Jeff Larson
Facebook Allowed Political Ads That Were Actually Scams and Malware
Russian disinformation isn’t the only deceptive political advertising on Facebook. The pitch designed to lure President Donald Trump’s critics is one of more than a dozen politically themed advertisements masking consumer rip-offs that ProPublica has identified since launching an effort in September to monitor paid political messages on the world’s largest social network.
Leaked Docs Show Spyware Used to Snoop on US Computers
Software created by the controversial UK-based Gamma Group International was used to spy on computers that appear to be located in the US, the UK, Germany, Russia, Iran and Bahrain.
The leaked files -- which were posted online by hackers -- are the latest in a series of revelations about how state actors, including repressive regimes, have used Gamma's software to spy on dissidents, journalists and activist groups.
The leaked files contain more than 40 gigabytes of confidential technical material including software code, internal memos, strategy reports and user guides on how to use Gamma Group software suite called FinFisher. FinFisher enables customers to monitor secure web traffic, Skype calls, webcams, and personal files. It is installed as malware on targets' computers and cell phones.