iWorld
Facebook’s Saurabh Doshi takes over as head of entertainment partnership – APAC
MUMBAI: The Mark Zuckerberg-headed company has recently reportedly elevated its India media partnerships head, Saurabh Doshi, to a wider APAC role. Based out of Singapore, he will have oversee entertainment partnerships for all of Asia Pacific, including South East Asia, Japan, Korea, China and ANZ.
Even as no external announcement has been made, Doshi has been seen more out of India than in India recently. We reached out to the company but received no comments; however, some of his clients indeed confirmed the promotion to Indiantelevision.com. From India to Asian responsibilities is a jump that Martin Sorrell’s WPP and Unilever have often given to their executives in the past and this could be an interesting trend in the digital world going forward.
Sources reveal that Doshi’s core focus will be to manage strategic relationships with some of the biggest media organisations and public celebrities in the region along with working closely with studios, TV networks and creators in the entertainment space, leveraging the Facebook platform to maximise specific objectives and increasing engagement on the platform. Given all the success YouTube has had with creators, this will be an important space
The appointment comes as an important step for the social media platform since APAC today is the fastest growing and the most happening market for most digital companies and is super critical for growth and the future.
Doshi joined Facebook in 2014 as the head of media partnership driving growth in videos and time spent on content on the platform and has been credited with various achievements since then. Some of them have been in unique product offerings in India, especially focused on video and instant articles, which a client mentioned have been two products on the forefront for India given the growth in the ecosystem here.
A source mentioned focus is on the media side, especially solving language content problems given its importance and the mega $600 million bid for IPL by Facebook. Recently, there has been news of a deep partnership with the launch of Vice in India.
Facebook globally has been partnering deeply with news publishers and the same has been the case in India looking at media case studies published on its website which Doshi has been leading along with his team.
Apparently, the company hasn’t decided who will step into Doshi’s shoes but the careers site shows hiring of a VP for India to head its India operations.
Facebook has a worldwide presence, except in China. A source close to the development mentioned that FB has been focusing a lot on videos specially with its video platform WATCH, for premium shows and content in the US and it is expected this team will roll it out in APAC as well.
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.
