Internet

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has settled a significant legal challenge in the United Kingdom regarding its ad tracking practices. It's also considering expanding a paid subscription option to use Facebook and Instagram without ... advertisements. The company agreed to stop using the personal data of a specific UK user, Tanya O'Carroll, for targeted advertising after she invoked her "right to object" under UK data protection law. (Source: techcrunch.com ) The legal case involved Ms. O'Carroll, a "tech accountability advisor" who formerly worked for ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Oadby' writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently received a spoofed phishing email from my own email address. But Outlook won't let me report it as it thinks it's from me! Is there a way to report them? I know it's probably useless but I ... try to do my bit. Also, why don't email programs and services provide a simple way to see where an email has originally come from in order to prevent spoofing? " My response: Thanks for your message - I'll explain how to report a spoofed or phishing email below - but first, let's understand what some of the terminology means for those who might ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tyler M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on Facebook Dating sextortion article - thanks for that. I have a somewhat different issue, though similar. While on vacation in Thailand, I met a beautiful local ... woman at a bar in Bangkok. She offered to be my personal guide (plus benefits!) and promised to show me around for the duration of my visit. I was skeptical at first, but knew that this type of ' transactional relationship ' was common in Thailand. After a few drinks I gave in - we exchanged numbers and added each other on Instagram. Everything seemed ... (view more)

Genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving millions of customers questioning the fate of their sensitive DNA data. The firm, once valued at almost $6 billion, faces lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny over privacy ... breaches as experts warn users to secure their genetic information. (Source: reuters.com ) From Boom to Bust: The 23andMe Bankruptcy 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23, a legal process that lets companies restructure debts while attempting to stay operational and potentially find a buyer. CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki is stepping ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jenna M. writes: "Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on Being Harassed on Instagram - it was a very informative read. I have a much more complicated issue: I separated from my husband last year and recently decided to give ... Facebook Dating a try. A few days in, I matched with a man who said he was an architect from a nearby city. He was attractive, polite, and claimed his wife had cheated on him. He told me he was originally from Germany and his daughter lives there. His profile said he lives in Minnesota - but his phone number has a New York area code. Not long after ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sarah B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help - I'm being harassed on Instagram . A few months ago, I met a guy on Instagram claiming to be stationed overseas in the US Military. He moves from base to base, which makes it difficult ... for him to stay in touch with people. Initially, he was sweet, charming, and always had a good excuse for why we couldn't video chat - so we exchange some photos instead. At first, he just wanted someone to talk to, but not long after, he hinted that he was struggling financially. He needed money for things like Internet access, food, and other ' ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Mark R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on How to Stop Cyber Harassment and I'm reaching out because my teenage son is brutally being harassed online . He recently met a girl in a chat group on Reddit; she ... seemed nice at first, and claims to live nearby. They chatted for a few days, then things got more 'personal': she convinced him to move to Snapchat, where they exchanged some private messages and pictures. After that, the tone shifted instantly and now she's demanding money. She's taken screenshots of all of his Instagram followers and says ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sam J. writes: "Dear Dennis, My teenage son got caught up in an online sextortion scam. He thought he was talking to a girl his age on Instagram, but it turned out to be a scammer who tricked him into sharing private photos. He ... already sent the blackmailers $500 in Steam cards. Now, they're threatening to send those images to his friends and family unless we pay more. He's terrified, ashamed, and deeply depressed. As a father, I feel completely helpless. How can I stop cyber harassment and online blackmail in order to protect my son? Please help!" My response: If you or ... (view more)

A new app offers to bring together multiple social media, messaging and content tools into a single "timeline". Tapestry is made by the people behind a previous app that aimed to improve the experience of what was then called Twitter. That app, ... Twitterific, stopped working in 2023 when Twitter blocked third-party access to its service. That ongoing block means the new app doesn't support the rebranded X service. Instead, Tapestry brings together multiple apps into a single chronological timeline showing all posts that meet the user's criteria. The developers believe many users prefer that to ... (view more)

Posts by both Elon Musk and Republican-leaning accounts became considerably more prominent on X (formerly Twitter) after he endorsed Donald Trump for President according to a study. The paper says the change was significant enough to suggest the ... site may have intentionally changed its algorithm. Much of the controversy over the site in the past few years has involved its default "For You" feed, which is created by an algorithm. Rather simply showing all posts from accounts the user follows in chronological order, the feed shows what X implies are the most likely posts to interest and engage ... (view more)