iWorld
ALTBalaji’s apharan now available for Amazon Alexa users
MUMBAI: “Kehte hain jaane waale laut kar nahin aate. Galat kehte hain!”, this popular dialogue from Apharan on ALTBalaji is just one of the many reasons why, one of the best suspense thrillers in the Indian OTT space enjoys such a high mass appeal. As massification of OTT grips the nation and the globe, ALTBalaji decided to up the ante and take the show to Alexa users to reach out further to internet connected consumers across the country.
Amazon India is working with developers to expand Alexa’s India focused skills, and ALTBalaji is very proud to be one of the early adopters to get on to the platform. Till date 100 million devices with Alexa built in have been sold across the globe. As per an Accenture report, 150 million users will be using voice in India this year in the form of a voice assistant and search. With a huge proliferation of these devices into more and more Indian homes, fans of ALTBalaji web-series can now seamlessly sample their favourite shows right from the Alexa eco-system.
Riding on the back of some stellar acting, cinematography, dialogues and a crisp plot, Apharan became the talk of the town and has garnered an unprecedented IMDb rating of 9.2/10 as well as claimed a host of awards for best actors and best direction. In order to immerse themselves in the gritty, entertaining world of Senior Inspector Rudra Shrivastava, filled with its myriad surprises and suspense, all that a user would have to say is, “Alexa, Enable Apharan”. In addition to the trailer, Alexa users now also get seamless access to Apharan’s title track, dialogues, interesting trivia and jokes that further amplifies the entertainment quotient.
Speaking about the integration, Divya Dixit — Senior VP and Head Marketing, ALTBalaji, said, “With Alexa being a market leader in the smart-connected devices space, this is further going to expand our reach to a larger demographic. We have already carved out a niche in the industry through our originals, and with this one of a kind innovation with Alexa, we are providing another touchpoint to users to interact with one of our most iconic shows and we will expand this association to more shows from us. Apharan… Sabka Katega continues to win accolades and unprecedented adulation amongst the masses.”
Varun Badola – Actor and Dialogue writer said, “Apharan is a very special show for me and I am completely indebted to the audiences for making the dialogues so memorable and viral. I couldn’t have asked for a better platform than Alexa to reach out to and engage with the tech savvy audiences of today, in a fun manner that’s never seen before.
Building on the legacy of creating iconic shows, ALTBalaji’s exclusive content library has built a catalogue of more than 42 Originals like ‘Apharan,’ ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Gandii Baat’, ‘The Test Case’, ‘Bose: Dead or Alive’ among others, which continue to be lauded by viewers across the globe.
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.
