iWorld
Netflix India ropes in Aashish Singh as director, original film
MUMBAI: Streaming giant Netflix continues to keep its foot on the pedal when it comes to arming its India team with some serious talent. The latest high-profile addition to the streamer’s stable is Aashish Singh, who has been roped in as director, original film. "We can confirm that Aashish Singh has joined Netflix as Director, Original Film," the company told Indiantelevision.com.
The arrival of Aashish seems to be in line with Netflix’s ambitious Original film play in India. The media veteran was CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures in his last gig, where he had joined in September 2018. Prior to that, he spent over 15 years with Yash Raj Films, occupying the position of vice president, production.
Netflix has announced 22 original films in India, with nine out of those already streaming on the service. Serious Men, Bulbul, Upstarts, Cobalt Blue, Ghost Stories, Class of '83, Mrs. Serial Killer, Guilty, Yeh Ballet, House Arrest, Kaali Khuhi, Maska and Freedom are the next big Indian Original films that are slated to be launched soon.
Aashish and Srishti Behl Arya (director, original film), both of whom report to Los Angeles, will play key role in helping the company accomplish its vision as it continues to be the only streaming service investing in original films in India.
As a percentage of overall time spent on Netflix, film viewing in India is the highest in any country. 70 per cent Netflix members in India watch at least one film a week. The number of films watched per month/per member has grown 50 per cent since last year.
In a bid to add further value to its content proposition, Netflix is creating mainstream original series and movies in India apart from adding top quality, big budget licensed content. In an effort to add Indian subscribers, the Reed Hastings-led company is delivering an increasingly high volume of films to position Netflix the destination for finest films.
Having identified India as a key growth market, the company is investing significantly in Indian films and talent. Going forward, this focus is only bound to get more intense.
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.
