Whatsapp Stop Working On iPhone: WhatsApp, an instant messaging platform, has issued a warning to iPhone users, revealing that the app will stop working on older iPhone models soon in 2025.  It is important to note that WhatsApp will require iOS 15.1 or later to operate starting May 5, 2025. According to WABetaInfo, this means people with older iPhones that can’t update past iOS 12.5.7 will have to upgrade their phone or get a new one to keep using WhatsApp. Currently, the meta-owned platform supports iOS 12 and later. Users with newer iPhones or those who have already updated to iOS 15.1 or later will not be affected. WhatsApp Update: Which iPhones Are Affected?  The older iPhone models include-iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. The iPhone 5s was released in 2013, and the other two in 2014, making them all at least ten years old. These iPhones cannot be upgraded to the operating system version that WhatsApp will soon require. These older iPhones were released more than 10 years ago, so only a small number of users are likely still using WhatsApp on these models.  Why WhatsApp Is Making Crucial Update  WhatsApp’s decision to stop supporting older iPhones is aimed at utilizing the latest advancements in iOS. Newer iOS versions provide updated APIs and improved technologies, which are crucial for WhatsApp to introduce and enhance its features, according to a WABetaInfo report.  WhatsApp can optimise its app and introduce innovative functionalities that would be incompatible with outdated operating systems by discontinuing support for older versions.  

Whatsapp Account Blocked: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs, has identified and blocked more than 1,700 Skype IDs and 59,000 WhatsApp accounts used for digital fraud, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar also stated that the ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System,’ launched under I4C in 2021, enables immediate reporting of financial frauds to prevent the siphoning off of funds by fraudsters and so far, over Rs 3,431 crore has been saved in more than 9.94 lakh complaints. “The I4C has pro-actively identified and blocked more than 1,700 Skype IDs and 59,000 WhatsApp accounts used for digital fraud,” Kumar said in response to a written question. As of November 15, 2024, more than 6.69 lakh SIM cards and 1.32 lakh IMEIs, as reported by police authorities, have been blocked by the government. The minister further explained that to strengthen the mechanism for addressing cyber crimes, including digital fraud, the central government and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have developed a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls that display Indian mobile numbers, making them appear as though they originate within India. Kumar noted that such spoofed calls have been used by cyber criminals in recent cases of fake digital arrests, FedEx scams, and impersonation as government or police officials. Directions have been issued to TSPs to block such incoming international spoofed calls. Additionally, a State-of-the-Art Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) has been established at I4C, where representatives from major banks, financial institutions, payment aggregators, TSPs, IT intermediaries, and law enforcement agencies from States and UTs collaborate to ensure immediate action and seamless cooperation in tackling cybercrime. The minister said a suspect registry of identifiers of cyber criminals has been launched by I4C on September 10, 2024 in collaboration with banks and financial institutions and has introduced a new feature ‘Report and Check Suspect’ on the portal cybercrime.Gov.In. This facility provides citizens with a search option to search I4C’s repository of identifiers of cyber criminals through ‘suspect search’. 

Bengaluru: The Fintech major Razorpay on Monday said it has partnered with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to boost cyber security around the digital payments ecosystem in the country.  The collaboration aims to empower businesses and end-customers with critical knowledge to protect themselves while driving widespread awareness about cybersecurity across the country. Recent data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal revealed a sharp increase in digital fraud incidents across India, with over 7,000 complaints reported daily (between January and April 2024). Alarmingly, 85 per cent of these complaints involve financial fraud, demonstrating the growing vulnerability of online transactions. From January to April, victims lost more than $21.2 million to cyber crimes. “This partnership with Razorpay is a step towards strengthening our digital economy by combining the technological approach of Razorpay with the strategic initiatives of I4C,” said Nishant Kumar, Director, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, MHA. Razorpay, in addition to its ongoing initiatives, will lead an extensive awareness campaign to educate businesses and consumers on critical topics concerning cybersecurity. The fintech platform has connected with over 1,600 cybercrime stations across 25 states and union territories, enabling seamless communication channels to strengthen collaboration in combating cybercrime. It has also conducted specialised workshops to showcase its capabilities and share insights into preventing fraud. “As our digital economy rapidly expands, India is emerging as a global leader in retail transactions and digital payments. With this leadership comes a responsibility to ensure safe and secure digital payment experiences for a young, new-to-banking population,” said Arif Khan, Chief Innovation Officer of Razorpay. Cybersecurity is the cornerstone of a nation’s development, and in a country like India, which now accounts for 46 per cent of the world’s digital payment volume, its importance cannot be overstated. “As digital accounts and transactions grow, so does the responsibility to safeguard them from fraud and cyber threats,” Kumar added.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Slapped With Contempt Notice: A Mumbai court has issued a contempt notice to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The notice relates to YouTube’s failure to remove a video allegedly defaming the NGO Dhyan Foundation and its founder, Yogi Ashwini.  Why Google CEO Sundar Pichai Issued Contempt Notice? Notably, the notice is issued after the company’s failure to comply with a court order that instructed the removal of a defamatory video titled ‘Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut’. The notice was issued by the Additional Chief Justice Magistrate’s Court in Ballard Pier on November 21, 2023 follows YouTube’s non-compliance with a March 2022 court order.  In October 2022, the Dhyan Foundation, an animal welfare organization, filed a contempt petition. The NGO claimed that YouTube continued to host the defamatory video even outside India, causing harm to its reputation. The foundation further alleged that Google “intentionally and deliberately” failed to take down the video, which contained false and harmful accusations damaging its image. What Tech Giant Google Said About Mumbai Court Order? YouTube, citing intermediary immunity under the IT Act, argued that defamation is not covered under the categories specified in Section 69-A of the Act. The platform reportedly stated that such complaints should be resolved in civil courts rather than criminal courts reportedly What Mumbai Court Responded After Google’s Response? The court rejected the claims and clarified further that the IT ACT does not restrict criminal courts from intervening in such cases. The next hearing for this case is scheduled for January 3, 2025 reportedly.  Google Vs Gaming Platform Winzo  Adding further, the tech giant Google is also being investigated by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) following a complaint from gaming platform WinZO. This follows previous penalties imposed by the CCI in 2022 for abusing its dominant position in the Android mobile ecosystem and Play Store.

New Delhi: A section of the media had reported that telecom subscribers of Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, BSNL, Airtel may stop receiving OTPs or get delayed OTPs after November 30 because of the TRAI deadline on message traceability that kicks in from December 1. Responding to news reports, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has said that the news is not correct. In its official X (formerly Twtter) handle, the regulator has said, “This is factually incorrect. TRAI has mandated the Access Providers to ensure message traceability. It will not delay delivery of any message. “ https://t.co/7uemnOtVd8 This is factually incorrect. TRAI has mandated the Access Providers to ensure message traceability. It will not delay delivery of any message. @the_hindu — TRAI (@TRAI) November 28, 2024 On August 20, TRAI had issued directives to access providers to curb misuse, fraud through messaging. Among the directives was regulation on curb dubious OTPs for which TRAI had asked telecom companies to provide message traceability. TRAI had mandated that the trail of all messages from senders to recipients must be traceable, the deadline of which was set for November 30, 2024. Any message with an undefined or mismatched telemarketer chain will be rejected. TRAI had also mandated all access service providers to migrate telemarketing calls starting with 140 series to the online DLT platform by September 30, 2024, for better monitoring and control. Effective September 1, 2024, all access service providers are prohibited from transmitting messages containing URLs, APKs, OTT links, or call-back numbers that are not whitelisted by the senders.

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken several measures to ensure the safe transmission of text messages including the measure to ensure complete tracing of senders of commercial messages. To enhance message traceability, TRAI issued a direction on August 20 and mandated that all commercial messages from senders to recipients must be traceable from November 1. In compliance of these directions, all Access Providers have since deployed the required technical solutions. However, to provide a transition time for technical upgrades, and chain declaration by senders of commercial messages — Principal Entities (PEs) and Telemarketers (TMs), TRAI, vide its Direction dated October 28, extended the deadline up to November 30. For awareness, communications were sent to various Sector Regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA and IRDAI), Central and State government Departments and other organizations by TRAI requesting them to sensitize the PEs under their jurisdiction for early compliance with the regulations. In addition, webinars were arranged by TRAI in association with the Access Providers which were attended by representatives of entities such as PEs, TMs, Central and State Government departments, Sector Regulators and Industry associations. For direct engagement with PE and TMs, additional webinars, email communications and interactive sessions were arranged by the Access providers. As a result of these efforts, more than twenty-seven thousand PEs have already registered their chains with the respective Access Providers and further registration is in progress at a rapid pace. Access Providers have sent and are continuing to send warning notices to all PEs and TMs who have not yet implemented necessary changes. The authority has directed Access Providers to ensure PE-TM chain declaration by all PEs and  TMs latest by December 10, and continue issuing the warning to the PEs and TMs who default on PE-TM chain binding on daily basis. With effect from December 11, any traffic (messages) where the chain of Telemarketers is not defined or does not match with pre-defined chain shall be rejected. PEs and TMs are again advised to expedite the declaration of chains on priority as any message that fails to adhere to the traceability regulation will be rejected with effect from December 11.

New Delhi: The Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) has concluded its Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 3.0, which was aimed at simplifying life certificate submissions for pensioners, particularly super senior citizens, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said in a release on Sunday. The campaign saw about 1.30 crore DLCs generated, making it the largest-ever initiative aimed at improving the welfare of pensioners in India, the ministry added. A key highlight of the campaign was the innovative use of Face Authentication Technology, which accounted for over 39 lakh DLCs (more than 30 per cent of the total), marking a 200-fold increase from the previous DLC 2.0 campaign. The ministry further said that the face authentication technology proved particularly beneficial for elderly pensioners with faded fingerprints, differently-abled individuals, and those residing in remote areas. Additionally, more than 8 lakh DLCs were submitted by pensioners aged 80 and above, showcasing the campaign’s focus on elderly citizens.The DLC Campaign 3.0 prioritised inclusion, with a special focus on underserved populations, ensuring no pensioner was left behind. Collaboration with 19 banks, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), and other key departments facilitated nationwide coverage. Over 1845 camps were set up across more than 800 cities and districts, and 1.8 lakh postmen were deployed to assist pensioners on the ground. As per the ministry release, the campaign’s success can be attributed to the extensive support from various stakeholders, including pensioner welfare associations, pension disbursing banks, the Ministry of Railways, UIDAI, and other government bodies. The campaign’s geographical reach was vast, with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal emerging as key contributors, processing over 20 lakh, 13 lakh, 11 lakh, and 10 lakh DLCs, respectively. Notably, the Defense Ministry processed 25 lakh DLCs, serving retired armed forces personnel, while the Central Civil Ministry and Railways also made significant contributions.The campaign saw active media outreach through DD News, AIR, SANSAD TV, PIB, and PTI, reaching over 122 million people nationwide.  Extensive publicity, including TV discussions, radio broadcasts, and social media campaigns, played a vital role in raising awareness and ensuring a broad participation from pensioners, it added. 

ChatGPT David Mayer: Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence (AI) startup OpenAI’s popular chatbot ChatGPT is facing a strange bug which prevents it from using the name “David Mayer”. Meanwhile, Reddit users have discovered this strange bug, reported the TOI. The AI Chatbot is unable to generate any response when given a prompt that would require to use of this particular name.  Users have attempted various creative strategies to get ChatGPT to say a specific name “David Mayer”, including using spaces between words, claiming the name as their own, and even crafting riddles. This is not on the LLM level but on verification layer added by ChatGPT. Through the API it works perfectly. So someone in OpenAI gave “David Mayer” a big red flag in the moderation policy. lol https://t.co/uHsBWLKj3O pic.twitter.com/3uqX2XlmsL — Marcel Samyn (@marcelsamyn) November 30, 2024 Despite their efforts and imaginative prompts, they have been unsuccessful in getting the chatbot to respond with the desired name. These attempts highlight the persistence of users in trying to outsmart the system, yet the issue remains unresolved. Adding further, the Reddit users mentioned that the chat typically ends abruptly before ChatGPT can pronounce it.   User Warnings vs API Functionality  Despite repeated attempts, some users reported receiving warnings that their actions were “illegal and potentially violating usage policy.” Meanwhile, others found that ChatGPT could mention the name without issues when accessed via its API.  Who is David Mayer?  Some Reddit users believe that “David Mayer” is connected to the Rothschild family, while others believe it might be related to a musician and copyright concerns.  This whole David Mayer conspiracy shows that there are more things hidden under the surface. While I managed to convince ChatGPT to talk about that name, it goes on to show how many things are still hidden. pic.twitter.com/mUe2jMx6L2 — Samar Singh (@samarknowsit) November 30, 2024 Here’s How Netizens Reacted- That feeling when you’re David Mayer and you’ve fixed it so ChatGPT can’t talk about you pic.twitter.com/qvyZUY0wXP — Latentem (@Latentem) December 1, 2024 I managed to trick ChatGPT into talking about #DavidMayer by asking it about David De Rothschild instead (there are multiples, it got the wrong one) and then asking it about his Messiah Complex project, The Plastiki. It then utterly hallucinates instead of going anywhere near… pic.twitter.com/XP1eKZfrMt — KiTA (@eldarmark) November 30, 2024 Looks like OpenAI’s ChatGPT has its secrets. Can the real “David Mayer” raise their hand  Bug or privacy policy? What’s your guess… pic.twitter.com/c1wZlScT4Y — Sahara AI  (@SaharaLabsAI) November 30, 2024 David Mayer de Rothschild ChatGPT isn’t allowed to speak his name Do you understand anon? pic.twitter.com/hwMtd07Anl — Bruiser (@bruiserscalls) December 1, 2024