#FactCheck - Debunking Viral Photo: Tears of Photographer Not Linked to Ram Mandir Opening

Introduction

The increase in consumer demands has resulted in a sharp increase in digital financing in India. As a result, the reputation of the digital lending sector has been impacted, as bad actors increasingly deploy illicit lending platforms such as fraudulent loans and trading apps. As millions of Indians download fast loan applications to help them meet their financial ends, the fraudulent apps result in cyber crimes including financial fraud. Consumers need to be vigilant of dubious trading or loan applications as bad actors frequently use illegitimate apps to trick victims by advertising limited-period offers and applying pressure.

Recently the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) led handel CyberDost has issued a cybercrime alert against the ‘CashExpand-U’ finance assistant app, which has been now removed from the Google Play Store. The app was found to be associated with hostile foreign entities, and the app had made it easier to raise small loans. However, such loan apps are seldom credible and may compromise financial information. 

Raising cases of Fraudulent Loan Apps

The finance minister had stated that the government is constantly engaged with the Reserve Bank of India and other regulators and stakeholders to control fraudulent loan apps. In FY23, there were 1,062 complaints against such apps, the Finance Minister shared during a Lok Sabha session. Google removed almost 134 fake apps from the Play Store in a single week in September 2023 after multiple complaints were registered against such apps. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had also issued regulatory guidelines on digital lending in April 2023 to bring transparency in the digital loan space. 

CyberPeace Policy Wing Advisory for Users

1. Be cautious of App Permissions 

Fake lending apps collect data by fraudulently taking numerous app permissions from consumers and misusing them later. The users must effectively manage their app permissions to avoid denying any extra permissions such as access to contacts, location, and photos. This is because fraudulent digital lenders access users' personal data to extort additional money even after loan repayment.

2. Practice Due Diligence 

Consumers must exercise care & caution before applying for a loan from digital lending platforms.  Before applying for a loan or downloading any such apps, consumers must conduct due diligence by verifying the app's name, rating, reviews, physical address, and contact information. Always double-verify the paperwork before signing any agreement or contract. Always apply for loans from RBI-approved and compliant banking and financial services providers.

3. Download from Official Sources 

To avoid downloading counterfeit apps, only download lending apps from official stores like Google Play Store or Apple App Store, and avoid downloading apps from web links sent via SMS, email, or social media, even if shared by your known persons.

4. Be sceptical of too-good-to-be-true offerings

Be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, like hassle-free easy loans as they can be fraudulent. If an offer seems too good to be true, it might be a red flag. Hence always conduct your own research to verify the lender and avoid making hasty decisions.

5. Reporting Mechanism

In case of facing a scam by such fraudulent apps, victims can file a complaint with the ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ or Cyber Crime Helpline ‘1930’, or they can also contact us at CyberPeace Helpline +919570000066 and helpline@cyberpeace.net to get assistance in reporting their cases. 

Final Words

Illegitimate loan/trading apps have been raising concerns by defrauding innocent consumers who seek financial assistance. The Center has recently warned against the CashExpand-U app, which has been now removed from the Google Play Store. Users are advised to exercise due care and caution while downloading loan apps and applying for loans to prevent any potential scams. keep up to date with news from concerned authorities about common scams and fraudulent practices in the lending space and stay safe in the online world.

References:

• https://www.livemint.com/news/beware-govt-issues-cybercrime-alert-against-loan-app-cashexpand-u-finance-assistant-11720338996430.html
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/government-has-issued-an-important-warning-for-this-loan-app/articleshow/111541577.cms

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Introduction

A message has recently circulated on WhatsApp alleging that voice and video chats made through the app will be recorded, and devices will be linked to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s system from now on. WhatsApp from now, record the chat activities and forward the details to the Government. The Anti-Government News has been shared on social media.

Message claims

• The fake WhatsApp message claims that an 11-point new communication guideline has been established and that voice and video calls will be recorded and saved. It goes on to say that WhatsApp devices will be linked to the Ministry’s system and that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all other social media platforms will be monitored in the future.
• The fake WhatsApp message further advises individuals not to transmit ‘any nasty post or video against the government or the Prime Minister regarding politics or the current situation’. The bogus message goes on to say that it is a “crime” to write or transmit a negative message on any political or religious subject and that doing so could result in “arrest without a warrant.”
• The false message claims that any message in a WhatsApp group with three blue ticks indicates that the message has been noted by the government. It also notifies Group members that if a message has 1 Blue tick and 2 Red ticks, the government is checking their information, and if a member has 3 Red ticks, the government has begun procedures against the user, and they will receive a court summons shortly.

WhatsApp does not record voice and video calls

There has been news which is spreading that WhatsApp records voice calls and video calls of the users. the news is spread through a message that has been recently shared on social media. As per the Government, the news is fake, that WhatsApp cannot record voice and video calls. Only third-party apps can record voice and video calls. Usually, users use third-party Apps to record voice and video calls.

Third-party apps used for recording voice and video calls

• App Call recorder
• Call recorder- Cube ACR
• Video Call Screen recorder for WhatsApp FB
• AZ Screen Recorder
• Video Call Recorder for WhatsApp

Case Study

In 2022 there was a fake message spreading on social media, suggesting that the government might monitor WhatsApp talks and act against users. According to this fake message, a new WhatsApp policy has been released, and it claims that from now on, every message that is regarded as suspicious will have three 3 Blue ticks, indicating that the government has taken note of that message. And the same fake news is spreading nowadays.

WhatsApp Privacy policies against recording voice and video chats

The WhatsApp privacy policies say that voice calls, video calls, and even chats cannot be recorded through WhatsApp because of end-to-end encryption settings. End-to-end encryption ensures that the communication between two people will be kept private and safe.

WhatsApp Brand New Features

• Chat lock feature: WhatsApp Chat Lock allows you to store chats in a folder that can only be viewed using your device’s password or biometrics such as a fingerprint. When you lock a chat, the details of the conversation are automatically hidden in notifications. The motive of WhatsApp behind the cha lock feature is to discover new methods to keep your messages private and safe. The feature allows the protection of most private conversations with an extra degree of security
• Edit chats feature: WhatsApp can now edit your WhatsApp messages up to 15 minutes after they have been sent. With this feature, the users can make the correction in the chat or can add some extra points, users want to add.

Conclusion

The spread of misinformation and fake news is a significant problem in the age of the internet. It can have serious consequences for individuals, communities, and even nations. The news is fake as per the government, as neither WhatsApp nor the government could have access to WhatsApp chats, voice, and video calls on WhatsApp because of end-to-end encryption. End-to-end encryption ensures to protect of the communications of the users. The government previous year blocked 60 social media platforms because of the spreading of Anti India News. There is a fact check unit which identifies misleading and false online content.

Introduction

In today's era of digitalised community and connections, social media has become an integral part of our lives. A large number of teenagers are also active and have their accounts on social media. They use social media to connect with their friends and family. Social media offers ease to connect and communicate with larger communities and even showcase your creativity. On the other hand, it also poses some challenges or issues such as inappropriate content, online harassment, online stalking, misuse of personal information, abusive and dishearted content etc. There could be unindented consequences on teenagers' mental health by such threats or overuse of social media. The data shows some teens spend hours a day on social media hence it has a larger impact on them whether we notice it or not.  Social media addiction and its negative repercussions such as overuse of social media by teens and online threats and vulnerabilities is a growing concern that needs to be taken seriously by social media platforms, regulatory policies and even user's responsibilities. Recently Colorado and California led a joint lawsuit filed by 33 states in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against meta on the concern of child safety.

Meta and concern of child users safety

Recently Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, has been sued by more than three dozen states for allegedly using features to hook children to its platforms. The lawsuit claims that Meta violated consumer protection laws and deceived users about the safety of its platforms. The states accuse Meta of designing manipulative features to induce young users' compulsive and extended use, pushing them into harmful content. However, Meta has responded by stating that it is working to provide a safer environment for teenagers and expressing disappointment in the lawsuit.

According to the complaint filed by the states, Meta “designed psychologically manipulative product features to induce young users’ compulsive and extended use" of platforms like Instagram. The states allege that Meta's algorithms were designed to push children and teenagers into rabbit holes of toxic and harmful content, with features like "infinite scroll" and persistent alerts used to hook young users. However, meta responded with disappointment with a lawsuit stating that meta working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps.

Unplug for sometime

Overuse of social media is associated with increased mental health repercussions along with online threats and risks. Social media’s effect on teenagers is driven by factors such as inadequate sleep, exposure to cyberbullying and online threats and lack of physical activity. Its admitted that social media can help teens feel more connected to their friends and their support system and showcase their creativity to the online world.  However, social media overuse by teens is often linked with underlying issues that require attention. To help teenagers, encourage them for responsible use and unplug from social media for some time, encourage them to get outside in nature, do physical activities, and express themselves creatively.  

Understanding the threats & risks

• Psychological effects 

• Addiction: Excessive use of social media will lead to procrastination and excessively using social media can lead to physical and psychological addiction because it triggers the brain's reward system. 
• Mental Conditions Associated: Excessively using social media can be harmful for mental well-being which can also lead to depression and anxiety, self-consciousness and may also lead to social anxiety disorder.
• Eyes, Carpal tunnel syndrome: Excessive spending time on screen may lead to put a real strain on your eyes. Eye problems caused by computer/phone screen use fall under computer vision syndrome (CVS). Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve.

• Cyberbullying: Cyberbullying is one of the major concerns faced in online interactions on social media. Cyberbullying takes place using the internet or other digital communication technology to bully, harass, or intimidate others and it has become a major concern of online harassment on popular social media platforms. Cyberbullying may include spreading rumours or posting hurtful comments. Cyberbullying has emerged as a phenomenon that has a socio-psychological impact on the victims. 
• Online grooming: Online grooming is defined as the tactics abusers deploy through the internet to sexually exploit children. The average time for a bad actor to lure children into his trap is 3 minutes, which is a very alarming number. 
• Ransomware/Malware/Spyware: Cybercrooks impose threats such as ransomware, malware and spyware by deploying malicious links on social media. This poses serious cyber threats, and it causes consequences such as financial losses, data loss, and reputation damage. Ransomware is a type of malware which is designed to deny a user or organisation access to their files on the computer. On social media, cyber crooks post malicious links which contain malware, and spyware threats. Hence it is important to be cautious before clicking on any such suspicious link.
• Sextortion: Sextortion is a crime where the perpetrator threatens the victim and demands ransom or asks for sexual favours by threatening the victim to expose or reveal the victim’s sexual activity. It is a kind of sexual blackmail, it may take place on social media and youngsters are mostly targeted. The cyber crooks also misuse the advanced AI Deepfake technology which is capable of creating realistic images or videos which in actuality are created by machine algorithms. Deepfakes technology since easily accessible, is misused by fraudsters to commit various crimes including sextortion or deceiving and scamming people through fake images or videos which look realistic. 

• Child sexual abuse material(CSAM): CSAM is inappropriate or illicit content which is prohibited by the laws and regulatory guidelines. Child while using the internet if encounters age-restricted or inappropriate content which may be harmful to them child. Through regulatory guidelines, internet service providers are refrained from hosting the CSAM content on the websites and blocking such inappropriate or CSAM content. 

• In App purchases: The teen user also engages in-app purchases on social media or online gaming where they might fall into financial fraud or easy money scams. Where fraudster targets through offering exciting job offers such as part-time job, work-from-home job, small investments, liking content on social media, and earning money out of this. This has been prevalent on social media and fraudsters target innocent people ask for their personal and financial information, and commit financial fraud by scamming people on the pretext of offering exciting offers.

Safety tips:

To stay safe while using social media teens or users are encouraged to follow the best practices and stay aware of the online threats. Users must keep in regard to the best practices. Such as;

• Safe web browsing.
• Utilising privacy settings of your social media accounts.
• Using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication.
• Be careful about what you post or share.
• Becoming familiar with the privacy policy of the social media platforms.
• Being selective of adding unknown users to your social media network.
• Reporting any suspicious activity to the platform or relevant forum.

Conclusion:

Child safety is a major concern on social media platforms. Social media-related offences such as cyberstalking, hacking, online harassment and threats, sextortion, and financial fraud are seen as the most occurring cyber crimes on social media. The tech giants must ensure the safety of teen users on social media by implementing and adopting the best mechanisms on the platform. CyberPeace Foundation is working towards advocating for a Child-friendly SIM to protect from the illicit influence of the internet and Social Media. 

References:

• https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-why-states-are-suing-meta-for-hurting-teens-with-facebook-and-instagram/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/24/technology/states-lawsuit-children-instagram-facebook.html

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