iWorld
Sports only OTT service Veqta to launch in June
MUMBAI: With the aim of expanding its portfolio, Veqta, a digital broadcast network dedicated to sports is all geared up to launch its OTT service in June 2016. With the launch of the platform, the venture will also roll-out its application followed by content in various regional languages.
Through this platform, sports fans across India can engage into various other categories of sports content that they have not yet explored. Breaking apart from the other content providers, Veqta plans to provide content via on-demand videos and live streaming.
“Veqta will follow a very friendly content format. There is very little sports content for the viewers. We will be a destination for sports fans to enjoy high quality content coming from the biggest names in the business”, asserts Veqta co-founder and director Varun Mathur.
It has raised $500,000 (Rs 3.4 cr) in seed funding from Chatsworth Management and sports management company ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd. The firm had earlier received initial-stage backing from ITW.
“What will make us different form the rest is our packaging, our different formats of short form and live streaming content as well as feeds in various regional languages which everyone can understand,” says Mathur.
The platform will follow the freemium model wherein the users will have some content available for free while there will be a pay wall for some premium content. Its offerings will include licensed content and flagship studio content across various ‘underpunctuated’ categories like cricket, football, motorsports, basketball, tennis, badminton and a range of Olympic sports.
The venture has signed deals with various international partners from the field of sports. The venture has not locked deals with any advertisers as of yet and are just focused at expanding its consumer reach, building team and strengthening its product development.
Taking a hint from this, it will be interesting to see whether the other OTT players like HotStar, Spuul, Hooq, Eros Now, Sony Liv, Ditto TV, VOOT, etc, might also look at mushrooming their target niche audiences.
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.
