Malaysians violating quarantine better watch out. People can now report you through WhatsApp.
If there's one thing that the coronavirus has taught us, it's that social distancing and self-isolation is important, especially when returning home from abroad.
While many countries across the world have employed their own practices in keeping track of returning citizens amid the coronavirus pandemic, they also rely heavily on the good faith of returnees to self-quarantine.
In Malaysia for instance, returning citizens are required to wear a pink wrist band that states their port of entry, as well as their date of arrival.
They have to keep this pink wrist band on for a 14-day period as part of mandatory self-quarantine measures.
While they have the wrist bands on, they also have to wait for their COVID-19 test results to come out.
Sadly, the thing is, not everybody cares about the fight against COVID-19. Some are willing to risk infecting dozens, if not hundreds because they're too impatient to wait out their 14-day self-quarantine.
https://sea.mashable.com/tech/11633/malaysians-violating-quarantine-better-watch-out-people-can-now-report-you-through-whatsapp
#asia #malaysia #whatsapp #privacy
If there's one thing that the coronavirus has taught us, it's that social distancing and self-isolation is important, especially when returning home from abroad.
While many countries across the world have employed their own practices in keeping track of returning citizens amid the coronavirus pandemic, they also rely heavily on the good faith of returnees to self-quarantine.
In Malaysia for instance, returning citizens are required to wear a pink wrist band that states their port of entry, as well as their date of arrival.
They have to keep this pink wrist band on for a 14-day period as part of mandatory self-quarantine measures.
While they have the wrist bands on, they also have to wait for their COVID-19 test results to come out.
Sadly, the thing is, not everybody cares about the fight against COVID-19. Some are willing to risk infecting dozens, if not hundreds because they're too impatient to wait out their 14-day self-quarantine.
https://sea.mashable.com/tech/11633/malaysians-violating-quarantine-better-watch-out-people-can-now-report-you-through-whatsapp
#asia #malaysia #whatsapp #privacy
Mashable SEA
Malaysians violating quarantine better watch out. People can now report you through WhatsApp.
We haven't won yet, so stop acting like it.
Australian regulator sues Google over expanded personal data use
(Reuters) - Australia’s competition regulator has launched court proceedings against Alphabet’s Google for allegedly misleading consumers about the expanded use of personal data for targeted advertising.
The case by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in Federal Court said Google did not explicitly get consent nor properly inform consumers about a 2016 move to combine personal information in Google accounts with activities on non-Google websites that use its technology.
The regulator said this practice allowed the Alphabet Inc unit to link the names and other ways to identify consumers with their behaviour elsewhere on the internet.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-australia/australias-regulator-sues-google-over-personal-data-use-idUSKCN24R0VQ
#australia #google #privacy
(Reuters) - Australia’s competition regulator has launched court proceedings against Alphabet’s Google for allegedly misleading consumers about the expanded use of personal data for targeted advertising.
The case by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in Federal Court said Google did not explicitly get consent nor properly inform consumers about a 2016 move to combine personal information in Google accounts with activities on non-Google websites that use its technology.
The regulator said this practice allowed the Alphabet Inc unit to link the names and other ways to identify consumers with their behaviour elsewhere on the internet.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-australia/australias-regulator-sues-google-over-personal-data-use-idUSKCN24R0VQ
#australia #google #privacy
MinMicroG MicroG installer
v2.7
27 july, 2020
By MOVZX and FatherJony and FriendlyNeighborhoodShane
⚠️ Check the guide called readme.md inside the zips ⚠️
Yeehaw, official microG release!
Changelog:
- Update microG
- Update AuroraStore
- Remove awk dependency completely
⬇️ Downloads:
https://github.com/friendlyneighborhoodshane/minmicrog_releases/releases
Build scripts and instructions:
github.com/friendlyneighborhoodshane/minmicrog
📡 @NoGoolag
#minmicrog #microg #installer
v2.7
27 july, 2020
By MOVZX and FatherJony and FriendlyNeighborhoodShane
⚠️ Check the guide called readme.md inside the zips ⚠️
Yeehaw, official microG release!
Changelog:
- Update microG
- Update AuroraStore
- Remove awk dependency completely
⬇️ Downloads:
https://github.com/friendlyneighborhoodshane/minmicrog_releases/releases
Build scripts and instructions:
github.com/friendlyneighborhoodshane/minmicrog
📡 @NoGoolag
#minmicrog #microg #installer
Naver transfers Hong Kong backup data to Singapore
The South Korean search giant denied allegations that its sensitive user data stored abroad was at risk.
South Korea's Naver said on its official blog page that it has moved user backup data that was stored in Hong Kong to Singapore.
The data in Hong Kong was destroyed between July 6 to 10 and the server that was used to store it has been rebooted, the company said.
The company's move comes shortly after China introduced stringent, new national security laws that are aimed at tightening Beijing's control over the territory.
The decision to transfer backup data to Singapore was also in response to allegations made by local media that Naver's sensitive user data stored in Hong Kong was at risk of being leaked and that the Chinese government could access the data at any time.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/naver-transfers-hong-kong-backup-data-to-singapore/
#asia #hongkong #singapore #southkorea #naver
The South Korean search giant denied allegations that its sensitive user data stored abroad was at risk.
South Korea's Naver said on its official blog page that it has moved user backup data that was stored in Hong Kong to Singapore.
The data in Hong Kong was destroyed between July 6 to 10 and the server that was used to store it has been rebooted, the company said.
The company's move comes shortly after China introduced stringent, new national security laws that are aimed at tightening Beijing's control over the territory.
The decision to transfer backup data to Singapore was also in response to allegations made by local media that Naver's sensitive user data stored in Hong Kong was at risk of being leaked and that the Chinese government could access the data at any time.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/naver-transfers-hong-kong-backup-data-to-singapore/
#asia #hongkong #singapore #southkorea #naver
Fortnite maker: ‘Apple has locked down and crippled’ the App Store
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that Apple’s App Store is a “absolute monopoly” and Google’s control of Android “essentially stifles competing stores” on CNBC’s Squawk Alley on Friday, adding his voice to a chorus of detractors ahead of the CEOs testifying in Congress in the coming weeks.
Privately held Epic Games is the publisher and developer of Fortnite, which is consistently one of the apps that makes the most money on mobile app stores. But because Fortnite’s in-app purchases are digital goods like character outfits, both Apple and Google take a 30% cut of the game’s revenue according to store policies.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/24/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-apple-crippled-app-store-with-30percent-cut.html
#epicgames #apple #google
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that Apple’s App Store is a “absolute monopoly” and Google’s control of Android “essentially stifles competing stores” on CNBC’s Squawk Alley on Friday, adding his voice to a chorus of detractors ahead of the CEOs testifying in Congress in the coming weeks.
Privately held Epic Games is the publisher and developer of Fortnite, which is consistently one of the apps that makes the most money on mobile app stores. But because Fortnite’s in-app purchases are digital goods like character outfits, both Apple and Google take a 30% cut of the game’s revenue according to store policies.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/24/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-apple-crippled-app-store-with-30percent-cut.html
#epicgames #apple #google
Forwarded from Confidential and Proprietary (join from @exconfidential)
BleepingComputer
Source code from dozens of companies leaked online
Source code from exposed repositories of dozens of companies across various fields of activity (tech, finance, retail, food, eCommerce, manufacturing) is publicly available as a result of misconfigurations in their infrastructure.
Tencent’s WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
Super app WeChat, the multipurpose messaging and social media platform run by internet giant Tencent Holdings, has ceased operations in India weeks after a previously announced ban, dealing a blow to the millions of Indian users who use the app for personal and business reasons.
Tencent and other Chinese app operators have had no option but to fall in line with India’s ban, at a time when they also find themselves under increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the US over privacy and censorship issues.
India on Monday banned 47 more Chinese apps after blocking 59 others over privacy and national security concerns, according to an information ministry official and media reports.
https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3094834/tencents-wechat-cuts-service-india-amid-countrys-ban-chinese-apps
#asia #india #tencent #wechat
Super app WeChat, the multipurpose messaging and social media platform run by internet giant Tencent Holdings, has ceased operations in India weeks after a previously announced ban, dealing a blow to the millions of Indian users who use the app for personal and business reasons.
Tencent and other Chinese app operators have had no option but to fall in line with India’s ban, at a time when they also find themselves under increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the US over privacy and censorship issues.
India on Monday banned 47 more Chinese apps after blocking 59 others over privacy and national security concerns, according to an information ministry official and media reports.
https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3094834/tencents-wechat-cuts-service-india-amid-countrys-ban-chinese-apps
#asia #india #tencent #wechat
South China Morning Post
WeChat cuts off service in India amid the country’s ban on Chinese apps
The stakes are high for Tencent to comply with the ban because at least 10 of the company’s apps have been blacklisted in India, including QQ Mail, QQ Music and short-video platform Kwai.
Why you should absolutely worry about the anti-privacy EARN IT Act
Because the internet is a strange and complicated place, the fate of your digital privacy is, at this very moment, intertwined with that of online message boards and comment sections. And things, we're sorry to report, aren't looking so hot.
At issue is the seemingly unrelated EARN IT Act. Pushed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and a host of bipartisan co-sponsors, and voted on by the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday, the measure ostensibly aims to combat online child sexual abuse material. However, according to privacy and security experts who spoke with Mashable, the bill both directly threatens end-to-end encryption and promises to spur new and sustained online censorship by weakening Section 230 — a provision of the Communication Decency Act of 1996 that protects internet providers from being held liable for their users' actions.
https://mashable.com/article/earn-it-act-threatens-privacy-encryption-section-230/
#us #encryption #privacy
Because the internet is a strange and complicated place, the fate of your digital privacy is, at this very moment, intertwined with that of online message boards and comment sections. And things, we're sorry to report, aren't looking so hot.
At issue is the seemingly unrelated EARN IT Act. Pushed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and a host of bipartisan co-sponsors, and voted on by the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday, the measure ostensibly aims to combat online child sexual abuse material. However, according to privacy and security experts who spoke with Mashable, the bill both directly threatens end-to-end encryption and promises to spur new and sustained online censorship by weakening Section 230 — a provision of the Communication Decency Act of 1996 that protects internet providers from being held liable for their users' actions.
https://mashable.com/article/earn-it-act-threatens-privacy-encryption-section-230/
#us #encryption #privacy
www.congress.gov
Text - S.3398 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): EARN IT Act of 2020
Text for S.3398 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): EARN IT Act of 2020
APD’s Secret Informants Eyeing Neighbors for “Suspicious” Activity, Leaked Documents Reveal
In early June, an intelligence center operated by the Austin Police Department was hacked, along with many others like it across the country. Known as BlueLeaks, the collection of leaked documents from the hack contains over 10 gigs of material taken from the Austin center. They reveal a secret citizen spying program that's active in the Austin area and across the country. The Chronicle has obtained copies of BlueLeaks and will report further on the documents in the coming weeks.
Known as a fusion center, the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC) is a partnership between 19 local law enforcement agencies, housed at the Texas Department of Public Safety complex on North Lamar. Established after the perceived failures of intelligence sharing that contributed to 9/11, fusion centers use a national networked database that is also shared with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. This network includes 78 DHS-recognized fusion centers, with at least one in each state. Texas currently has eight.
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2020-07-24/apds-secret-informants-eyeing-neighbors-for-suspicious-activity-leaked-documents-reveal/
#us #austin #surveillance
In early June, an intelligence center operated by the Austin Police Department was hacked, along with many others like it across the country. Known as BlueLeaks, the collection of leaked documents from the hack contains over 10 gigs of material taken from the Austin center. They reveal a secret citizen spying program that's active in the Austin area and across the country. The Chronicle has obtained copies of BlueLeaks and will report further on the documents in the coming weeks.
Known as a fusion center, the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC) is a partnership between 19 local law enforcement agencies, housed at the Texas Department of Public Safety complex on North Lamar. Established after the perceived failures of intelligence sharing that contributed to 9/11, fusion centers use a national networked database that is also shared with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. This network includes 78 DHS-recognized fusion centers, with at least one in each state. Texas currently has eight.
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2020-07-24/apds-secret-informants-eyeing-neighbors-for-suspicious-activity-leaked-documents-reveal/
#us #austin #surveillance
Austinchronicle
APD’s Secret Informants Eyeing Neighbors for “Suspicious” Activity, Leaked Documents Reveal
APD intel center puts spies among us
Forwarded from BlackBox (Security) Archiv
A vigilante hacker is sabotaging the Emotet botnet by replacing malware payloads with GIFs
Emotet botnet activity goes down as Emotet admins are wrestling with a vigilante for control over parts of their infrastructure.
An unknown vigilante hacker has been sabotaging the operations of the recently-revived Emotet botnet by replacing Emotet payloads with animated GIFs, effectively preventing victims from getting infected.
The sabotage, which started three days ago, on July 21, has grown from a simple joke to a serious issue impacting a large portion of the Emotet operation.
According to Cryptolaemus, a group of white-hat security researchers tracking the Emotet botnet, the vigilante is now poisoning around a quarter of all Emotet's payload downloads.
👀 👉🏼 https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-vigilante-is-sabotaging-the-emotet-botnet-by-replacing-malware-payloads-with-gifs/
#emotet #hacked #malware #botnet #Cryptolaemus
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
Emotet botnet activity goes down as Emotet admins are wrestling with a vigilante for control over parts of their infrastructure.
An unknown vigilante hacker has been sabotaging the operations of the recently-revived Emotet botnet by replacing Emotet payloads with animated GIFs, effectively preventing victims from getting infected.
The sabotage, which started three days ago, on July 21, has grown from a simple joke to a serious issue impacting a large portion of the Emotet operation.
According to Cryptolaemus, a group of white-hat security researchers tracking the Emotet botnet, the vigilante is now poisoning around a quarter of all Emotet's payload downloads.
👀 👉🏼 https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-vigilante-is-sabotaging-the-emotet-botnet-by-replacing-malware-payloads-with-gifs/
#emotet #hacked #malware #botnet #Cryptolaemus
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_DE
📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN
📡@BlackBox_Archiv
📡@NoGoolag
ZDNet
A vigilante is sabotaging the Emotet botnet by replacing malware payloads with GIFs
Emotet botnet activity goes down as Emotet admins are wrestling with a vigilante for control over parts of their infrastructure.
In depth: Want a loan? China's tech giants are at your service
Huge troves of user data prove invaluable for insurance, healthcare and other services
Click into some of China's most popular apps these days and you'll soon be drowning in ads for loans.
"Borrow up to 200,000 yuan ($28,590) through Meituan's special loan service with a daily interest rate of less than 0.02% ..." "Important reminder! The interest rate on a Didi loan is lower than what you're paying on your credit card payments. Click here for more ..."
And if you aren't attracted by Meituan Dianping's "Monthly Delivery" or Didi's "Dripping Water Loan," you can take your pick from "Xiaomi Installments," "360 IOU," "Baidu Blooming Wealth" or "JD.com IOU."
Pushing financial services, especially loans, has become the latest "big thing" for internet and tech giants as they look to leverage their huge customer base to generate more revenue and profit as growth in their core businesses slows.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Caixin/In-depth-Want-a-loan-China-s-tech-giants-are-at-your-service
#asia #china #caixin #ads #privacy
Huge troves of user data prove invaluable for insurance, healthcare and other services
Click into some of China's most popular apps these days and you'll soon be drowning in ads for loans.
"Borrow up to 200,000 yuan ($28,590) through Meituan's special loan service with a daily interest rate of less than 0.02% ..." "Important reminder! The interest rate on a Didi loan is lower than what you're paying on your credit card payments. Click here for more ..."
And if you aren't attracted by Meituan Dianping's "Monthly Delivery" or Didi's "Dripping Water Loan," you can take your pick from "Xiaomi Installments," "360 IOU," "Baidu Blooming Wealth" or "JD.com IOU."
Pushing financial services, especially loans, has become the latest "big thing" for internet and tech giants as they look to leverage their huge customer base to generate more revenue and profit as growth in their core businesses slows.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Caixin/In-depth-Want-a-loan-China-s-tech-giants-are-at-your-service
#asia #china #caixin #ads #privacy
Nikkei Asia
In depth: Want a loan? China's tech giants are at your service
Huge troves of user data prove invaluable for insurance, healthcare and other services
Alipay allows pet owners to buy insurance by using facial recognition on their cats and dogs
Pet insurance has existed for a while, but it often involves filling out boring paper forms and taking a trip to the vet to implant a microchip in their furry friends. China’s e-payment giant Alipay has another idea.
The platform, run by Ant Financial – an affiliate of South China Morning Post owner Alibaba – has launched its first ever insurance program for cats and dogs. Enrolment is simple: Using the Alipay app, owners can set up a digital profile of their animals by taking a few pictures.
A close-up photo of the animal is used to establish a record of its nose print. Similar to how smartphones and law enforcement agencies use fingerprints to identify humans, dogs and cats are believed to have unique and permanent skin patterns on their noses.
https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3094053/alipay-allows-pet-owners-buy-insurance-using-facial-recognition-their
#asia #china #alipay #biometrics #facial #recognition
Pet insurance has existed for a while, but it often involves filling out boring paper forms and taking a trip to the vet to implant a microchip in their furry friends. China’s e-payment giant Alipay has another idea.
The platform, run by Ant Financial – an affiliate of South China Morning Post owner Alibaba – has launched its first ever insurance program for cats and dogs. Enrolment is simple: Using the Alipay app, owners can set up a digital profile of their animals by taking a few pictures.
A close-up photo of the animal is used to establish a record of its nose print. Similar to how smartphones and law enforcement agencies use fingerprints to identify humans, dogs and cats are believed to have unique and permanent skin patterns on their noses.
https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3094053/alipay-allows-pet-owners-buy-insurance-using-facial-recognition-their
#asia #china #alipay #biometrics #facial #recognition
South China Morning Post
Alipay launches facial recognition for pets
Ant Financial’s e-payment platform can identify pets by their unique nose prints.
Twitter contractors reportedly spied on the accounts of Beyoncé and other celebrities by creating fake help desk tickets
Twitter's lax internal policies allowed members of its security team to access the personal information of celebrity users, including Beyoncé, without their permission, Bloomberg reported Monday.
The security team, which is made up of 1,500 employees and contractors, has internal tools that allow it to see users' phone numbers, email addresses, and approximate location data in order to monitor accounts for fraud and content violations, the report said.
But widespread access to the tools and lenient rules around their use led some contractors to challenge each other to spy on celebrity accounts by submitting fake help desk tickets, former employees told Bloomberg.
https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-contractors-spied-on-beyonce-celebrity-accounts-report-2020-7
#twitter #privacy
Twitter's lax internal policies allowed members of its security team to access the personal information of celebrity users, including Beyoncé, without their permission, Bloomberg reported Monday.
The security team, which is made up of 1,500 employees and contractors, has internal tools that allow it to see users' phone numbers, email addresses, and approximate location data in order to monitor accounts for fraud and content violations, the report said.
But widespread access to the tools and lenient rules around their use led some contractors to challenge each other to spy on celebrity accounts by submitting fake help desk tickets, former employees told Bloomberg.
https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-contractors-spied-on-beyonce-celebrity-accounts-report-2020-7
#twitter #privacy
Facebook takes the EU to court over privacy spat
Facebook has pushed back against a European Union investigation into its practices, taking it to court over privacy concerns
Two investigations are being carried out into Facebook to find out if it breaches competition laws.
To gather information, the European Commission has demanded internal documents from Facebook that include 2,500 specific key phrases.
Facebook says that means handing over unrelated but highly sensitive data.
The European Commission says it will defend the case in court, and its investigation into Facebook's potential anticompetitive conduct is ongoing.
The social media giant has filed an appeal to the EU courts, arguing against the breadth of the document requests.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53558947
#eu #facebook #privacy
Facebook has pushed back against a European Union investigation into its practices, taking it to court over privacy concerns
Two investigations are being carried out into Facebook to find out if it breaches competition laws.
To gather information, the European Commission has demanded internal documents from Facebook that include 2,500 specific key phrases.
Facebook says that means handing over unrelated but highly sensitive data.
The European Commission says it will defend the case in court, and its investigation into Facebook's potential anticompetitive conduct is ongoing.
The social media giant has filed an appeal to the EU courts, arguing against the breadth of the document requests.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53558947
#eu #facebook #privacy
Troubleshooting for the MicroG alpha
♦ FCM doesn't register, microG crashes
Solution: Go to microG > GCM > options and turn off "Confirm new apps". Then try to reregister your apps again.
(It seems the confirmation dialog is not implemented yet)
♦ Network location not working
Follow the steps given by ploink here:
https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/issues/1100
♦ FCM doesn't register, microG crashes
Solution: Go to microG > GCM > options and turn off "Confirm new apps". Then try to reregister your apps again.
(It seems the confirmation dialog is not implemented yet)
♦ Network location not working
Follow the steps given by ploink here:
https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/issues/1100
Google victory in German top court over right to be forgotten
A German court has sided with Google and rejected requests to wipe entries from search results. The cases hinged on whether the right to be forgotten outweighed the public's right to know.
Germany's highest court agreed on Monday with lower courts and rejected the two plaintiffs' appeals over privacy concerns.
In the first case, a former managing director of a charity had demanded Google remove links to certain news articles that appeared in searches of his name. The articles from 2011 reported that the charity was in financial trouble and that the manager had called in sick. He later argued in court that information on his personal health issues should not be divulged to the public years later.
The court ruled that whether links to critical articles have to be removed from the search list always depends on a comprehensive consideration of fundamental rights in the individual case.
https://m.dw.com/en/google-right-to-be-forgotten/a-54326877
#europe #germany #google #privacy
A German court has sided with Google and rejected requests to wipe entries from search results. The cases hinged on whether the right to be forgotten outweighed the public's right to know.
Germany's highest court agreed on Monday with lower courts and rejected the two plaintiffs' appeals over privacy concerns.
In the first case, a former managing director of a charity had demanded Google remove links to certain news articles that appeared in searches of his name. The articles from 2011 reported that the charity was in financial trouble and that the manager had called in sick. He later argued in court that information on his personal health issues should not be divulged to the public years later.
The court ruled that whether links to critical articles have to be removed from the search list always depends on a comprehensive consideration of fundamental rights in the individual case.
https://m.dw.com/en/google-right-to-be-forgotten/a-54326877
#europe #germany #google #privacy
Deutsche Welle
Google victory in German top court over right to be forgotten
A German court has sided with Google and rejected requests to wipe entries from search results. The cases hinged on whether the right to be forgotten outweighed the public's right to know.
System76 is porting Coreboot to AMD Ryzen
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2020/07/26/system76-reveals-an-open-source-surprise-for-amd-ryzen-fans
#coreboot #amd #ryzen #System76
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2020/07/26/system76-reveals-an-open-source-surprise-for-amd-ryzen-fans
#coreboot #amd #ryzen #System76
Forbes
System76 Reveals An Open Source PC Surprise For AMD Ryzen Fans
"We will be the only ones in the universe offering these processors with open source firmware"
Brazil antitrust watchdog questions Facebook's WhatsApp payment fees
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil’s antitrust watchdog is asking Facebook Inc (FB.O) to explain the fee structure for its short-lived payments service launched in June in partnership with card processor Cielo SA (CIEL3.SA), according to a document seen by Reuters.
The service on Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging platform was blocked by Brazil’s central bank eight days after the launch.
Facebook charged merchants a 4% fee per transaction, above market prices, but transfers among individuals were free.
Cade, as the watchdog is known, said it wanted to understand the rationale for the fee and see if the deal prevented other card processors from joining the payment platform as Cielo dominates Brazil’s market with a 40% share.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-brazil/brazil-antitrust-watchdog-questions-facebooks-whatsapp-payment-fees-idUSKCN24S2QQ
#brazil #whatsapp #antitrust
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil’s antitrust watchdog is asking Facebook Inc (FB.O) to explain the fee structure for its short-lived payments service launched in June in partnership with card processor Cielo SA (CIEL3.SA), according to a document seen by Reuters.
The service on Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging platform was blocked by Brazil’s central bank eight days after the launch.
Facebook charged merchants a 4% fee per transaction, above market prices, but transfers among individuals were free.
Cade, as the watchdog is known, said it wanted to understand the rationale for the fee and see if the deal prevented other card processors from joining the payment platform as Cielo dominates Brazil’s market with a 40% share.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-brazil/brazil-antitrust-watchdog-questions-facebooks-whatsapp-payment-fees-idUSKCN24S2QQ
#brazil #whatsapp #antitrust