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The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched an inquiry following last month's news reports of a massive Twitter data leak. This leak affected over 5.4 million Twitter users and included both public information scraped from the site as well as private phone numbers and email addresses. The data was obtained through the exploitation of an API vulnerability that Twitter had fixed in January. In a statement on Friday, the Irish privacy regulator said, "The DPC corresponded with Twitter International Unlimited Company ('TIC') in relation to a notified personal data breach that TIC claims to be the source vulnerability used to generate the datasets and raised queries in relation to GDPR compliance." It also added that it believes "one or more provisions of the GDPR and/or the Act may have been, and/or are being, infringed in relation to Twitter Users' personal data." The DPC, which serves as Twitter's lead EU watchdog, wants to determine if the social media giant has fulfilled its obligations as a data controller regarding the processing of user data and whether it has violated any provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) or the Data Protection Act 2018. Two years ago, the DPC fined Twitter €450,000 (~$550,000) for failing to notify the DPC of a breach within the 72-hour timeframe required by the GDPR and for inadequate documentation of the breach. In November 2021, the DPC also fined Meta €265 million ($275.5 million) for a major data leak on Facebook that exposed the personal information of hundreds of millions of users worldwide. In July 2022, the private information of more than 5.4 million Twitter users was put up for sale on a hacking forum for $30,000. While most of the data was publicly available, such as Twitter IDs, names, login names, locations, and verified status, the leaked database also included non-public information, such as email addresses and phone numbers. This data was collected in December 2021 through a Twitter API vulnerability disclosed through the HackerOne bug bounty program, which allowed anyone to submit phone numbers or email addresses into the API to link them to their associated Twitter ID. After BleepingComputer shared a sample of the stolen user records with Twitter, the company confirmed it had experienced a data breach linked to attackers using this API bug, which was fixed in January 2022. BleepingComputer found that the bug was exploited by Pompompurin, the owner of the Breached hacking forum, who also harvested the information of an additional 1.4 million suspended Twitter users using a different API. This brought the total number of Twitter profiles scraped for private information to almost 7 million. Stay in the loop by visiting OUR FORUM.

 

A couple of days ago, Elon Musk launched a poll asking Twitter users to vote on whether he should resign as the Twitter CEO. More than 50 percent of people think that the multi-billionaire should resign from that post.  Now Musk has announced that he will abide by the results and resign as the CEO of the social media company. But it may not happen anytime soon. While Musk says he will resign, he will not do so until he finds “someone foolish enough to take the job.” And no one really knows when that will happen. But according to reports, it’s not the poll result that has decided Musk’s future roles at Twitter, as he was looking for a CEO even before that. After taking over Twitter, Elon Musk also said that his role as the Twitter CEO would be “temporary.” However, Musk will continue to oversee software and server teams even after resigning as the CEO. Either way, while Musk may not be the CEO, he will definitely have a say in everything that Twitter will do in the future, at least until he keeps the company as a private entity. Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter underwent massive changes, including a Twitter Blue Verified system allowing genuine people to be verified. Its latest big announcement was that it would launch a poll on Twitter before making major policy decisions. This way, the company may be trying to avoid the kind of outrage it had to face after launching the now-deleted “Promotion of alternative social platforms policy.” However, polls regarding Twitter’s policy changes may not always remain free. Musk recently commented on whether Twitter should give voting power on major policy decisions to Blue subscribers only. The chief of Twitter said, “Good point. Twitter will make that change.” While giving voting power to Blue subscribers will make them feel special, it will be another polarizing decision and will definitely lead to outrage. It will be interesting to see if Musk launches a new poll asking users whether voting power should become a paid feature. Amid outrage over its now-deleted policy platform promotion policy, Twitter recently launched a new badging system for Business users. It allows a company to link any number of its affiliated individuals, businesses, and brands to its account. After linking, affiliated accounts will get a small square badge of their parent company’s profile picture next to their blue or gold checkmark. Follow this thread on OUR FORUM.

As the year comes to an end, network providers are putting a stop to their 3G satellites. Here's how the closure may affect the tech that you rely on every day. 3G is shutting down and some of your most essential tech may soon -- or, may have already -- become unusable. What steered the evolution of how we use, interact, and communicate with technology 20 years ago will officially retire by the end of 2022 (which is in two weeks), with major US carriers having nearly finished repurposing their 3G satellites. In their place: 5G, the next-generation network that promises considerably faster speeds than 4G LTE and a more unified system for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) expansion. So, what does this all mean for older hardware like cell phones, alarms, and GPS systems that thrive on the 3G spectrum? To put it bluntly, many of the network-driven features will become obsolete, presenting some unforeseen dangers. Fortunately, there are steps that you and your loved ones can take to safely transition from aging to future-proof tech. In some cases, manufacturers may even be able to give your older gadgets new life through software upgrades. Here is everything you need to know about the "3G sunset", how it will affect the technology that you use, and what you can do to stay afloat in the ever-changing landscape. While carriers have been planning the closure of 3G since 4G LTE took the reins (and the prospect of 5G being another catalyst) the agenda took a pause during the pandemic. Over the past two years, 3G-reliant services like home security systems and tech for the elderly have become more essential than ever, keeping telecommunications companies from pulling the plug. That is, until 2022, with major US carriers finally giving in and having already shut down their 3G satellites. For the greater portion of the 3G era, smartphones enabled users to browse the web, share viral videos, update statuses, and connect with people from around the world. That all remains possible through 4G LTE, 5G, and Wi-Fi networks. With 3G turned off, the iPhone 3GS, for example, won't be able to make calls or text messages, but can still connect to Wi-Fi to access internet-based applications. According to the CTIA, "fewer than nine percent of the US wireless connections are 2G or 3G subscriptions." If you're using a smartphone that launched after 2014, you likely won't experience any setbacks from the 3G shutdown. The same applies to flip phones that were released after 2017. Unsure of what year your device was manufactured? The best solution is to check with your local carrier -- in person or online -- to see if there are any compatibility issues. Besides ushering in the revolution of smartphones, 3G has played a foundational role in the navigation and alarm-based systems that we rely on during our everyday commutes. With the institution of faster and more reliable 5G, roadside assistance and emergency crash alerts are among the many network-based features that will be affected by the shutting down of 3G. Many cars also have an emergency SOS button that, when pressed, dials first responders via 3G. That, too, will lose functionality. Vehicles from popular automakers like Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Hyundai, Dodge, and more released before 2019 are susceptible to the issues mentioned above. The main reason that newer models still carry 3G receivers, according to Roger Lanctot, director of automotive connected mobility at Strategy Analytics, is for automakers to save on manufacturing costs. Further details can be found on OUR FORUM.