News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

Google Chrome Has a Critical Flaw

Google has recently issued an update for Chrome across Mac, Linux, and Windows platforms to address a critical zero-day security vulnerability, marking the sixth such flaw in the popular browser this year.

Android Central reports that significant security concern has surfaced for users of Google Chrome. Researchers from Google’s Threat Analysis Group discovered a zero-day vulnerability in Google Chrome on November 24. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-6345, has been identified as a high-severity flaw within Google’s Skia graphics library, potentially allowing remote hackers to execute arbitrary code and take over their target’s system without using phishing or other hacking techniques.

Google has initiated a patch rollout aiming to secure millions of Chrome users worldwide. The update versions are 119.0.6045.199 for macOS and Linux, and versions 119.0.6045.199 or 119.0.6045.200 for Windows. This update is extremely important as the security vulnerability is known to be actively exploited in the wild.

Some users will have automatically downloaded the update, but the browser must be relaunched for the update to apply.

Meta Sues FTC Demanding the Right to Monetize Data of Children

Engadget reports that a recent lawsuit, filed on November 30, 2023, by Meta (formerly Facebook) marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing tension between big tech companies and regulatory authorities. Meta’s legal action seeks to prevent the FTC from revisiting a landmark $5 billion privacy settlement from 2020, which was a consequence of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. This move comes after a federal judge’s decision enabling the FTC to propose stringent new rules on Meta’s operations.

Meta’s stance, as outlined in the lawsuit, deems the FTC’s proceedings as an unconstitutional overreach, challenging the agency’s authority to impose such restrictions. The company’s representatives have criticized the FTC for, in Zuckerberg’s eyes, assuming the roles of prosecutor, judge, and jury simultaneously. This lawsuit represents Meta’s second attempt to legally contest these sanctions.

On the other side, the FTC maintains that Meta has persistently breached the terms of the 2020 settlement, specifically concerning user privacy and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
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The FTC’s proposed restrictions include not only limitations on data monetization but also the implementation of new rules governing the use of facial recognition technology and a freeze on new products and services until compliance with privacy obligations is independently verified.

Walmart Ceases Advertising on Elon Musk’s X/Twitter

Bloomberg reports that Walmart is discontinuing its advertisements on Elon Musk’s X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter. This decision positions Walmart on the growing list of major companies that have recently chosen to withdraw advertising from the platform.

A Walmart spokeswoman informed Bloomberg News that the company is shifting its advertising strategy to other platforms which it believes will more effectively reach their customer base. “We aren’t advertising on X as we’ve found other platforms to better reach our customers,” a Walmart spokeswoman stated.

The platform’s head of business operations, Joe Benarroch, responded to Walmart’s departure by highlighting the retailer’s substantial following of over one million users on the platform. He emphasized that a majority of the site’s users are online shoppers, suggesting that Walmart’s decision might be a missed opportunity for the company.
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This has created a rift between the platform and its primary revenue source, with several key advertisers and at least half a dozen major marketing agencies openly stating their clients’ reluctance to return to the platform. The concerns are not just financial but also relate to the reputational risks associated with being featured on a platform governed by Musk. Lou Paskalis, the founder and chief executive of the marketing consultancy firm AJL Advisory, commented: “There is no advertising value that would offset the reputational risk of going back on the platform.”

Internal Emails Show Google Sought to ‘Work Closely with Biden Administration’

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) took to X/Twitter on Friday to reveal that internal emails show the Government Affairs teams at Google and its YouTube subsidiary had acknowledged that they were “seeking to work closely with the Biden administration on multiple policy fronts.”

“To appease the Biden White House, Big Tech gave into the federal government’s relentless pressure campaign to censor Americans’ speech, including true information,” Rep. Jordan said at the beginning of a thread posted to X/Twitter on Friday.

Jordan went on to explain that the House Judiciary and Weaponization Committee “obtained internal Google & Facebook docs revealing which Big Tech companies buckled first under pressure from the Biden White House to censor Americans’ posts, including true statements, jokes, memes, and opinions.”

“And once YouTube (Google) relented to censoring more content, the Biden White House used that as leverage to further increase the pressure on Facebook to do the same,” he added.