using that advanced technology, and today’s time is just that. We have a multitude of devices that make living and housework easier for us. Some of these home assistant devices include Alexa and smart home systems.

Well, TechShielder had a long look into what home assistant devices collect data to know more about their owner and shortlisted it down to 10. The 10 that were shortlisted included the Amazon Echo Dot, Chromecast with Google TV, Samsung SmartThings Hub, Nest Protect, Ring Indoor Cam, Levoit LV-PUR131S, Sonos One, TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug, Roborock S6, and Philips Hue.

All of them collect some basic data information about their owner such as name, address, time zone, IP address, etc.

But most of them go beyond that fine line with voice recording (70%), 50% save your PFPs, 40% take videos, and 40% save a personal description of you. Your home device could know you better than your own family because 70% of them know what you buy, and what you see on the internet (50%). They also know what apps you use (40%) and all of your internet history (40%).

Out of those 10, Amazon Echo Dot devices take the top place with 43% of data collection points. The device stores a lot of personal information about a user like address personal data and online browsing history even. The device also has access to personal data like photos and videos and also keeps live video records of everything that goes around the house.

However, according to Tech Shielder, Echo Dot storing this much data makes sense because it does a lot of work too. While other devices are just thermostats and security cameras, you can you the Echo Dot to make phone calls, operate the TV, and more.

Read next: Here's How Much Free Android Apps Siphon User Data
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

New survey reveals internet users are more concerned about data safety

A survey conducted by Integral Ad Science (IAS) reveals that 50 percent of internet consumers are assured that their web data is secured. While, 67 percent of consumers are more alert about their data safety.

Integral Ad Science collaborated with international data analytics and market research company, YouGov, and surveyed more than one thousand internet users and 350 media specialists. The survey's key findings reveal that users have become more cautious of online data safety and have raised concerns about the lack of knowledge of cybersecurity legislation. In addition to that, how their data is being harvested by third-party apps and other unauthorized websites for advertising objectives.

According to the survey, 9 in 10 of online users are knowledgeable about how different websites and apps gather data without consent for personalized advertisements, but despite knowing the reason, 68 percent of them are still annoyed with these advertising strategies. Moreover, 66 percent of consumers visit websites that offer them the product they have been looking for. They will likely stay and purchase products from the brand's websites when they see relevant ads.

Other than this, less than one third (29 percent) of media specialists have carried out contextual targeting, and 51 percent think that using the practice of showing ads based on a webpage's content would become significant in targeting the relevant audiences. The survey also highlighted what media experts assume about paying attention to data safety. According to Integral Ad Science, 62 percent of market experts believe that awareness of data privacy is essential. However, only 53 percent of media specialists know the privacy policy of browsers, 51 percent understand regulations, and 45 percent are familiar with mobile identifiers.

When asked what media experts think about the safety of personally identifiable information (PII), they say that privacy related to PII is the priority for brands. PII protection is essential for privacy and information security as it could expose consumers’ email, phone numbers, and other personal information to thieves.

Lastly, IAS's chief officer says that data privacy is a significant issue. For data security, changes have been made in the data privacy guidelines which will let consumers and media specialists prioritize privacy. He further added that the IAS platform is convenient for simplifying the concerns of updated privacy guidelines. The solutions provided by IAS are complementary and are made to assist marketers in targeting their relevant audiences and generating revenue while maintaining privacy gaps.

Read next: Phishing Emails Increased by 88% Month Over Month, Here’s Why That Should Worry You
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

FTC Jumps In To Prevent Analytics Company From Selling Geo-Location Data Belonging To Millions

The Federal Trade Commission has reportedly jumped in to put an end to a controversial matter that has been a huge concern for a while now.

The FTC has filed a lawsuit against an analytics firm to stop it from selling users’ location data including details like where they’re living and if they can be traced to abortion clinics.

These accusations have been hurled at a company based in Idaho that goes by the name Kochava. According to statistics obtained by the FTC, it’s been involved in illegal behavior for a while now, taking help from data brokers.

Using some assistance from social media apps too, Kochava has sold off the information for reasons that it outlines to be analytics and marketing.

As far as 125 million users data were taken whose status was active on a monthly basis. Moreover, they were seen charging thousands each month to gain access. The type of data even comprised exact longitude and latitude coordinates pertaining to users’ smartphones. Similarly, there was even mention of their IP addresses as well.

To help provide protection to such users, the company was seen stripping out the identities of such users while assigning a particular advertising identification along the way.

In addition to that, the FTC was caught detailing how data could be compiled easily using other types of information taken from third parties that would delineate any user’s identity.

For instance, users’ mobile location devices could combine with various property records to help give a better idea of their identity.

Additionally, the same data could be taken to expose other types of sensitive information like the locations visited. There was special emphasis on abortion clinics, domestic violence areas, and places people go to for worship.

There is more striking evidence on Amazon’s marketplace where stats show how some data had been offered free of cost via free samples over a seven period of time. And on average, one day would entail 62 million devices.

It’s interesting to note that the firm put zero to minimal safeguards into play to prevent threat actors from getting access to the same data. All that was needed was for users to fill out forms.

In the lawsuit, the FTC boldly declares how any purchaser would pop up and utilize personal email IDs to describe their use as simply conducting business. The request would be forwarded for approval and they’ve managed to say yes to requests in less than 24 hours.

To help stop the firm from carrying on with the practice, the FTC says the lawsuit was the only option forward. Selling users’ data for the purpose of tracing them down is wrong and identifies different people. It also puts them at risk for exposure to things like stigma, discrimination, violence, and stalking too.

As of now, we’re still waiting for a request to come forward from Kochava’s side. And while we wait, it’s quite clear what this lawsuit is suggesting. The FTC wants the practice to end and has even asked the US Supreme Court to intervene as a part of the crackdown.

Read next: Adobe Reveals Content Creators Are Increasing At A Steady Pace, And Influencers Are Earning Hefty Amounts In The Process
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Here’s What Makes TikTok Users Buy Products Through the App

TikTok is just one of the many social media companies who are trying to make a foray into the world of ecommerce, but it is unique in that it has experienced a lot more success than many of its better established rivals. Insider Intelligence recently published a report that shows what makes TikTok users make a purchase through the app because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping marketers to plan their campaigns accordingly.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the vast majority of TikTok users, or 71.2% to be precise, stated that they start shopping after randomly seeing a product in their feed as well as seeing them in Stories that they watch. 58.2% also go to TikTok to find inspiration for products that they should buy, and 47.9% also stated that they go to TikTok to gather information about a product that they are considering purchasing.

All of this seems to suggest that TikTok could very well become a social commerce powerhouse before too long, but in spite of the fact that this is the case one potential obstacle for the upstart social platform is the reluctance of its users to trust it with their data. Only 36% of TikTok users said that they felt safe in giving personal information to TikTok, which is quite low with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix and Apple all have over 70% of users saying they trust these platforms with personal data. With 74%, 71%, 71% and 70% respectively, these platforms clearly have an edge over TikTok as far as user privacy is concerned.

However, TikTok’s numbers are not far beyond those of its competitors. 49% of Instagram users said they trusted the platform with private data, 44% said the same of Facebook and the numbers for Twitter were around 41%. That suggests that TikTok is not alone in facing difficulties acquiring the trust of its users, though it is still behind the rest of the pack.

Read next: Influencers Might Be More Trusted by Gen Z Than Reviews on Product Pages
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Adobe Reveals Content Creators Are Increasing At A Steady Pace, And Influencers Are Earning Hefty Amounts In The Process

Data gathered by Adobe reveals that the influencer market continues to grow at a breakneck pace, with 165 million new content creators have joined the ranks in just two years.

This brings the current total to a rough estimate of 303 million, although I can’t see numbers getting particularly accurate anytime soon. Influencers inhabit all sorts of platforms, are from a slew of different backgrounds and aren’t always producing content that’s necessarily in English, thus making it hard to keep track of everyone. The Adobe study that we’re delving into, for example, limits itself to the US, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Australia, Japan, Brazil, and South Korea as markets to be explored. This leaves out a veritable number of influencers that originate from areas such as South Asia or even a large chunk of Europe. There’s also the further consideration that influencers or content creators are defined differently by different individuals or groups. Adobe defines content creators as individuals who engage with creative output (e.g. art, photography, and…NFT making), and then post the results online for others to interact with. Influencers, business owners, and the like are defined as subcategories of content creators.

The research shows that while influencers (creators with online followings of more than 5,000 individuals) only comprise 15% of creators as a whole, over half of them are in the top income bracket; in simpler terms, 51% of this population generates a household income of over USD 100,000. Did you spend thousands of years studying towards a career in medicine, drowning yourself in debt throughout the process? Did you then realize that getting matched to a residency program is in and of itself a massive hassle, and can often render individuals to waiting tables until they get a job? Well, next time you’re imagining all of that, do so while remembering that some kid out there’s earning a livable income and then some through making TikTok videos on their mother’s phone.

Content creators in general, while raking in a decent sum of money, aren’t making enough to survive. While the average influencer has made it, creators as a whole typically rely on social exposure as a secondary form of income, having full-time jobs instead. However, I expect this number to perhaps keep shrinking as time goes by; after all, currently, 23% of the world’s population defines themselves as content creators. I only expect these figures to keep accelerating.

Read next: Facebook is Still the Most Effective Platform for Its Users According to This Report
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Phishing Emails Increased by 88% Month Over Month, Here’s Why That Should Worry You

The variety of malicious activities that can result in you losing private data or access to online accounts has widened over the years, and VadeSecure just released a report that sheds some light on the true extent of these attacks. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that email continues to be the most popular mechanism for delivering malware or initiating any other kind of cyber attack based on this research.

While emails containing malware were declining, they have increased by 29% month over month. This has resulted in 22.4 million malware containing emails being sent out over the course of a single month. Meanwhile, phishing attacks conducted through emails have increased by a massive 88% month over month. That is the highest increase in phishing emails that has been seen thus far, and it indicates that the problem might get worse over the next few months.

Many types of malware that were on the decline after 2021 have seen a huge resurgence with all things having been considered and taken into account. For example, a malware known as Emotet that was thought to be neutralized back in 2021 has seen a 44% increase in attack volume with these attacks mainly focusing on users on the European mainland.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, Emotet attacks continue to decline in North America which highlights the region specific nature of such attacks. In India, over 9,000 users were targeted by emails that contained spyware. These emails disguised themselves as tax communiqués because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making users more likely to click on any links they contain and fill out information without questioning it.

Massive corporations like Maersk are being frequently impersonated by threat actors, with over 8,00 New Zealand based users being impacted by attacks that used Maersk’s name in the email subject line. Users need to remain on guard lest the problem continues to spiral out of control.

Read next: This Research Reveals the Massive Problem of Password Fatigue
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Facebook is Still the Most Effective Platform for Its Users According to This Report

AI facial recognition systems start to have a lot of trouble after a person ages more than 5 years, Study reveals

As mankind’s understanding of this world develops, technology also evolves. Facial recognition AI is one of the most controversial aspects of technology as a whole. While the implementation of it in public spaces has raised some eyebrows, in mobile phones it is a highly revered feature.

Well, the thing is that facial recognition depends on photos that are uploaded online first to identify us. As we grow older the face changes, we get wrinkles and skin gets loose. Thus, AI starts struggling to identify us if our pictures are outdated.

While you might be thinking oh it must take years upon years for the algorithm to start to have trouble recognizing us, the thing is that it only takes 5 years for the struggle to start and after 10 or 20 years the AI has no chance of ever recognizing us if our pictures aren’t updated.

To test this a team working at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology led by Ph.D. candidate Marcel Grimmer conducted a test where they created almost 50,000 faces using AI and then synthetically aged them and tested AI on them.

Because commercial systems do not share how their system works, the team had to use open-source recognition systems as it was their second best (available) option. The research found out that it became harder for a system to recognize the person as age increased. According to the result, if a person had exceeded 20 years of their photo being updated then the chances of them being recognized by the algorithm are almost zero. Unless you are Tom Cruise, cause that man does not age.

The age of a person also had a huge impact as for people who were under the age of 20 or over the age of 60, the system had a very hard time recognizing them. As for the former, when a person is in their late teens or early ones they tend to change a lot physically, so it seems logical that an algorithm does not recognize them. Moving on to the latter, the head shape changes, and a person’s wrinkles become more defined, so the failure rates are high there as well, according to Grimmer.

Read next: Research Shows How Much Free Android Apps Siphon User Data
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

WhatsApp is working on 2 new features, one being the replacement of the missing camera icon

Whatsapp has always been one of the most used chatting apps in the world. With millions of users using it every day, there are bound to be some that will want to switch from an Android phone to their brand-new iPhone.

Now when we move to another phone there is always the risk that our chat history with someone special might get deleted, but that is not a problem anymore as WhatsApp (as per WBI) has now announced that there is a new updated version that will let users get all their data from their Android phone into their new iPhone.

When a user wants to switch they would have to download the separate app first then they will be able to transition to the other phone. The ability to transition is only available if you have the WhatsApp for iOS 22.17.77 update.

Moving on to our second update of the day, WhatsApp recently released that communities were available for Android as well. The thing is that Communities was originally only available for iOS, but now the feature is available on android as well.

When the communities feature rolled out for Android, on the top left corner in the tab bar where the camera used to be, there was an icon of three people that signaled it was the Communities tab now. Well, how were we supposed to take pictures and send them to our contacts?

Well that was exactly what had most people confused that where the camera would go after this new update, but, don’t worry cause’ WhatsApp has a solution for that too. To access the camera on an Android phone that had the communities tab, users just have to look up in the menu and search tab to find it there as shown in a screenshot by WABetaInfo.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

LinkedIn will allow users to pin comments in their latest updates

Pinned comments are highlighted comments that are attached as the top comment of the post. Pinning comments is a great option for bringing more attention to the comment. It is often used for sparking discussion related to the comment or informing others before seeing the post.

As per Lindsey Gamble, LinkedIn is adding pinned comments feature which can be accessed from the three-dot menu which can be seen on the side right of the comment. To pin a comment, you just have to click the three-dot menu, and then click on pin comment. This should pin the comment making it the first thing to appear under your post.

Pinning a comment is a great way to spot the comments that more people should be aware of regarding the post. By pinning comments, you’ll be able to highlight a response from users to appreciate their words and bring more importance to them.

You can also unpin comments using the same three-dot menu following the same steps. This will return the comment to its original state and it won’t be highlighted for other users viewing your post.

Moreover, you can pin replies inside a comment too which will pin the whole comment chain leading up to the reply. Similarly, to pinned comments, pinned replies also bring more attention to the comment and conversation as a whole. This will improve user engagement in LinkedIn users and allow for more social interactions.

With that said, the update is being made available for all users that have updated their LinkedIn app to the latest version. Of course, on the desktop version, there’s no need to update as the latest version is available automatically.

Read next: A LinkedIn post generator has gone viral for its cringe-worthy posts
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Apple’s Lockdown Mode For iPhones Can Easily Detect And Target Vulnerable Users

What may have been looked at as a huge security feature to help protect iPhone users is now being seen as a security threat. We’re talking about Apple’s Lockdown mode for iPhones.

The company first launched it as a big security enhancement that provided users protection against spyware working on national levels such as Pegasus. But according to one privacy activist, it might be doing some harm along the way.

According to the security expert, the feature actually makes it so much simpler for a company website to detect when a person is using it. Moreover, they’ve even demonstrated this, causing shock to many.

Just the thought of having something installed on your phone as an added security feature that could detect users easily and target them too is mind-blowing.

Before we move on, let’s give a brief recap about what the Lockdown Mode for iPhone users is all about. To begin with, it was first introduced by tech giant Apple as its solution to notorious government spyware such as Pegasus.

Apple confirmed that this was one of the most extreme modes of protection that needs to be used in case of users feel threatened or targeted by cyberattacks of the severe kind. It also says that such attacks are rare on users, in general, but they are possible.

When the iPhone enters this mode, it will obviously not function like its true self. All features, webpages, and applications would function at the bare minimum due to security reasons. Moreover, there will be a few features that won’t be available at all.

One common thing that this mode ends up doing is stopping downloads of customized fonts present across a website as this is just one way through which malware gets introduced. With so much good being outlined, you can’t help but wonder if there is any bad.

You’ll be astonished to learn how the answer is yes because it literally makes you a target.

Thanks to information about the ordeal from the CEO of Cryptee and one privacy expert, we’ve got news about how the element produces a risk. It’s imperial for websites to be aware of which user browsers can’t upload custom fonts. And that’s a huge indication that the iPhone lockdown mode is on. As you can tell, this is a huge tradeoff between user privacy and security.

At the same time, there was a special mention of a few features that this particular mode disables across iPhones. But if there was one thing that was the most obvious, well, it’s certainly this lacking in custom font loading. Threat actors can figure it out immediately and exploit it to their advantage.

On average, it takes just a few minutes to generate a code and do the damage. And that’s been proven too. Now, more security researchers are coming forward and agreeing that this is a huge risk

So, what’s the solution? Can tech giant and leading iPhone maker Apple do something to prevent an issue like this or not? Well, the answer is no.

Apple says that the problem can’t be treated like a simple bug that has taken over the Lockdown Mode. There is a consequence that can’t be avoided when this type of protection is enabled.

Before we forget, Apple does stress how this matter is not the issue of the everyday iPhone user. Lockdown modes are restricted to only those that feel they’re under attack on a national level. Common examples include campaigners, politicians, lawyers, journalists, and activists.

So as you can see, the matter is more concerning for some than others.

Read next: Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says the Apple Watch Series 8 will significantly impact health and fitness industry
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

New YouTube Report Finds Users Watching Videos At Faster Than Normal Speeds

Are you guilty of fast-forwarding videos on apps like YouTube? Well, if that’s the case, you’re definitely not the only one.

YouTube claims that a large number of its viewers are watching videos at faster than normal speeds. And interestingly, the numbers continue to increase as we speak.

On average, that’s equivalent to saving nearly 900 years' worth of video time in a day!

The company recently mentioned in their blog post that the app supports videos at various speeds set as default in the settings. But many aren’t following this. They would much rather prefer seeing videos a little faster.

This functionality was first used to speed up videos on the app by nearly 85%.

As far as the most frequent speeds used are concerned, the app says 1.5x is commonly utilized as an alternative. This is closely followed up by 2x and in third place, we’ve got the 1.25x speed.

When it comes to those individuals who prefer customized speed settings, they are usually seen watching videos at 1.1x. While it’s definitely faster, it’s not as much as the others.

Interestingly, another finding by YouTube was related to how playback speeds tend to be faster at different times in the day.

As the day passes on, users' playback speed increases, and then we see a dip at about 7 pm in the evening. But after that, the speed picks up again. But this does make sense to us.

We’re all surrounded by different time zones and social media-dependent environments. There are natural gaps that come and that’s where we witness the dips.

Material has the tendency to keep flooding in. And people love having the luxury to skip ahead and go faster in time. Let’s not forget it’s the era of short-form video content and that coupled with short attention spans belonging to viewers literally means people don’t mind skipping ahead.

In this regard, faster playback speeds are fitting in because more and more people are reacting as well as watching several things at the same time. Hence, by speeding it all up, they’re allowing for more cramming to occur. Simultaneously, they’re evolving with changing trends.

While some find the thought of watching a video in a chipmunk voice quite daunting, others don’t because they claim they no longer have the time or patience to wait.

Whatever the case may be, creators can’t make content keeping playback speed alterations in mind. But experts feel there might be some sort of creative way by which playback speeds can be changed.

One thought could be related to speeding up sections in the presentation or maybe slowing down elements so that users’ attention could be reached. At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt to take some creative formats into consideration. One example is the Stop Motion.

Clearly, there isn’t a whole lot that can be done to accommodate this viewers’ trend but making sure your content isn’t boring is the biggest way to solve such issues.

Read next: Good News For Creators On YouTube As App Expands Access To Behavior Insights While Adding New Tools
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google Is Experimenting With New Ways To Put Tweets On Display Within Its Search Results

Search engine giant Google is on the move and this time around, it's carrying out tests to help better display users’ tweets in its search results.

The company is experimenting with a functionality called ‘Popular on Twitter' which arises in the form of a panel. The goal here seems to be highlighting tweets that are not only trending but extremely relatable too when users ask queries.

Thanks to one expert in the SEO world, Shay Harel, we’re getting a visual explanation of how the feature could potentially work if and when it’s launched by the company.

The panel will pop up whenever there is a particular search that’s based on user location and their relevant questions across the search engine. This just adds a lot more insight for users in the form of trending tweets.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the tweets get included in search results for all types of celebs and various brands. Hence, we don’t see it as a major shift by any means in how the company would display results for relevant searches.

However, we won’t lie, it’s definitely very intriguing to see how the firm is using real-time information to get more of its users to engage with its results on the platform.

This is guaranteed to make the whole concept of tweets so much more important and relevant. Similarly, we see this as a process to better drive engagement from tweets for various search types.

Let’s take the example of travel brands who might wish to see how their accounts on Twitter are doing through this particular feature. This could be used to better gain insights about the response from users, how much engagement is being received, and what’s trending more.

Also, it’s a great way for certain Twitter handles to gain the boost they need by putting greater emphasis on their approach to the app.

We feel this can be a huge plus point as far as marketing is concerned. After all, the greater the number of places arising on the Google Search panel, the better the outcome of SEO activity on such Tweets.

It doesn’t matter if a brand’s audience users the Twitter app or not, we know they’re going to be using Google. Hence, getting on board with the right Tweet schedule related to user queries is just pure brilliance.

As of now, we’re not being provided with too much data on the news at this particular stage. But one thing is for sure, it’s going to be worth it when search activity gets monitored.

Read next: Now Public Can Talk To Google's AI Chatbot After Google Opened The Signing Up For Its App
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

British Financial Authority Warns Against Buy Now, Pay Later Ads From Influencers

Buy now, pay later schemes are starting to allow people to purchase items even if they don’t have the full amount on hand, but in spite of the fact that this is the case they can also be a path to financial ruination if one is not careful. Users are often unaware of the high rates of interest that they are accruing which is dangerous because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up leaving them greatly in debt.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the British financial regulatory authority known as the Financial Conduct Authority (aka FCA) for short highlighted the risky nature of ads that might misrepresent BNPL products. The products themselves are indeed closely regulated, but many users are not cognizant of how unmanageable their debt would truly be.

17 million people living in the UK have now used a BNPL option with all things having been considered and taken into account. When looking at just users who are between the ages of 20 and 29, 30% of them have used such a payment plan. The UK’s financial watchdog has highlighted the lack of warnings that influencers are putting up when advertising BNPL products, especially those that target young adults who might not know the consequences of what they are being socially engineered to do.

There should be warnings that would tell users about how debt can become hard to afford, along with clearly mentioning what would occur if a payment were to be missed. Most users are also in the dark about how this debt and its subsequent payment might impact their credit score, which his another thing that should be mentioned in ads in the form of a disclaimer.

BNPL options are becoming increasingly popular, and since they are not nearly as tightly regulated as normal banking institutions they might be able to prey on users who are not educated enough about such matters. That is why such oversight is so undoubtedly important.

Read next: Influencers Might Be More Trusted by Gen Z Than Reviews on Product Pages
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Microsoft and ByteDance to Work on AI Project Despite US-China Tensions

The US was arguably the undisputed leader of the world of tech during most of the 20th Century, but in spite of the fact that this is the case China has managed to make up a lot of lost ground. Now, China is facing off with the US for supremacy of one of the most consequential and revolutionary forms of tech in the world: Artificial Intelligence.

While the rivalry between these two competing superpowers is starting to heat up, amidst the tension emerges an unlikely partnership between a well established American tech juggernaut and an upstart Chinese corporation that has upset the paradigm of the social media industry.

These two companies are Microsoft and ByteDance respectively, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that they are collaborating to create a brand new kind of AI that they are referring to as KubeRay. Engineers from each of these massive and influential companies are coming together to push the boundaries of what AI can accomplish with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Representatives from ByteDance and Microsoft attended and spoke at the recent Ray Summit in San Francisco, and they highlighted the benefits of their current project. By combining data science, machine learning and a wide range of other specialties, these researchers are attempting to allow AI apps to run on several devices simultaneously.

This project is going to be an open source one because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up greatly expanding its reach. Microsoft has been doubling down on AI as of late in an attempt to break new ground after performing quite successfully these past few years, and it is interesting that they are partnering with TikTok to make discoveries.

Many experts are excited by this project, and if cross-border cooperation like this continues to come to fruition we might just enter a brave new world in which anything would be possible. ByteDance will likely be looking to leverage TikTok’s popularity to facilitate more projects like this.

H/T: CNBC

Read next: This Research Reveals the Massive Problem of Password Fatigue
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World