Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8). On Wednesday, Meta said that the end-to-end encryption feature would be available for use immediately. However, it may take some time for all Messenger accounts to be updated with default end-to-end encryption.

Encryption hides the contents of a message from anyone apart from the sender and the recipient by converting text and images into unreadable cyphers that are unscrambled on receipt. Meta has argued that encryption can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals.

However, prosecutors and child safety groups said that the encryption would hamstring the rescue of child sex trafficking victims and the prosecution of predators.

The Guardian report on Friday said that social media companies have been legally obligated to send any evidence of child sexual abuse material they detect to the United States' National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (NCMEC). From here, the evidence is forwarded to relevant domestic and international law enforcement agencies.

An NCMEC spokesperson said that encryption on platforms "without the ability to detect known child sexual abuse material and create actionable reports will immediately cripple online child protection as we know it."

“NCMEC anticipates the number of reports of suspected child sexual abuse from the larger reporting companies will plummet by close to 80 per cent,” the spokesperson added.

Ali Burns, an assistant US attorney in Illinois, also told the publication that the identification and rescue of exploited children would be made more difficult by encryption, as investigators would often only be able to identify victims by gaining access to a suspect’s social media accounts and private messages.

“It would make it more challenging to corroborate evidence, to be able to verify. I can see this being a challenge for law enforcement,” Burns added.

Civil groups, however, argued that encryption protects individuals’ data and free expression, the report said.

In October, the American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit human rights organisation, said, "This level of security not only protects individuals from cyber-attacks but also empowers citizens to communicate freely without fear of surveillance, censorship, and warrantless searches – whether by the government, Big Tech, data brokers, or anyone else."

(With inputs from agencies)

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8).

Social media giant Meta's decision to start fully encrypting messages on Facebook and Messenger has been criticised by US prosecutors and child safety groups, a report by The Guardian said late Friday (Dec 8). On Wednesday, Meta said that the end-to-end encryption feature would be available for use immediately. However, it may take some time for all Messenger accounts to be updated with default end-to-end encryption. Encryption hides the contents of a message from anyone apart from the sender and the recipient by converting text and images into unreadable cyphers that are unscrambled on receipt. Meta has argued that encryption can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals. However, prosecutors and child safety groups said that the encryption would hamstring the rescue of child sex trafficking victims and the prosecution of predators. The Guardian report on Friday said that social media companies have been legally obligated to send any evidence of child sexual abuse material they detect to the United States' National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). From here, the evidence is forwarded to relevant domestic and international law enforcement agencies. An NCMEC spokesperson said that encryption on platforms "without the ability to detect known child sexual abuse material and create actionable reports will immediately cripple online child protection as we know it." “NCMEC anticipates the number of reports of suspected child sexual abuse from the larger reporting companies will plummet by close to 80 per cent,” the spokesperson added. Ali Burns, an assistant US attorney in Illinois, also told the publication that the identification and rescue of exploited children would be made more difficult by encryption, as investigators would often only be able to identify victims by gaining access to a suspect’s social media accounts and private messages. “It would make it more challenging to corroborate evidence, to be able to verify. I can see this being a challenge for law enforcement,” Burns added. Civil groups, however, argued that encryption protects individuals’ data and free expression, the report said. In October, the American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit human rights organisation, said, "This level of security not only protects individuals from cyber-attacks but also empowers citizens to communicate freely without fear of surveillance, censorship, and warrantless searches – whether by the government, Big Tech, data brokers, or anyone else." (With inputs from agencies)

Meta's decision to encrypt messages on Facebook, Messenger criticised. Here's why

Encryption (encoding a message to hide its true meaning) is a common feature that all digital communications services and applications claim to offer. However, when it comes to communication between the Armed Forces, an extra level of security and robustness is a must-have. With rapid leaps in quantum computing, it has become possible to intercept and decrypt (decipher the hidden contents of a message) even encrypted digital communications. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to have a secure means of communication that is not susceptible to even quantum computers' decrypting capabilities. Scytale Alpha, an Indian start-up run by a veteran fighter pilot and a former DRDO scientist supported by a team of technology and security experts, recently won the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) Open Challenge (IDEX SPRINT) for developing a 'Secure Audio-Visual Communication Suite' for the Indian Navy.

By involving MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&amp;D institutes, and academia, Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the aegis of India's Department of Defence Production (DDP) aims to create an eco-system that will help India achieve self-reliance and foster innovation in the defence and aerospace sectors.

Wing Commander Satyam Kushwaha (retired), Director, Scytale Alpha said that the Quantum Secure Solution that they have developed ensures secure audio-video-text communication that is immune to quantum computing-based attacks. "This is something we have developed from the bottom up. Free services also promise encryption, but our service is a paid one and only sold to Government and those working in the strategic, sensitive sectors," he said. Queried about the means of communication that this product would use, he said that it would work based on the internet or a restricted local network such as an intranet.

He explained to WION that their product is a portable, table-sized box that measures 3 feet by 3 feet and can offer an unlimited range for audio-video communications. The device can also be fitted onto ships and similar military platforms. The availability of space-based internet services would further augment the reach and connectivity of this product, he said. After the company develops the customised hardware and software, the completed product is handed over to the customer and they enjoy full control over it, he adds. At the Aero India expo that took place in Bengaluru, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the leadership of India's tri-services, as well as some Foreign Defence Services, experienced a live demonstration of the product.

Encryption (encoding a message to hide its true meaning) is a common feature that all digital communications services and applications claim to offer. However, when it comes to communication between the Armed Forces, an extra level of security and robustness is a must-have.

Encryption (encoding a message to hide its true meaning) is a common feature that all digital communications services and applications claim to offer. However, when it comes to communication between the Armed Forces, an extra level of security and robustness is a must-have. With rapid leaps in quantum computing, it has become possible to intercept and decrypt (decipher the hidden contents of a message) even encrypted digital communications. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to have a secure means of communication that is not susceptible to even quantum computers' decrypting capabilities. Scytale Alpha, an Indian start-up run by a veteran fighter pilot and a former DRDO scientist supported by a team of technology and security experts, recently won the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) Open Challenge (IDEX SPRINT) for developing a 'Secure Audio-Visual Communication Suite' for the Indian Navy. By involving MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes, and academia, Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the aegis of India's Department of Defence Production (DDP) aims to create an eco-system that will help India achieve self-reliance and foster innovation in the defence and aerospace sectors. Wing Commander Satyam Kushwaha (retired), Director, Scytale Alpha said that the Quantum Secure Solution that they have developed ensures secure audio-video-text communication that is immune to quantum computing-based attacks. "This is something we have developed from the bottom up. Free services also promise encryption, but our service is a paid one and only sold to Government and those working in the strategic, sensitive sectors," he said. Queried about the means of communication that this product would use, he said that it would work based on the internet or a restricted local network such as an intranet. He explained to WION that their product is a portable, table-sized box that measures 3 feet by 3 feet and can offer an unlimited range for audio-video communications. The device can also be fitted onto ships and similar military platforms. The availability of space-based internet services would further augment the reach and connectivity of this product, he said. After the company develops the customised hardware and software, the completed product is handed over to the customer and they enjoy full control over it, he adds. At the Aero India expo that took place in Bengaluru, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the leadership of India's tri-services, as well as some Foreign Defence Services, experienced a live demonstration of the product.

Indian firm run by Military & DRDO veterans develops hack-proof video conference solution for Indian Navy

Apple's announcement that it would scan encrypted messages for evidence of child sexual abuse has revived debate on online encryption and privacy, raising fears the same technology could be used for government surveillance.

The iPhone maker said its initiative&nbsp;would "help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them, and limit the spread of child sexual abuse material."

The move represents a major shift for Apple, which has until recently resisted efforts to weaken its encryption that prevents third parties from seeing private messages.

Apple argued in a technical paper that the technology developed by cryptographic experts "is secure, and is expressly designed to preserve user privacy."

The company said it will have limited access to the violating images which would be flagged to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization.

Nonetheless, encryption and private specialists warned the tool could be exploited for other purposes, potentially opening a door to mass surveillance.

"This sort of tool can be a boon for finding child pornography in people's phones. But imagine what it could do in the hands of an authoritarian government?" said a tweet from Matthew Green, a cryptographer at Johns Hopkins University.

Others warned that the move could be a first step toward weakening encryption and opening "back doors" which could be exploited by hackers or governments.

"There's going to be enormous pressure on Apple from governments around the world to expand this capability to detect other kinds of 'bad' content, and significant interest by attackers across the spectrum in finding ways to exploit it," tweeted Matt Blaze, a Georgetown University computer scientist and cryptography researcher.

Blaze said the implementation is "potentially very risky" because Apple has moved from scanning data on services to the phone itself and "has potential access to all your local data."

Tools to protect children 

The new image-monitoring feature is part of a series of tools heading to Apple mobile devices, according to the company.

Apple's texting app, Messages, will use machine learning to recognise and warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos, the company said in the statement.

"When receiving this type of content, the photo will be blurred and the child will be warned," Apple said.

"Apple's expanded protection for children is a game changer," said John Clark, president of the nonprofit NCMEC.

The move comes following years of standoffs involving technology firms and law enforcement.

Apple notably resisted a legal effort to weaken iPhone encryption to allow authorities to read messages from a suspect in a 2015 bombing in San Bernardino, California.

FBI officials have warned that so-called "end to end encryption," where only the user and recipient can read messages, can protect criminals, terrorists and pornographers even when authorities have a legal warrant for an investigation.

Different tack for&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;

Facebook, which has faced criticism that its encrypted messaging app facilitates crime, has been studying the use of artificial intelligence to analyse the content of messages without decrypting them, according to a recent report by The Information.

But&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;head Will Cathcart said the popular messaging app would not follow Apple's approach.

"I think this is the wrong approach and a setback for people's privacy all over the world," Cathcart tweeted.

Apple's system "can scan all the private photos on your phone -- even photos you haven't shared with anyone. That's not privacy," he said.

"People have asked if we'll adopt this system for&nbsp;WhatsApp. The answer is no."

Backers of encryption argue that authorities already have multiple sources of "digital breadcrumbs" to track nefarious activity and that any tools to break encryption could be exploited by bad actors.

James Lewis, who heads technology and public policy at the Center for Strategic and International&nbsp;Studies, said Apple's latest move appears to be a positive step, noting that the company is identifying offending material while avoiding directly turning over data to law enforcement.

But he said it's unlikely to satisfy the concerns of security agencies investigating extremism and other crimes.

"Apple has done a good job of balancing public safety and privacy but it's not enough for some of the harder security problems," Lewis said.

Apple's announcement that it would scan encrypted messages for evidence of child sexual abuse has revived debate on online encryption and privacy, raising fears the same technology could be used for government surveillance.

Apple's announcement that it would scan encrypted messages for evidence of child sexual abuse has revived debate on online encryption and privacy, raising fears the same technology could be used for government surveillance. The iPhone maker said its initiative would "help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them, and limit the spread of child sexual abuse material." The move represents a major shift for Apple, which has until recently resisted efforts to weaken its encryption that prevents third parties from seeing private messages. Apple argued in a technical paper that the technology developed by cryptographic experts "is secure, and is expressly designed to preserve user privacy." The company said it will have limited access to the violating images which would be flagged to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization. Nonetheless, encryption and private specialists warned the tool could be exploited for other purposes, potentially opening a door to mass surveillance. "This sort of tool can be a boon for finding child pornography in people's phones. But imagine what it could do in the hands of an authoritarian government?" said a tweet from Matthew Green, a cryptographer at Johns Hopkins University. Others warned that the move could be a first step toward weakening encryption and opening "back doors" which could be exploited by hackers or governments. "There's going to be enormous pressure on Apple from governments around the world to expand this capability to detect other kinds of 'bad' content, and significant interest by attackers across the spectrum in finding ways to exploit it," tweeted Matt Blaze, a Georgetown University computer scientist and cryptography researcher. Blaze said the implementation is "potentially very risky" because Apple has moved from scanning data on services to the phone itself and "has potential access to all your local data." Tools to protect children The new image-monitoring feature is part of a series of tools heading to Apple mobile devices, according to the company. Apple's texting app, Messages, will use machine learning to recognise and warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos, the company said in the statement. "When receiving this type of content, the photo will be blurred and the child will be warned," Apple said. "Apple's expanded protection for children is a game changer," said John Clark, president of the nonprofit NCMEC. The move comes following years of standoffs involving technology firms and law enforcement. Apple notably resisted a legal effort to weaken iPhone encryption to allow authorities to read messages from a suspect in a 2015 bombing in San Bernardino, California. FBI officials have warned that so-called "end to end encryption," where only the user and recipient can read messages, can protect criminals, terrorists and pornographers even when authorities have a legal warrant for an investigation. Different tack for WhatsApp Facebook, which has faced criticism that its encrypted messaging app facilitates crime, has been studying the use of artificial intelligence to analyse the content of messages without decrypting them, according to a recent report by The Information. But WhatsApp head Will Cathcart said the popular messaging app would not follow Apple's approach. "I think this is the wrong approach and a setback for people's privacy all over the world," Cathcart tweeted. Apple's system "can scan all the private photos on your phone -- even photos you haven't shared with anyone. That's not privacy," he said. "People have asked if we'll adopt this system for WhatsApp. The answer is no." Backers of encryption argue that authorities already have multiple sources of "digital breadcrumbs" to track nefarious activity and that any tools to break encryption could be exploited by bad actors. James Lewis, who heads technology and public policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Apple's latest move appears to be a positive step, noting that the company is identifying offending material while avoiding directly turning over data to law enforcement. But he said it's unlikely to satisfy the concerns of security agencies investigating extremism and other crimes. "Apple has done a good job of balancing public safety and privacy but it's not enough for some of the harder security problems," Lewis said.

Apple revives encryption debate with move on child exploitation, WhatsApp disagrees

Encrypted messages from several countries were reportedly being read by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-spy-plane-crash-in-afghanistan-277115">CIA </a>for decades, including India, through its secretly-owned Switzerland-based company trusted by governments all over the world to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-german-spies-plundered-global-secrets-via-swiss-encryption-firm-report-280146">Crypto AG</a> entered into a deal with America's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-spy-plane-crash-in-afghanistan-277115">Central Intelligence Agency</a> (CIA) in 1951 and came under its ownership in the 1970s. As per reports, the US and its allies exploited other nations' gullibility for years, taking their money and stealing their secrets.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-german-spies-plundered-global-secrets-via-swiss-encryption-firm-report-280146">US, German spies plundered global secrets via Swiss encryption firm</a>

Communications and Information Security was the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-german-spies-plundered-global-secrets-via-swiss-encryption-firm-report-280146">Crypto AG</a>'s forte and after its establishment in the 1940s, it was used by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-spy-plane-crash-in-afghanistan-277115">CIA </a>and the NSA to making cryptography equipment.

Governments the world over trusted the Swiss firm for more than half a century to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret. The clientele of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-german-spies-plundered-global-secrets-via-swiss-encryption-firm-report-280146">Crypto AG</a> included Iran, military juntas in Latin America, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-pakistan-and-several-other-nations-spied-on-by-cia-through-swiss-encryption-firm-280330">India</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-first-wife-gatecrashes-husbands-third-wedding-thrashes-him-280304">Pakistan </a>and even the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-voices-outrage-over-amazon-basin-exploitation-280326">Vatican</a>.

Also see: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-spy-plane-crash-in-afghanistan-277115">Iran media claims CIA chief behind Soleimani’s assassination killed in Afghanistan plane crash</a>

None of the customers ever came to know that the Swiss firm secretly belonged to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-spy-plane-crash-in-afghanistan-277115">CIA </a>in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence. Spy agencies reportedly rigged the company's devices so they could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages.

Reports from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-spy-plane-crash-in-afghanistan-277115">CIA </a>state that foreign governments were paying good money to the US and West Germany for the privilege of having their most secret communications read by at least two (and possibly as many as five or six) foreign countries.

Encrypted messages from several countries were reportedly being read by the CIA for decades, including India, through its secretly-owned Switzerland-based company trusted by governments all over the world to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret.

Encrypted messages from several countries were reportedly being read by the CIA for decades, including India, through its secretly-owned Switzerland-based company trusted by governments all over the world to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret. Crypto AG entered into a deal with America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1951 and came under its ownership in the 1970s. As per reports, the US and its allies exploited other nations' gullibility for years, taking their money and stealing their secrets. Also read: US, German spies plundered global secrets via Swiss encryption firm Communications and Information Security was the Crypto AG's forte and after its establishment in the 1940s, it was used by the CIA and the NSA to making cryptography equipment. Governments the world over trusted the Swiss firm for more than half a century to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret. The clientele of Crypto AG included Iran, military juntas in Latin America, India, Pakistan and even the Vatican. Also see: Iran media claims CIA chief behind Soleimani’s assassination killed in Afghanistan plane crash None of the customers ever came to know that the Swiss firm secretly belonged to the CIA in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence. Spy agencies reportedly rigged the company's devices so they could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages. Reports from the CIA state that foreign governments were paying good money to the US and West Germany for the privilege of having their most secret communications read by at least two (and possibly as many as five or six) foreign countries.

India, Pakistan and several other nations spied on by CIA through Swiss encryption firm

President Donald Trump on January 15 has reignited battle over encryption, calling out Apple for refusing to create backdoors that would help law enforcement agencies unlock iPhones. In a tweet Tuesday, Trump wrote, "We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements."

Trump calls for weaker encryption, wants suspects 'iPhones unlocked

A complaint has been filed against star Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayers (namaz) on the cricket field during the game against the Netherlands in World Cup 2023. Vineet Jindal, an advocate in the Supreme Court of India, wrote to the ICC, saying Rizwan offering prayers during the match ‘raises questions about the spirit of the game.’

“This is a complaint about Pakistan Cricket Player, Mohammad Rizwan, who was seen offering namaz on the cricket field during his team’s opening match of the ongoing ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 on Friday (Oct 6) against the Netherlands in Hyderabad,” reads the complaint filed by Jindal with the ICC chairman Greg Barclay.

“The act of Mohammad Rizwan when he read namaz on the cricket field amid many Indians is symbolic of the intentional depiction of his religion, which stands against the spirit of the sports,” it added.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rashid-latif-tears-into-pakistan-cricket-setup-blames-political-vendetta-aggressive-changes-for-poor-show-647447">Rashid Latif tears into Pakistan cricket setup, blames political vendetta, aggressive changes for poor show</a>

In the complaint he filed, the lawyer said Rizwan offering the prayers defeated the whole purpose of the spirit of cricket, further questioning his ideology behind it. He added that by doing so, Rizwan was purposely depicting his religion.&nbsp;

Vineet posted the photo of his complaint on his social media handle, receiving attention from everywhere.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
खेल की भावना को जीवित रखने के लिए, अधिवक्ता विनीत जिंदल ने 6 अक्टूबर 2023 को क्रिकेट मैच के दौरान "नमाज़" की पेशकश करने के लिए पाकिस्तान क्रिकेट टीम के विकेटकीपर और बल्लेबाज मोहम्मद रिज़वान के खिलाफ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट परिषद में शिकायत दर्ज की। 
शिकायत की कॉपी आईसीसी एथिक्स… <a href="https://t.co/w2Ezm6KaTy">pic.twitter.com/w2Ezm6KaTy</a>
— Adv.Vineet Jindal (@vineetJindal19) <a href="https://twitter.com/vineetJindal19/status/1713086170102710678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

“This very act of the player raises questions about the spirit of the match and raises a question of the ideology, the player follows while playing the match. The act of displaying his religion by Mohammed Rizwan purposefully depicts his intent to message that he is a Muslim, defeating the spirit of sports. Rizwan was seen offering prayers amid the field while his teammates were waiting for the drinks during the break,” the complaint read.

Following his match-winning hundred against Sri Lanka the other day, Rizwan dedicated his knock (on X – previously known as Twitter) to the people of Gaza, putting himself in a controversial sphere, given the dos and don’ts laid by the cricket’s governing body.

“The act of representation of his religion by Mohammed Rizwan in the field and further followed by his statement in his press conference regarding the dedication of his victory to the people of Gaza further attests to his religious and political ideology,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have won two and lost one in three matches played in this World Cup so far. They will next face Australia in Bengaluru on Friday (Oct 20).&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

A complaint has been filed against star Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayers (namaz) on the cricket field during the game against the Netherlands in World Cup 2023.

A complaint has been filed against star Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayers (namaz) on the cricket field during the game against the Netherlands in World Cup 2023. Vineet Jindal, an advocate in the Supreme Court of India, wrote to the ICC, saying Rizwan offering prayers during the match ‘raises questions about the spirit of the game.’ “This is a complaint about Pakistan Cricket Player, Mohammad Rizwan, who was seen offering namaz on the cricket field during his team’s opening match of the ongoing ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 on Friday (Oct 6) against the Netherlands in Hyderabad,” reads the complaint filed by Jindal with the ICC chairman Greg Barclay. “The act of Mohammad Rizwan when he read namaz on the cricket field amid many Indians is symbolic of the intentional depiction of his religion, which stands against the spirit of the sports,” it added. ALSO READ: Rashid Latif tears into Pakistan cricket setup, blames political vendetta, aggressive changes for poor show In the complaint he filed, the lawyer said Rizwan offering the prayers defeated the whole purpose of the spirit of cricket, further questioning his ideology behind it. He added that by doing so, Rizwan was purposely depicting his religion. Vineet posted the photo of his complaint on his social media handle, receiving attention from everywhere. खेल की भावना को जीवित रखने के लिए, अधिवक्ता विनीत जिंदल ने 6 अक्टूबर 2023 को क्रिकेट मैच के दौरान "नमाज़" की पेशकश करने के लिए पाकिस्तान क्रिकेट टीम के विकेटकीपर और बल्लेबाज मोहम्मद रिज़वान के खिलाफ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट परिषद में शिकायत दर्ज की। शिकायत की कॉपी आईसीसी एथिक्स… pic.twitter.com/w2Ezm6KaTy — Adv.Vineet Jindal (@vineetJindal19) October 14, 2023 × “This very act of the player raises questions about the spirit of the match and raises a question of the ideology, the player follows while playing the match. The act of displaying his religion by Mohammed Rizwan purposefully depicts his intent to message that he is a Muslim, defeating the spirit of sports. Rizwan was seen offering prayers amid the field while his teammates were waiting for the drinks during the break,” the complaint read. Following his match-winning hundred against Sri Lanka the other day, Rizwan dedicated his knock (on X – previously known as Twitter) to the people of Gaza, putting himself in a controversial sphere, given the dos and don’ts laid by the cricket’s governing body. “The act of representation of his religion by Mohammed Rizwan in the field and further followed by his statement in his press conference regarding the dedication of his victory to the people of Gaza further attests to his religious and political ideology,” the statement read. Meanwhile, Pakistan have won two and lost one in three matches played in this World Cup so far. They will next face Australia in Bengaluru on Friday (Oct 20). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Interpol plans to condemn encryption spread citing sexual predators: Sources

The German government wants US social media giant Facebook to ensure that security forces can gain access to its platforms after it has encrypted them so as to help fight crime.

The United States, Britain and Australia urged Facebook in an open letter earlier this month not to encrypt its messaging services because this would hinder efforts to combat terrorism and child abuse.

A government statement to be published in Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday says: "The preoccupations expressed in this open letter concerning the consequences of Facebook's plans are shared by the interior ministry."

The company says it recognises the problems raised but that it still plans to go ahead.

Facebook has run into stiff criticism over massive personal data security lapses and recently promised to encrypt its instant messenger service, in line with its WhatsApp offering.

The German government said this move would result in "a weakening of the authorities' capacity to detect serious threats".

To resolve the issue, it wants Facebook to build in back-door access to the encrypted messages.

"Technical solutions must be found on a case-by-case basis," it said in the statement.

Finding the "appropriate solution... is first and foremost the responsibility of the company," it added.

Facebook bluntly rejected the request as a threat to user security around the world.

"We vehemently reject government efforts to gain back-door access because that would put in danger the private lives and the security of people around the world," the newspaper cited a Facebook German spokesman as saying.

In their open letter, the United States, Britain and Australia said Facebook reported 16.8 million paedophile content cases last year and said 70 per cent of these would not have been discovered if its services were encrypted.

The German government wants US social media giant Facebook to ensure that security forces can gain access to its platforms after it has encrypted them so as to help fight crime.

The German government wants US social media giant Facebook to ensure that security forces can gain access to its platforms after it has encrypted them so as to help fight crime. The United States, Britain and Australia urged Facebook in an open letter earlier this month not to encrypt its messaging services because this would hinder efforts to combat terrorism and child abuse. A government statement to be published in Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday says: "The preoccupations expressed in this open letter concerning the consequences of Facebook's plans are shared by the interior ministry." The company says it recognises the problems raised but that it still plans to go ahead. Facebook has run into stiff criticism over massive personal data security lapses and recently promised to encrypt its instant messenger service, in line with its WhatsApp offering. The German government said this move would result in "a weakening of the authorities' capacity to detect serious threats". To resolve the issue, it wants Facebook to build in back-door access to the encrypted messages. "Technical solutions must be found on a case-by-case basis," it said in the statement. Finding the "appropriate solution... is first and foremost the responsibility of the company," it added. Facebook bluntly rejected the request as a threat to user security around the world. "We vehemently reject government efforts to gain back-door access because that would put in danger the private lives and the security of people around the world," the newspaper cited a Facebook German spokesman as saying. In their open letter, the United States, Britain and Australia said Facebook reported 16.8 million paedophile content cases last year and said 70 per cent of these would not have been discovered if its services were encrypted.

Germany wants Facebook platform access after encryption

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday the company would encrypt conversations on more of its messaging services and make them compatible, the latest sign that the world's biggest social network sees its future in intimate online chats.

Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook profile that within a few years direct messaging would dwarf discussion on the traditional, open platform of Facebook's news feed, where public posts can go viral across the world.

"Working towards implementing end-to-end encryption for all private communications is the right thing to do," Zuckerberg said. He cautioned that details of the plan could change as the company consults experts throughout 2019.

The strategy could frustrate law enforcement surveillance efforts as well as lawmakers who have called on Facebook to better moderate user content. It also would limit the company's ability to generate revenue through targeted ads.

But Zuckerberg said he could live with those tradeoffs because users want better control of their data while still having easy access to their contacts.

As part of Zuckerberg's strategy, a Facebook user would be able to communicate with WhatsApp users while only having a Messenger account and vice versa. Users would also have more options for how long chats are saved, he added.

"The future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure and their messages and content won't stick around forever," he said. "This is the future I hope we will help bring about."

Facebook shares rose 0.7 per cent on Wednesday. Shares in Snap Inc, which owns messaging app Snapchat, ended down more than 2 per cent.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that the public may be sceptical about Facebook's privacy push given the company does not have a "strong reputation for building privacy protective services."

Lawmakers, users and investors have expressed concerns over the last two years that Facebook is not doing enough to safeguard user data after a series of breaches and privacy bugs.

But Zuckerberg wrote that "we've repeatedly shown that we can evolve to build the services that people really want."

Facebook is one of the biggest global players in private messaging with its WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, each used by more than 1 billion people. Only WhatsApp fully secures message content from all outsiders, including Facebook itself.

Police have raised concerns about introducing similar security to the other services because they would no longer be able to access online chat records to track religious extremists or other perpetrators.

Regulators have called for Facebook to increase moderation of user content, but more encryption would make it difficult to view and track problematic posts.

Encrypted conversations also limit Facebook's ability to send targeted advertisements. Facebook may need to look for new ways to insert itself between businesses and consumers to generate revenue.

Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat app has shown how a messaging service can generate revenue through not only displaying ads but also being a marketplace for games, merchandise and services such as taxi rides.

Facebook has encouraged messaging conversations between businesses and consumers since at least 2016 but has not disclosed its revenue from the efforts.

Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that "significant thought" still needs to go into integrating commerce into messaging.

James Cordwell, a financial analyst at Atlantic Equities, said Facebook's strategy risks undercutting its current way of making money.

"But if they can pull off this WeChat-esque strategy," he said, "it could open up material revenue streams beyond just advertising, something that investors have been craving for quite some time."

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday the company would encrypt conversations on more of its messaging services and make them compatible, the latest sign that the world's biggest social network sees its future in intimate online chats.

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday the company would encrypt conversations on more of its messaging services and make them compatible, the latest sign that the world's biggest social network sees its future in intimate online chats. Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook profile that within a few years direct messaging would dwarf discussion on the traditional, open platform of Facebook's news feed, where public posts can go viral across the world. "Working towards implementing end-to-end encryption for all private communications is the right thing to do," Zuckerberg said. He cautioned that details of the plan could change as the company consults experts throughout 2019. The strategy could frustrate law enforcement surveillance efforts as well as lawmakers who have called on Facebook to better moderate user content. It also would limit the company's ability to generate revenue through targeted ads. But Zuckerberg said he could live with those tradeoffs because users want better control of their data while still having easy access to their contacts. As part of Zuckerberg's strategy, a Facebook user would be able to communicate with WhatsApp users while only having a Messenger account and vice versa. Users would also have more options for how long chats are saved, he added. "The future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure and their messages and content won't stick around forever," he said. "This is the future I hope we will help bring about." Facebook shares rose 0.7 per cent on Wednesday. Shares in Snap Inc, which owns messaging app Snapchat, ended down more than 2 per cent. Zuckerberg acknowledged that the public may be sceptical about Facebook's privacy push given the company does not have a "strong reputation for building privacy protective services." Lawmakers, users and investors have expressed concerns over the last two years that Facebook is not doing enough to safeguard user data after a series of breaches and privacy bugs. But Zuckerberg wrote that "we've repeatedly shown that we can evolve to build the services that people really want." Facebook is one of the biggest global players in private messaging with its WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, each used by more than 1 billion people. Only WhatsApp fully secures message content from all outsiders, including Facebook itself. Police have raised concerns about introducing similar security to the other services because they would no longer be able to access online chat records to track religious extremists or other perpetrators. Regulators have called for Facebook to increase moderation of user content, but more encryption would make it difficult to view and track problematic posts. Encrypted conversations also limit Facebook's ability to send targeted advertisements. Facebook may need to look for new ways to insert itself between businesses and consumers to generate revenue. Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat app has shown how a messaging service can generate revenue through not only displaying ads but also being a marketplace for games, merchandise and services such as taxi rides. Facebook has encouraged messaging conversations between businesses and consumers since at least 2016 but has not disclosed its revenue from the efforts. Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that "significant thought" still needs to go into integrating commerce into messaging. James Cordwell, a financial analyst at Atlantic Equities, said Facebook's strategy risks undercutting its current way of making money. "But if they can pull off this WeChat-esque strategy," he said, "it could open up material revenue streams beyond just advertising, something that investors have been craving for quite some time."

Facebook to implement end-to-end encryption in all private chats: Mark Zuckerberg

German police are developing a software that can hack into people&#39;s smartphones and read encrypted messages. The software is expected to come by the end of the year.&nbsp;

The German Bundestag had introduced a law in June giving full access of chat messages, video recordings, and other private data to the police. The law allowed police not only to intercept data from terrorist but anyone suspected of any criminal activity. The &quot;state trojans&quot; intercepted user communication before they were encrypted on the devices.&nbsp;

However, according to a leaked report, the German Federal Criminal Police had&nbsp;been working on developing a surveillance even before the law was passed.&nbsp;

Netzpolitik, a German Independent media outlet reported on the basis of a leaked report that the German police is working on a new version of Remote Communication Interception Software(RCIS). RCIS is used for introspecting electronic devices.&nbsp;

The new version of RCIS is designed to hack smartphones and tablets with Android, iOS and Blackberry operating systems. The existing version can only hack desktop computers.&nbsp;

The device can hack the messages directly from the source that is the user&#39;s screens. It is targeted at messaging services like <a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/now-watch-youtube-videos-directly-on-whatsapp-18111">Whatsapp </a>or telegram making it a probable &quot;surveillance&quot; software in the hands of a government. &nbsp;

Activists and politicians have criticised the massive &quot;state surveillance&quot;&nbsp;calling it a threat to people&#39;s security.&nbsp;

Also, an activist of UK based NGO Privacy International, Erin Omanovic said that similar measures aimed at providing security services the right to hack into people&rsquo;s electronic devices are being made&nbsp;not only in Germany but also in many other countries, Deutsche Welle reported.&nbsp;

&quot;Some of these capabilities have already been practiced across Europe,&quot; Omanovic said.

&quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/london-terror-attack-are-whatsapp-other-apps-offering-terrorists-a-secret-place-for-communication-13900">The UK, for example, has been engaged in hacking but just hasn&#39;t legalised it.</a> There&#39;s a complete lack of safeguards and oversight over the use of this type of technology. And there have been some examples of misuse by governments around the world. For example, there&#39;s evidence that FinSpy was used to target human rights activists and lawyers in Bahrain,&quot; he added.

German police are developing a software that can hack into people's smartphones and read encrypted messages. The software is expected to come by the end of the year

German police are developing a software that can hack into people's smartphones and read encrypted messages. The software is expected to come by the end of the year. The German Bundestag had introduced a law in June giving full access of chat messages, video recordings, and other private data to the police. The law allowed police not only to intercept data from terrorist but anyone suspected of any criminal activity. The "state trojans" intercepted user communication before they were encrypted on the devices. However, according to a leaked report, the German Federal Criminal Police had been working on developing a surveillance even before the law was passed. Netzpolitik, a German Independent media outlet reported on the basis of a leaked report that the German police is working on a new version of Remote Communication Interception Software(RCIS). RCIS is used for introspecting electronic devices. The new version of RCIS is designed to hack smartphones and tablets with Android, iOS and Blackberry operating systems. The existing version can only hack desktop computers. The device can hack the messages directly from the source that is the user's screens. It is targeted at messaging services like Whatsapp or telegram making it a probable "surveillance" software in the hands of a government. Activists and politicians have criticised the massive "state surveillance" calling it a threat to people's security. Also, an activist of UK based NGO Privacy International, Erin Omanovic said that similar measures aimed at providing security services the right to hack into people’s electronic devices are being made not only in Germany but also in many other countries, Deutsche Welle reported. "Some of these capabilities have already been practiced across Europe," Omanovic said. "The UK, for example, has been engaged in hacking but just hasn't legalised it. There's a complete lack of safeguards and oversight over the use of this type of technology. And there have been some examples of misuse by governments around the world. For example, there's evidence that FinSpy was used to target human rights activists and lawyers in Bahrain," he added.

Now, German police can hack Whatsapp messages

French researchers said on Friday they had found a last-chance way for technicians to save Windows files encrypted by WannaCry, racing against a deadline as the ransomware threatens to start locking up victims&#39; computers first infected a week ago.

WannaCry, which started to sweep round the globe last Friday and has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 nations, threatens to lock out victims who have not paid a sum of $300 to $600 within one week of infection.

A loose-knit team of security researchers scattered across the globe said they had collaborated to develop a workaround to unlock the encryption key for files hit in the global attack, which several independent security researchers have confirmed.

The researchers cautioned that their solution only works in certain conditions, namely if computers had not been rebooted since becoming infected and if victims applied the fix before WannaCry carried out its threat to lock their files permanently.

Europol said on Twitter that its European Cybercrime Centre had tested the team&#39;s new tool and said it was &quot;found to recover data in some circumstances&quot;.

The group includes Adrien Guinet, who works as a security expert, Matthieu Suiche, who is an internationally known hacker, and Benjamin Delpy, who helped out by night, in his spare time, outside his day job at the Banque de France.

&quot;We knew we must go fast because, as time passes, there is less chance to recover,&quot; Delpy said after a second sleepless night of work this week allowed him to release a workable way to decrypt WannaCry at 9.30&nbsp;am on Friday.

Delpy calls his free tool for decrypting infected computers without paying ransom &quot;wanakiwi&quot;.

Suiche published a blog with technical details summarising what the group of passing online acquaintances has built and is racing to share with technical staff at organisations infected by WannaCry.

Wanakiwi was quickly tested and shown to work on Windows 7 and older Windows versions XP and 2003, Suiche said, adding that he believed the hastily developed fix also works with Windows 2008 and Vista, meaning the entire universe of affected PCs.

&quot;(The method) should work with any operating system from XP to Win7,&quot; Suiche told Reuters, via direct message on Twitter.

Delpy added that so far, banking, energy and some government intelligence agencies from several European countries and India had contacted him regarding the fix.

The only workable solution

Guinet, a security researcher at Paris-based Quarks Lab, published the theoretical technique for decrypting WannaCry files late Wednesday and Thursday, which Delpy, also in Paris, figured out how to turn into a practical tool to salvage files.

Suiche, based in Dubai and one of the world&#39;s top independent security researchers, provided advice and testing to ensure the fix worked across all various versions of Windows.

His blog post links to a Delpy&#39;s &quot;wanakiwi&quot; decryption tool which is based on Guinet&#39;s original concept. His idea involves extracting the keys to WannaCry encryption codes using prime numbers rather than attempting to break the endless string of digits behind the malicious software&#39;s full encryption key.

&quot;This is not a perfect solution,&quot; Suiche said. &quot;But this is so far the only workable solution to help enterprises to recover their files if they have been infected and have no back-ups&quot; which allow users to restore data without paying black-mailers.

As of Wednesday, half of all internet addresses corrupted globally by WannaCry were located in China and Russia, with 30 and 20 per cent of infections, respectively, according to data supplied by threat intelligence firm Kryptos Logic.

By contrast, the United States accounts for 7 per cent of WannaCry infections while Britain, France and Germany each represent just 2 per cent of worldwide attacks, Kryptos said.

Only 309 transactions worth around $94,000 appear to have been paid into WannaCry blackmail accounts by Friday, sevens days after the attack began.

That&#39;s just under one in 1,000 of the estimated victims.

This may reflect a variety of factors, security experts say, including scepticism that attackers will honor their promises or the possibility that organisations have back-up storage plans allowing them to recover their data without paying ransom.

(Reuters)

Researchers scattered across the globe collaborated to develop a workaround to unlock the encryption key for files hit in the global attack

French researchers said on Friday they had found a last-chance way for technicians to save Windows files encrypted by WannaCry, racing against a deadline as the ransomware threatens to start locking up victims' computers first infected a week ago. WannaCry, which started to sweep round the globe last Friday and has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 nations, threatens to lock out victims who have not paid a sum of $300 to $600 within one week of infection. A loose-knit team of security researchers scattered across the globe said they had collaborated to develop a workaround to unlock the encryption key for files hit in the global attack, which several independent security researchers have confirmed. The researchers cautioned that their solution only works in certain conditions, namely if computers had not been rebooted since becoming infected and if victims applied the fix before WannaCry carried out its threat to lock their files permanently. Europol said on Twitter that its European Cybercrime Centre had tested the team's new tool and said it was "found to recover data in some circumstances". The group includes Adrien Guinet, who works as a security expert, Matthieu Suiche, who is an internationally known hacker, and Benjamin Delpy, who helped out by night, in his spare time, outside his day job at the Banque de France. "We knew we must go fast because, as time passes, there is less chance to recover," Delpy said after a second sleepless night of work this week allowed him to release a workable way to decrypt WannaCry at 9.30 am on Friday. Delpy calls his free tool for decrypting infected computers without paying ransom "wanakiwi". Suiche published a blog with technical details summarising what the group of passing online acquaintances has built and is racing to share with technical staff at organisations infected by WannaCry. Wanakiwi was quickly tested and shown to work on Windows 7 and older Windows versions XP and 2003, Suiche said, adding that he believed the hastily developed fix also works with Windows 2008 and Vista, meaning the entire universe of affected PCs. "(The method) should work with any operating system from XP to Win7," Suiche told Reuters, via direct message on Twitter. Delpy added that so far, banking, energy and some government intelligence agencies from several European countries and India had contacted him regarding the fix. The only workable solution Guinet, a security researcher at Paris-based Quarks Lab, published the theoretical technique for decrypting WannaCry files late Wednesday and Thursday, which Delpy, also in Paris, figured out how to turn into a practical tool to salvage files. Suiche, based in Dubai and one of the world's top independent security researchers, provided advice and testing to ensure the fix worked across all various versions of Windows. His blog post links to a Delpy's "wanakiwi" decryption tool which is based on Guinet's original concept. His idea involves extracting the keys to WannaCry encryption codes using prime numbers rather than attempting to break the endless string of digits behind the malicious software's full encryption key. "This is not a perfect solution," Suiche said. "But this is so far the only workable solution to help enterprises to recover their files if they have been infected and have no back-ups" which allow users to restore data without paying black-mailers. As of Wednesday, half of all internet addresses corrupted globally by WannaCry were located in China and Russia, with 30 and 20 per cent of infections, respectively, according to data supplied by threat intelligence firm Kryptos Logic. By contrast, the United States accounts for 7 per cent of WannaCry infections while Britain, France and Germany each represent just 2 per cent of worldwide attacks, Kryptos said. Only 309 transactions worth around $94,000 appear to have been paid into WannaCry blackmail accounts by Friday, sevens days after the attack began. That's just under one in 1,000 of the estimated victims. This may reflect a variety of factors, security experts say, including scepticism that attackers will honor their promises or the possibility that organisations have back-up storage plans allowing them to recover their data without paying ransom. (Reuters)

French researchers find way to unlock WannaCry without ransom

encryption

Encryption, News on Encryption, stories on Encryption, articles on Encryption, Encryption stories at Wion, Encryption news, Encryption latest news