Apple removes WhatsApp and Threads from App Store in China

Apple has taken down two popular apps, WhatsApp and Threads, from its App Store in China. The Chinese government requested this removal, citing national security concerns. Despite their availability elsewhere, iPhone users in China can no longer download these messaging and social apps.

The Cyberspace Administration of China instructed Apple to remove WhatsApp and Threads due to worries about national security. Apple emphasized its commitment to complying with local laws, even when it disagrees with them. Failure to do so could result in the App Store being shut down in China.

Threads had been accessible in China since July, surprising many given China's ban on Meta services. Similarly, WhatsApp remained available for an extended period. While Meta services can still be accessed via VPN tools, the removal of the apps may hinder their usage for iPhone users in China.

Apple frequently complies with China’s requests to remove apps, including VPNs, news, and social media platforms, when legally obliged to do so. The timing of this removal coincides with Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent visit to the region. Some speculate it could be related to ongoing tensions surrounding the potential divestment of TikTok.

This move by China may signal the beginning of more app bans in the lead-up to a reported deadline for unregistered foreign apps. Users in China may need to rely on VPN tools to continue accessing certain services, as the government tightens control over digital platforms.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Google Tries Out a New Feature on Android that Will Put Harmful Apps with Malware in Quarantine
by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World

Google Tries Out a New Feature on Android that Will Put Harmful Apps with Malware in Quarantine

Google Play Protect provides protection against harmful malwares and viruses to Android. But even it can miss some of the malware that can ultimately harm your Android device. In Android 15, there are some new updates and features that will automatically protect the Android from malwares in apps in a new way. This new way is by putting misbehaving or apps with harmful activities in quarantine. Mishaal Rehman, who is an AOSP code expert, says that quarantining the apps manually is not possible. So, Android 15 will have a system that will quarantine the app automatically if it detects something acting up in the app.

When in quarantine, the apps will still be visible on the home screen and among other apps. But users won’t be able to see the notifications from those apps and all the activities on the app will be stopped. The apps that will be linked to the affected app will also be not able to use services from that app. Broadcasts from other apps or systems will also not be possible when an app will be in quarantine.

To put it simply, quarantined apps will act similarly to disabled apps. Even their APIs are the same with only one extra flag added to this system. Users will have to give permission of QUARANTINE_APPS in order to put an app that is acting suspicious in quarantine. The permission will be given from Google Play Store but Play Store isn’t using it yet. The best ever Android in which quarantine feature was spotted was Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 last year. There are some speculations that this feature may not be even in Android 15 because Google Play Stores and Google Play Services haven’t started asking for its permissions.

Image: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

Read next: Global IT Spending to Surge 8% in 2024, Says Gartner Forecast
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Global IT Spending to Surge 8% in 2024, Says Gartner Forecast

Gartner, an analyst firm, has predicted in its report that IT spending is going to grow by 8% in 2024. This spending will approximately be $5.06 trillion and it will be $8 trillion by 2030. In the last quarter, Gartner had predicted that the IT growth will be 6.8% this year but now they have revised it to 8%. The two major components that are going to play an important part in spending growth are Data Center Systems and Devices. The growth of Data Center Systems was 4% in 2023 but now it is going to increase up to 10% in 2024. Devices had a -9.1% growth in 2023 but now it is set to increase to 3.6% in 2024.

The reason why Data Center Systems are going to see a huge increase is probably due to incorporation of AI in the systems. John David Lovelock, who is a VP analyst at Gartner, says that in 2023, many organizations and companies were talking about imposing generative AI. We are lucky enough to see that these weren’t just the talks, because 2024 is seeing generative AI in most of the systems. Companies have planned a smooth way to impose generative AI in their systems. Even the companies which still haven’t executed AI in 2024, they are planning to do it in 2025. The tech companies which were one step ahead have already started using AI in their products and services. Their clients are also satisfied with these setups so many other companies are following suit.

Talking about Devices, John David Lovelock said that the life span of mobile phones is decreasing and that’s why people are replacing them quickly. This is the reason spending on Devices is going to be about $688 billion in 2024, compared to $664 in 2023. Now we will have to look forward to the real IT spendings at the end of this year to check whether predictions by Gartner were right or not.

Read next: Report Shows Many Teens in the US Own VR Goggles But They are Not Much Interested in Using them
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Report Shows Many Teens in the US Own VR Goggles But They are Not Much Interested in Using them

Reviews of Apple’s Vision Pro are kind of mixed with some users not satisfied with its huge price which is $3500 and more. Many people say they are loving this new tech device but are not completely sure how and why they should use this product. There are also other high tech goggles that are less expensive and have a number of features that engage the users like playing games. But people are still not satisfied with those goggles too as they have some of their own problems.

If we talk about sales of Meta’s headset called Quest which is not as costly as Apple’s Vision Pro, it has sold over 20 million of them as of 2023. These headsets are also less expensive, starting at the price of $500. But there are some reasons why people are not fond of using them. According to a survey by Piper Sandler, teenagers are that group of people who don't think of using headsets or tech goggles that much. In this technology driven age, teens should be the people who are into these kinds of tech devices but they don't like putting on headsets even if they already own one.

The survey also tells that 33% of the teens own a VR headset. But 56% of them do not use it as much as it is expected from them. Two years ago, this percentage of teens was 48% in the US. The survey also says that the respondents of the survey (6020 US teens with average age of 16.1) say that they are thinking of spending $225 on video games in the first half of 2024. So, VR or AR companies should look for attracting teens to spend the money on their headsets for playing games instead of playing them on their mobiles or some other console.

Read next: America’s Digital Detox: Which States Are Decreasing Their Tech Use In 2024
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Public Chat Servers On The Rise As Alarming Reports Suggest Discord Chats Are Being Sold

If you happen to be using Discord as your go-to texting platform then this next piece of news is for you.

New reports are highlighting how you shouldn’t be trusting texting apps such as these that end up transforming your chats into something ephemeral. And that’s very true when you take into consideration a host of public servers that has the capability of tracking nearly 600 million people across 14k servers.

As per 404 Media, Spy Pet is one such service that is infamously selling users access to another platform featuring close to 3 billion Discord texts. They end up offering data credits to various clients who pay using Bitcoin, crypto, and Ethereum. Moreover, searching individuals will even unveil which servers their respective accounts are linked to such as GitHub.

Spy Pet has gone as far as to list nearly 86,000 more servers that entail zero bots but the fact that it exists is enough understanding for many to take a step back and reconsider its privacy and security.

As mentioned by the expert, Discord fails to generate texts through server channels like blog posts or even feeds on social media. It’s easier to access them publicly and search for them. However, it would not be wrong to add how plenty of bans do continually exist and the threat of your messages being handled and accessed by bots is scary, to say the least.

Private texts cannot be seen on Spy Pet and therefore remain secure till today. Moreover, Spy Pet is asking people more about training models linked to the AI domain or even federal agents in search of newer sources including widespread intel.

This is designed to make sure contacts for deals remain in place but users are getting very weary about the whole scenario every since this report has come out. As mentioned by 404 Media, pressing on links such as Request Removal would end up showing clips featuring entertainment figures who laugh at the mere thought of making advanced payments right before a sudden comment like ‘Are you serious’ pops up.

Users making use of Spy Pet could also be reassured that all searches being carried out on the device are more than safe and confidential and provide random names of users.

Here is where the author finds all public Discord chats he ever rolled out into the tab for research or for the sake of reporting in that particular server list of Spy Pet. Moreover, those who failed to pay for access to their texts could only witness benign elements that are faced by the public such as stickers, charted members, and even emojis with time.

Such indications being in the easy reach of Spy Pet misusing it is very concerning for obvious reasons and the new warning coming into play has people talking.

Image: Alexander Shatov / Unsplash

Read next: Pakistan Blocks Social Media Platform X for National Security
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Pakistan Blocks Social Media Platform X for National Security

In February, Pakistan blocked access to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. The block was attributed to national security concerns. The interior ministry stated that the platform was inaccessible to users, but officials initially did not acknowledge any restrictions. Users had reported problems since mid February, and both the government and Pakistan telecommunication Authority (PTA) remained silent.

However, the Ministry of Interior recently confirmed the shutdown in a court submission, attributing it to X's failure to comply with lawful directives and address concerns regarding platform misuse. The ministry asserted that the ban was imposed to uphold national security, maintain public order, and preserve the nation's integrity. It also claimed that X was reluctant to resolve the issues.

In its reply, MoI cites the controversial 2021 social media rules stating that Twitter had not registered in Pakistan, nor signed an MoU to abide by local laws.

Which it claims made is “necessary” to ban X to “compel the platform”. pic.twitter.com/XEpUZSazXX

— Benazir Shah (@Benazir_Shah) April 17, 2024

Activists challenging the ban argued that it aimed to suppress dissent following the February 8 general elections, which faced widespread allegations of vote rigging and protests. The decision to block X came after considering confidential reports from Pakistan's intelligence and security agencies, citing hostile elements on the platform with intentions to destabilize the country.

The Sindh high court ordered the government to restore access to X within a week, following a challenge against the ban. Access to X has been sporadic, with users resorting to virtual private networks due to intermittent availability. Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is a prominent user of social media platforms. Khan himself has a significant following on X.

In conclusion, Pakistan's decision to block social media platform X reflects concerns over national security and the platform's perceived role in fostering instability. Despite legal challenges, access to X remains restricted, prompting users to seek alternative means to access the platform.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Analysis of 200 Million Papers by Turnitin Shows that Many Students are Using AI tools to write their Papers
by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World

Analysis of 200 Million Papers by Turnitin Shows that Many Students are Using AI tools to write their Papers

Turnitin used its new AI detector to check 200 million papers and it was revealed that most of the students had used Large Language Models (LLMs) to write the papers. About 11% which makes about 22 million papers had used 20% of AI written content. About 3% or 6 million papers had 80% AI written content. The chief product officer of Turnitin, Annie Chechitelli, says that technology is quickly incorporating itself in the education field and it is crucial for learning too. But most of the students in education are looking for ways to use technology for their own advantage and to perform better than everyone else.

From the past year, AI has slowly spreading its claws all over the world and now every other person is familiar with the use of AI and how they can benefit from it. Students are also using AI to write their papers and assignments but these kinds of practices are making students think less. Many of the AI tools like ChatGPT are being used by students daily to complete their work quickly. Tyton Partners conducted the survey to find out how many students use AI tools to write their papers and if they will continue using it even if their educational institutions ban them. 75% of the students said that they are not going to stop using AI even if their educational institutions ban the use of AI for students.

• Also read: ChatGPT Might Be Kinder and More Cooperative Than Humans, New Study Reveals

The amount of AI writing in papers prove that students are continuously using AI so educational authorities should impose some rules about use of AI. They should also talk with students to let them know what kind of use of AI is acceptable and which kind of AI usage is not acceptable in educational settings.

Image: AIgen

Read next: Google Continues to Be Popular Among Gen Z According to This Study
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World