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Mobile numbers of 500 million WhatsApp users available for sale online: report

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Meta-owned WhatsApp is back in news, not for its updates this time but for its user’s security being under threat.

A person on the internet has claimed to allegedly possess up-to-date mobile phone numbers of around 500 million users of the social messaging website, an online publication Cybernews reported after confirming via an investigated data sample.

The person claiming to have the alleged information posted an ad to sell the data on a hacking community forum on November 16 and offered to sell the 2022 database of around 487 million users of WhatsApp with “recent mobile numbers”.

According to the ad, the dataset reportedly contains information of users from 84 countries. The alleged seller claims the availability of records of more than 45 million users from Egypt, 35 million from Italy, and over 32 million users from the US.

Meanwhile, other countries include 29 million users from Saudi Arabia, and 20 million from France and Turkey each.

Nearly 10 million users from Russia and more than 11 million from the United Kingdom are also allegedly at risk of having their mobile phone numbers on sale.

The individual selling the information spoke with Cybernews informing them about selling datasets from the US, UK and Germany for $7,000, $2,500, and $2,000, respectively.

According to reports, WhatsApp has over two billion active monthly users around the world.

Information such as users’ mobile phone numbers is mostly misused by attackers for vishing and smishing attacks; therefore, users are recommended to remain cautious of responding to unsolicited calls and messages, as well as remain wary of unknown numbers.

The alleged seller has not specified how they gathered the data, instead informing Cybernews that they “used their strategy” for data collection assuring the publication that all numbers in their possession belong to active users of the social messaging application.

Meta, meanwhile, has not yet commented on the matter.

“In this age, we all leave a sizeable digital footprint – and tech giants like Meta should take all precautions and means to safeguard that data,” Mantas Sasnauskas, head of Cybernews research team, said.

He added that users should “ask whether an added clause of ‘scraping or platform abuse is not permitted in the Terms and Conditions’ is enough. Threat actors don’t care about those terms, so companies should take rigorous steps to mitigate threats and prevent platform abuse from a technical standpoint.”

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Elon Musk lands in Tel Aviv to meet Israeli president, families of hostages

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Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has begun his wartime visit to Israel as he landed in Tel Aviv on Monday to discuss “rising antisemitism” on social media with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

During his visit to Tel Aviv, the tech billionaire will also meet the relatives of the hostages held by Hamas following their October 7 attack. 

“In their meeting, the president will emphasise the need to act to combat rising antisemitism online,” said President Herzog’s office on Sunday after announcing the meeting with Musk.

His meeting comes after the tech guru was accused by civil rights groups of amplifying anti-Jewish hatred on the microblogging website X, formerly known as Twitter.

The tweet accused Jews of promoting hatred against whites, and Musk’s reply, acknowledging the statement as the “actual truth,” triggered a fierce online backlash.

Musk, later defending himself against accusations of anti-semitism, asserted that such claims were “nothing could be further from the truth.” He clarified his intentions, expressing goodwill towards humanity and a desire for a prosperous future for all.

In an effort to counterbalance the controversy, Musk announced his commitment to donating advertising revenue from his company, X, to hospitals in Israel and Gaza.

Last week, Israeli media reported that Musk would visit Israel this week, with plans to tour Gaza border towns.

According to N12, the Tesla magnate was expected to engage in discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog during his visit.

Additionally, Musk had previously pledged to provide internet satellite connectivity to Gaza’s remaining civilians and humanitarian workers.

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Here’s how WhatsApp plans to enhance display of profile info

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To further enhance user experience, WhatsApp is working on a new update to further enhance the display of profile information by acting on the user feedback and incorporating desired updates into the platform.

The development was discovered via the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.25.11 update available on the Google Play Store, reported WaBetaInfo.

The meta-owned platform is working to allow the displaying of profile information within conversations beneath the contact name.

Once introduced, the feature will provide users with an easier and faster way to interact with profile information when it is made visible in our conversations.

— WaBetaInfo
— WaBetaInfo

Users would be able to easily view the profile information within the chat rather than having to navigate to the chat info screen. 

Furthermore, this enhances visibility in the event that users have recently updated their profile information, guaranteeing that those involved in the conversation are promptly informed of any modifications.

It is significant to remember that the user’s privacy settings will only permit the display of this information.

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OpenAI’s ChatGPT offers human-like voice feature for all regular iOS, Android users

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OpenAI has rolled out a significant update for ChatGPT, enabling regular users on both iOS and Android devices to engage with the chatbot using a human-like voice. 

Initially introduced in September, the voice feature was exclusively available to Plus and Enterprise users until yesterday. This expansion signifies a milestone in ChatGPT’s accessibility, allowing a broader audience to experience conversational capabilities in voice mode.

To activate the voice feature, users will find a headphone icon at the bottom right of the screen upon opening ChatGPT. Clicking on it prompts users to choose from five distinct voice options: Juniper, Ember, Breeze, Cove, and Sky, representing a spectrum from feminine to masculine. Users can easily switch between these options later.

The interaction with the voice assistant is visually engaging, with a grey circle appearing in the centre, transforming into a white cloud-like image while the chatbot processes information. 

The voice assistant, exemplified by options like Sky with a raspy voice, introduces a more human-like element, including pauses during responses, fostering a conversational experience.

Despite the innovative leap, some users noted that the voice function occasionally prompted assistance queries even when the user remained silent, and there was a lack of a clear mechanism to turn off the application. 

However, the flexibility to exit the app while keeping it active in the background enhances multitasking possibilities, catering to scenarios where users may want information while engaged in other activities.

This move towards a voice-centric interaction marks a departure from traditional text-based chatting, offering a more natural and engaging conversational AI experience. 

OpenAI’s decision to make this feature available to a wider user base underscores the evolution of ChatGPT, positioning it as a versatile and accessible tool for diverse interactions.

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