Android users are being warned about a dangerous malware threat disguised as a fake antivirus app, according to Fox News. Cybersecurity researchers discovered hackers are using the popular AI platform Hugging Face to spread the malicious software, which grants criminals direct access to infected devices once installed. This news comes as Amazon's Ring ended a deal with surveillance firm Flock Safety following public backlash over privacy concerns, and authorities continue to investigate the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona.
The malware threat stands out as especially troubling because it combines two things people already trust: security apps and AI platforms, Fox News reported. The fake antivirus app is designed to appear harmless, luring users into installing it. Once installed, the malware allows hackers to gain control of the user's Android device.
Meanwhile, Amazon's Ring is dropping a partnership with Flock Safety, a firm that operates a network of cameras and license plate readers in the US, BBC Technology reported. The agreement, announced in October, would have allowed agencies working with Flock to retrieve video captured on Ring devices for investigations. The decision to end the deal came days after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl sparked widespread backlash for its privacy implications.
In other news, police activity was underway near the home of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday night, according to BBC World. The search for the missing mother of US news anchor Savannah Guthrie is ongoing. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was taken against her will after disappearing from her home nearly two weeks ago. Investigators found DNA at Guthrie's address that did not belong to her or anyone close to her. Armed police teams were seen entering and exiting the area, with a sheriff's vehicle blocking the road.
In technology news, stroke survivors are trialing new "at home" technology designed to help regain movement. Amanda James-Hammett, who suffered a stroke six years ago, participated in a nationwide NHS trial testing a new device. "It's about freedom," she said, according to BBC Technology. "It's given me my freedom back."
Finally, a now-halted plan to run a hepatitis B vaccine trial involving thousands of newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been criticized by the World Health Organization as "unethical," BBC World reported. The US-funded study had sought to give one set of babies the vaccine at birth, while another would have had the shot delayed until six weeks of age. The WHO expressed "significant concerns" about the plan, describing the birth-dose vaccine as "an effective and essential public health intervention, with a proven record."
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