New Delhi: Social media platform Meta on Monday moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), challenging a recent Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing a Rs 213 crore penalty on the firm related to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update.  In November last year, the competition watchdog directed WhatsApp to not share user data collected on its platform with other Meta products or companies for advertising purposes for a period of five years, along with imposing a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on Meta for allegedly abusing its dominant position. Meta has now informed the NCLAT that the CCI order has wide ramifications for the industry as a whole and therefore, an urgent hearing in the matter will be required. The case will now come up for a hearing before the appellate tribunal on January 16. WhatsApp has more than 500 million monthly active users in the country. Last year, after the CCI directed WhatsApp not to share user data collected on its platform with other Meta products or companies for advertising purposes for a period of five years, the social media platform said it disagreed with the CCI’s decision and planned to appeal. According to the CCI order, “The 2021 policy update by WhatsApp on a ‘take it-or-leave-it’ basis constitutes an imposition of unfair conditions under the Act, as it compels all users to accept expanded data collection terms and sharing of data within Meta Group without any opt-out.” A Meta spokesperson has replied, saying that the 2021 WhatsApp update did not change the privacy of people’s personal messages and was offered as a choice for users at the time. “We also ensured no one would have their accounts deleted or lose functionality of the WhatsApp service because of this update. The update was about introducing optional business features on WhatsApp, and provided further transparency about how we collect and use data,” according to the company spokesperson. The CCI began a probe in March 2021 into WhatsApp’s revised privacy policy, which enabled mandatory data sharing with Facebook (now Meta) and its companies, along with an expanded scope of data collection.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro India Launch: Chinese smartphone brand Huawei has launched the Huawei Watch GT5 Pro Smartwatch in the Indian market. It is designed for fitness enthusiasts and tech lovers. The smartwatch comes with exclusive features which includes the pro-level Sports Mode, integrated GPS maps, advanced ECG monitoring and many more. It is also available in a Titanium Edition crafted from an aerospace-grade titanium alloy.  Notably, the smartwatch is compatible with both iOS and Android devices and offers Bluetooth calling and text reply features for seamless connectivity. Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Price In India And Availability The Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Black is available for Rs 29,999, while the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Titanium is priced at Rs 39,999. Both variants of the smartwatch can be purchased on Amazon and Flipkart.  Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Design The Huawei Watch GT5 Pro is meticulously crafted from aerospace-grade titanium alloy, featuring a titanium bezel, an iconic crown, a nanocrystal ceramic body, and a sapphire glass screen that exudes elegance and durability.  Its ultra-hard coatings and nano-film waterproof finish offer exceptional resistance to wear, water, and corrosion, making it ideal for daily wear and outdoor adventures. With an IP69K rating, the smartwatch is built to withstand even the harshest conditions, blending premium craftsmanship with robust performance. Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Features  It boasts an impressive battery life of up to 14 days on a single charge, ensuring uninterrupted usage. The smartwatch features Huawei’s advanced TruSense technology for precise health monitoring, including stress management, heart rate tracking, SpO2 monitoring, and sleep analysis.  The Beat-by-Beat ECG analysis provides detailed insights into cardiovascular health, complemented by specialized features such as women’s health tracking and enhanced sleep monitoring for a personalized wellness experience. Fitness enthusiasts can choose from over 100 workout modes, with professional-level tracking for activities like golf, trail jogging, and free diving. 

Seoul: Samsung Display, a screen-making subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, said on Sunday it will unveil a versatile lineup of foldable and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays at the upcoming CES 2025, aiming to expand its presence beyond smartphones into the IT and automotive sectors.  The company’s flagship foldable panels for IT devices and cutting-edge display solutions for vehicles will be featured at its showroom during the annual US tech show, which starts from Tuesday for a four-day run in Las Vegas, reports Yonhap news agency. Building on its expertise as the supplier of foldable screens for Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Flip and Fold series, Samsung Display is spotlighting its advancements in automotive and artificial intelligence applications. A key highlight of the exhibit will be the world’s first 18.1-inch foldable monitor, alongside new products, such as slidable and multi-foldable displays. The 18.1-inch foldable panel for IT devices offers the screen size of two tablets when unfolded. When folded, it becomes a 13.1-inch laptop display with touch screen functionality. Visitors will also see OLED-enabled tablets and laptops, which boast lower power consumption and superior colour reproduction, making them ideal for outdoor use. Beyond IT devices, Samsung Display is also targeting the automotive sector with an array of innovative products designed to enhance driver assistance features, functionality and the visual appeal of vehicle interiors. A notable addition is the demo cockpits equipped with under-panel camera (UPC) technology, which integrates the camera beneath the display for a seamless design. UPC technology, originally developed for foldable screens to achieve a seamless full-screen experience, is being applied to vehicles for the first time, said the report.

New Delhi: A new cyber scam called the ‘Jumped Deposit’ scam is causing alarm among UPI users. Fraudsters target unsuspecting individuals to authorise withdrawals from their bank accounts.This was flagged by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police in December 2024. This scam has since gained traction. How the Scam Works? The ‘Jumped Deposit’ scam starts with the fraudsters transferring a small amount, like Rs 5,000 to the victim’s bank account via UPI. Shortly after, the scammer initiates a withdrawal request for a much larger amount. The unexpected deposit often prompts the victim to check their account balance immediately. When the victim opens their banking app and enters their UPI PIN to check the details, the scammer’s withdrawal request gets authorised which allows them to steal the money immediately. According to officials, scammers take advantage of the victim’s curiosity about an unexpected deposit to gain access to their funds, as reported by The Hindu. How to Protect Your Money UPI users can take two simple steps to safeguard their money from the ‘Jumped Deposit’ scam. – Wait Before Checking Your Account: If you receive a credit notification, it’s best to wait for 15-30 minutes before checking your balance. This delay allows any fraudulent withdrawal requests to expire, making it impossible for scammers to access your funds. – Enter an Incorrect PIN: If you’re in a hurry and can’t wait, deliberately entering an incorrect PIN will reject any pending transactions, protecting your account from unauthorized withdrawals.

New Delhi: Vodafone Idea (Vi) is all set to start the tariff war with Reliance Jio and Airtel with the launch of its 5G mobile broadband service in March this year, as per a report in the Economic Times. Economic Times, quoting multiple sources familiar with the matter said that Vodafone Idea could aggressively price its tariff plans, that could be 15% cheaper than Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel’s offerings. Vi may initially launch 5G across India’s top 75 cities in its 17 priority circles, the ET report said. “Telco may increase its payouts towards dealer commissions and promotional spends to lure back high-value 5G prepaid users from its bigger rivals,” ET said quoting analyst. Earlier, in August last year VIL CEO Akshaya Moondra at the company’s Q1 earnings call said the company it is witnessing an efflux in subscribers port-outs to BSNL following the recent tariff hikes announced by the company. Moondra said that the company is closely monitoring the situation. “One of the trends we have seen is that the port out to BSNL has generally risen from pre-tariff increase levels which is a space we are watching…And the reason for that is because they (BSNL) has not increased their tariffs so there is a fair amount of arbitrage,” he said. Moondra viewed the quick decisions to port out as being taken purely on the basis of tariff action and may not eventually sustain, given the 4G coverage offered by VIL. “We are watching this space – our expectation is that customers who are used to having good coverage and experience of 4G coverage, probably current offering of BSNL may not be to that extent…As people who may have taken a quick decision in terms of tariff actions…May most likely come back. But we will keep on watching this space and see what needs to be done,” he said. Major telecom operators –Airtel, Jio announced tariff hikes In July. Vodafone Idea raised tariffs by 11-24 percent. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), however, has not increased its tariffs.

New Delhi: A shocking KYC scam has left a 57-year-old senior technical officer from DRDO in Pune devastated. Cybercriminals duped him of Rs 13 lakh. The scammers disguised themselves as bank representatives. They tricked him through a WhatsApp message claiming an urgent need for a KYC update. This led to unauthorized withdrawal from his account. The victim was deceived into downloading a malicious file, unknowingly giving the scammers remote access to his smartphone. This gave the scammers access to his bank account. The incident began in November when the victim received a WhatsApp message that appeared genuine, as per the FIR filed at Yerawada police station. The sender claimed to be a representative of a public bank sector and informed him that his KYC details were overdue and needed immediate updating. The scammer even shared an attachment and instructed the victim to download it. Believing the message to be legitimate, the techie compiled and unknowingly fell into the trap. The file he downloaded was laced with malware that gave the fraudsters remote access to his device. Shortly after that he received a couple of OTPs on his phone for transactions he hadn’t initiated. He ignored the threat and was unaware of the threat. Meanwhile, the scammers used the malware to access his banking app and carry out unauthorized transactions, stealing Rs 12.95 lakh from his account. Tips to Stay Safe from Cyber Fraud – Avoid Unknown Links: Never click on links or download files from unfamiliar sources, especially if they claim urgency. – Verify Messages: Always confirm the authenticity of messages or emails by contacting your bank directly before acting. – Stay Alert with OTPs: Pay close attention to one-time passwords (OTPs), even if you’re not making a transaction. – Use Antivirus Software: Install trusted antivirus software to detect and block malicious apps.

Mumbai: Police have managed to freeze a sum of Rs 4.65 crore out of Rs 7.5 crore lost by the Mumbai-based owner of a private company in a SIM swap cyber fraud, officials said. In the SIM swap fraud, a form of identity theft, scammers trick the network provider into linking the mobile phone number of their target to a SIM card they have in possession and access to OTPs sent by the bank to the genuine person. It is a form of account takeover where cyber crooks gain access to a victim’s phone number. This allows them to assume control over the victim’s mobile identity, enabling unauthorised access to personal online accounts linked to the number. The private firm owner was duped for Rs 7.5 crore by cyber fraudsters in suburban Kandivali on Monday, officials said on Tuesday. The scamsters got the access of the company’s bank account with the help of SIM swipe and made multiple unauthorised transactions, an official said, adding the money was then transferred to various bank accounts in a span of a few minutes. On realising he has been cheated, the company owner dialled 1930 cyber helpline and informed about the fraud. The victim also sent an email giving details about the unauthorised transactions, he said. Officials of cyber crime branch immediately contacted the nodal officer of the bank concerned and also put the complaint on the NCCRP (National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal) simultaneously. The cyber police team managed to freeze Rs 4.65 crore out of the total amount lost by the victim within four hours of the fraud. However, most of the remaining amount was withdrawn by the fraudsters, the official said. 

OnePlus 12 Discount In India: Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus is set to launch the OnePlus 13 series globally including India on January 7, 2025. Ahead of the official launch, the OnePlus 12 has received a massive discount offer on Amazon, making it an enticing option for budget-conscious buyers seeking a premium smartphone experience.  To recall, the OnePlus 12 was initially launched in January 2024. If you’re considering the OnePlus 12 or a flagship smartphone that won’t break the bank, now might be the perfect time to make your move.  OnePlus 12 Discount Price In India The smartphone is now available at a discounted price of Rs 59,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, reduced from its original launch price of Rs 64,999. Similarly, the premium model featuring 16GB RAM and 512GB storage is priced at Rs 64,999, down from Rs 69,999. This Rs 5,000 price reduction applies to both configurations without any additional terms or conditions.  To sweeten the deal further, the e-commerce gaint Amazon is offering an instant bank discount of Rs 7,000 for ICICI Bank credit card users (excluding Amazon Pay credit cards). This reduces the effective price of the 12GB RAM variant to Rs 52,999, while the 16GB RAM variant is available for Rs 57,999.  OnePlus 12 Features The smartphone sports a large 6.82-inch QHD+ LTPO ProXDR display, delivering vibrant visuals with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour depth. It is powered by the cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the device ensures top-tier performance. The handset is powered by a 5,400 mAh battery guarantees long-lasting usage, complemented by 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging and 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging for rapid and efficient power-ups.  On the photography front, the smartphone comes with a 50MP main camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. For selfies and videos, there is a 32MP shooter at the front camera.