Meta Platforms Face EU Probe Over Handling of Political Disinformation
- Written by Shipra Sanganeria Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
- Fact-Checked by
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram apps risk fines from the European Union (EU) amid concerns over the company’s potential failure to handle disinformation from foreign countries.
With the upcoming 2024 elections, EU regulators, in a press release on April 30, cited the platform’s lack of an effective political monitoring tool and its possible breach of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The European Commission also noted the initiation of a formal investigation into Meta’s approach to the dissemination of misleading political content, expressing specific concern about its decision to phase out CrowdTangle (a tool used by journalists and the media to monitor social media trends and engagement metrics) without an adequate alternative.
The investigation comes amid rising calls for EU leaders to counter manipulation of information by foreign actors, including suspected Russian attempts to undermine the upcoming 2024 elections in the EU and elsewhere.
The commission officials, however, in the press release did not single out Russia; rather, a reference was made to manipulation by “third countries.”
“This Commission has created means to protect European citizens from targeted disinformation and manipulation by third countries,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “If we suspect a violation of the rules, we act. This is true at all times, but especially in times of democratic elections.”
The investigation will particularly assess how Meta, which has been designated as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the DSA , moderates deceptive advertising, its political content visibility approach, and the availability of mechanisms that allow users to flag illegal content.
“If we cannot be sure that we can trust content that we see online, there’s a risk that we end up not believing anything at all. Deceptive advertising is a risk to our online debate and ultimately to our rights as both consumers and citizens,” said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age.
Regulators have refrained from setting a deadline for the legal probe. Instead, they’ve stated that the duration will depend on several factors, including the “complexity of the case, the extent to which the company concerned cooperates with the Commission.” However, if Meta is found to be in violation of the DSA, it may incur fines of up to 6 percent of its yearly revenue.
Microsoft Discovers New Android Security Flaw Affecting Over 4 Billion Downloads
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by
Microsoft warns Android users and developers about a vulnerability pattern found in multiple Android apps in the Google Play Store. The vulnerability potentially affects over 4 billion installations worldwide, as announced in a recent report .
Among the apps affected, Microsoft disclosed two of the largest: WPS Office, with over 500 million installs, and Xiaomi Inc.’s File Manager, with over 1 billion installs. The two companies were informed in February this year and have since fixed the issue.
The report recognizes that many other apps, accounting for more than 500 million installations, could be affected, but none are named specifically.
This security breach termed a “Dirty Stream” attack, has been identified in a content provider component that allows apps to share information. The flaw in the component places apps at risk because malicious actors can take control of the app and access user tokens. As explained by Microsoft experts in the May 1 announcement, the consequences can vary and depend on how the applications implement the component.
Google, in collaboration with Microsoft, exposed this vulnerability and shared a security risk report on the Android Studio platform for developers, providing more information and advice on how to avoid future vulnerabilities and fix current ones.
Microsoft’s announcement acts not only as a warning to the potential billions of people who may be affected but also as an invitation to other big tech companies and app developers to work together in order to provide better app security across the industry. Microsoft’s statement reads that it not only provides guidance to app users and developers but also intends “to illustrate the importance of collaboration to improve security for all”.
Microsoft’s report also provides guidance for Android users, the biggest suggestion being to make sure the latest versions of apps are currently installed.
It also shares practical examples of the issue, using a case study involving Xiaomi Inc.’s File Manager as a reference. It explains how a malicious app could behave in severe scenarios: “Besides having full access to the device’s external storage, the application requests many permissions, including the ability to install other applications.”
All that said, and as Forbes also confirms, there’s nothing users can do other than to stay informed, keep their apps up to date, and follow Microsoft’s recommendations: “Users should only install applications from trusted sources to avoid potentially malicious applications.”
