Twitter admits using email IDs, phone numbers of users for targeted ads

Agencies
October 9, 2019

In yet another privacy breach, Twitter has admitted that its users who provided email addresses or phone numbers for better security like two-factor authentication (2FA) on the platform were served with targeted ads.

The personal data "may have inadvertently been used for advertising purposes, specifically in our Tailored Audiences and Partner Audiences advertising system," the micro-blogging platform said in a statement late Tuesday.

Twitter does not know how many of its users were impacted by this. It has 139 million average monetizable daily active users (mDAUs) as of Q2, 2019.

"We're very sorry this happened and are taking steps to make sure we don't make a mistake like this again," said the company.

Two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to the authentication process by making it harder for hackers to gain access to your accounts.

"Tailored Audiences" is a version of an industry-standard product that allows advertisers to target ads to customers based on the advertiser's own marketing lists (like email addresses or phone numbers they have compiled).

"Partner Audiences" allows advertisers to use the same "Tailored Audiences" features to target ads to audiences provided by third-party partners.

"When an advertiser uploaded their marketing list, we may have matched people on Twitter to their list based on the email or phone number the Twitter account holder provided for safety and security purposes. This was an error and we apologize," said Twitter.

The company, however, claimed no personal data was ever shared externally with its partners or any other third parties.

"We have addressed the issue that allowed this to occur and are no longer using phone numbers or email addresses collected for safety or security purposes for advertising," Twitter added.

It's the latest in a series of security lapses at Twitter in the past year.

Last year, the micro-blogging platform asked its 336 million users to change their passwords across its services after it discovered a bug that stored passwords in plain text in an internal system.

Hackers in August this year broke into Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's account and posted a flurry of rogue tweets, including racial slurs.

The micro-blogging platform said that it secured Dorsey's account which became victim of 'SIM swapping' or 'SIM jacking' where a mobile number is transferred to a new SIM card.

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Agencies
July 13,2020

New Delhi, Jul 13: The Income Tax Department has facilitated a new functionality for banks and post offices to ascertain TDS applicability rates on cash withdrawal of above Rs 20 lakh in case of a non-filer of the income-tax return and that of above Rs 1 crore in case of a filer of the income-tax return.

In a statement, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said that now banks and post offices have to only enter the PAN of the person who is withdrawing cash for ascertaining the applicable rate of TDS.

So far, more than 53,000 verification requests have been executed successfully on this facility, a statement by the CBDT said.

"CBDT today said that this functionality available as 'Verification of applicability u/s 194N' on www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in since 1st July 2020, is also made available to the Banks through web-services so that the entire process can be automated and be linked to the Bank's internal core banking solution," it said.

On entering PAN by the bank or the post office, a message will be instantly displayed on the departmental utility: "TDS is deductible at the rate of 2 per cent if cash withdrawal exceeds Rs 1 crore", in case the person withdrawing cash is a filer of the income-tax return.

In case the person withdrawing cash is a non-filer of income tax return, the message shown would be: "TDS is deductible at the rate of 2 per cent if cash withdrawal exceeds Rs 20 lakh and at the rate of 5 per cent if it exceeds Rs 1 crore."

The CBDT said that the data on cash withdrawal indicated that huge amount of cash is withdrawn by the persons who have never filed income-tax returns.

To ensure filing of return by these persons and to keep track on cash withdrawals by the non-filers, and to curb black money, the Finance Act, 2020 with effect from July 1, 2020 further amended IT Act to lower threshold of cash withdrawal to Rs 20 lakh for the applicability of this TDS for the non-filers and also mandated TDS at the higher rate of 5 per cent on cash withdrawal exceeding Rs 1 crore by the non-filers.

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Agencies
February 26,2020

Unnao, Feb 26: Ever heard of someone wishing a 'bright future' for the dead? In a bizarre incident in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, a village head issued a death certificate with the wish for an elderly man who had died last month.

The incident took place in the Sirwariya village in Asoha block where an elderly person Laxmi Shankar died after a prolonged illness on January 22.

His son went to the village head Babulal and requested him to issue a death certificate that he needed for some financial transactions.

Babulal not only issued the death certificate, but also 'wished' 'a bright future for the deceased' on the document.

The village head wrote in the death certificate -- "Main inke ujjwal bhavishya ki kaamna karta hoon (I wish him a bright future)."

The letter went viral on the social media on Monday after which the village head apologised for the error and issued a new death certificate.

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Agencies
April 4,2020

Kozhikode, Apr 4: In a bid to maintain the lockdown amid COVID-19 outbreak, Police in Kozhikode is monitoring the situation using drone cameras and making sure that people are not breaking the law.

The police have so far arrested 41 persons who were out on a morning walk on Saturday during the lockdown in the backdrop of coronavirus outbreak.

The SHO of Town South Police Station informed that the accused were later released on bail.
At least 295 cases have been reported in the state so far.

Talking about COVID-19 testing, State Health Minister KK Shailaja told media: "Nine labs are conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in Kerala. We've received 2000 rapid test kits and will start rapid tests from tomorrow. If a person tests positive in rapid test, we need to confirm it with PCR test."

The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in India climbed to 3072 on Saturday, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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