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Bluesky has updated its impersonation policy to be “more aggressive” after third-party analysis highlighted its verification problem. The Bluesky Safety account said that the social media service is removing accounts that are impersonating other people and those squatting on handles. Bluesky doesn’t have a conventional verification system, so it’s easy for unscrupulous users to pretend to be someone else either for attention or to scam other people. That may not have been a serious problem in the past, but the recent influx of new users threw the issue into stark relief. 

While users can verify their identities on Bluesky by linking their account to a domain name, the process isn’t as straightforward as paying for a checkmark. They’d have to add a string of text to the DNS record associated with their domain so that they could claim their URL. For instance, we could claim the Engadget.com handle on Bluesky if we go through this self-verification process. Individuals can link their accounts to personal domains or pay for Bluesky’s custom domain service. In its new announcement, the platform say’s it’s working with organizations and high-profile individuals to set up their verified handles.

That said, when a user verifies their account, their old handle (typically username.bsky.social) gets freed up and becomes available to other people who sign up. Alexios Mantzarlis, the third party from Cornell Tech who analyzed the app’s userbase, found that 44 percent of Bluesky’s 100 most-followed accounts have a doppelganger. That is why Bluesky now requires parody, satire or fan accounts to label themselves as such in both their handles and their bio. If they don’t, or if they only indicate the nature of their account in one of those elements, then they’ll be treated as an impersonator and will be removed from the platform. 

Bluesky now explicitly prohibits identity churning, as well. Accounts that start as impersonators with the purpose of gaining new users, and who then switch to a different identity in an attempt to circumvent the ban, will still get booted off the app. Finally, it says it’s exploring “additional options to enhance account verification,” though they’re not quite ready for rollout. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/bluesky-implements-a-more-aggressive-impersonation-policy-130047163.html?src=rss 

Senior reporter Jess Conditt joins host Cherlynn Low and producer Ben Ellman on a quiet news week to talk about the latest developments at Sony, Threads, TikTok and more. We also take a look at some gadget announcements and discuss the impact that social media and technology have had on the way we work and how we think of celebrity and success.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

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Topics

A chill Thanksgiving week chat: Social media and how it affects all of us – 1:07

Gaming news with Jess: Sony is reportedly working on a new portable console – 21:18

PlayStation’s head of indie games Shuhei Yoshida is leaving Sony after 30 years – 28:34

Obsidian’s Avowed looks like a great reason to pick up an Xbox controller – 31:53

FTC warns that most connected devices aren’t supported for very long – 37:08

Working on – 41:14

Pop culture picks – 42:17

Credits 

Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Jessica Conditt
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/engadget-podcast-social-medias-impact-and-sonys-next-portable-playstation-213057887.html?src=rss 

One of the world’s most notorious hackers could finally be in custody. Bleeping Computer reports that ransomware affiliate Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev also known as Wazawaka, Uhodiransomwar, m1x and Boriselcin has been arrested.

Prosecutors have not confirmed if Matveev is under arrest, but reports indicate that Matveev may be the hacker in Russian custody. The Russian state news agency РИА Новости (translated on BlueSky by the Center for Strategic Research’s Oleg Shakirov) reported that the Kaliningrad Interior Ministry and Russian prosecutors sent a case of “a programmer accused of creating a malicious program” to court. An anonymous source with knowledge of the matter confirms that Matveev is the programmer.

Matveev is also wanted on charges in the US for launching attacks on US law enforcement agencies and healthcare organizations as far back as 2020. The US State Department is offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture in May of last year when the Department of Justice filed criminal charges against him. If he’s in Russian custody, the US may not get a chance to prosecute him.

Matveev, a Russian national, has links to ransomware hacking groups such as Hive, LockBit and Babuk. He’s linked to a number of attacks including an April 2021 lockout attack on the systems of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. More than a year later, he allegedly helped launch a Hive ransomware attack on a healthcare NGO in New Jersey.

Attacks from LockBit are particularly destructive and egregious. In late 2022, the group infected the computer systems of 1,400 victims including a Holiday Inn hotel in Turkey. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also placed sanctions against Matveev for his role in several ransomware attacks on US services and critical infrastructure targets. The Justice Department believes Matveev has extracted more than $75 million from his victims in ransom payments.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/russia-arrests-ransomware-attacker-wazawaka-202134431.html?src=rss 

It can be tough to shop for a photographer or videographer during the holidays because there’s so much gear out there, and a lot of it is super expensive. Whether you’ve got someone like that on your holiday gift list, or you’re looking to upgrade some of your own camera gear, Black Friday deals can help make it less burdensome on your wallet. Most of the major camera manufacturers including Sony, Canon, DJI, Nikon and GoPro are offering substantial discounts this year on a bunch of products, so it’s likely you’ll find something that will fit within your budget. These are the best Black Friday camera deals we found for 2024.

Black Friday action cam and drone deals

GoPro Hero 13 Black accessory bundle for $349 (22 percent off): GoPro’s best deal in my opinion is the Hero 13 Black accessory bundle pack. It not only gives you the company’s awesome video camera with up to 5.3K capture, but two enduro batteries, the “Handler” handle, two curved adhesive mounts, a 64GB microSD card and a carrying case for the same price as the camera alone. 

DJI Mini 4K drone for $239 (20 percent off): It’s right there in the name, as the DJI Mini 4K can shoot 4K30p or 27K 60p video. That’s not bad at all at this price and quality is surprisingly good. Best of all, it weighs less than 250 grams so you don’t need any kind of a permit to fly it. If you want to get it with extra batteries and a carrying case, the Fly More Combo is also discounted 20 percent to $359. 

DJI Osmo Action 4 action cam for $209 (30 percent off): Even though it was superceded by the Action 5, DJI’s Osmo Action 4 is still a great action cam. It has a relatively large 1/1.3-inch sensor so it’s great in low light, and offers 4K 120p video. You also get DJI’s Rocksteady 3.0 stabilization, long battery life and a nifty magnetic locking system. 

Insta360 Ace Pro action cam for $300 (14 percent off): The Ace Pro is the first action camera with 8K recording, something we’ve still yet to see from GoPro or DJI. Another unique feature is the flip-up selfie screen that eliminates the need for a front screen. This is the lowest price we’ve seen yet for this model. 

Insta360 X4 action cam for $425 (15 percent off): Insta360’s X4 sets the standard for 360 video with up to 8K of resolution, and it’s now on sale at the lowest price we’ve seen yet. Rugged and waterproof, it offers powerful image stabilization, an invisible selfie stick and fun video modes. 

Black Friday mirrorless and compact camera deals

Canon EOS R100 camera with two lenses for $499 (40 percent off): This is one of the best camera deals going right now, letting you pick up Canon’s small but powerful EOS R100 plus two lenses that cover from 18mm up to 210mm (27-315mm full-frame equivalent). Its size makes it ideal for travel and the lens selection will let you shoot anything from people pics to wildlife or bird shots. 

Sony ZV-1 II camera for $698 (22 percent off): The ZV-1 II is an ideal vlogging camera thanks to features like product showcase and background defocus that make it easy for creators to grab the perfect shot. The latest model features a wider zoom lens and more intuitive touchscreen, so it’s better than ever for creators on the go.

Nikon Z8 camera for $3,497 (13 percent off): The Nikon Z8 is the most powerful hybrid camera you can get for the money, thanks to the 45.7-megapixel stacked sensor, incredible burst speeds, high image quality and 8K RAW video capture. It stacks up feature-for-feature against Canon’s slightly better R5 II, but currently costs a whopping $800 less.

Canon EOS R8 camera for $1,199 (20 percent off): The R8 has Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel AF with subject recognition AI, and can shoot bursts at up to 40 fps. It’s equally strong with video, supporting oversampled 10-bit 4K at up to 60 fps.

Panasonic Lumix S9 camera with 20mm-60mm lens $1,498 (17 percent off): This is one of the best deals on a full-frame creator camera that we’ve seen. After testing one recently I found it to be small but powerful, with reliable autofocus, awesome video quality and those famous real-time LUTs so that creators can get the perfect look with no fuss. 

Sony A7 IV camera for $2,098 (16 percent off): Sony’s 33-megapixel A7 IV is the best mid-range mirrorless camera you can get, thanks to a great mix of speed, resolution and video powers. The biggest selling point is the reliable autofocus that ensures you’ll get sharp photos nearly all the time. 

Black Friday camera accessory deals

Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 19 Studio $236 (20 percent off): DaVinci Resolve 19 is the best alternative to Adobe’s Premiere Pro for video editing and unlike the latter, doesn’t lock you into a subscription. The latest version offers a host of new AI-powered features like motion tracking and color grading. 

K&F Concept camera sling bag for $32 (16 percent off): If you need to travel light this bag can carry a surprising amount of gear while offering excellent protection and features like a side safety buckle.

Amazon Basics 60-inch lightweight tripod with bag for $19 (27 percent off): This lightweight tripod weighs just 2.7 pounds and has adjustable leg heights and rubber feet. Though small, it can handle any camera and lens combo weighing up to 6.6 pounds.

Lexar Silver Pro SDXC UHS-II 128GB (2 pack) memory card for $54 (26 percent off): This V60 card has enough speed for 4K 60p video capture and can unload files to your computer at a stellar 280 MB/s.

ProGrade Digital 512GB CFexpress 4.0 Type B Gold memory card $140 (30 percent off): This is a solid deal on a mid-range memory card that offers max read/write speeds of 3400 MB/s and 3000 MB/s. 

SanDisk 256GB Ultra microSDXC memory card for $19 (27 percent off): A good compromise between speed and value, it offers speeds up to 150 MB/s for drones, consoles and other devices.

Pixel G1s RGB video light for $56 (30 percent of): Pixel’s G1s RGB video light is a must have for serious shooters, offering both a second illumination source and a colorful background light. Unlike many of the knockoffs, it exudes quality, and this is the lowest price I’ve seen yet. 

Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel $407 (20 percent off): The Micro Color Panel is portable, attractive, well-designed, nice to use and reasonably priced. If you sped a lot of time on color correction, you’ll find it to be a time saver. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-19-best-black-friday-deals-on-camera-gear-from-nikon-dji-canon-and-others-130004779.html?src=rss