Inside the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe.
Trove of surveillance data challenges what we thought we knew about location tracking tools, who they target and how far they have spread
Automation apps such as iOS Shortcuts and Android Tasker enable users to “program” new functionalities, also called recipes, on their smartphones. For example, users can create recipes to set the phone to silent mode once they arrive at their office or save a note when an email is received from a particular sender. These automation apps provide convenience and can help improve productivity. However, these automation apps can also provide new avenues for abuse, particularly in
the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). This paper systematically explores the potential of automation apps to be used for surveillance and harassment in IPV scenarios. We analyze four popular automation apps — iOS Shortcuts, Samsung Modes & Routines, Tasker, and IFTTT — evaluating their capabilities to facilitate surveillance and harassment. Our study reveals that these tools can be exploited by abusers today to monitor, impersonate, overload, and control their victims. The current notification and logging mechanisms implemented in these automation apps are insufficient to warn the victim about the abuse or to help them identify the root cause and stop it. We therefore built a detection mechanism to identify potentially malicious Shortcuts recipes and tested it on 12,962 publicly available Shortcuts recipes. We found 1,014 recipes that can be used to surveil and harass others.We then discuss how users and platforms mitigate such abuse potential of automation apps.
Today we’re announcing the next major chapter for Apple Security Bounty, featuring the industry’s highest rewards — up to $2 million and a maximum payout in excess of $5 million — expanded research categories, and a flag system for researchers to objectively demonstrate vulnerabilities and obtain accelerated awards.
Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone received a WhatsApp message on January 31, along with 90 other users around the world. Since the end of 2024, he has been at the center of a major banking operation involving the government. He is the first name involved outside the circle of activists and journalists
Hollywood producer Robert Simonds leads the deal, subject to Israeli and U.S. regulatory review.
When the bubble bursts, reality will hit far harder than anyone expects
Bluesky’s protocol is so complicated that not even the biggest alternative network has figured out how to become independent
We investigate a coordinated network of inauthentic X accounts that is spreading AI-generated content to induce revolt in Iran. The network has been active since 2023, but increased activity during the Iran-Israel conflict in June 2025.
Documents show that ICE has gone back on its decision to not use location data remotely harvested from peoples' phones. The database is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data.
CopyCop expands Russian influence ops with 300+ fake websites targeting the US, France, Canada & more—using AI, deepfakes, and GRU-backed infrastructure.
Exclusive: Instagram pictures of girls as young as 13 were posted to promote Threads site ‘as bait’, campaigner says
Four people go on trial accused of misdemeanours but opponents ask why no government officials have been charged.
Exclusive: Tech firm ends military unit’s access to AI and data services after Guardian reveals secret spy project
The French government says Apple sent out threat notifications to customers alerting them to spyware attacks earlier in September.
ICE is using a controversial spy tool to locate smartphones, court records show.
New York, September 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely alarmed by the installation of spyware on two Kenyan filmmakers’ phones while the devices were in police custody, and calls on authorities to drop a case against them and two other filmmakers and ensure that journalists are not further targeted for surveillance. Forensic analysis...
Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE) is the culmination of an unprecedented design and engineering effort spanning half a decade that combines the unique strengths of Apple silicon hardware with our advanced operating system security to provide industry-first, always-on memory safety protection across our devices — without compromising our best-in-class device performance. We believe Memory Integrity Enforcement represents the most significant upgrade to memory safety in the history of consumer operating systems.
The cyber division of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations on Saturday quietly lifted a stop-work order put into place by the Biden administration in October.