iWorld
Netflix doubles down on reality content to attract paying subscribers
Mumbai: Netflix has announced several new and returning unscripted series for reality content fans. The streaming giant has also renewed the docuseries ‘Indian Matchmaking’ for the second season. The show premiered on the OTT platform in July 2020.
The OTT platform has also renewed the US reality competition series ‘The Circle’ for seasons four and five and ‘The American Barbecue Showdown’ for a second season. It has also ordered a new reality series ‘Roaring Twenties’.
“Reality TV is a powerful genre. It has the ability to make you invested in who is going to win the big competition or find true love (or at least a ‘good showmance’). It also has the ability to bring people together from all walks of life. We love to hear from viewers who feel inspired and accepted after seeing themselves reflected in our shows. After all, what is reality TV if it doesn’t represent real people?”, said Netflix’s vice president, unscripted and documentary series, Brandon Riegg.
‘Indian Matchmaking’ is an Emmy-nominated docuseries featuring matchmaker Sima Taparia who helps singles across the globe, who have decided to put their love lives in the hands of an expert. It is produced by Industrial Media’s The Intellectual Property Corp. Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, Smriti Mundhra, and J.C. Begley are the executive producers.
The OTT Giant Netflix’s subscriber growth has slowed down significantly in the second quarter of 2021. It reported adding 1.5 million paid subscribers in Q2 2021 whereas it added 10.1 million paid subscribers during the same period last year. Notably, the APAC region accounted for two thirds of the global paid net addition during this quarter.
The streaming service saw a record 26 million paid subscribers in the first half of 2020 whereas in 2019 it achieved 28 million subscribers for the whole year.
Netflix launched many of its popular reality shows like ‘Too Hot to Handle’, ‘Indian Matchmaking’, ‘The American Barbeque Showdown’, ‘Bling Empire’, and ‘Love is Blind’ last year when it added a record number of new subscribers.
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.
