Scammers are turning to an underhand new tactic to con the unsuspecting into parting with cash over the phone After chatting on WhatsApp about the latest series of Ozark, Paula Leonard’s* daughter broached a difficult topic: she needed two bills paid, as she was locked out of her online bank account after getting a new …
Please, Mum! WhatsApp fraudsters pose as loved ones to steal money Read More »
As long as the number of users kept growing, Mark Zuckerberg felt able to ride out scandals and criticism. He can no longer rely on that defence Facebook was much in the news last week, although you may not realise that because it has been renamed Meta in the hope the bad vibes associated with …
Fears of poll meddling by Russia prompt new ‘psychological defence’ A top official from Sweden’s new “psychological defence” agency said the country had decided to bring back the cold war-era government body amid fears over Russian aggression against Ukraine. Magnus Hjort, deputy director of the agency, which was re-established last month to combat foreign disinformation, …
Sweden returns to cold war tactics to battle fake news Read More »
Founder Daniel Ek’s bid to make the anti-vaxxer controversy go away ignores the fact that it is paying the US comedian to appear on its service Two decades ago, the late and much-lamented David Bowie said something that was eerily prophetic. “Music itself,” he observed, “is going to become like running water or electricity.” His …
Spotify’s attempt to play the Facebook game over Joe Rogan won’t wash | John Naughton Read More »
Serpentine North Gallery, LondonThis hybrid show of physical and digital works by US artist Brian Donnelly – also viewable in the video game Fortnite – could not be more of the moment For decades, artists have worked across physical and digital canvases, especially in public installations, where a virtual component can lend a futuristic frisson …
Kaws: New Fiction review – an art show where you brush shoulders with virtual visitors Read More »
With KP Snacks the latest cyber-attack victim, firms must learn to defend themselves against a mounting menace The January snow lay thick on the Moscow ground, as masked officers of the FSB – Russia’s fearsome security agency – prepared to smash down the doors at one of 25 addresses they would raid that day. Their …
How the growing Russian ransomware threat is costing companies dear Read More »
The Uruguayan photographer on snapping a sunbather in São Paulo, Brazil After moving from Uruguay to São Paulo, Brazil, during the pandemic, photographer Pablo Albarenga revelled in exploring his new home by bike. It felt like a safe, freeing way to familiarise himself with its vastness; the Brazilian city is the fourth largest in the …
‘The road transforms into a makeshift beach’: Pablo Albarenga’s best phone picture Read More »
Proposed laws require tech firms to prevent publication of harmful content or face substantial fines Joining digital pile-ons, sending threatening social media posts and deliberately posting hoax bomb threats are among the new criminal offences that could result in jail sentences under proposed online safety laws. Tech firms will also be required to prevent users …
Sending threatening posts among offences in revised online safety bill Read More »
Paul Dowling, Janet Fraser, Rob Doran and Ian Elliott remember playing earlier versions of the game before Wordle’s viral explosion I was amused to read your editorial (2 February) about the internet game Wordle, created by Josh Wardle for his partner and subsequently sold to the New York Times. I used to play this game …
Wordle’s success is based on learning from the past | Letters Read More »
Zuckerberg blames ‘headwinds’ from Apple’s new iOS and changes in privacy for the record drop in value Mark Zuckerberg blamed “headwinds” this week after investors wiped about $220bn off Meta’s market value. One of the biggest blows came from longtime rival Apple. Apple has long marketed itself as a champion of privacy, explicitly positioning itself …
Meta rivalry with Apple inflamed as Facebook parent company share price plummets Read More »
