Weekly News Highlights | Facebook fined, TV boxes sold laced with malware, Twitter accuses Microsoft

Facebook fined

Facebook's parent company, Meta, has been fined €1.2 billion for mishandling peoples data between Europe and the United States and falling afoul of GDPR.

This is the largest fine ever handed out under GDPR and Meta has already said that they will appeal against the ruling they deem "unjustified and unnecessary".

Read more here.

TV boxes sold laced with malware

Security researchers have reported that certain Android TV boxes being sold on Amazon have been found to be preloaded with malware.

Two China-based companies, AllWinner and RockChip, sell popular and well reviewed Android TV boxes on Amazon, but these devices hide sinister malware capable of connecting to larger botnets and launching coordinated cyber attacks.

AllWinner and RockChip have made no comment on the discovery, and an Amazon spokesperson has declined to comment on the security of the devices they sell.

Read more here.

Twitter accuses Microsoft

Twitter has accused Microsoft of "violating multiple provisions" with regards to data use. The impetus behind this claim is believed to be the debate around who owns the rights to use data to train AI and machine learning software.

Microsoft have become big players in the AI game after partnering with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. Twitter owner Elon Musk has publicly criticised this relationship and was recently among a group of experts who signed an open letter urging a halt to AI training.

Read more here.