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Topic: Government

The government, said minister of state for finance Bhagwat Karad in Parliament, has been actively collaborating with regulatory bodies like the Reserve Bank of India and other stakeholders to curb the menace of illegal loan apps News 

Finance Ministry and Google collaborate to eliminate more than 4,700 fraudulent loan applications from Play Store

Adriana Marais,

Speaking on the spread of illegal loan apps, Finance Minister Bhagwat Karad told the Rajya Sabha that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in collaboration with Google has successfully removed 4,700 fraudulent apps from the Play Store in the last 2.5 years, while the RBI shared a list of over 400 such apps with MeitY. MoS Karad revealed that the government has actively collaborated with regulatory bodies like the Reserve Bank of India and other stakeholders to curb the menace of illegal loan applications. Karad emphasized his proactive attitude…

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Floppy disk was used because it was considered as a safer way to store data for many years but times have changed and we have the internet now. News 

This Country’s Government Abandons Outdated Technology: Farewell to CDs and Floppy Disks

Adriana Marais

Most people now rely on the cloud and storage drives to share or store data. However, back in the day you had floppy disks and CDs that served millions of decades, and in fact these technologies are still part of the ecosystem in some countries. Japan is known for its technological prowess and forerunners, but the country has also invested in old-age technology like floppy disks. The Japanese government is finally realizing the need to move on from these products to modern services such as online support and cloud storage.…

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The NSA discovered the breach in late 2020. News 

China Allegedly Gained Access to Japanese Networks for an Extended Period of Time

Febin Mathew, , ,

According to a recent report by the Washington Post, it appears that Japan’s decision to expand its military cyber defense unit last year may have been prompted by the discovery of Chinese hackers having extensive and long-lasting access to Japanese defense networks. The breach was initially detected by the National Security Agency in late 2020, leading to the visit of NSA Chief and Commander of US Cyber Command General Paul Nakasone, accompanied by White House deputy national security advisor Matthew Pottinger, to Japan in order to inform officials about the…

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‘This risk is real and could be exploited by adversaries of the US,’ warned the Dutch whistleblower who discovered them. News 

Email Typo Causes Millions of US Military Messages to be Sent to Mali

Adarsh V.K,

According to reports, a significant error in typing has led to the diversion of numerous US military emails, some of which contain highly classified information, to Mali. The issue arose when the email address domain was mistakenly entered as .ML instead of .MIL. This single-letter mistake has resulted in the exposure of sensitive data, including diplomatic documents, tax returns, passwords, and travel details of high-ranking officers, among other things. Currently, the misrouted emails have been received by a contractor responsible for managing Mali’s country domain. However, control over .ML will…

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Federal judges ruled for the preliminary injunction to be put aside "until further orders of the court." News 

Appeals court halts ruling that prevents Biden administration from communicating with social media platforms

Sanjay Patil, , ,

For the time being, officials from the Biden administration have the freedom to engage in communication with social media companies. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily halted Judge Terry A. Doughty’s ruling, which restricts most federal officials from discussing content matters with companies like Meta. As per The New York Times, a three-judge panel has decided to set aside Doughty’s preliminary injunction “until further orders of the court.” If you recall, the Attorney Generals of Louisiana and Missouri filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and other top…

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The agency wants to know if the AI company is violating consumer protection laws. AI 

FTC Launches Probe into OpenAI, Developer of ChatGPT

Febin Mathew, , , ,

The US regulators are intensifying their efforts to regulate generative AI. According to The Washington Post, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated a probe into OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT and DALL-E. The FTC has asked for documentation demonstrating how OpenAI addresses the potential risks associated with its extensive language AI models. The concern is that the company might be engaging in practices that are “unfair or deceptive,” potentially compromising the privacy, security, or reputation of the public. The commission is particularly interested in data related to the bug…

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The Indian government met large global firms such as Foxconn, Samsung Electronics and Reliance Industries to find ways to boost manufacturing in the country with its productionlinked incentive (PLI) scheme. News 

Government of India Discusses PLI Scheme Enhancements with Foxconn, Samsung, Wistron – Report

Adarsh V.K, ,

In an effort to enhance manufacturing in India through its production-linked incentive (PLI) program, the Indian government held discussions with major global corporations including Foxconn, Samsung Electronics, and Reliance Industries. India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal spoke at a meeting on Tuesday to worry that some companies had experienced delays in taking advantage of New Delhi’s incentives amid complex procedures. Discussions covered ways to improve local production at competitive costs, higher domestic production value added and speedy handling of complaints, the government said in a statement on Wednesday. The meeting was…

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Non-profit organisation Prahar on Saturday said it has written to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to ban the Chinese game Undawn, launched by Chinese internet giant Tencent in the country. Gaming 

NGO Urges Indian Government To Prohibit Chinese Video Game Undawn

Adarsh V.K, , , ,

On Saturday, Prahar, a non-profit organization, announced that it has sent a letter to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) requesting the prohibition of Undawn, a game created by Chinese internet giant Tencent, in India. Tencent released the online game through Level Infinite, its global publishing arm based in Singapore and Amsterdam, on June 15. According to Prahar, the launch of Undawn on June 15, the anniversary of the Galwani incident, depicting Military uniforms and weapons used by Chinese soldiers, is “alleged and hurtful to the sentiments of…

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Jack Texeira now faces up to 60 years in prison. News 

Air National Guardsman indicted for allegedly leaking classified documents

Sanjay Patil, ,

Jack Texeira, an Air National Guard member who was taken into custody in April for disseminating documents containing sensitive US intelligence information, has been charged with six counts of deliberately withholding and transmitting classified national defense data. The federal grand jury indicted Texeira, and he could potentially be sentenced to 60 years in prison. The 10-page indictment reportedly contained a condensed version of the national secrets that Texeira purportedly obtained from the Cape Cod air base and shared with others on Discord. Texeira was arrested by the Justice Department in…

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Through this portal, citizens can see how many SIM cards have been issued in their names and if there are any particular numbers, which they believe someone has taken by illegally using their identities, and then people can use the portal to block those numbers. Considering the massive response within such a short period of time, department of telecommunications officials believe that the portal has achieved Guinness World Records worthy numbers News 

Sanchar Saathi Portal Receives 1.8 Crore Visitors since May 16 Launch, Setting a New World Record?

Jim Hendler, , ,

Sanchar Saathi, a platform aimed at ensuring the safety of mobile phone users, has garnered an impressive visitor count of over 180 million since its launch on May 16. The Department of Telecommunications officials are of the opinion that the portal has achieved numbers worthy of a Guinness World Record, given the overwhelming response it has received in such a short span of time. “We would like to publish it in the Guinness Book of World Records because we believe that no government website or portal has received this kind…

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How to change address on Aadhar card online? Read here to know more (reuters) News 

Steps to Update Address in Aadhaar Card Online

Adarsh V.K, ,

In case you have detected any inaccuracies in your address or have relocated and wish to modify your Aadhaar card address, there is no need to fret. You can conveniently change your Aadhaar address online by adhering to these uncomplicated steps. It is crucial to note that Aadhaar must be up-to-date and free of errors since it is a vital document utilized to verify your identity and complete official tasks. About Aadhaar Aadhaar card is a unique 12-digit number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to citizens…

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Generative AI technology that can spin authoritative prose from text prompts has captivated the public since ChatGPT launched six months ago AI 

UN Secretary-General Supports Creation of International AI Regulatory Body Similar to Nuclear Regulatory Agency

Febin Mathew, , ,

On Monday, Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, supported a suggestion made by certain executives in the field of artificial intelligence to establish a global regulatory body for AI, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A generative AI technology that can spin authoritative prose from text prompts, ChatGPT has taken audiences by storm since its launch six months ago, becoming the fastest-growing app of all time. AI has also raised concerns about its ability to create deep fake images and other misinformation. “The alarm bells about…

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Government has rejected all allegations of a CoWin data breach. (CoWin) News 

Union Minister Rejects Allegations of CoWin Data Breach

Adriana Marais, , , ,

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar responded to numerous reports claiming a significant CoWin data breach by providing a detailed rebuttal on Twitter. It was previously claimed that the CoWin data breach had leaked the information of many people who had given their personal information while taking the Covid vaccine. A huge number of people had registered with CoWin by providing their identity proofs like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Passport and many more. CoWin is an application developed as an IT solution to implement the COVID-19 vaccination in India. According to the…

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These tools can help you clean up any malware in the device and also safely let you use other devices. News 

Protect Your Phone and PC With Government-Approved Malware Software

Jim Hendler, , ,

The Indian government has established a security agency to assist individuals concerned about potential malware or security problems on their computers or phones. The agency has created a botnet cleaning and malware analysis center that has produced specialized tools for removing malware. According to the information provided, these tools are claimed to help remove all malware from your system keeping it safe and clean. Cyber Swachhta Kendra has a website about these tools, which are developed with the help of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and even antivirus companies. The tools…

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The Indian government's Cyber Swachhta Kendra portal is providing free bot removal tools for you. Know how to use them. (Pexels) News 

Secure Your Device with These Free Government-Provided Tools to Remove Malware – Download Now!

Jim Hendler, ,

The prevalence of malware attacks has increased, and unfortunately, protection against hackers has become more costly. To combat this issue, it is crucial for individuals and companies to implement strong security measures. The Indian government has responded to this widespread problem by offering a free solution to assist users in protecting their smartphones and computers. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has taken the lead in introducing a variety of free bot removal tools. You can access these cyber security tools through the Cyber Swachhta Kendra, which is part of the…

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This indigenous technology can process various types of discarded Li-ion batteries, recovering more than 95 per cent of the lithium (Li), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) contents in the form of their respective oxides or carbonates with a purity of around 98 per cent News 

Nine Companies Receives Crucial Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Technology from IT Ministry, Letters of Intent Issued to Others

Adriana Marais, , ,

On Friday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology handed over economical technology for recycling lithium-ion batteries to nine recycling firms, while nine others received letters of intent at Niti Aayog. MeitY has developed this technology in collaboration with the Government of Telangana and industrial partner Greenko Energies Pvt. Ltd., as part of the Center of Excellence for Electronic Waste Management established at Center for Electronics Materials Technology (C-MET), Hyderabad. Industries and startups that have received Besa technology include Lithium-Ion Batteries Pvt Ltd, Mahalaxmi Metalalloys (India) Pvt Ltd, Nexus Renewable…

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The Consumer Affairs Ministry has issued an advisory directing retailers not to insist on the personal contact details of customers for delivering certain services, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh. News 

The government says you don’t have to give your mobile phone number while shopping

Febin Mathew

New Delhi, May 23: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has issued an advisory asking retailers not to require personal contact details of customers for providing certain services, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Tuesday. The instruction has been issued after several consumer complaints. Customers have complained that many retailers do not offer them services if they refuse to share their contact number, he said. “Sellers say they cannot issue an invoice until personal contact information is provided. This is an unfair and restrictive trade practice under the Consumer…

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Apple removed 1,474 apps from its App Store as per requests from various governments to take down such apps in 2022, including a massive 1,435 from mainland China and just 14 from India. News 

Apple removed 1,474 apps from App Store in 2022 after governments requested removal

Adriana Marais, , , ,

Apple removed 1,474 apps from its App Store following requests from various governments to remove those apps in 2022, including a whopping 1,435 from mainland China and just 14 from India. According to the company’s “2022 App Store Transparency Report,” the Pakistani government requested the removal of 10 apps, while Russia requested seven apps that violated various laws in the country. There were a total of 18,412 app removal complaints from various agencies around the world (again China led with 5,484), including 709 from India. Apple recalled 24 apps in…

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The breach hit systems for processing TRANServe transit benefits that reimburse government employees for some commuting costs News 

The US Department of Transportation suffered a major data breach, 237,000 employee records compromised

Adriana Marais, , ,

The personal information of 237,000 current and former federal employees was exposed in a data breach at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), sources briefed on the matter said Friday. Violation systems for processing TRANServe’s transit benefits, which compensate state employees for part of their commuting expenses. It was not clear whether the personal data was used for criminal purposes. USDOT said in a statement to Reuters that the breach did not affect the transportation security systems. It did not say who might be responsible for the hack. The department…

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Yang also demonstrated that autocratic regimes around the world have a particular interest in AI. News 

China dominates the global AI network, and the authoritarian government is its biggest user

Febin Mathew, ,

Studies show that China is exporting huge amounts of artificial information technology (AI) and reducing its contributions to other high-tech fields, said Harvard economics professor David Yang. Yang also showed that autocratic governments around the world are particularly interested in artificial intelligence. “Artificial intelligence is startlingly the only sector of the 16 high-tech sectors with a disproportionately higher number of buyers who are weak democracies and autocracies.” “Autocratic governments would like to be able to predict the whereabouts, thoughts and behavior of citizens,” Yang said, adding, “And AI is basically…

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