iWorld
‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 to be released on Netflix
Mumbai: The fourth and most awaited season of American science fiction horror drama television series “Stranger Things” is all set to make its premiere on Netflix on 27 May.
Starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Cara Buono, Dacre Montgomery, and Maya Hawke, the upcoming season of this series is creating a lot of buzz across social media.
Let us tell you that not just “Stranger Things” but a lot of American TV shows, films and other programming in different languages are emerging as a favorite of viewers on OTT platforms.
According to industry estimates, 30 percent of overall viewership of leading OTT applications comes from American content, streamed in foreign languages such as Turkish, German and Korean — including their dubbed versions in the hindi and other regional languages.
While the originals engage the audience in urban areas, the dubbed versions ensure maintain the momentum in regional markets.
Recently, “Extraction” and “The Kissing Booth” by Netflix registered significant growth in the Hindi and Tamil markets. Amazon Prime Video’s “The Boys”, “The Tomorrow War”, “Wonder Woman” and “Parasite” are also doing exceptionally well in Hindi and Tamil speaking belt. Considering this shift in audience behaviour, Walt Disney has decided to leverage the regional market by dubbing content into regional languages and making it available even on its cheaper price plans.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
