direct messaging Archives

AppWizard

April 25, 2025

12 Android apps secretly recorded your conversations

Recent findings from cybersecurity experts at ESET revealed that several Android applications, disguised as harmless tools, have been secretly recording conversations and stealing sensitive data. These malicious apps infiltrated devices through the Google Play Store and third-party platforms, compromising the privacy of thousands of users. One tactic used by cybercriminals involved romantic deception, where victims were coaxed into downloading a seemingly harmless messaging app containing the VajraSpy Trojan, which activated upon installation to record conversations and harvest personal data. The identified malicious apps fall into three categories: 1. Standard Messaging Apps with Hidden Trojans: These apps, including Hello Chat, MeetMe, and Chit Chat, request access to personal data and operate silently in the background, stealing contacts, SMS messages, call logs, device location, and installed app lists. 2. Apps Exploiting Accessibility Features: Apps like Wave Chat exploit Android’s accessibility features to intercept communications from secure platforms, record phone calls, keystrokes, and ambient sounds. 3. Single Non-Messaging App: Nidus, a news app, requests a phone number for sign-in and collects contacts and files, increasing the risk of data theft. The 12 malicious Android apps identified include: Rafaqat, Privee Talk, MeetMe, Let’s Chat, Quick Chat, Chit Chat, YohooTalk, TikTalk, Hello Chat, Nidus, GlowChat, and Wave Chat. The first six apps were available on the Google Play Store and had over 1,400 downloads before removal. Users are advised to uninstall these apps immediately to protect their personal data.

AppWizard

April 23, 2025

NJ AG sues Discord, claims the messaging app exposes kids to online predators

Law enforcement officials in New Jersey have filed a lawsuit against Discord, claiming the company misled parents about its safety controls and failed to protect children from sexual and violent content on its platform. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated that Discord has violated consumer protection laws, exposing children to risks from online predators. The lawsuit alleges that Discord's safety features were inadequate and that the app's claims of protecting young users were misleading. Specifically, it criticized the "Safe Direct Messaging" feature for failing to effectively detect or delete explicit content. The lawsuit seeks remedies including an injunction against further violations, civil penalties, and forfeiture of profits generated in New Jersey.

AppWizard

April 18, 2025

N.J. sues Discord, alleging the messaging app leaves kids vulnerable to predators

State officials in New Jersey have filed a lawsuit against Discord, alleging that the messaging platform fails to protect children from online predators and misrepresents its safety features, particularly regarding direct messaging. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin claims that Discord's misleading safety settings have made it a target for predators, exposing young users to risks. Discord has announced its intention to contest the lawsuit, asserting its commitment to safety. The complaint points out that Discord's default settings allow users to receive friend requests from anyone and that its claims about scanning and removing explicit content are misleading. The lawsuit demands that Discord relinquish profits earned in New Jersey and seeks civil penalties, following incidents where inadequate safeguards led to child exploitation. Additionally, a man has been accused of communicating with a 14-year-old victim on Discord after previously assaulting her.

AppWizard

April 18, 2025

N.J. sues messaging app Discord for alleged youth endangerment

New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Discord, alleging that the platform's safety measures for young users are inadequate and misleading. The lawsuit claims that Discord's safety protocols have exposed children to violent content, harassment, and sexual abuse, despite the company's assertions that it provides a "safe space for teens." Key concerns include the platform's ineffective age-verification process, which allows children under 13 to access the app, and the failure of its "Safe Direct Messaging" feature to effectively scan for explicit content. Discord has expressed surprise at the legal action and maintains its commitment to improving safety on the platform.

AppWizard

March 26, 2025

What is Signal?

A magazine journalist was unexpectedly included in a group chat of U.S. national security officials on the Signal messaging app, just hours before President Donald Trump authorized airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The National Security Council is investigating how the journalist's phone number was added to this secure communication channel. Signal is an application that supports direct messaging, group chats, and voice and video calls, employing end-to-end encryption. It allows for group chats of up to 1,000 participants and includes a feature for messages to self-destruct after a set period. Signal is considered secure but not immune to hacking, and it raises concerns about compliance with open records laws. Government officials are increasingly using encrypted messaging applications, with many having accounts linked to government-issued and personal cell phones. Signal was created by Moxie Marlinspike, who combined two open-source applications, and is overseen by the nonprofit Signal Foundation, which operates without advertisers or investors.

AppWizard

February 26, 2025

Slack is down, reporting outages across messaging app

On Wednesday, Slack experienced a significant outage that disrupted communication for numerous users. At 10:27 a.m. Eastern Time, Slack's status tracker indicated difficulties in using or loading the platform. By approximately 1 p.m. ET, the company was still working to restore functionality to affected features. During the peak of the outage, over 3,000 users reported an inability to access the platform, but some services began to recover by mid-morning. The root cause of the outage remains unclear. Slack, a subsidiary of Salesforce, serves more than 200,000 paid customers and daily active users across over 150 countries.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

‘Loophole’ in law on messaging apps leaves children vulnerable to sexual abuse, says NSPCC

Nearly 39,000 child sex abuse image crimes were documented in the past year, with approximately 38,685 crimes recorded in England and Wales during the 2023/24 period, averaging over 100 incidents per day. Snapchat was identified as the most frequently mentioned app in these cases, accounting for 50% of incidents, followed by Instagram (11%), Facebook (7%), and WhatsApp (6%). The NSPCC and other organizations are advocating for stronger enforcement of the Online Safety Act, citing concerns about a loophole that allows direct messaging services to remove harmful content only if deemed "technically feasible." The NSPCC expressed the need for proactive measures from platforms to prevent becoming "safe havens" for abusers, particularly highlighting risks associated with end-to-end encryption. A 13-year-old victim shared her distressing experience on Snapchat, where she was threatened after sending nude pictures to a stranger. NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood called for immediate government action, criticizing separate regulations for private messaging services that allow tech companies to evade responsibility. The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, mandates social media companies to mitigate illegal and harmful content, but protective measures are still being implemented. Ofcom stated that most services should be capable of removing harmful content, while a government spokesperson reiterated the commitment to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse and to implement the Online Safety Act effectively.

AppWizard

December 11, 2024

Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger are down: Everything you need to know about Meta’s outage

A major outage affected Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Threads, attributed to a "technical issue" by Meta. Reports peaked around 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, with about 75,000 complaints for Instagram and 100,000 for Facebook. Users expressed frustrations on alternative platforms, particularly X, where the hashtag #facebookdown trended. By 2:25 p.m. Eastern, reports of outages began to decline, indicating a return to normalcy, although some users still faced issues with direct messaging features.

Winsage

December 11, 2024

Quest v72 Brings Improved Hand Tracking & Keyboard Cutout

Meta Quest v72 is being rolled out to users, featuring improved hand tracking capabilities with the upgraded Hand Tracking 2.3 model, which enhances stability, accuracy, and reduces latency. Key improvements include a more stable hand cursor, better cursor stabilization during pinching, improved pinch-and-drag responsiveness, easier hand use in confined spaces, and a new hand ray visualization. The update also introduces experimental integration with Windows 11, a passthrough cutout feature for any keyboard, automatic call captions for live transcripts during calls, a Travel Mode indicator to prevent accidental activation, a streamlined home environment that defaults to a stationary boundary, and integration of direct messaging in the Instagram app on Horizon OS.

AppWizard

November 29, 2024

Wasting a lot of time watching Shorts and Reels? This app puts you back in control.

Sane Scrolling is an Android app developed by IJagan that blocks short-form videos on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram while allowing access to features like direct messaging and feeds. Users can set timers to limit their video consumption, and once the timer expires, they can watch an ad for additional viewing time. The app includes advertisements, and a payment is required to block videos across multiple apps. In-app purchases are one-time fees, not subscriptions. The free version allows timer extensions through ads, while paid users incur an extra fee for extensions. Future updates may introduce features like per-app timers and the ability to block scrolling through feeds.