300 Current Employees Of TikTok And ByteDance Worked For Chinese State Media, Confirms LinkedIn Data

Researchers are making some rather shocking revelations after hundreds of profiles were analyzed on the LinkedIn platform related to TikTok and ByteDance employees.

According to the new report that was recently published by Forbes, researchers claims that at least 300 people currently working for TikTok and its parent firm were associated with publications linked to Chinese state media.

And if that wasn’t a tough pill to swallow, well, there are findings that show how some of them are still continuing to do the same.

The reason why the issue is so concerning has to do with the simple fact that the US has already raised the alarm regarding TikTok and how a report says it shared data belonging to American citizens with China’s government. And now, seeing this is definitely not going to put people at ease.

The study went on to highlight how around 23 of the profiles shown had been created by directors currently working for ByteDance. They were believed to be involved in management, overviewing partnerships with brands, and also public affairs, not to mention the red flags of media cooperation.

At the moment, 15 of the profiles examined are still working for the country’s state media despite holding positions in ByteDance too. Some of the organizations that were recently delineated included the likes of China Radio, China Global TV, and Xinhua News.

On the other hand, around 50 of the profiles seen had employees that worked for TikTok or still doing so. And one of those happened to be a manager for the app’s content strategy. That person used to be a chief reporter for Xinhua News.

Forbes has confirmed the news of the profiles and their affiliations with China’s propaganda industry, raising the alarm bells for various reasons.

For those who may not be aware, China has been busy investing a lot of funds into its propaganda industry so as to spread misinformation regarding the country’s communist party. And that comes with news about how so many of the country’s media outlets continue to add a strong presence across apps like Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram. But when it came down to TikTok, they rather hush about it.

Also, TikTok works quite differently than the other apps outlined. It isn’t busy calling out accounts that are controlled by Chinese media outlets. Instead, it doesn’t even label them at all.

But we did hear about a few reports in March of this year regarding how it had made plans to call out some entities with accounts on the app using labels. But a further review by Forbes confirmed how that is yet to be the case.

For now, we know that neither TikTok nor Byte Dance have gone about denying any claims made by LinkedIn regarding the 300 employees. Also, none of the media outlets from China that were named in this report are yet to respond to comment requests too.

But considering the fact that so many users love spending their time across this platform than others is definitely worrisome and needs to be investigated further.

Read next: TikTok’s New ‘About This Ad’ Tool Gives Users Insight On How Their Data Is Being Used For Ad Targeting
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

From Now On Google Lens Will Be Used On Google Images On The Web

On the Google Images Search Website, Google Lens has become the main searching tool on the desktop. It has already become a part of Android and Chrome and now Google Lens is a major help in searching for different images on Google Images. From now on, when you open the Google Images website (images.google.com), you will be able to see Google Lens right above the regular search and voice search.

For anyone wondering, Google Lens is an app where you can search for different things on Google using pictures and videos. This feature helps when you do not know how to describe a thing in words.

Initially, this type of search had a camera button but now the space has been taken up by Google Lens. By using it, you can drag an image to the box in the middle of the web or you can also open your device files to search for a picture. This redesigning has caused a major difference between previous and latest Google Lens searches and by using it, you can search for whatever visuals you want.

Another way you can use it is by pasting the URL of the image. It will directly take you to the google lens web (lens.google.com).

If you do not want to use this, you can also use the old google images web easily. All you have to do is search for the visuals you want on the search bar and it will take you to all possible options available. Visually similar images will also be presented before your eyes. Google Lens is Google's finest creation and it is good to see that Google hasn't left it alone and is prioritizing it just like other tools.

Google Lens on Google Images was being tested at the start of this year and it was about time that it officially became part of the web. Now, it is being widely used by many people. Just like chrome, you can right-click on the images and you will get the option to search images in Google, Android, Google Photos, menu, and share sheet.

Read next: Google Says Its New AI Model Is Producing Reliable Snippets For Users’ Searches
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

FEC Gives Gmail Green Light To Stop Marking Election Campaign Emails As Spam

With the American midterm elections coming up this November, it looks like the digital world is making way for a bucket load of changes.

Recently, we heard of Twitter gearing up and polishing its efforts aimed to rid misinformation across its apps. Now, we’re listening to news about the FEC giving Gmail the authority to stop marking election campaign emails as spam.

We feel the news just might make Republicans feel all the more grateful as it could give them a better shot at marketing, not to mention the struggles they’re forced to deal with due to failing fundraising.

The approval came on Thursday when the FEC immediately said yes to Google’s proposal to help prevent emails from receiving spam marks.

The news about Google’s new plan was first revealed thanks to Axios last month. The deal was designed to target a number of candidates, committees belonging to political parties, and also leading members of political action groups.

This way, their emails would bypass the platform’s detection systems. In reality, Google didn’t really need approval from the FEC in this regard. But it did try its level best to play it safe. After all, who wants to risk breaching terms outlined by the FEC?

Hence, you can see the green light as a confirmation that things are definitely legal and Gmail is on the right track.

Meanwhile, as a few eyebrows were raised against Google’s move regarding how it could be unfair to allow such a ruling, well, the FEC had the right response prepared. They wanted to make sure people knew that they had a really hard time understanding how this could potentially provide a unique benefit for the respective political groups and committees involved.

Google made the decision to announce its plans for this particular matter after one study revealed how unfair it was to see Gmail flagging all campaign emails belonging to the Republicans as spam. And most of them were linked to the purpose of fundraising.

The decision was seen as a huge unfair moment as the same wasn’t done for Democrats and as you can expect, it really infuriated the Republican side.

After that, a private meeting was called which involved the CLO of Google, Kent Walker. He was invited to the discussion at Capitol Hill to shed light on what was going on.

Google has called this move a pilot decision and based on the results and feedback obtained, they hope to move forward with it.

But at that time, Google was seen battling out accusations made in the study by commenting on how the sample size obtained was just too small. Also, it failed to take into consideration any email tools used that had been given as a part of the service.

Whatever Google tried to say and prove, they just couldn’t manage to convince the Republicans and in the end, they had to give up. And the fact that another survey proved how the funding for the GOP dropped to new lows, it was time for Google to come up with answers or face the consequences.

Read next: Amazon Continues to Dominate Ecommerce With 61% of Product Searches
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

These Simple Tips Can Help You Spot a Deepfake Instantly

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are among the most innovative forms of the tech that the industry is currently working on, but in spite of the fact that this is the case they also create some problems such as in the case of deepfakes. Deepfakes are AI generated videos that can initially seem indistinguishable from the real thing. Their existence is concerning because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it difficult to parse misinformation and fake news.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that AI company Metaphysic has revealed some cracks in the perfection of deepfakes. Some deepfake tech is capable of generating the face of a celebrity on top of your own during a video call, but something as simple as turning sideways might be enough to break the illusion.

Another piece of information that can help users to spot deepfakes is by asking the other person to put their hand in front of their face. This will once again distort the image, thereby revealing it to be AI generated with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Many scammers have been using deepfakes to pose as interview candidates over Zoom calls, and this information might help interviewers uncover which of their interviewees are legitimate. This technique is suitable for DeepFaceLab, which is an open source tool that many fakers are using to change up their appearances. DeepFaceLive is another software that operates in real time, and it has been used to create facsimiles of celebrities for pornography and the like as well.

This tech is already quite impressive, but this research reveals that it still has quite a long way to go before it becomes foolproof. When that happens, tech leaders will have to figure out how to mitigate the potential harm that the technology can cause. Misinformation is already rampant on social media, and things like deepfakes will only make matters worse and create an untrustworthy environment for the average internet user.

Read next: Fake Followers on Social Media, How Authentic Are The World’s Biggest Influencers?
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Amazon Continues to Dominate Ecommerce With 61% of Product Searches

Ecommerce has turned into a main focus for most major tech companies because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing them to leverage their user bases and profit off of them greatly. While Meta and Google have made their own forays into the world of ecommerce, and Chinese companies like Alibaba have done much to diversify offerings, the reigning regent of the ecommerce sector continues to be Amazon with all things having been considered and taken into account.

According to a report recently released by Insider Intelligence, around 61% of searches for products done by Americans originate on Amazon. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that search engines like Google are falling well behind, with only 49% of product searches starting off on those platforms. This is an interesting revelation, since it suggests that Amazon is one of the few companies that have managed to challenge the dominance of search engines such as Google in terms of helping customers find the products they are looking for.

Coming in third is Walmart with about 32% of searches, and it should also be noted that YouTube is where 20% of these searches start off. Combining YouTube and Google gives the tech giant a bit of a lead on Amazon, but it still suggests that there is no single entity that is capable of challenging Amazon’s supremacy in this particular sector.

Another interesting tidbit that can be found in this information is that around 11% of product searches are now starting on TikTok. 11% might seem low, but in spite of the fact that this is the case TikTok is a very new platform and its surge in popularity suggests that it has a strong chance of toppling Amazon in the near future. Its popularity among younger users as well as a slew of new ecommerce oriented features and upgrades to the platform make it a contender for the top spot, and that will spell bad news for Amazon in the long term.

Read next: Research Into US Citizens’ Purchasing Patterns Reveals That Smart Tech Continues To Remain A Profitable Marketplace
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Back to School Season Marred By Massive Uptick in Education Sector Cyberattacks

Malicious actors who participate in cyber attacks often change their targets up based on the season because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up maximizing the efficacy of their attacks. New data that has been revealed by Atlas VPN suggests that the education sector has become a prime target for cyber attacks over the past thirty days, and it is interrupting the return to school for a lot of children and parents.

Based on this data, the education sector has faced around 171,000 cyber attacks on a daily basis. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this totals around 5.13 million cyber attacks, and it represents 80% of the total cyber attacks conducted during this period. The only other sector that came anywhere close to the education industry was that of retailers, and cyber attacks targeting retail outlets barely crossed the half million mark with all things having been considered and taken into account.

The shift to digitized education that started to occur during the peak of the pandemic have likely played a role in this occurrence. As more and more education is conducted through digital means, malicious actors have an increased chance of conducting successful cyber attacks. This is something that parents should keep in mind, since it might result in their children’s private data getting leaked to malicious actors who would sell it to the highest bidder.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, cyber attacks targeting this sector don’t seem to be focusing on educational institutions. Rather, they tend to prioritize enterprises who offer services in the niche. Hence, it is the companies who are digitizing education that are at the most risk here, and steps should be taken to improve their cybersecurity during the back to school season.

Upticks in cyber attacks are a common occurrence during this period of the year, and a lot of work needs to be done to keep them from doing too much harm to the industry.

Read next: A Wi-Sun Alliance study highlights some significant data protection concerns due to IoT adoption
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a good phone, but you can’t trust it to replace your current one

Samsung is undeniably one of the best android smartphone companies in the world and has created a lot of phones throughout the years. Samsung is generally a very affordable smartphone brand except for the GalaxyS22 Ultra and now this phone as well.

While folding phones seem like a good idea on paper, they aren’t of much practical use. Hey, don’t get me wrong, everybody loves tablets and everybody likes phones, so we can’t blame Samsung for wanting to get the best of both worlds. Also, we have to give credit to Samsung for willingly choosing to bear the consequences of finding out how to make a good foldable phone that not only has a unique design but is also practical as well.

Last year Samsung released the Galaxy Z fold 3 which was a very good foldable phone and this year’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 is even better, if only a little bit, but better.

Also, another thing that Samsung has managed to overlook is, why would anybody want a phone that is ultimately heavier on the wallet, fragile, and comes with a million compromises as well. Well, Samsung isn’t the one lacking in this department, as nobody has ever explained how foldable phones are better and ultimately the superior choice.

So to sum it up, what Samsung and all the other companies will eventually have to do is convince people that a foldable phone with all its cons is better than your phone, and you should get one. This phone is just a heavier, larger version of the S22 Ultra, how? Let me tell you.

The s22 ultra has a better battery life, better specs, and better camera quality as well. The S22 Ultra also supports the S pen. The Z4’s battery dies quickly, the screen looks weird, is almost 2 times thicker, and is an ounce heavier than the S22 Ultra.

Not to mention, the phone also costs that buyer 600 dollars more than what they would spend on an S22 Ultra. Also, the phone makes a lot of sacrifices to make way for Reality. But, it does not make sense to me why Samsung would demand such a sacrifice from its consumers.

The first point that the company offers about the phone on their website is that this phone can be propped up and can be used to talk or make videos hands-free. But, that is not a good bargain as you can get a phone stand from your local mobile appliances shop for a couple of dollars only.

Read next: Instagram Rolls Out Innovative Hands-Free Creation Option For Flip Phones From Samsung
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World