Connect with us

SOCIAL

LinkedIn Adds New Security Features, Including New Info on When an Account Was Created

Published

on

LinkedIn Adds New Security Features, Including New Info on When an Account Was Created

LinkedIn has announced some new features to help combat fraud and spammers in the app, including new insights into when a profile was created, new tools to detect AI-generated profile images and prompts to help protect users from scam messages.

First off, LinkedIn’s adding a new ‘About this profile’ element, which will provide more insight into when a profile was created, when it was last updated, and more.

As you can see in these images, the new ‘About this profile’ element, accessible via the three dots menu on any profile in the app, will include info on when the profile was updated, along with whether the user has a registered email or phone number in the app.

That could help to determine whether it’s a real person looking to connect, or a scammer seeking to steal your info – which has become a more prominent issue of late.

Just last month, MIT Technology Review published an article about the ‘millions’ of fraudulent LinkedIn profiles that have been detected trying to lure unsuspecting users into scams.

Advertisement

As per MIT:

“A scammer on LinkedIn may try to connect with someone through common work experience, a shared hometown, or the feeling of living in a foreign country. Over 60% of the victims who have reached out to GASO are Chinese immigrants or have Chinese ancestry, which these actors lean on to evoke nostalgia or a desire for companionship. The fake claims to have graduated from China’s top universities, which are notoriously difficult to get into, also help scammers earn respect.”

The scammers then use these lines of connection to lure users into crypto investment scams, while MIT also notes that LinkedIn victims ‘tend to lose more money than victims of fraud on other platforms’.

In addition, over the past year, two separate databases of LinkedIn user info – one, reportedly, with 500 million records, and another with 700 million – were found being pitched to potential buyers on the dark web. LinkedIn investigated each, and found that the information had not been obtained through hacking, but via data scraping, a practice that LinkedIn has been looking to outlaw via legal means for years.

Much of the scraping in these cases only saw the scammers obtain some information from LinkedIn, which they then matched with other databases, but there are also cases where scammers have connected with users in the app to then gain access to even more information about them and those in their networks.

Given the rising prevalence and concern around such incidents, LinkedIn’s been working to update its security tools – hence this update – and this new feature could be an extra measure to help you determine who you should connect with, and who you should avoid in the app.

Advertisement

On another front, LinkedIn has also improved its machine learning and AI models to better detect uploaded profile images that have been created by an AI image app.

As explained by LinkedIn:

Our new deep-learning-based model proactively checks profile photo uploads to determine if the image is AI-generated using cutting-edge technology designed to detect subtle image artifacts associated with the AI-based synthetic image generation process without performing facial recognition or biometric analyses. This model helps increase the effectiveness of our automated anti-abuse defenses to help detect and remove fake accounts before they have a chance to reach our members.”

This is going to become a more prevalent problem over time, as AI image generators get better and better at creating convincing replicas of real world content.  

They’ll also likely get harder for systems to detect – which is why it’s important for LinkedIn to keep its systems up to speed on the latest updates, to help remove fake profiles before they look to interact.

Finally, LinkedIn’s also adding new warning prompts on DMs that include ‘high-risk content that could impact your security’.

Advertisement
LinkedIn spam message screens example

As you can see in this example, in the first screenshot, when the user looks to refer the chat to another app, LinkedIn will now prompt the recipient to read its safety tips, as referring the conversation to another platform is a common approach by scammers.

In the second, you can see what the message looks like without the warning screen, where LinkedIn will also include a direct option to report the message if it’s a concern.

In combination, these new features will provide more protection for LinkedIn users, and help LinkedIn better detect and enforce its rules in such situations.

And as noted, with more high-profile incidences of scams proliferating on LinkedIn, it’s an important area of focus, both to reassure users of their safety and to eliminate the impacts of the same.

Source link

Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address

SOCIAL

Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

Published

on

By

Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

Advertisement

This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
Continue Reading

SOCIAL

Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

Published

on

Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

Advertisement



“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

Source link

Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
Continue Reading

SOCIAL

Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Published

on

Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

Advertisement



Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

Source link

Keep an eye on what we are doing
Be the first to get latest updates and exclusive content straight to your email inbox.
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address
Continue Reading

Trending

Follow by Email
RSS