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This Week in Technology: Facial Recognition, AI, and More

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China Rolls Out Facial Recognition To Phones

China put into effect new regulations that require Chinese carriers to scan the faces of users registering new phones on Sunday. They say that they want to crack down on fraud within the country. Originally, China announced the plan in September. Therefore, millions more people will fall under facial recognition legislature in China.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) did not say which companies will provide the providers with these services. However, China is home to some of the world’s leaders in facial recognition technology. Currently, subways, airports, and supermarkets already use it. In addition, metro systems plan to implement it soon.

AI Cameras To Catch Texting While Driving

Australia recently activated AI cameras to catch people texting while driving. The cameras, which launched on December 1st, will catch drivers illegally using their phones. In the first three months, anyone caught will receive a warning. After that, however, they could receive a fine. “Some people have not got the message about using their phones legally and safely,” said Andrew Constance, minister for roads.

Australia tested the cameras in early 2019, and successfully detected nearly 100,000 drivers. Currently, they plan to expand the system to include 45 cameras by 2023. “Images that the automated system considers likely to contain a driver illegally using a mobile phone are verified by authorized personnel,” NSW Transport said.

Facebook Works To Restore Services After Outages

Facebook said it was working to restore access after outages on Thursday. Many users reported issues on the Thanksgiving holiday. In addition, Facebook said issues with its central software systems triggered an outage in its family of apps. “We quickly investigated, started restoring access, and we’re now monitoring for full recovery,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

“We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing Facebook’s family of apps, including Instagram. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. #InstagramDown,” Instagram said earlier in a tweet.

Android ‘Spoofing’ Bug Helps Target Bank Accounts

A major security flaw has allowed cyber thieves to make apps that can steal banking information from phones. The bug allows users to create a fake login that they can insert into legitimate apps. Because of this, they can access extremely personal data. “It targeted several banks in several countries and the malware successfully exploited end users to steal money,” said Tom Hansen, chief technology officer of Norwegian mobile security firm Promon, which found the bug.

India Plans Audit Of WhatsApp

India wants to conduct an audit of WhatsApp’s security systems. Recently, spyware exploited vulnerabilities in the messaging platform. However, WhatsApp declined to comment. In addition, WhatsApp sued Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group last month. They accused it of helping clients break into the phones of roughly 1,400 users across four continents. 

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