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Deceptive Android Apps Exploit Google Play Early Access to Evade Reviews
Bitdefender reports deceptive Google Play Early Access apps use deepfake celebrity ads and fake rewards to lure users into ad-fraud schemes.
Bitdefender research describes widespread abuse of Google Play's Early Access program, where developers publish deceptive apps that avoid public ratings and reviews. The apps are promoted through TikTok and Facebook ads promising cash rewards, PayPal payouts, crypto earnings, or gift cards, often using deepfakes of celebrities, but users receive only aggressive advertising. Examples include 'Chicken Road' and 'Ice Fishing' casino-style games plus trademark abuse such as apps named 'Grand Theft Auto V (Early Access)' that are later renamed. No malware is delivered, but some listings show thousands of installs.
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Driver’s License Data for Sale
Schneier on Security highlights that driver's license data is being sold, underscoring concerns over monetization of driver records and surveillance.
A post on Bruce Schneier's blog is titled 'Driver's License Data for Sale.' The available excerpt contains no article body, so the specifics of the reported data sales are not detailed. The topic concerns the commercial availability of driver's license records, a recurring data-privacy and surveillance theme on the blog.
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ICE Wants to Know Everyone Who Bought a Certain Green Beanie From REI in the Last 2 Years
DHS subpoenaed REI for all Minneapolis-area customers who bought a specific green beanie since 2024, part of an investigation into 39 ICE protest defendants.
Court filings allege Homeland Security Investigations agents subpoenaed REI in March for transaction records of all persons in the greater Minneapolis–St. Paul area who purchased a specific dark green beanie since 2024. The subpoena was one of 92 sent in a federal case against 39 people, including journalists, who attended an ICE protest at a church. Companies responded differently: T-Mobile handed over six months of a defendant's call and text logs, Google refused a request for YouTube viewers, Reddit withdrew after a First Amendment objection, and Meta pushed back on at least one summons. The 1509 customs summonses require no judicial oversight, and the total number issued under the Trump administration is unknown.
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