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Meta is continuing its flurry of teen safety features for Instagram as the company faces mounting questions about its handling of younger users’ privacy and safety in its apps. The latest batch of updates are meant to tighten its protections against sextortion.

With the changes, Meta says it will make it harder for “potentially scammy” accounts to target teens on Instagram. The company will start to send follow requests from such accounts to users’ spam folders or block them entirely. The app will also start testing an alert that notifies teens when they receive a message from such an account, warning them that the message appears to be coming from a different country.

Additionally, when the company detects that a potential scammer is already following a teen, it will prevent them from being able to view teens’ follower lists and accounts that have tagged them in photos. The company isn’t saying exactly how it’s determining which accounts are deemed “potentially scammy,” but a spokesperson said they’re using signals such as the age of the account and whether it has mutual followers with the teen it’s attempting to interact with.

Meta

Meta is also making changes to prevent the spread of intimate images. Instagram will no longer allow users to screenshot or screen record images shared over DMs via the app’s ephemeral messaging feature and will no longer allow these images to be opened from the web version of Instagram. The app will also expanding the nudity protection feature it began testing earlier this year to all teens on the app. The tool automatically blurs images when nudity is detected in an image shared over DMs, and provides warnings and resources when such an image is detected.

The changes are meant to address the realities of how sextortion scams, in which scammers coerce teens into sending intimate images that are then used to threaten and blackmail them, are often carried out over Instagram. A report from Thorn and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) earlier this year found that Instagram, along with Snapchat, were the “most common” platforms used by scammers “as initial contact points.”

These scams are carried out by individuals and groups that sometimes organize on Meta’s own platforms. Alongside the updates, Meta said that it removed 800 groups on Facebook and 820 accounts, linked to a group known as the Yahoo Boys, that “were attempting to organize, recruit and train new sextortion scammers.”

Meta’s updates come as it faces increasing pressure to strengthen safety features for its youngest users. The company is currently facing a lawsuit from more than 30 states over the issue. (Earlier this week, a federal judge rejected Meta’s attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed.) New Mexico is also suing the company and has alleged that Meta didn’t do enough to stop adults from sexually harassing teens on its apps, particularly Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-is-adding-new-features-to-prevent-teen-sextortion-scams-111047916.html?src=rss

Google has formally filed a motion [PDF] asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to put a pause on the order that forces the company to open the Play store to competitors. If you’ll recall, Google lost an antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games after a federal jury found that the company held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices. Earlier this month, US District Judge James Donato ordered Google to allow third-party app stores access to the Google Play app catalog and to make those stores downloadable from its storefront. Now, Google is asking the court for a stay on that order while it’s appealing the Epic antitrust lawsuit decision, saying that it will expose 100 million Android users in the US to “substantial new security risks.”

The company called the order “harmful and unwarranted” and said that if it’s allowed to stand, it will threaten Google’s ability to “provide a safe and trusted used experience.” It argued that if it makes third-party app stores available for download from Google Play, people might think that the company is vouching for them, which could raise “real risks for [its] users.” Those app stores could have “less rigorous protections,” Google explained, that could expose users to harmful and malicious apps. 

It also said that giving third-party stores access to the Play catalog could harm businesses that don’t want their products available alongside inappropriate or malicious content. Giving third-party stores access to its entire library could give “bad-intentioned” stores a “veneer of legitimacy.” Moreover, it argued that allowing developers to link out from their apps “creates significant risk of deceptive links,” since bad actors could use the feature for phishing attacks to compromise users’ devices and steal their data. 

One of court’s main proposed changes is to allow developers to remove Google Play billing as an option, allowing them to offer their apps to Android users without having to pay the company a commission. However, Google said that by allowing developers to remove its billing system, it could “force an option that may not have the safeguards and features that users expect.” 

In its filing, Google emphasized that the three weeks the court gave it to make these sweeping changes is too short for a “Herculean task.” It creates an “unacceptable risk of safety” that could lead to major issues affecting the functionality of users’ Android devices, it said. The company also questioned why the court sided with Epic in its antitrust lawsuit, whereas it sided with Apple in a similar case also filed by the video game company. “It is pause-inducing that Apple, which requires all apps go through its proprietary App Store, is not a monopolist, but Google — which built choice into the Android operating system so device makers can preinstall and users can download competing app stores — was condemned for monopolization.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-wants-to-put-the-consequences-of-its-epic-antitrust-ruling-on-pause-during-appeal-020354621.html?src=rss

DJI has introduced the DJI Air 3S, a dual-camera drone tailored for travel photography. This advanced model features a 1-inch-CMOS primary camera and a 70 mm medium telephoto camera, both capable of capturing landscapes and portraits with up to 14 stops of dynamic range. The Air 3S supports the new Free Panorama mode for seamless panoramic shots, while the cameras excel in both day and night conditions, capturing high-quality images even in low light.

One of its standout features is its nightscape omnidirectional obstacle sensing, which ensures safe navigation and smooth operation, especially during nighttime flights. The Smart RTH (Return-to-Home) system further enhances safety by guiding the drone back safely, even in the dark.

The Air 3S also includes advanced video capabilities, offering 10-bit recording in multiple color modes, a maximum ISO of 12,800, and efficient file compression, reducing video size by 30%. Both cameras can record in 4K/60fps HDR or 4K/120fps, with advanced image processing allowing for exceptional detail in nightscapes and low-light settings.

Additional features include a maximum flight time of 45 minutes, 42 GB of internal storage, and DJI’s O4 video transmission system for clear 10-bit video up to 20 kilometers. The ActiveTrack 360° function helps maintain focus on subjects, automatically adjusting flight paths for dynamic shots.

Price and Availability

The DJI Air 3S is available in various packages, starting at $1,099. Customers can opt for the Fly More Combo, which includes extra batteries and accessories. DJI Care Refresh, a service plan offering replacements for accidental damage, is also available for this model.

DJI Air 3S Unveiled: Dual-Camera Drone For Superior Travel Photography

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Amazon is sunsetting the Kindle Oasis. This decision means there will be no models of the ereader remaining with physical buttons for turning pages. “Once current inventory of Kindle Oasis sells out online and in stores, we will not restock the device,” Amazon rep Devon Corvasce told The Verge. “Today, all of our devices are touch-forward which is what our customers are comfortable with.”

The Oasis model debuted in 2016. Its lightweight, asymmetrical design for one-handed use was a standout, but the high price tag may have kept most people from really considering the product. If you are not most comfortable with a touch interface for your reading, there are still options for flipping pages via buttons on the market. The Kobo Libra Color is one of our favorites.

Even with the Oasis becoming nothing but a mirage, the Kindle family isn’t getting any smaller. Amazon announced several upgrades to the device line this week, including its first ever color ereader in the Kindle Colorsoft. We also got hands-on time with the latest Kindle Scribe and the Kindle Paperwhite has also received a refresh.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/the-kindle-oasis-will-be-discontinued-as-amazon-says-goodbye-to-page-turn-buttons-213538052.html?src=rss

Apple introduced some new tools to its Apple Business Connect program that could be useful for the everyday consumer. The most notable update is the introduction of Business Caller ID. When this feature rolls out next year, companies of any size can register to have their name, logo and department appear when they contact customers. In practice, that can help people distinguish between a phone call from a legitimate business and spam.

Apple Business Connect allows companies to have more control over how they appear within different apps across the Apple ecosystem. In 2023, Apple offered businesses customization for their listings in Maps, Messages, Siri and Wallet. Today’s updates make Business Connect branding tools available to any company, including those without a brick-and-mortar location. In addition to the eventual rollout of Business Caller ID, the program is also adding brand info within the Mail and Phone apps. Participating companies can also add their logo to the Tap to Pay feature for contactless payments.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-will-launch-a-business-caller-id-service-next-year-223913262.html?src=rss