Netflix Is Not Going To Add Ads On Kids' Programmes And New Movies On Its Ad-Supported Tier

A few days ago, Netflix announced an ad-supported tier on their movies and tv shows. This got mixed reviews from their users, and a lot of them were not happy with this news. But now Netflix has said that they are going to skip ads in kids' programs and new movies so the users can enjoy them in their full entirety. Netflix has also informed about this news to their partners so they all can go in the same direction. This news wasn't an official one from Netflix itself. People who know what's going on with Netflix told this to Bloomberg and that's how this news reached the general public.

Netflix is yet to say anything about its new ad-supported tier feature that is set to release early next year. Netflix has also said that all of its content from the ad-free version will not be available on the ad-supported version. Netflix is also talking to several studios like Warner bros, Paramount Global, etc so they can decide about all the licensing and stuff that will permit Netflix to add ads on their movies. It is also reported that Netflix will also need to pay up to 10-15% to these companies to earn the ad rights.

The licenses are going to cost Netflix a fortune but they are determined to earn their ad rights as soon as possible. Even though these studios will probably agree to run ads on their movies, they are also requesting that the ad placements be according to their wills. For instance, some studios want the new movies to have ads only at the start and end so the users do not get frustrated with in-between ads. The ads for children's programs will also be run strictly according to government regulations.

Bloomberg also reports that even if Netflix does not take ads in most of its movies and series, its revenue will still be enough with up to $3 to $4 billion per year. Some are also saying that by 2025, Netflix can get its revenue to $1.5 billion if they stay on the right path.

Read next: Netflix seems to welcome cloud gaming services on the platform to provide a better user experience
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

New Warning Issued Against Google Chrome’s ‘Internet Download Manager’ Which Has Received 200,000+ Downloads

A popular Google Chrome extension called ‘Internet Download Manger’ is garnering researchers' attention as adware. And it’s shocking to see how it’s already received installations greater than 200,000.

We’ve been witnessing this particular extension sit on Chrome’s Web Store since 2019, as unveiled by users’ reviews linked to the feature.

BleepingComputer was quick to notice that while the extension managed to install authentic download managers, it did carry out some behavior that was certainly uncalled for.

This includes the likes of opening into spam-themed webpages, altering users’ search browsers by default, and even forcing popups onto screens so users could install more patches and related services.

BleepingComputer’s concerned readers saw how the dodgy extension from Chrome continually ran malicious websites by copying popular software out there today. And the media outlet noticed how their concerns were certainly justified.

The extension is definitely not innocent and is getting fame for all the wrong reasons. Imagine, 200,000 people and more are falling into the trap without realizing the adware is designed to cause harm.

We’re not saying there is no authentic version of the Internet Download Manager. For instance, that put forward by Tonec is doing great and has been given the legit clearance.

Tonec can be seen providing a number of extensions of the manager to various other browsers like Firefox and Chrome. But the media outlet claims the real one for Chrome from this company is dubbed, ‘IDM Integration’.

The company revealed in the form of a recent warning how IDM extensions on the Google Store are mostly fake and users should be wary before installing them.

On the other hand, the counterfeit one that a lot of users are installing is through a webpage named Puupnewsapp. It promises to make your internet speed nearly 500% faster. And that’s why its super software status is attracting the masses.

So many are led to believe that their downloads for entertainment sources like games, files, movies, and songs are going to take less time so what could be better?

Interestingly, the instructions that come by the side of the downloads are also quite intriguing and complex. It asks users to install a more executable version of the webpage via a ZIP file and they’re doing it.

Another point that really stood out to researchers is how the adware being installed across test environments changes the designated default browser too. Users will receive a lot of popups on their screens like links to third-party sites.

Better later than never, the dodgy extension is finally spotted and despite many claiming to have no issues after downloading it, experts warn that these are most likely fake reviews. They’re designed to motivate users into believing it’s completely safe.

This is not the first time that users from BleepingComputers have come on about rouge extensions seen on the Chrome Store. But clearly, this one is an eye-opener.

Read next: Insecure Android Counterfeits Are Being Used By Threat Actors To Spy And Steal Information On WhatsApp, Researchers Claim
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Insecure Android Counterfeits Are Being Used By Threat Actors To Spy And Steal Information On WhatsApp, Researchers Claim

It’s cheap, convenient, and low in cost- that’s the name given to Android counterfeits being used by threat actors for different purposes.

Yes, they’re up to no good again and this time around, they’re using the tactic to spy and steal sensitive information from users’ chats on WhatsApp.

The news is troublesome as outlined by researchers from Doctor Web in their latest report.

The experts highlighted them as being nothing less than backdoors into the Android system that can hack design models with ease.

These knockoffs include around four different counterfeit variants that are being transformed by a bug. Common examples outlined in the report include the likes of Radmi Note 8, Mate40, P48pro, and Note30u.

Many app users are getting served trojans whose main targets include codes executed in the regular and business variant of the application.

Various attack scenarios are getting highlighted but one of the greatest ones of them all is linked to chats getting hacked and their sensitive content details stolen.

The malware also carryout various spam campaigns and it’s alarming.

Doctor web has issued another warning about how infected devices are now also posing as new threats for WhatsApp users as vendors make startling false claims that their systems can be trusted as they’re foolproof.

But the reality of the matter has to do with it being incomplete versions that can be attacked at any time since they’re vulnerable.

Research experts hailing from Doctor Web started to become active when several Android users complained of getting tip-offs from their devices about suspicious activity.

The current antivirus program being used by the cybersecurity firm was able to detect the necessary changes and the malware taking over Android systems.

And that’s when it explained through their findings how such copycat versions of the Android system models were attacking so many device models that are famous. It’s also interesting to note how they tend to use outdated versions of Android for destruction instead of the latest Android 10.

By coupling the old with the new, researchers could determine which were fake and which weren’t. And that’s why the experts are calling out users to only buy original mobile devices through trusted retailers.

Nobody wants to fall into the trap so this has to be the easiest way to rid your chances of getting stuck in the sticky mess. As far as the origin of the deepfakes is concerned, well, they’re outlined to be the company’s FakeUpdates.

This is another family of malicious trojans that’s been present for a number of years.

Malicious actors are now being able to embed it into a number of components of the system. It’s similar to having firmware for upgrading your current system.

Along the way, we’re finding trojans produce more scripts for downloading and installing their particular software.

Read next: New Report Reveals Why You Should Never Download Cracked And Pirated Software
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

About Half Of The Premium Phones Sold In China Are Reported to Be iPhones With Over 46% of Sales

According to a report by Counterpoint, Apple's smartphone sales have skyrocketed in China and one-half of the premium phones sold in China are iPhones. This is such a record, keeping in mind the population of China. iPhone sales in China were about 46% and Vivo was in second place, with only 13% of sales. The difference is major. After Vivo, Huawei stands in third place with 11% sales. After these companies Honor, Xiaomi and Oppo are leading the chart. Samsung sales weren't very impressive and they were categorized under the 'others' category with roughly 4% of premium sales.

The Premium sector of Apple iPhone sales are doing so well in China, with over 147% YoY growth and Samsung sitting at 133% YoY growth in the $1,000 category. These brands have risen due to the sale decrease of Huawei phones and Chinese customers being interested in Premium phones all of a sudden. Vivo also grew by about 504% YoY with the success of its new model, the X80 series. Vivo has worked hard on its performance and design, that's why it's being so successful in this new segment.

Premium phone sales undoubtedly declined in the second quarter of this year, 10% to be precise, and it took down the market to 14%. Due to this reason, the premium market grew its share. This means it got up to 33% from 31%. The Q2 of 2022 was a crucial time for mobile sales in China but they are tackling it slowly and everything will come back to normal eventually.

An analyst explained China's phone sales in these words: "After covid-19, the phone sales in China suddenly increased in Q1 of 2021 but it all declined at its lowest in Q2 of 2022. The premium segment suffered from all this. It all happened because of the lockdown in big cities as most of the premium buyers belong from these cities".

Now Apple is doing so well that half of the premium sales are of the iPhone in China. Now we all have to wait back and see where these premium iPhone sales will take China.

Read next: Report shows Americans have lost $3.56 billion in fraudulent schemes this year
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

WhatsApp is working on a feature that will let users hide their last seen and online status

On the internet, the utmost priority for most users is privacy. With WhatsApp being the reigning king of chatting apps, many people use it for multiple purposes like chatting to friends or family and work stuff. The app like all major apps can let you see when a person is online, whether they have you your messages and left you on reading etc. but, as part of a new 3 feature privacy campaign by Meta the step-parent company of WhatsApp, this feature is going away and new features like the screenshot blocker and past participants are going to take its place.

This feature is still under development so much has not been released about it, but as we can see in this screenshot posted by WABetainfo, WhatsApp is working on a feature that will let users hide their last seen and if they are online or not.

According to the screenshot even though the feature is marked under development the feature and its tab are completely ready to come out into the world for desktop users as well. As you can see in the screenshot when the Tab is opened it gives you two main headings Who can see your last seen and Who can see when I am online?

This feature will let users control their online presence, to ward off any unpleasant and irrelevant messages and people.

Moving on, there is one more thing I want to talk about, and that is the reaction feature. According to a screenshot posted by WBI, the reaction preview feature is now coming to iOS as well. Right now this feature is still under development and will be coming to iOS soon. This feature will let users see a text preview of how the other user has reacted to their message or story.

Read next: WhatsApp is rolling out 2 features that will let admins delete posts and android users create communities
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

This New Demo App Can Notify You Whenever Google Gets Data From Your Device

Many of the most popular services on the internet are free to use, but in spite of the fact that this is the case they still earn a lot of money by mining your data. Many users find this to be concerning because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up infringing on their right to privacy, but it can be hard to traverse the internet without handing over at least some of your personal information.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that privacy advocate Bert Hubert just made a new demo app that can help users to get notified whenever their device sends Google some of their data. This app is called Googerteller, and the way it works is that it has a list of publicized IP addresses owned by Google and it will send you a notification whenever your device connects to these IPs.

I made a very very simple tool that makes some noise every time your computer sends data to Google. Here a demo on the official Dutch government jobs site. The noise starts while typing the domain name already. Code, currently Linux only: https://t.co/ZjKeOSfYff pic.twitter.com/dEr8ktIGdo

— Bert Hubert 🇺🇦 (@bert_hu_bert) August 21, 2022

The app is currently only compatible with web browsers, and it can reveal the shocking extent of Google’s data mining with all things having been considered and taken into account. For example, when you are typing something out in the address bar in Chrome, you might notice each stroke causing a notifying beep. That’s because Google monitors your keystrokes to improve the efficiency of this algorithm, and most search engine users might not be aware that this is the case.

Google advocates might suggest that these beeps are not being caused by data being sent to Google, but rather because Chrome is very thoroughly integrated with the rest of Google’s network. Regardless, Google clearly keeps a close eye on all of its users, and the fact that this app is currently only available on Linux is even more concerning since Linux based operating systems offer a lot more privacy than Windows or Mac. It will be interesting to see if this impacts Google users since they might not want to use the services of such a data hungry company that violates their privacy.

Read next: Here Are 5 of the Biggest Privacy Trends Among Consumer
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Report shows Americans have lost $3.56 billion in fraudulent schemes this year

A recent report released by Atlas VPN highlighted that in the first half of 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) got over 793,000 complaints against fraudulent activities, including 27 percent of complaints about financial losses.

The data from FTC shows how much cybercrimes are becoming frequent in the United States. The Atlas VPN report reveals that overall a loss of $3.56 billion has been recorded in H1 2022, which is a piece of shocking news. According to the insights shared by FTC, online fraud damages incurred by Americans shows $1.18 billion in the first half of 2020, $2.33 billion in the first half of 2021, and $3.56 billion in the first half of 2022. There is a notable increase of 53 percent during the same time in the previous year. In 2022, the most financial loss took place for investment-related scams. Also, the complaints related to investment fraud increased to 52,000. Compared to 2021, 43,000 complaints were reported by FTC.

The report reveals an average investment strategy lures out forty thousand dollars per victim, whereas other online scams deceive over a 3-digit sum. Cybercriminals received $1.63 billion from U.S investors in the first half of 2022, 2.7 times more than in the first half of 2021. Data from FTC also shows a $143.8 million loss due to fake investment-related schemes in the first half of 2020, while in 2022, the loss is significant, which is doubled to $1.63 billion in H1, 2022.

That said, threat actors can acquire a typical six months’ salary from just swindling a single investment fraud, which is why they continue making schemes to deceive people and get money by making endeavors in this direction.

Cybercriminals usually broadcast global events and issues to convince U.S investors to invest in their schemes to get a handsome amount of money in return. For the safe side, investors pay their utmost attention to such plans and begin to invest in them.

Next, the frequently reported fraud category was imposter scams, with over 361,000 complaints received, 22 percent financial loss reported, and caused a total of $1.33 billion loss this year.

Imposter fraud has been the most prevalent online fraud since 2018. In this type of fraud, an immoral person tricks you into transferring an amount to them. Imposter frauds have caused Americans to lose a tremendous amount of money, and that’s why it is the most devastating kind of fraud.

Furthermore, the data from FTC represents that online shopping and employment opportunities, prizes, and lotteries are the most common online frauds after investment-related and imposter scams, which is $184 million for online shopping, $164 million for employment scams, and lotteries $114 million.

It is essentially important to validate while investing in new technologies such as NFTs and other related projects to keep yourself safe from such frauds. Believe it or not, fraudsters target unaware consumers so that they can trick them easily into believing in their scams and cause them to invest their hard-earned money in their fake schemes.

Read next: Microsoft States That Cryptocurrency Cybercriminals Are Still At Large, Despite The Currency Losing Its Value
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World