messages

Earlier this year a number of privacy organizations raised alarms about the way Microsoft shared Skype users' private information. Now, a new report suggests that Microsoft itself is closely monitoring messages sent between Skype users. Technology ... blog Ars Technica says it has learned that Microsoft is actively scanning messages containing HTTPS URLS, or URLs associated with secure websites. Microsoft Monitoring, Storing Links Ars writer Dan Goodin says he's also learned that Microsoft is scanning these messages as a form of fraud prevention and that the firm is logging the results for an ... (view more)

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged 29 people suspected of sending more than 180 million spammy text messages. An FTC spokesman said he had a simple message for anyone who receives unsolicited offers through a text message: ... "Delete them, immediately. The offers are, in a word, garbage." (Source: pcmag.com ) According to the FTC, the accused sent messages falsely claiming the recipient had won a prize, such as a $1,000 gift card from a major retailer. If a recipient followed a link placed in the message, they would be asked to supply personal information -- including ... (view more)

Each day, millions of images and messages are sent through social media platforms. Now, those who have regretted transmitting personal information in this fashion will be relieved to find that a popular new app is making significant strides in ... changing the way people share private data on social networking sites. Snapchat doesn't store data -- including messages and photos -- for years on end. Instead, this information is wiped out, permanently, at a time set by the sending / posting user. It's a simple concept, but early indications reveal that Snapchat is becoming a popular alternative to ... (view more)

Facebook was recently forced to temporarily switch off a New Year's Eve messaging feature after a report suggested that private messages could be easily accessed and read by strangers. The feature is called "Midnight Delivery." It allowed Facebook ... users to send a 'Happy New Year' message to a friend. Unlike a normal message, however, the New Year's message would be "delivered" at precisely midnight. Furthermore, the message wouldn't arrive in the usual Facebook inbox. Instead, the recipient would get a link taking them to a special website called "Facebook Stories," where ... (view more)

You've Got Mail -- again. AOL is introducing a new email tool designed to make life easier for Internet users, even those running rival email services. About 20 million people still use AOL's email service. That user base is dwarfed by some rivals; ... for example, Google's Gmail boasts 425 million users. Nevertheless, AOL thinks it can improve everyone's email experience. That's why it's launching Alto, an email service that runs in a web browser and brings into a single location messages from AOL, Apple, Gmail, and Yahoo accounts. AOL plans to tweak the service later on so it can work with ... (view more)

Facebook has flatly denied that private messages sent between 'Friends' on that social network have appeared on users' public profile pages. Despite widespread reports of this problem in France, Facebook says the claims are a technical impossibility ... and may be the result of confusion. The claims were first reported by the French newspaper Metro, which wrote that "private messages dating from 2007, 2008 and 2009 now appear directly in user's timelines." However, Metro noted the "problem is not systematic." (Source: metrofrance.com ) Cheaters Exposed by Facebook Problem Following the reports, ... (view more)

A U.S. senator wants to close a legal loophole that allows law enforcement officials to read private emails without first obtaining a warrant. If successful, the change would mean users of webmail services, such as Gmail and Hotmail, will receive ... extra protection against prying eyes. Private email content is currently protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. However, email usage is far greater today than it was then, and new procedures leave open the opportunity for officials to read private emails in secret. Years ago most email users downloaded their messages, which ... (view more)

Rumors of a rampant Android-based botnet that is spamming individuals around the world are now proving to be unfounded. Instead, experts have discovered that Yahoo Mail may have been compromised. Rumors of an Android-based botnet first began ... circulating last week. Reportedly, the botnet was sending out waves of pharmacy, penny stock, and e-card spam emails. Terry Zink, a program manager for Microsoft's Forefront security product team, added credibility to the rumors by claiming, "a spammer has control of a botnet that lives on Android devices. These devices login to user's Yahoo Mail account ... (view more)

Research In Motion (RIM), based in Waterloo, Canada, has decided it will no longer target its Blackberry and related products at ordinary consumers. Instead, it will concentrate solely on the business market. A big reason is no doubt that the ... company lost $125 million in just the last three months of 2011. Thorsten Heins, the company's recently hired chief executive officer, said "We believe that BlackBerry cannot succeed if we tried to be everybody's darling and all things to all people." (Source: usatoday.com ) Apple iPhone Popularity Too Much for RIM, BlackBerry RIM first made its name ... (view more)

Microsoft is reporting success in its campaign to reduce graymail, which are defined as email messages that fall short of being labeled as 'spam'. Though definitions vary, most sources agree that true spam messages are sent without any permission ... from the recipient. Happily, spam filtering is now keeping spam to only three percent of the messages reaching an average user's inbox, Microsoft reports. (Source: liveside.net ) Legitimate Messages May Be Unwanted However, a lot of other emails, like promotional mailings, still get through. Often, the recipient has either lost interest in the ... (view more)