Fake Signal and ToTok Apps Used to Spy on Android Users In UAE - 1

Image by Adem AY, from Unsplash

Fake Signal and ToTok Apps Used to Spy on Android Users In UAE

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

ESET researchers have uncovered two spyware campaigns that disguise themselves as secure messaging apps to target Android users in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Fake Signal and ToTok apps spread spyware on Android devices in the UAE.
  • Malware distributed through phishing sites, not Google Play Store.
  • Stolen data includes SMS, contacts, photos, videos, and app backups.

ESET reports that the malicious apps impersonate Signal and ToTok, two platforms often chosen by people seeking private communications.

The investigation identified two previously unknown spyware families: Android/Spy.ProSpy, which pretends to be upgrades or plugins for Signal and ToTok, and Android/Spy.ToSpy, which exclusively impersonates ToTok.

Neither was available in official app stores. Instead, victims were tricked into downloading them from third-party websites posing as legitimate services.

One of the fake sites even mimicked the Samsung Galaxy Store to spread the ToSpy malware. Once installed, both spyware strains maintain persistence on the device and begin stealing sensitive data in the background. This includes contacts, SMS messages, documents, photos, videos, and even app backups.

ESET noted that ToSpy specifically looks for .ttkmbackup files, which are used to store ToTok chat histories and app data, suggesting a targeted effort to extract conversations. “Our investigation led to the discovery of two previously undocumented spyware families – Android/Spy.ProSpy, impersonating upgrades or plugins for the Signal and ToTok messaging apps; and Android/Spy.ToSpy, impersonating the ToTok app,” the researchers explained.

ProSpy has been active since at least 2024, spread through phishing websites offering fake apps like “Signal Encryption Plugin” and “ToTok Pro.” When launched, these apps often redirect users to the real Signal or ToTok platforms to appear legitimate, while continuing to steal information in the background.

According to ESET, the ToSpy campaign is still ongoing, with active servers receiving stolen data. As an App Defense Alliance partner, ESET shared its findings with Google. Users are protected against known variants by Google Play Protect, which is enabled by default on Android devices.

Perplexity Makes $200 AI Browser Free to Fight Internet ‘Slop’ - 2

Image by TechCrunch, from WikimediaCommons

Perplexity Makes $200 AI Browser Free to Fight Internet ‘Slop’

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Perplexity AI announced on Thursday that its AI-powered web browser Comet is now available globally and free to all users, after initially charging $200 a month for access.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Perplexity AI makes its $200 Comet browser free worldwide.
  • Comet acts as an AI assistant that searches, summarizes, and organizes web content.
  • The free version has usage limits, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed.

The company said the move is aimed at countering what it calls the rise of “slop,” which is low-quality content created by both humans and AI flooding the internet, as reported by Business Insider . “We want to build a better internet, and that needs to be accessible to everybody,” CEO Aravind Srinivas told Business Insider at the launch event in San Francisco.

The release puts Perplexity into direct competition with Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic, all of which are pushing their own AI browser tools, as noted by CNBC.

Google recently added Gemini to Chrome , while OpenAI launched Operator earlier this year. Perplexity previously made headlines when it submitted an unsolicited $34.5 billion bid for Chrome, though the U.S. government allowed Google to keep its browser in a monopoly case.

Perplexity also announced Comet Plus, a $5 monthly subscription that grants access to premium content from publishers such as CNN, The Washington Post, Fortune, Los Angeles Times, and Condé Nast. The company says publishers will receive 80% of subscription revenue, as reported by Business Insider.

“I think slop is fundamentally going to be easier to create now, and it’s going to be hard to distinguish if something is AI or human on the internet,” Srinivas said, as reported by Business Insider.