Tag Archives: Internet

Elon Musk surrenders to Brazil over X ban!

For all of his bravado, Elon Musk quickly surrendered his fight with Brazil over its nationwide ban of X. Here is what you need to know…

 

Elon Musk fight with Brazil over X ban : A quick primer!

The brouhaha between Elon Musk and Brazil started when Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered X to remove over 100 accounts that were allegedly spreading misinformation and questioning the legitimacy of President Jair Bolsonaro’s 2022 election victory.

Musk, who has often claimed to be a staunch advocacy of free speech, publicly opposed these directives, labeling them an infringement on individual rights. His vocal criticisms of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes escalated the situation, leading to heightened scrutiny of X’s operations in Brazil.

In a surprising move, Musk chose to close X offices in Brazil in mid-August, leaving the platform without a legal representative in the country — an essential requirement for operating legally. This led to Justice Moraes ordering internet and mobile service providers in Brazil to block access to X, a significant blow to the platform’s user base in the region.

Elon Musk also publicly mocked Justice Moraes, claiming that the judge has “repeatedly broken the laws he has sworn to uphold“, while sharing a post celebrating X as the top news app on Apple’s App Store in Brazil, stating, “People want to know the truth.

Last week, X mysteriously reappeared in Brazil after a software update that it claimed resulted in an “inadvertent and temporary service restoration to Brazilian users”. But Justice Moraes called it “wilful, illegal and persistent”, and levied a R$5 million fine (~US$921,000) on X, adding to R$18.3 million (~US$3.37 million) fine that had already been imposed.

Recommended : X insiders deny DDOS attack during Musk-Trump interview!

 

Elon Musk surrenders to Brazil over X ban!

In a surprising twist – after three weeks defying Brazil’s court orders, it appears that Elon Musk has given up his fight.

X – the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has agreed to comply with Brazilian court orders to restore access. This compliance included appointing a legal representative in Brazil and removing the user accounts that the court deemed threats to democracy. X also paid outstanding fines, amounting to millions of reais, as part of the resolution.

Despite this apparent victory for Brazilian authorities, the Supreme Court highlighted that X had not filed the necessary documentation confirming the appointment of Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao as its legal representative. The court granted X five days to provide the required paperwork validating her appointment.

Starlink – the satellite Internet service provider owned by Elon Musk, had also capitulated. It was also engaged in a dispute with Brazilian authorities over its refusal to enforce the ban on X. However, it said on 4 September that it would comply with the court orders.

Despite being extremely prolific and vocal on X, Elon Musk has been notably silent on X’s capitulation in Brazil. Neither has X released any statement on why it suddenly decided to comply with the court orders.

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Malaysia reverses decision to block public DNS servers!

Malaysia just reversed its controversial decision to block use of public DNS servers using DNS redirection! Here is what you need to know…

 

Malaysia orders DNS redirection, affecting consumers too!

According to an FAQ posted by Maxis, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, governments, and enterprises by 30 September 2024.

DNS redirection basically blocks the use of public DNS servers, by redirecting DNS queries to the ISP’s own DNS servers, where certain websites can be blocked by government directive. In other words – DNS redirection prevents people from circumventing the ISP’s own DNS servers (and the government’s block list).

The Maxis FAQ, which is titled Maxis Business DNS Redirection, states that ISPs in Malaysia were ordered to implement DNS redirection for business/enterprise/government users, blocking their access to public DNS servers.

However, it now appears that the directive actually applied to everyone in Malaysia, not just business, enterprise, or government users!

Recommended : Did Malaysia just block use of public DNS servers?!

 

Malaysia reverses DNS Redirection decision!

After news broke that MCMC quietly ordered Internet service providers to implement DNS redirection in Malaysia, there was a public outcry, and people started looking up ways to bypass it.

The public outrage proved too much for the Malaysian government, and it backtracked on that controversial decision. On Sunday, 8 September 2024, Malaysia Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that he asked MCMC not to proceed with its DNS redirection directive.

… considering the feedback received through a series of engagements with @MCMC_RASMI and the public, I have requested that MCMC not proceed with the implementation of the Domain Name System (DNS) management redirection method.

At the same time, MCMC will continue its engagement series with all stakeholders to gather views, suggestions, and recommendations to ensure that the goal of a safer internet can be collectively achieved.

With that, Malaysia officially reversed its DNS Redirection decision within days of the news breaking.

There is no doubt that this reversal was due to many Malaysian netizens who spoke up against the controversial decision to hijack access to public DNS servers. So kudos to everyone who spoke up.

It is encouraging to see that public dissent can still force the government of the day to reverse controversial directives. But perhaps the government can avoid such controversies in the future by getting feedback from the public before quietly issuing controversial directives.

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did Malaysia just block use of public DNS servers?!

Did MCMC just block the use of public DNS servers in Malaysia?! Here is what we know so far…

 

MCMC blocks public DNS servers only for business and government?

According to an FAQ posted by Maxis, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, governments, and enterprises by 30 September 2024.

DNS redirection basically blocks the use of public DNS servers, by redirecting DNS queries to the ISP’s own DNS servers, where certain websites can be blocked by government directive. In other words – DNS redirection prevents people from circumventing the ISP’s own DNS servers (and the government’s block list).

The Maxis FAQ, which is titled Maxis Business DNS Redirection, states that ISPs in Malaysia were ordered to implement DNS redirection for business/enterprise/government users, blocking their access to public DNS servers.

However, it now appears that the directive may actually apply to everyone in Malaysia, not just business, enterprise, or government users. Or the ISPs may be implementing the directive across the board. Here is what we know so far…

Recommended : MCMC orders DNS redirection for business and government!

 

Public DNS servers appear to be blocked in Malaysia!

As far as I can tell, MCMC has not officially announced its DNS redirection order to ISPs. All we are relying on so far is the Maxis FAQ on DNS redirection, which suggested that it applied only to businesses, enterprises, and government agencies.

Why is DNS redirection being implemented for Enterprise/Business/Government services?

DNS redirection is being implemented to assist in preventing the commission or attempted commission of an offence under any written laws of Malaysia or otherwise in enforcing the laws of Malaysia. By blocking access to harmful websites more effectively and quickly, this proactive measure helps ensure compliance. This is particularly important for Enterprise/Business/Government, as it will also reduce the risk of reputational damage and inadvertent commission of offence.

However, the Maxis FAQ also states, in a different section, that “all service providers must implement this measure, and it applies to to all users of their services“, our emphasis in bold below:

The implementation of DNS redirection is a regulatory requirement enforced by MCMC to ensure compliance with Malaysian laws and to protect users from harmful online content. All service providers must implement this measure, and it applies to all users of their services.

If that’s accurate, then the MCMC directive to block the use of public DNS servers may apply to consumer users as well, not just business, enterprise, or government users.

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Regular Internet users in Malaysia have started reporting (here, here) that they are no longer able to use public DNS servers from Google or Cloudflare.

The affected ISPs so far appear to be Telekom Malaysia (Unifi), Time, and Maxis. Digi and Celcom appear to be unaffected … so far.

We tested on Unifi and Digi Broadband, and confirmed that we cannot connect to Google DNS (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1). You can test it out yourself using these methods:

Using any Internet browser

Using any Internet browser, just go to the Cloudflare public DNS website – https://1.1.1.1/, which will appear in your Internet browser as https://one.one.one.one/.

But if your ISP has implemented DNS redirect, both domains are no longer accessible. Our tests on Friday, 6 September 2024 show:

Unifi : Unable to connect
Digi Broadband : Connects normally

Recommended : Microsoft / CrowdStrike: Who is responsible for global IT outage?

Using Traceroute / Tracert

For the more technically-inclined, you can try using traceroute (macOS / Linux) or tracert (Windows), to see if your computer can connect to your preferred public DNS server – for example, 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 (Google).

It’s pointless to use ping, because pings to the public DNS server IP will get redirected to the ISP’s own DNS server, and you will still get a response.

Using traceroute to connect to 8.8.8.8, our tests on Friday, 6 September 2024 show:

Unifi : Redirected

  1. 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1)
  2. jhb-113-254-tm.net.my (203.106.113.254)
  3. 10.55.52.54 (10.55.52.54)
  4. 10.55.52.90 (10.55.52.90)
  5. 10.55.52.54 (10.55.52.54)
  6. 10.19.129.65 (10.19.129.65)

Digi Broadband : Not redirected

  1. 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1)
  2. 172.16.136.1 (172.16.136.1)
  3. 115.164.8.106 (115.164.8.106)
  4. 72.14.243.96 (72.14.243.96)
  5. dns.google (8.8.8.8)

As you can see, the traceroute showed that requests to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) on the Unifi network were routed to a Telekom Malaysia server (10.19.129.65) instead.

On the other hand, the same requests on the Digi Broadband network still get routed to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) as intended.

Recommended : Malaysia Airlines 6 Months Free Flight Card Scam Alert!

So it does appear that some Internet service providers in Malaysia have started to block access to public DNS servers by redirecting DNS queries to their own DNS servers. However, it is uncertain if MCMC actually ordered those ISPs to implement DNS redirection for consumers.

The blocking of public DNS servers will not matter to people who don’t know how to use these public DNS servers. But it will matter a lot to Malaysian netizens who want to use public DNS servers for faster performance, better privacy and security, as well as bypass government censorship. Some will inevitably see this as a step towards China’s Great Firewall.

While the goal of blocking dangerous or scam websites is admirable, that is already served by existing bans of those websites on the ISP level for regular users. People who are tech-savvy enough to configure their computers to use public DNS servers would know better than to fall for those websites.

Hopefully, MCMC only issued that DNS redirection directive for business/enterprise/government users, and Malaysian ISPs will roll back the implementation for consumers.

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Malaysia orders DNS redirection for business and government!

MCMC has ordered ISPs in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, enterprises, and government agencies! Here is what you need to know…

 

Malaysia orders DNS redirection for business and government!

According to an FAQ posted by Maxis, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement DNS redirection for businesses, governments, and enterprises by 30 September 2024.

The Maxis FAQ, which is titled Maxis Business DNS Redirection, states that this directive by MCMC is meant to “protect users from harmful or illegal online content” by blocking access to “websites involved in online gambling, pornography, copyright violations, scams, and other illegal activities.”

Recommended : Did Malaysia just block use of public DNS servers?!

Here is a quick primer on what DNS redirection would mean for Malaysian businesses, enterprises and government agencies.

What is DNS?

When you visit a website, you will normally key in a user-friendly name (like www.techarp.com), but the website itself uses a numerical IP address (like 192.0.2.1).

DNS translates that user-friendly name into the correct IP address, so your computer can access the website.

What is DNS redirection?

By default, most people use the DNS servers provided by their Internet service provider. However, some people choose to use alternative DNS servers from Google or Cloudflare for privacy, faster speeds, or to avoid censorship.

DNS redirection prevents that by redirecting all DNS queries from your phone or computer to the ISP’s own DNS servers, where certain websites can be blocked by government directive. In other words – DNS redirection prevents people from circumventing the ISP’s own DNS servers (and the government’s block list).

Is DNS redirection good or bad?

Blocking access to illegal, or dangerous websites is important for businesses, enterprises, and government agencies, because it reduces the risks of reputational damage, and prevents the inadvertent commission of offence by employees. Blocking scam websites is also an important way to prevent people and companies from getting scammed.

On the other hand, public DNS servers from Google and Cloudflare offer faster speeds with lower latency, and block tracking by ISPs or governments. They also offer enhanced security using DNSSEC – DNS Security Extensions.

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Which Malaysian ISPs are affected?

According to the Maxis FAQ, this MCMC directive affects all ISPs offering both mobile and fixed Internet services in Malaysia.

Who will be affected by DNS redirection?

According to the Maxis FAQ, this MCMC directive primarily affects Business / Enterprise / Government customers who use public DNS services. But there are already reports that consumer DNS queries have also been redirected.

Interestingly, the Maxis FAQ also states, in a different section, that “all service providers must implement this measure, and it applies to to all users of their services“. So this MCMC directive may actually apply to consumer users, and not just business, enterprise, or government users.

Which DNS services are affected?

According to the Maxis FAQ, this directive currently affects public DNS services like Google DNS and Cloudflare. OpenDNS was not mentioned, but is likely to be affected too.

Private DNS servers, and encrypted DNS queries like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) or DNS over TLS (DoT) are not affected.

Recommended : Microsoft / CrowdStrike: Who is responsible for global IT outage?

When must Malaysian ISPs implement DNS redirection?

According to the Maxis FAQ, MCMC ordered all Internet service providers in Malaysia to implement its DNS redirection directive by 30 September 2024.

Users on Time, Telekom Malaysia and Maxis networks have reported that DNS redirection is already in effect.

How to check if DNS redirection has been implemented?

DNS redirection is designed to block access to websites deemed illegal by the government of Malaysia. If you access a blocked website, it will be inaccessible.

You can also test by trying to go to the Cloudflare DNS website – https://1.1.1.1/ using your Internet browser. If you see “Unable to connect”, instead of the 1.1.1.1 website, then your DNS queries are being redirected to your ISP’s own DNS servers.

Alternatively, techies can use the tracert command (in Windows command prompt), or traceroute command (in macOS Terminal) to connect to the alternative DNS server (like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8), and see if it gets routed properly.

If the trace route shows your query ending in a different IP address than the alternative DNS server you selected (like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8), then it is being redirected.

Can you opt out of DNS redirection?

No, unfortunately – you are not allowed to opt out, because it’s a regulatory requirement by MCMC.

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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X insiders deny DDOS attack during Musk-Trump interview!

X insiders have refuted Elon Musk who claimed that his disastrous interview of Donald Trump suffered a massive DDOS attack!

 

Elon Musk : Massive DDOS attack of Trump interview!

On August 11, 2024, X owner Elon Musk announced that he would be conducting an interview of… oh, sorry… a “live conversation” with former President Donald Trump.

Scheduled for 8 PM ET on Monday, August 12, the Musk-Trump “conversation” was hosted on X Spaces (where else?), which should both provide a “safe space” for Donald Trump, and an opportunity for Elon Musk to demonstrate that his “streamlining” of X has not hurt its ability to host major events.

However, the Musk-Trump interview had a disastrous start with a crash. X users who tried to tune in were instead greeted by an error message – “Unable to fetch Space” or “This Space is not available“. Those who somehow managed to get in, only heard lo-fi techno music.

18 minutes later, Elon Musk claimed that X appeared to be under a massive DDOS attack, and X was working to shut it down:

There appears to be a massive DDOS attack on 𝕏. Working on shutting it down.

Worst case, we will proceed with a smaller number of live listeners and post the conversation later.

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Several minutes later, Musk claimed that X tested Spaces with 8 million concurrent users, implying that it has to be some kind of nefarious action by someone outside of X.

We tested the system with 8 million concurrent listeners earlier today

When someone suggested that the DDOS attack might have been initiated by the Democrats, Elon Musk agreed.

mark pinkus : Its Dems fighting to ‘save’ Democracy from two massive disrupters!

Elon Musk : Yeah

After the lo-fi techno music finally stopped some 30 minutes later, listeners only heard some rustling from Trump’s microphone, and then silence for another 10-12 minutes, before the interview (sorry, conversation!) finally started.

In the end, the Musk-Trump interview / conversation only hosted some 1 million concurrent listeners on X Spaces – far short of the 8 million Elon Musk claimed Twitter tested earlier.

Recommended : Elon Musk shares fake, digitally-altered Kamala Harris video!

 

X insiders deny DDOS attack during Musk-Trump interview!

Oddly, Elon Musk seemed to be hedging his claim with the word “appears”, before offering the 8 million concurrent test as “evidence”. Why would he do that? It’s so weird…

As the owner of X, Musk would clearly know whether X was under “a massive DDOS attack” or not. He wouldn’t need to beat about the bush. He would have network engineers monitoring the traffic, who would be able to spot any suspicious spike in traffic and determine if it was a massive DDOS attack or not.

It now appears that Elon Musk may not have been entirely truthful about the technical issues that beset his disastrous X Spaces conversation with Donald Trump.

At least two X insiders have refuted Elon Musk’s claim. The first confirmed to The Verge that there wasn’t actually a denial-of-service attack on X. Another X staff said that there was a “99 percent” chance Elon Musk was lying about a DDOS attack.

That makes sense, as outside of that Musk-Trump interview, the rest of X (including other X Spaces) was working normally. A massive DDOS attack would have made it impossible for X to function normally. You cannot just target a DDOS attack to hit one specific livestream, and leave the rest of X running normally.

Recommended : Elon Musk Tells X Advertisers To F*ck Themselves!

To be clear – there is no evidence of a massive DDOS attack, and there is also no evidence that the Democrats were involved or responsible for the technical failures that marred the disastrous Musk-Trump “live conversation” on X Spaces.

This isn’t the first time X has suffered such failures. Ron DeSantis suffered a similarly embarrassing failure to launch (nod to you SpaceX fans!) when he launched his ill-fated presidential campaign on X Spaces in May 2023.

At that time, Donald Trump mocked the disastrous launch, posting on Truth Social “Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER!” It’s been said that karma is a bitch.

This failure also highlights the drastic changes that Elon Musk made when he purchased Twitter for $44 billion in 2022. He not renamed it X, he gutted about 80% of its staff, leaving just skeleton crews in key areas like site reliability. Karma strikes again?

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Donald Trump Crypto Giveaway Scam Alert!

Please watch out for the Donald Trump crypto giveaway scam, and warn your family and friends! Here is what you need to know…

 

Donald Trump Crypto Giveaway : What Is It?

People are sharing posts (archive) which claim that Donald Trump has announced a crypto giveaway of Bitcoin and Ethereum coins (Ether).

The Republican Party supports Donald Trump in his decision to make cryptocurrency one of the key assets of the United States. We aim to expedite the integration process into society and therefore announce a campaign.

The video shows former President Donald Trump speaking at the Bitcoin 2024 conference, calling on people to “click the link” to claim their free cryptocurrencies.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m announcing a huge initiative to integrate cryptocurrencies into our society. This will accelerate the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies and increase their distribution among American citizens.

We are giving away Bitcoins and Ethereums to you. Click the link and claim yours. Vote for me, let’s make American great again.

The link lead to a website called RepublicanCrypto.com (screenshot | screenshot) that boldly claims that Donald Trump is giving away $100 million worth of cryptocurrencies!

Trump Biggest Crypto Giveaway Of $100,000,000

You can visit the website, but do not follow the instructions there, because it’s a scam!

Recommended : Can Scammers Hack Your Phone If You Call Back?!

 

Why Donald Trump Crypto Giveaway Is A Scam!

Here are the reasons why the Donald Trump crypto giveaway is a just another scam to cheat you of your hard-earned money!

Fact #1 : Donald Trump Crypto Giveaway Video Is Fake!

First, let me just point out that the video of Donald Trump saying that he is “giving away Bitcoins and Ethereums” is a deepfake video with a fake voice over. If you look carefully, you can see that Trump’s mouth movements do not sync well with what he’s saying.

In any case, Donald Trump never made those comments in his speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference. This is most definitely a fake video, with a fake voice over.

Recommended : Can SIM swap attack empty bank account without warning?!

Fact #2 : Donald Trump Is Not Giving Away Cryptocurrencies!

I should also point out that Donald Trump is not giving away any cryptocurrency. If Trump ever actually gives away money, it would have been reported widely. Obviously, that did not happen, because it’s all made up!

Think about it for a second – Donald Trump is a businessman with a long history of stiffing his suppliers, contractors and/or employees. Why would he give YOU any of his money???

In fact, Trump has been asking people for money. He’s a billionaire because he constantly looks for ways to make more money. It would be silly of him to give $100 million away just to “speed up” cryptocurrency adoption.

Fact #3 : That Is A Scam Website

The RepublicanCrypto.com website is a scam website which falsely claims to be a cryptocurrency giveaway by Donald Trump.

For one thing – the domain is brand new, and was only registered on 28 July 2024. The domain also does not belong to the Republican Party, or Donald Trump. In fact, their ownership is being hidden – which is common with scam websites. On top of that, the contact email is Russian – ek1991@internet.ru.

Recommended : Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum Giveaway Scam Alert!

Fact #4 : This Is A Double-Up Crypto Scam!

This appears to be a double-up crypto scam, similar to the Elon Musk Bitcoin + Ethereum giveaway scam, relying on your greed to cheat you of your cryptocurrency.

Instead of giving you cryptocurrencies like in a real giveaway, it asks you to send your own cryptocurrencies to receive double the amount in return!

Send your BTC to the address for X2 back

Send your ETH to the address for X2 back

Send your DOGE to the address for X2 back

Send your USDT to the address for X2 back

That’s utter nonsense. Whatever BTC / ETH / DOGE / USDT cryptocurrency you send to those addresses will be lost for good. You will never get them back, never mind get double the amount!

To further tempt you into giving even more bitcoin or ether, the scammers warn that you can only participate once. That is complete bullshit. They are just preying on your greed and fear of missing out to trick you into sending more cryptocurrency.

Please do NOT send any cryptocurrency to those addresses. It is a SCAM!

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Is WEF plotting grid outage to reset America before election?!

Is the WEF plotting a catastrophic grid outage to permanently reset American before the 2024 Presidential Election?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : WEF plots grid outage to reset America before election!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that the WEF is plotting a catastrophic grid outage to permanently reset American before the 2024 Presidential Election!

Here is an excerpt of the (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

WEF Plotting ‘Catastrophic Grid Outage’ That Will ‘Permanently Reset America’ Before Election

The World Economic Forum in Davos is planning what they describe as a “catastrophic grid outage” with the stated goal of “creating a permanent reset” in the US before the November election.

Recommended : Did WEF Develop AI Tech To Eliminate Non-Compliant Humans?!

 

Truth : WEF is not plotting grid outage to reset America before election!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

WEF is not plotting grid outage in America

Let me start by simply pointing out that the WEF (World Economic Forum) is not plotting any grid outage to  reset America, or any other nefarious purposes, before or after the 2024 US Presidential election.

If such a plot exists, it would have been widely reported by the mainstream media, not by a well-known fake news website! In fact, it would have triggered a criminal investigation! Yet none of that happened, because… it was all made up!

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article did not provide any evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim.

CrowdStrike outage was due to buggy update

The People’s Voice article claims that the CrowdStrike outage was “the final preparation for a devastating cyber attack on the US power grid”, but provided no evidence to back up its claim.

That’s likely because the CrowdStrike outage was due to a buggy driver update, and was not a cyberattack at all! In fact, the buggy driver was only pushed to Windows-based system, and did not affect CrowdStrike clients who used Linux or Mac computers.

While the threat of a cyberattack on U.S. utilities is a real possibility, it won’t be caused by a buggy driver update being issued by CrowdStrike or other software companies.

Recommended : Microsoft / CrowdStrike: Who is responsible for global IT outage?

CrowdStrike outage did not disrupt electricity supply

While the CrowdStrike outage impacted the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of American utilities, it did not disrupt electricity supply. The outage only impacted ancillary services at those utilities (source):

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio was also experiencing issues, they said, impacting their docketing information system and call center. The City of Corpus Christi said its utility billing software and development services software, including customer portals, are both down. The Department of Energy’s website was down for a couple of hours. Avangrid subsidiary New York State Electric & Gas said its customer electricity outage information is not available due to the outage.

That’s not surprising as the CrowdStrike outage only affected Windows-based computers running its Falcon software, which would naturally only be installed in computers connected to the Internet.

It is not easy to take down entire power grid

While the The People’s Voice article suggests that it would be pretty easy for nefarious parties to take down the American power grid, it isn’t simple at all.

Critical systems are air-gapped (not connected to the Internet), and American utilities have to follow the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

American utilities therefore have separate networks, so hackers or malware gaining access to the IT network, would not be able to get to the OT (Operations Technology) network that keeps the lights on for everyone.

The Ukrainian blackout of 2015 was the first-ever confirmed case of hackers causing a power outage. But even though that cyberattack likely required months of planning, and dozens of hackers working together, the attack only affected three facilities, with the blackout only impacting 250,000 Ukrainians for just six hours (source).

Recommended : Did WEF Order Cyber Attacks On US Water Supply?!

WEF post on X is fake!

The cover image used in The People’s Voice article and video has a screenshot which purportedly shows the World Economic Forum posting on X (formerly Twitter) that:

The next CrowdStrike outage will result in a #PermanentReset

That is a fake screenshot, because there is no such post on X by the World Economic Forum! If the WEF actually made such a shocking post, it would have been reported by the media across the world, and mocked and criticised on social media.

But of course, that didn’t happen, because the WEF never made such a bizarre post! Why would The People’s Voice article use a fake screenshot???

Recommended : Was Donald Trump shot in chest + saved by bulletproof vest?!

The People’s Voice is known for fake news

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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ICQ Is Shutting Down : The End Of An Era!

The iconic instant messenger – ICQ, is shutting down after almost 28 years of loyal service! Here is what you need to know…

 

ICQ Is Shutting Down : The End Of An Era!

ICQ – it’s been ages since I heard that iconic Uh oh! alert, which still triggers lots of fond memories. After all, it was arguably the most popular instant messenger in the early 2000s.

However, the last day for you to ever hear that Uh oh! alert is this June 25!

That’s because VK announced in a terse notice that it will officially shut down ICQ on June 26, 2024, and invited ICQ users to migrate to VK Messenger, and VK Workspace:

ICQ will stop working from June 26

You can chat with friends in VK Messenger, and with colleagues in VK Workspace

It truly is the end of an era…

It is also a reminder that all software and apps have to evolve, or risk losing out to more agile competitors, and possibly ceasing to exist like ICQ.

Back in the early 2000s, ICQ was king and less than 15 years later, it got canned. That can also happen to ubiquitous apps we have grown to rely on today, like WhatsApp, Telegram, Waze, Google Maps, Twitter (now X), Facebook, etc.

Recommended : Steam Is Suddenly Banned Entirely In Vietnam!

 

ICQ Shutting Down : A Brief History

ICQ was created in 1996 by Israeli company Mirabilis, with its name being short for I Seek You. Like other early instant messaging services (remember MSN Messenger?), it allowed people to send messages for free, without the irritating costs and limitations of SMS.

Unlike current instant messengers like WhatsApp, ICQ assigned users a number to connect to one another, instead of mobile numbers or email addresses. It also allowed you to send message to people who were offline. It soon became extremely popular globally, growing to at least 100 million registered users in 2001.

AOL bought ICQ for $407 million in 1998, before it too got bought over by Time Warner. However, ICQ lost out to competitors like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger. Finally, AOL sold ICQ to Digital Sky Technologies – the Russian firm that owns VK, which bought it in the hope of revealing it.

VK developed new ICQ mobile apps, which helped in grow in 2015, but their development eventually slowed, before stopping completely. The writing was on the wall when ICQ for both iOS and Android were both removed from the Apple App Store, and the Google Play Store.

Thanks for the free messages and the great memories that came with them, ICQ. You will be missed…

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Will Bill C-63 jail those who ever posted hate speech online?!

Will Bill C-63 give police the power to arrest people who posted hate speech, even if the offence occurred before the law existed?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Bill C-63 Will Jail Those Who Ever Posted Hate Speech Online In The Past!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed that the Trudeau government in Canada has introduced Bill C-63, which will give police the power to retroactively search the Internet for hate speech, and arrest people who posted hate speech, even if the offence occurred before the law existed!

Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Canada To Imprison Anyone Who Has EVER Posted ‘Hate Speech’ Online

The Trudeau regime has introduced an Orwellian new law called the Online Harms Bill C-63, which will give police the power to retroactively search the Internet for ‘hate speech’ violations and arrest offenders, even if the offence occurred before the law existed.

Recommended : Has Canada Begun Euthanising Vaccine-Injured Citizens?!

 

Truth : Bill C-63 Will Not Jail Those Who Posted Hate Speech Online In The Past!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Bill C-63 Is Enforced By Digital Safety Commission

The People’s Voice article claimed that Bill C-63 will give police the power to retroactively search the Internet for hate speech, and arrest offenders. That is not accurate.

Bill C-63 (read in full) – the Online Harms Act if enacted, will be enforced by the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, and supported by the Digital Safety Office of Canada – both of which will be established by the law.

This is stated clearly in the summary on the first page of Bill C-63. So why would anyone claim that Bill C-63 would empower the police to scour the Internet for hate speech, and arrest offenders???

Fact #2 : Hate Speech Is Already Punishable In Canada!

It is ludicrous to claim that Bill C-63 empowers the police to arrest and imprison people for posting hate speech, because hate speech is already punishable under the current Canadian Criminal Code!

Bill C-63 only amends the Criminal Code to define hatred as “the emotion that involves detestation or vilification” that is “stronger than disdain or dislike“.

In addition, it seeks to clarify that any statement that “discredits, humiliates, hurts or offends” would not be considered as promoting or inciting hatred. It also increases the penalties for hate speech.

In short – the proposed changes to the Canadian Criminal Code narrow the definition of hate speech, even while they increase its penalties.

Recommended : Is Justin Trudeau planning to BAN Christianity in Canada?!

Fact #3 : Bill C-63 Targets Continuous Hate Speech, Not Retrospective

There is no evidence that Bill C-63 is retrospective in nature. If you read the bill (here), you will see that it does not state that people should be punished for what they wrote before the bill becomes law.

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article never provided any evidence that Bill C-63 allows the Canadian government to punish people for the online hate speech they posted in the past.

What Bill C-63 does though is target continuous hate speech, by adding a new Section 13 to the Canadian Human Rights Act:

Communication of hate speech

13 (1) It is a discriminatory practice to communicate or cause to be communicated hate speech by means of the Internet or any other means of telecommunication in a context in which the hate speech is likely to foment detestation or vilification of an individual or group of individuals on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination.

Continuous communication

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a person communicates or causes to be communicated hate speech so long as the hate speech remains public and the person can remove or block access to it.

In other words – if you posted online hate speech in the past, and continue to make it public, you will have infringed the Canadian Human Rights Act, after it’s amended by Bill C-63.

This isn’t retrospective in the sense the law cannot be used to punished hate speech you posted and deleted in the past. It can only be used to punish you if you posted hate speech, and continue to make it public.

Here is a simple solution for those who are worried about Bill C-63. If you receive an order to remove your past hate speech post, just delete it. It’s that simple.

I should also point out that this amendment only applies to the Canadian Human Rights Act, and does not affect the Canadian Criminal Code.

Recommended : Can Canada Social Credit System Freeze Bank Accounts?!

Fact #6 : Canadian Human Rights Act Only Allows For A Fine

The People’s Voice article claimed that Bill C-63 will give police the power to arrest people who post hate speech in the past. That is not accurate either.

For one thing – the Canadian Human Rights Act does not have a prison sentence. People who are convicted under this law is only liable for a fine not exceeding C$50,000.

Punishment

(2) A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000.

Bill C-63 does not amend this, so even if the amendments under the Online Harms Act become law, and you continue to make public any hate speech you posted in the past, you can’t be imprisoned under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

You can be imprisoned for hate speech under the Canadian Criminal Code, but this is currently the case even before Bill C-63 becomes law. Bill C-63 actually narrows the definition of hate speech, and arguably makes it harder to imprison someone for hate speech.

On top of that, there is no “Continuous communication” amendment to the Criminal Code, so it appears you cannot be punished for past hate speech that you continue to make public under the Criminal Code. You can only be fined for that under the Human Rights Act.

Recommended : Is Justin Trudeau Facing Child Rape Charges?!

Fact #7 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did WEF just order ICANN to seize website domains?!

Did the WEF just order ICANN to seize website domains that publish “non-mainstream content”?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : WEF Orders ICANN To Seize Website Domains!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed that WEF just ordered ICANN to seize website domains that publish “non-mainstream content”!

Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

WEF Orders ICANN To Seize Website Domains That Publish ‘Non-Mainstream Content’

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has ordered the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to wage “war on conspiracy theorists” by seizing domains of websites that publish “non-mainstream content” online.

Recommended : Did WEF order governments to declare Bird Flu Martial Law?!

 

Truth : WEF Did Not Order ICANN To Seize Website Domains!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : WEF Did Not Order ICANN To Seize Website Domains!

Let me start by simply pointing out that the World Economic Forum (WEF) did not order ICANN to seize website domains for posting disinformation and/or “non-mainstream content”.

If that actually happened, it would have been reported all over the world. Yet no legitimate media report it – that’s because it never happened.

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice did not provide any actual evidence to back up its claim that the WEF ordered ICANN to seize website domains for posting “non-mainstream content”!

Fact #2 : EU DisinfoLab Did Not Order ICANN To Seize Website Domains

The People’s Voice article appears to be based around the EU DisinfoLab article called “Of Domain Names And Ducks“. Interestingly, it did not include a link to the article…

Perhaps that’s because anyone reading it would immediately see that  EU DisinfoLab itself did not order ICANN to seize website domains for posting “non-mainstream content”, or disinformation!

Nowhere in its article did EU DisinfoLab call upon ICANN to seize website domains for any reason. In fact, its article specifically points out that it “makes a lot of sense” that ICANN is “unwilling to regulate content“!

Its article also pointed out that ICANN ran a security operation called DNSTICR (Domain Name System Threat Information Collection and Reporting) to identify websites involving in phishing attacks and spreading malware, and instead of seizing those domains, it merely informed the domain registrars, and left it to the domain registrars to take action based on local laws, terms of service, etc.

In short – EU DisinfoLab too did not order ICANN to seize website domains for any reason.

Recommended : Was WEF Founder Klaus Schwab Just Hospitalised?!

Fact #3 : EU DisinfoLab Article Was About Doppelgänger Websites

I should also point out that the EU DisinfoLab article was referring specifically to Doppelgänger websites, which are websites that deceptively mimic real news websites in order to spread disinformation.

Basically, these websites attempt to look like genuine news websites (for example, CNN or BBC), with similar domains (for example, CNNNews.com or BBCNews.org), to trick people into believing fake content or disinformation.

This is completely different from websites that produce “non-mainstream content”. It doesn’t even address websites that consistently produce fake news, like The People’s Voice, but do not attempt to masquerade as genuine news websites.

Fact #4 : No Evidence EU DisinfoLab Is Not Independent

The People’s Voice article suggested that EU DisinfoLab is not independent because it receives funding from the WEF and the Open Society Foundations.

While that may be possible, there is no actual evidence that EU DisinfoLab received funding from the WEF or Open Society Foundations.

While EU DisinfoLab (EUDL) receives funding from private and public sources, its fundraising policy only allows contributions from sources that meet these criteria:

• Avoid the creation of a perception of bias or actual bias that would undermine EUDL reputation or credibility.
• Impose no compromise to the effectiveness and objectivity of EUDL’s work.
• The funding source should not present any other risk to the reputation and mission of the organisation and support the implementation of EUDL’s mission and core activities without condition

In addition, EUDL also has an internal alert system to allow employees to report directly to its Board of Directors any suspicion of the organisation’s independence being altered.

Recommended : Did WHO Unveil Global Police Force With Arrest Powers?!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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RM500 Bantuan Awal Ramadhan 2024 Scam Alert!

Is the Malaysian government giving every citizen RM500 for Ramadhan 2024?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out why it’s just a scam!

 

RM500 Bantuan Awal Ramadhan For 2024 Scam Alert!

People are sharing links to websites that purportedly offer RM500 from the Malaysian government as Ramadhan 2024 aid (Bantuan Awal Ramadhan).

Terkini : Kerajaan umum satu lagi bayaran bantuan khas Aidilfitri RM1,000 akan disalurkan pada 8 April ini secara berperingkat.

Senarai Penerima : http://sumbangan=xxxx=xxxxx.madani2024.my.id

Latest : The general government another Aidilfitri special aid payment of RM1,000 will be distributed on April 8 in stages.

List of Beneficiaries : http://sumbangan=xxxx=xxxxx.madani2024.my.id

Bantuan Awal Ramadan RM500 Mula Dikreditkan Secara Berperingkat

Ramadan Early Aid RM500 Begins to be Credited Gradually

These scams do not only appear on WhatsApp and Telegram, but also TikTok.

Recommended : Can You Get Free Cash Via MyKasih App?!

 

Why RM500 Bantuan Awal Ramadhan 2024 Is A Scam!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : There Is No RM500 Bantuan Awal Ramadhan For 2024

Let me start by pointing out that there is no such thing as the RM500 Bantuan Awal Ramadhan aid for 2024.

On 6 March 2024, the Malaysia Ministry of Finance called it fake news, and warned people against sharing it:

THIS IS FAKE NEWS!

The Ministry of Finance stresses that the Ramadan Aid 2024 claim is FALSE.

Be careful and don’t be easily fooled by such news on social media.

Visit the portal and follow the Ministry of Finance’s official social media channels for the latest and most accurate information.

Recommended : Warning – PDRM Parking Fine Scam Alert!

Fact #2 : Photo Taken From 2023

The photo used in this scam was actually taken from a website posting about the 2023 Ramadhan aid given by Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (Mаjlіѕ Agаmа Iѕlаm Wilayah Pеrѕеkutuаn, MAIWP).

In its official announcement, MAIWP gave a special one-off RM500 Ramadan financial aid on 27 March 2023. However, this financial aid was limited to existing recipients of monthly financial aid from MAIWP.

Not only was this one-time financial aid limited to 2023, there was no application, and the money was automatically given to eligible recipients.

Ramadan 1444H assistance to recipients of monthly financial assistance.

RM500 One Off

The distribution of aid will be implemented in stages on March 27, 2023 (Monday) corresponding to 5 Ramadan 1444H.

Fact #3 : It’s A Phishing Scam

I investigated one of the links, and it appears to be a phishing website registered in Indonesia, using the domain “madani2024.my.id” that was created on 29 February 2024.

This phishing website attempts to trick you into giving up your Telegram account access, by asking for:

  • your phone number
  • your Telegram account password
  • your Telegram OTP

Once the scammers have that information, they can take over your Telegram account, which can then be used to scam

It is likely that the other scammers may try to steal your WhatsApp account, and/or trick you into giving up your bank account login details.

Do NOT click on the links, and do NOT share them with your family and friends!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Does Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) Ban Free Speech?!

Does the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) ban free speech in Malaysia?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-04-02 : Updated after claim went viral again
Originally posted @ 2023-07-03

 

Claim : News Sharing Banned By POTA / Prevention of Terrorism Act

This warning about the Prevention of Terrorism Act / POTA keeps going viral in WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Here is the original warning in Malay, and our English translation in bold):

No more sharing of news posting after this.

” AKTA POTA YANG TELAH DILULUSKAN MALAM TADI DI PARLIMEN…

Recommended : Warning – PDRM Parking Fine Scam Alert!

 

Truth : News Sharing NOT Banned By POTA / Prevention of Terrorism Act!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : Prevention of Terrorism Act Was Passed In 2015

First, I should point out that this is really old fake news that started in April 2015, and keeps recirculating every few years.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act / POTA 2015 (Akta Pencegahan Keganasan 2015) was passed by the Malaysian government on 7 April 2015, and coincided with the arrest of seventeen suspected militants who were allegedly involved in a terror plot in Kuala Lumpur.

Fact #2 : POTA 2015 Targets Terrorism, Not Politics

POTA 2015 is not meant to target any healthy discussion of politics or political issues in Malaysia. Rather, it’s meant to tackle the threat of terrorism in Malaysia:

  1. To prevent the conduct or support for acts of violence involving terrorist organisation of a foreign country.
  2. To ensure that individual involved in terrorist activities do not escape legislative action.
  3. To ensure that Malaysia’s citizens and its security are not threatened by those involved in militant activities.

Fact #3 : POTA 2015 Does Not Ban Free Speech

POTA 2015 does not target people who share news on WhatsApp or social media, even if it’s of sensitive issues. It targets people who are engaged in acts of terrorism, not people who are spreading fake news or criticisms of the government.

Hence, POTA 2015 cannot be used to block people who from sharing this POTA 2015 fake news, which is why the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had to ask people to stop sharing the fake news, instead of just locking them up!

Even then, people continue to share this fake news about POTA 2015 for the last 7 years on WhatsApp and social media…

Of course, if necessary, the police can use the long-existing Penal Code, and Sedition Act 1948 to prosecute people who share fake news, but that’s another story.

Recommended : Traffic Lights Now Have CCTV Cameras To Catch Drivers?!

Fact #4 : PDRM Calls Viral Message Fake News

On June 11, 2015, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) publicly posted a long debunking of this viral POTA 2015 warning, calling it “fake news”. Here is the English translation:

PLEASE DON’T SHARE FAKE NEWS ABOUT POTA!!!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did Cyberattack Cause Dali To Hit Baltimore Bridge?!

Did a cyberattack cause the Dali to hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse?!

Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Cyberattack Caused Dali To Hit Baltimore Bridge!

Right after news broke that the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a massive container ship, some people immediately began suggesting there was more to the tragedy than meets the eyes…

Alex Jones : Looks deliberate to me. A cyber-attack is probable. WW3 has already started..

Andrew Tate : This ship was cyber-attacked. Lights go off and it deliberately steers towards the bridge supports. Foreign agents of the USA attack digital infrastructures. Nothing is safe. Black Swan event imminent.

Recommended : Baltimore Bridge Collapse Conspiracies Debunked!

No Evidence Cyberattack Caused Dali To Hit Baltimore Bridge!

This appears to be yet another example of fake news created or promoted by conspiracy theorists and conspiracists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Dali Lost Power Before Hitting Baltimore Bridge!

Let me start by simply pointing out that the Dali – a massive container ship, only hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, after it lost engine power.

The Dali lost power soon after leaving the Port of Baltimore in the middle of the night. Not only were the crew blinded in the dark, none of its electronics worked and there was no propulsion, so they were unable to control the ship.

As the crew tried unsuccessfully to restart its engine, a local pilot onboard the vessel ordered the ship to be steered to port (left), and the anchor to be dropped. While the crew managed to restore electrical power using an emergency generator, they were not able to restart its engines.

With the ship floating adrift, the two local pilots onboard issued a mayday call at 1:30 AM to warn authorities that a collision was imminent, which allowed them to stop traffic from going over the bridge. A Maryland Transportation Authority official was recorded saying at that time:

There’s a ship approaching that has lost their steering. Until you’ve got that under control, we’ve got to stop all traffic.

The video below, which is being shared on WhatsApp, does not accurately reflect the truth – the ship never regained the use of its engines, but it clearly shows when the ship lost power, and when it restored electrical power.

Recommended : Can Canada Social Credit System Freeze Bank Accounts?!

Fact #2 : No Evidence Dali Was Hit By Cyberattack

Despite claims by people with unnamed “inside sources”, there is simply no evidence that the Dali was hit by a cyberattack which steered it right into a bridge in Baltimore.

Built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the Dali is powered by a single MAN 9-cylinder S90ME-C9.2 crosshead diesel engine. It also has a single 3,000 kW bow thruster for manoeuvring in ports, and four diesel generators for electricity.

While those engines, and controls, may be connected to a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), they are not connected to the Internet. Even if the Dali’s SCADA system was somehow taken over by malware, the lack of Internet connectivity would make it impossible for any hacker to steer it into the bridge.

An early Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) report appears to rule out an intentional or act of terrorism, finding that the Dali “lost propulsion” as it was leaving port.

The Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a press statement, that “There is no specific and credible information to suggest any ties to terrorism at this time.

United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron also dismissed those claims in a public statement, saying “There is no evidence at this time to suggest that today’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has any ties to terrorism.

If the Dali was indeed hit by a cyberattack before its crash, there would be evidence of hacking or malware in its SCADA system. However, until such evidence is discovered, anyone who tells out that it was definitely hit by a cyberattack is likely lying to you.

Unsurprisingly, none of those who claimed that a cyberattack caused the Dali to lose power and hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge ever provided a single shred of evidence from behind their keyboards.

Recommended : Did Russia Arrest Rustam Azhiev For Moscow Attack?!

Fact #3 : Ship Loss Of Power Is Common

The loss of power is common in the maritime industry (source) – as many as 600 cases each year according to FuelTrust, although most occur in open water. They are often associated with poorly mixed fuel, or changing from high-sulphur to low-sulphur fuels when entering coastal emission control areas (ECAs).

In fact, shipping experts think “dirty fuel” may be the reason for Dali to lose power before smashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge (source).

That power loss could have been caused by dirty fuel clogging filters that lead to the ship’s main generator.

While inside a port, as the Dali was before the collision, ships typically run on a relatively light diesel fuel. That also could have been contaminated. Common contaminants include water, dirt and algae. He definitely could have had dirty fuel

– Gerald Scoggins, a veteran chief engineer in the oil and gas industry and the CEO of the Houston company Deepwater Producers

Ian Ralby, the CEO of I.R. Consilium, a maritime and resource security consultancy, also said heavy marine fuel loaded onto ships in port is mixed with what is called cutter stock, and is prone to being loaded with contaminants and is not closely regulated. Such dirty fuel could have “gummed up all of the fuel lines on the ship.”

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Malaysia Airlines 6 Months Free Flight Card Scam Alert!

Watch out for the Malaysia Airlines free flight scam, and find out why you really cannot get 6 months of free flights for just RM8.80!

 

Malaysia Airlines Free Flight Scam : What Is It?!

Many people are seeing advertisements on Facebook promoting a Malaysia Airlines Enrich card, which claims to offer 6 months of free flights for just RM8.80!

Do ⁠you⁠ lo⁠ve ⁠tra⁠vel⁠ing⁠? T⁠his⁠ pr⁠omo⁠tio⁠n i⁠s f⁠or ⁠you⁠! 6⁠ mo⁠nth⁠s f⁠ree⁠ fl⁠igh⁠ts ⁠wit⁠h M⁠ala⁠ysi⁠a A⁠irl⁠ine⁠s f⁠or ⁠onl⁠y 8⁠.80⁠MYR⁠!

⁠Thi⁠s p⁠rom⁠oti⁠on ⁠wil⁠l l⁠ast⁠ un⁠til⁠ th⁠e e⁠nd ⁠of ⁠the⁠ we⁠ek,⁠ so⁠ hu⁠rry⁠ up⁠!

⁠Cli⁠ck ⁠on ⁠the⁠ “Ord⁠er ⁠Now⁠”⁠ bu⁠tto⁠n t⁠o g⁠et ⁠you⁠r c⁠ard⁠ wi⁠th ⁠fre⁠e s⁠hip⁠pin⁠g!

Recommended : Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia Scam Alert!

 

Malaysia Airlines Free Flight Scam : What You Must Know!

This is yet another scam circulating on Facebook, and here are reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Laws Requiring Malaysia Airlines To Sell Cheap Tickets

First, let me just point out that there is no law requiring Malaysia Airlines to sell flight tickets at such ridiculous prices.

Think about it – you can’t even get a taxi ride for RM8.80 these days, and you expect to travel for free on Malaysia Airlines for 6 months???

Even when AirAsia promoted its Unlimited Pass for domestic flights at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was priced at RM399 and had a lot of restrictions.

Fact #2 : Malaysia Airlines Called It A Scam

To convince you that it’s genuine, and not a scam, the scammers use alternate accounts to post comments, claiming that they received the card, or they confirmed with Malaysia Airlines that the offer is genuine:

I called the Malaysia Airlines hotline to clarify if this promotion exists or it is the work of scammers. The airline manager has confirmed that this is a limited promotion only for Facebook users. Now I’m waiting for my card 🔥

Well, I called up Malaysia Airlines myself, and the staff member confirmed that it is a scam. She also informed me that they received several calls about this scam.

To be clear – there is no such free flight promotion from Malaysia Airlines.

Recommended : STR 2024 Scam Alert : Can You Get RM1,000 Per Month?!

Fact #3 : Enrich Is Malaysia Airlines’ Loyalty Card

To convince you that it’s a genuine deal, the scammers use alternate accounts to post photos of the Malaysia Airlines Enrich card they allegedly received through this promotion.

The trouble is – Enrich is the frequent flyer program for Malaysia Airlines. It’s free for anyone to sign up for Enrich loyalty program and receive a card like that. There is no need to pay RM8.80 for an Enrich card.

The Blue card you see below is actually the basic tier that everyone gets when they sign up for Enrich. Only after flying multiple flights on MAS will Enrich members be able to upgrade to the Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers.

Fact #4 : Those Are Fake Enrich Cards!

If you look closely at the Enrich cards being shown by these scammers, you will notice a few problems.

None of them have the member’s name, or the membership number! They all state “Name Of Card Holder” and the Member ID is **********, making them fake Enrich cards!

On top of that, the fake Enrich cards state “Card For 6 Free Flight“. Not only is that poor grammar – flights, not flight, it also runs counter to the scam promotion, which claims to offer 6 months of free flights, not just 6 free flights!

Recommended : PDRM Warning : Watch Out For MyBayar Scam!

Fact #5 : That’s Not The Official Malaysia Airlines Page

The scam is being run out of the Promotion | Malaysia Airlines page on Facebook. It is not the official Malaysia Airlines Facebook page, which is at https://www.facebook.com/malaysiaairlines/.

This fake Malaysia Airlines page is also new, apparently created on 19 March 2024.

If Malaysia Airlines has any promotion on its flights, it would be posted on its official website, or its official Facebook page. Never on a completely new Facebook page.

Fact #6 : Scam Leads To Non-MAS Website

If you click on the scam page to order the fake Malaysia Airlines free flights card, you will be taken to a website using the domain gizmoshp.store, which appears to be a placeholder page with Polish text.

It is likely that the scammers keyed in the wrong URL, or their scam page wasn’t been setup properly. Or the page may have malicious scripts.

In any case, please do NOT click on the order button, or attempt to visit this website.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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WhatsApp Voice Chat : How To Create / Join / Quit It?

Find out how to create, join, or quit the new WhatsApp Voice Chat feature for large groups!

 

WhatsApp Voice Chat : What Is It?

On 14 November 2023, WhatsApp launched a new Voice Chat feature for large groups of 33 to 256 participants.

Previously, both voice and video calls in groups were limited to 32 participants, so larger groups have to manually choose which users to include under that threshold. That changed with the new Voice Chat feature, which allows larger groups of 33 to 128 participants, albeit still far below the maximum limit of 1,024 members for every WhatsApp group.

Unlike voice calls, group members won’t receive any sound notifications of Voice Chats. Instead, when you start a Voice Chat, group members will see a pop-up window in the chat group. Group members can then choose to join the voice chat, or ignore it.

Recommended : No More Free Unlimited WhatsApp Backup On Android!

 

WhatsApp Voice Chat : How To Create And Stop It?

Please note that WhatsApp Voice Chat is only enabled for large groups with 33 to 256 participants. It will not appear in smaller, or much larger groups.

Here is how you can create a new Voice Chat in your group.

Step 1 : Open the WhatsApp group, in which you wish to start a Voice Chat.

Step 2 : Tap on the Voice Chat option on the upper right corner of the group chat. The icon has a blue audio wavelength symbol.

If you don’t see the Voice Chat icon, that likely means your WhatsApp group is too small (32 or fewer participants), or is much too large (257 or more participants).

Step 3 : A Voice Chat pop-up will appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap on Start voice chat to initiate the voice chat for the entire group.

That’s it! All members in that WhatsApp group will now see a notification about a Voice Chat, which they can join or simply ignore.

Once you wish to end the Voice Chat, simply tap on the red X icon on the pop-up.

As you can see, it’s easy to create a new Voice Chat, and to stop it once you are done.

If you find this guide useful, please share it with your family and friends!

Recommended : Is WhatsApp Going To Charge Backup Storage Fee?!

 

WhatsApp Voice Chat : How To Join And Quit It?

Here is how you can join and quit Voice Chats in your WhatsApp group.

Step 1 : When someone begins a Voice Chat in your group, you will see a “Voice chat” notification in the chat.

Step 2 : Tap on the Voice chat link (which appears like a message) to join it.

Step 3 : When you wish to exit, simply tap on the red X icon on the Voice Chat pop-up.

Recommended : Is It Dangerous To Exit WhatsApp Exit Scam Groups?!

As you can see, it’s easy to join and quit any Voice Chat in your WhatsApp group.

You can also see how the Voice chat option appears like a message in the group, allowing participants to ignore and continue with their posts, and replies.

If you find this guide useful, please share it with your family and friends!

 

WhatsApp Voice Chat : Some Important Notes

Please take note of these limitations or possible concerns:

  • Voice chats are only available for groups of 33 to 256 people.
  • This feature is only available on your primary device.
  • Group members not in the voice chat can see the profiles of those in the voice chat from the chat header and the Calls tab.
  • Voice chats will end automatically once everyone has left the chat. They’ll also end if no one joins the first or last person in the chat for 60 minutes.

 

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Is WEF Planning Cyber Attack To Disrupt 2024 Election?!

Is the WEF planning to launch a ‘false flag’ cyber attack to disrupt the 2024 US Presidential election?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : WEF Plans Cyber Attack To Disrupt 2024 Election!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed or suggested that the World Economic Forum (WEF) is planning to launch a ‘false flag’ cyber attack to disrupt the 2024 US Presidential election!

WEF Insider: Imminent ‘False Flag’ Cyber Attack Will Disrupt 2024 Election

Recommended : WEF ordered electors to not certify Trump’s 2024 election win?!

 

No Evidence WEF Plans Cyber Attack To Disrupt 2024 Election!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Evidence WEF Plans Cyber Attack To Disrupt 2024 Election!

Let me start by pointing out that there is no evidence of the World Economic Forum (WEF) plans to launch a cyber attack to disrupt the 2024 President election.

If a WEF insider did indeed reveal such a plan, it would have gone viral, and it would have been condemned by everyone from the left to the right. The FBI and US Department of Homeland Security would also have launched criminal investigations.

Yet, there was no such report by the mainstream media, and no social media outrage. Heck, even right-wing American websites did not so much as squeak about a juicy WEF plot to launch a cyber attack against the United States???

That’s because that never happened. The People’s Voice article, unsurprisingly, offered no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim.

Fact #2 : Voters Don’t Use Ballot Tabulators

The People’s Voice article claimed that South Carolina primary voters were “reportedly unable to vote due to ballot tabulators being unable to connect to the internet [sic]”.

Well, I could find no report of South Carolina primary voters not being able to vote because ballot tabulators were unable to connect to the Internet. That’s probably because no voter ever uses ballot tabulators to cast their vote.

Ballot tabulators are machines used to scan and count ballots, and are never used by voters to cast their votes! So how would any ballot tabulator failure prevent voters from casting their votes?

Unsurprisingly, The People’s Voice article offered no evidence of such ballot tabulator failure, or that South Carolina voters were prevented from voting in its 2024 Presidential primary elections.

Recommended : Biden hired Bill Gates to flood Internet with AI censorship bots?!

Fact #3 : South Carolina Voting System Isn’t Connected To Internet

According to the South Carolina Election Commission, the South Carolina voting system is never connected to the Internet.

In fact, the ballot marking devices (BMD), ballot scanners, and computers used to tabulate the votes, are not even capable of being connected to the Internet!

Is the voting system connected to the Internet?

No, the voting system is never connected to the internet. Computers used to tabulate votes, BMDs, and ballot scanners used in South Carolina are not even capable of being connected to the Internet.

Needless to say, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence that ballot tabulators used in South Carolina were even capable of being connected to the Internet, never mind requiring it to work!

Fact #4 : WEF Screenshot Is Fake

The cover image used by The People’s Voice article and video has a screenshot which purportedly shows the World Economic Forum (WEF) posting on X (formerly Twitter) that:

The coming cyber attack will allow a New World Order to emerge.

That is most definitely a fake screenshot, because there is no such post on X by the World Economic Forum. And it’s a really silly creation too – why would the WEF reveal its nefarious cyber attack plan publicly?

Yet again, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence that such a post ever existed! In fact, it would not need some “WEF insider” to spill the beans when the WEF itself already publicly revealed its cyber attack plan!

Recommended : Did EU Legalise Child Porn As WEF Pedophilia Agenda?!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did Bill Gates Vow To Eradicate Memes From The Internet?!

Did Bill Gates just vow to eradicate memes from the Internet?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Bill Gates Vows To Eradicate Memes From The Internet!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed or suggested that Bill Gates just vowed to eradicate memes from the Internet!

Bill Gates Vows To Eradicate Memes From the Internet Forever

Recommended : Did Pope Francis Order Christians To Pray To Satan?!

 

Truth : Bill Gates Did Not Vow To Eradicate Memes From The Internet!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Bill Gates Is Not Eradicating Memes From The Internet

Let me start by pointing out that Bill Gates never vowed to eradicate memes from the Internet. Neither did he plan to eradicate memes from the Internet.

In fact, the entire premise is so silly, I cannot believe I have to actually point out that it is impossible to eradicate memes from the Internet. It sounds like it was written by people who are not tech-savvy. It would be far more believable if they claim that Bill Gates wants to eradicate fairies!

The People’s Voice article, unsurprisingly, offered no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim that Bill Gates vowed, or has actually hatched a plan, to eradicate memes from the Internet.

Fact #2 : GAVI Did Not Write That Article

The source of this nonsensical claim is a new article called “How memes became health disinformation super-spreaders“, which was attributed to GAVI. However, that’s not true.

The article was written by Stephanie Alice Baker, and Michael James Walsh, who published it on The Conversation. It was simply republished by GAVI, under a Creative Commons licence.

Recommended : Did Ice Spice Show Satanic Cross + Gestures At Super Bowl?!

Fact #3 : Article Details How Antivaxxers Use Memes

The article details how anti-vaccine memes started centuries ago, and how some anti-vaccine influencers use men drops to profit financially! You should definitely read it. It’s a very interesting, and educational article, and I salute the authors!

But more importantly for this fact check, the article never once called for memes to be eliminated, or made criminal. This completely contradicts what was written in The People’s Voice article.

Fact #4 : Bill Gates Does Not Own / Run GAVI

Bill Gates does not own or run GAVI. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was just one of its founding partners. GAVI has many stakeholders, including the WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, donor countries, and civil society organisations.

Its policies are therefore dictated not by a single person, but a GAVI board that is currently chaired by José Manuel Barros with 28 members, comprising of :

  • 9 independent individuals
  • 5 representatives from donor countries
  • 5 representatives from implementing countries
  • 2 representatives from GAVI – CEO, research and technical health institutes
  • 2 representatives from the vaccine industry
  • 1 representative from civil society organisations
  • 1 representative from WHO
  • 1 representative from UNICEF
  • 1 representative from World Bank
  • 1 representative from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Recommended : Did Mel Gibson Call Prince William The Antichrist?!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Is Google Shutting Down Gmail For Good?!

Is Google shutting down Gmail for good by August 2024?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Google Is Shutting Down Gmail For Good!

A post has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), allegedly posted by the SVP of Product at Google, who claimed that he accidentally fired the entire Gmail team, and ordered it shut down after misreading a message from CEO Sundar Pichai!

Chris Bakke : I’m the SVP of Product at Google ($28.8M TC).

Last night, Sundar asked me to “fire the entire Gemini team.”

I misread his message (insanely bad service at my 7br 11bath cabin in Park City) and I accidentally fired the entire Gmail team.

Gmail…Gemini.

Look at that quickly without your glasses when you’re 7 margaritas deep at the fire pit on a Wednesday and you’d make the same error.

I mean you get how that’s confusing right?

Anyway, I’m rolling with the decision.

Gmail’s gone.

A screenshot of a Google notice about sunsetting Gmail was attached to the post, and it suggested that Gmail accounts would become inaccessible after 1 August 2024.

Google is sunsetting Gmail

Dear Gmail User,

We are reaching out to share an important update about Gmail. After years of connecting millions worldwide, enabling seamless communication, and fostering countless connections, the journey of Gmail is coming to a close. As of August 1, 2024, Gmail will officially be sunsetted, marking the end of its service. This means that as of this date, Gmail will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails.

Why Gmail is Sunsetting

The decision to sunset Gmail has been made with careful consideration of the evolving digital landscape and our commitment to providing high-quality, innovative solutions that meet the needs of our users. In the spirit of progress and adaptation, we are focusing our resources on developing new technologies and platforms that will continue to revolutionize the way we communicate and interact online.

What This Means for You

Email Access: Up until August 1, 2024, you will be able to access and download all your emails. After this date, Gmail accounts will become inaccessible.

Recommended : Is WhatsApp Going To Charge Backup Storage Fee?!

 

Claim : Google Is Not Shutting Down Gmail At All!

This is yet another example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Google Is Not Shutting Down Gmail

Let me start by pointing out that Google is not shutting down Gmail. For one thing – no one received the “Google is sunsetting Gmail” email. There is also no announcement on the Google blog.

There is also an absence of legitimate news and tech media reporting on such a shocking announcement. In fact, all you will find are fact check articles like this, telling you that this is just another example of fake news on X.

There is also the fact that the official Gmail account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a terse response:

Gmail is here to stay

To be clear – Google is not shutting down Gmail. This is just satire / shitposting on X.

Google is itself highly-reliant on Gmail services, and would be in deep shit if Gmail goes down for even an hour, never mind shut down forever.

Recommended : WhatsApp : No More Free Unlimited Backup On Android!

Fact #2 : Chris Bakke Isn’t Google Product SVP

I should also point out that Chris Bakke is not the Senior Vice President of Product at Google in charge of Gmail. In fact, he’s currently working at X, not Google!

Chris Bakke was the founder and CEO of Laskie, a tech recruitment company that X (formerly Twitter) purchased in May 2023. He is currently the Product Lead for X, and is known to be a notorious “shitposter” or “trash poster” on the social media platform.

When Austen Allred, another tech founder, tweeted about the acquisition when it was revealed, Elon Musk said he thought it was a good sign:

Austen Allred : Only fitting that Twitter’s first acquisition in the Elon era is a company run by a notorious shitposter.

Elon Musk : I regard that as a good sign 🙂

Elon is probably going to give Chris a bonus for the millions of views and engagement his new “shitpost” has generated on X. Throw some our way, Chris, will ya!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did WHO DG Order Elimination Of Independent Media?!

Did the WHO Director-General just order governments to eliminate independent media, before the arrival of Disease X?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : WHO DG Ordered Elimination Of Independent Media!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed or suggested that the WHO Director-General just order governments to eliminate independent media, before the arrival of Disease X!

Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) rambling article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

WHO Director Says Independent Media Must Be ‘Wiped Out’ Before Disease X Arrives

Recommended : Did France Pass Law To Jail Opposition To mRNA Vaccines?!

 

Truth : WHO DG Did Not Order Elimination Of Independent Media!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : WHO DG Did Not Order Elimination Of Independent Media

This is really silly, but let me just start by pointing out that the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus did not order the elimination of independent media. Neither did he order governments to eliminate the independent media before the arrival of Disease X.

If he actually issued such an order, it would have been derided widely by the independent media, as well as the mainstream media. Yet, no one else, not even other conspiracy theory websites, have reported on such a controversial order by the WHO Director-General? That’s because it never happened.

As usual, The People’s Voice article provided no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claims. Just like when it claimed that the WHO Global Police Force was unveiled at WEF 2024!

Fact #2 : No One Censor The Entire World

Short of actually establishing a global police state, there is no way anyone can eliminate the independent media, and censor the entire world.

Some countries, like China and North Korea, have the capability to actively monitor and censor independent media. But many countries have free speech written into their constitutions, so it would be impossible to conduct such restrictions on free speech, without massive political blowback from their citizens.

In short – this can only happen in a MAGA / QAnon fantasy world, and not in the real world where the rest of us live. Naturally, The People’s Voice article has provided no evidence that such a dastardly plan ever exists outside of fevered minds and addled brains.

Fact #3 : Disease X Is Just A Placeholder Name

What The People’s Voice article does not tell you is that Disease X does not actually exist.

Disease X is merely a placeholder name for a hypothetical, unknown pathogen that could cause a future epidemic. It is used by healthcare organisations and policy makers as an easy way to label an unknown disease that could potentially emerge in the future.

If a new pathogen emerges, it won’t be called Disease X. It will be given a new name. Remember when news first broke about a new coronavirus emerging in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019? It wasn’t called Disease X then.

Initially, the WHO called it the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV. Then, the disease itself was named as COVID-19, while the virus that causes it was named as SARS-CoV-2.

Recommended : Has Canada Begun Euthanising Vaccine-Injured Citizens?!

Fact #4 : Pandemic Treaty Was Initiated By WHO Member States

It is also important to point out that the Pandemic Treaty was not initiated by the World Health Organization itself, but rather its member states.

The International Health Regulations (IHR) were first adopted by member states in 1969, empowering the WHO to monitor global diseases. Those regulations have since been revised over the years, including in 2005 – after the SARS outbreak.

On 1 December 2021, world leaders agreed to kickstart the process to draft and negotiate an agreement or convention to “strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response“.

Fact #5 : Pandemic Treaty Does Not Outlaw Free Speech

If you read the zero draft of the proposed Pandemic Treaty, you will realise that the WHO is not planning to control the Internet, or outlaw free speech. This is explicitly stated in Article 17, which refers to “Parties” that are the member states.

The Parties commit to increase science, public health and pandemic literacy in the population, as well as access to information on pandemics and their effects, and tackle false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation, including through promotion of international cooperation.

As you can see, under the agreement, each individual country will commit to increase knowledge about science and public health, as well as combat “false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation”.

Not only does the article clearly state that it is up to each country (not the WHO) to implement its policies, it does not mention anything about controlling the Internet.

The only people who need to worry about Article 17 of this proposed WHO agreement are those who peddle “false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation”.

Recommended : Did WHO Unveil Global Police Force With Arrest Powers?!

Fact #6 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did France Pass “Article Pfizer” Law To Ban mRNA Criticism?!

Did France just pass a new “Article Pfizer” law to ban and criminalise any criticism of mRNA vaccines?!

Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : France Passed “Article Pfizer” Law To Ban mRNA Criticism!

People are sharing articles and/or a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter), which appears to show that France just passed a new “Article Pfizer” law to ban and criminalise any criticism of mRNA vaccines!

Dr. Kat Lindley : France: any criticism of mRNA platform punishable with up to 3 years imprisonment and 45,000 euros.

“Article 4 is central to the new law, which was first deleted but then reinstated. This creates a new criminal offense and criminalizes the “ request to stop or refrain from therapeutic or prophylactic medical treatment” as well as “the request to use practices that are presented as therapeutic or prophylactic ”. This means that any resistance to mRNA treatment (and other corporate medical methods) can be criminalized in the future.”

Recommended : Did COVID vaccines kill 14X more people than they saved?

 

Truth : France Did Not Pass “Article Pfizer” Law To Ban mRNA Criticism!

This is yet another example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : French National Assembly Passed Article 4 On 14 February 2024

Let me start by pointing out that the controversial bill that has gotten anti-vaccine activists so riled up is called The Bill To Strengthen The Fight Against Sectarian Excesses And Improve The Support Of Victims. You can read the bill as it was presented to the Senate on 15 November 2023.

What particularly incensed them was Article 4 of that bill, which many are calling “Article Pfizer“. It failed the first vote on Tuesday, 13 February, but passed in the National Assembly with a vote of 116 to 108 on Wednesday, 14 February 2024.

Fact #2 : French Bill Does Not Involve Pfizer / mRNA

Regardless of what one may think of the new French bill or its Article 4, it does not have anything to do with Pfizer or the criticism of mRNA vaccines in France.

To the best of my knowledge – neither Pfizer nor mRNA vaccines were mentioned even once in the entire bill, or Article 4 itself! In fact, none of those who claimed that Pfizer and mRNA vaccines are involved ever provided any evidence they were mentioned in the bill!

If that’s true, you have to wonder – why do some people claim that the French bill, or its Article 4, would fine or imprison anyone who criticises or refuses to accept mRNA vaccines???

Recommended : Does Pfizer CEO aim to cut world population by 50%?

Fact #3 : Article 4 Targets Health Disinformation

As the La Chaîne parlementaire (LCP) explained, Article 4 of the bill made it a crime to incite the “abandonment of care” in France.

Specifically dedicated to therapeutic-type excesses, this Article 4 creates a new crime aimed at punishing “the provocation to abandon or refrain from following medical-therapeutic or prophylactic treatment“, as well as “the provocation to adopt practices presented as having a therapeutic or prophylactic purpose“, when these incentives may be “particularly serious” for physical or mental health.

In other words – Article 4 of this French bill makes it a crime to convince or encourage people not to accept reasonable medical treatment or prophylactic treatments (like vaccines), or to undertake treatments that can cause serious physical or mental harm.

Why would anyone want to continue letting unscrupulous people promote fake cures, or mislead people about proven medical treatments and prophylactics???

Recommended : Did Scientists Call For Global mRNA Vaccine Moratorium?!

Fact #4 : French Bill Targets Self-Declared “Gurus”

As LCP explained in a separate article, the overall bill targets “sectarian excesses in the digital space and the new gurus 2.0“, pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic enabled many of these “gurus” to take advantage of social networks to promote sectarian excesses:

The text also stresses that “the health crisis has been an ideal ground for these new sectarian excesses. New forms of “gurus” or self-proclaimed master thinkers act online, taking advantage of the vitality of social networks to federate real communities around them.”

In other words – if the bill passes and becomes law, it only endangers self-proclaimed “gurus” and cults that use social media and the Internet to snare their victims.

There does not seem to be any provision in the law to fine or imprison people in France who criticise mRNA vaccines, or pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer.

Fact #5 : Article 4 Was Amended Before Passage

According to LCP, Article 4 was amended after it first failed to pass, to include these amendments:

  • a crime would not be committed when proof of the free and informed consent of the person is provided”
  • whistleblowers of such crimes would be protected as “the information reported or disclosed by the whistleblower under the conditions provided for in Article 6” of the aforementioned law “does not constitute a provocation

In other words, these gurus would not be guilty of any crime if the people they convince to go against proven medical treatments acknowledge that they provided their free and informed consent.

Recommended : Did Pfizer Call mRNA Vaccines Deadliest Drug In History?!

Fact #6 : French Bill Isn’t Law Yet

While many people claim that the bill or its Article 4 were passed into law, that is simply not true. As of 16 February 2024, this bill, and its Article 4, has not become law in France.

After the amended Article 4 passed on 13 February, the entire bill passed in the National Assembly the next day – on 14 February 2024, with an overwhelming 151 to 73 vote. Even so, that does not make the bill a law yet.

For one thing – that was only the first reading in the National Assembly. The bill now goes to the Senate for its approval or amendments, before returning to the National Assembly for its second reading if there are any amendments.

Only after the final bill is approved by both houses, can it then be sent to the President of France for his signature. Assuming there is no request for a constitutional review, the bill only becomes law once the French President signs it, and the Prime Minister countersigns it, and it is sent to the Journal Officiel for publication.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did Bill Gates Order Blacklist Of People Sharing Fake News?!

Did Bill Gates order governments to blacklist citizens who share fake news / misinformation?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Bill Gates Orders Blacklist Of People Sharing Fake News!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that Bill Gates just ordered governments to blacklist citizens who share misinformation / fake news!

Bill Gates Orders Govt’s To Blacklist Citizens Who Share ‘Non-Mainstream’ Content Online

Recommended : Is Interpol Investigating Bill Gates For Murder?!

 

Truth : Bill Gates Did Not Order Blacklist Of People Sharing Fake News!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Bill Gates Did Not Order Any Blacklist

Let me start by pointing out that there is no evidence Bill Gates ordered any government to blacklist their citizens who spread fake news / misinformation. There was no announcement, no document or press release, not even a leaked video or audio of Bill Gates ordering a blacklist of people who post or share fake news / misinformation.

As usual, The People’s Voice offered no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim.

Fact #2 : Satya Nadella Is Microsoft CEO, Not Bill Gates

Interestingly, The People’s Voice article used a photo of Bill Gates, even though he handed over day-to-day operations at Microsoft more than 15 years ago. He also stepped down as Microsoft Chairman, when Satya Nadella was appointed as CEO in February 2014.

For people who are unaware, Satya Nadella is both CEO and Chairman of Microsoft. It is Nadella who decides what Microsoft does, not Bill Gates.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates Planning To Kill Billions Using Turbo AIDS?!

Fact #3 : Satya Nadella Never Ordered Any Blacklist Either

Satya Nadella never ordered any governments to blacklist citizens who share fake news / misinformation either.

In his interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt, he only said that the technology is there to tackle disinformation and misinformation, and the problem is deciding on the policy:

Then the question, again, comes back to: How do we build consensus between parties, candidates, and the norms around what is acceptable or not acceptable?

As the interview clearly shows, Satya Nadella isn’t dictating what is considered acceptable, or not acceptable. Why would anyone claim otherwise?

Fact #4 : Bill Gates X Post Is Fake

The People’s Voice article and video used a cover photo which appears to feature a screenshot of a post by Bill Gates on X (formerly Twitter), in which he appears to say, “Wanna share fake news? No internet for you!

That is definitely a fake screenshot, because Bill Gates never posted that on his X account. In fact, Bill lGates appears to have stopped posting on X after 7 October 2023.

As usual, The People’s Voice article and video offered no evidence, or a link, to prove that Bill Gates ever posted it.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates Facing Life Behind Bars For Child Rape?!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Is Bill Gates recruiting 2M Indians to control Internet using AI?!

Is Bill Gates planning to recruit and train two million Indians to control the Internet using AI?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Bill Gates To Recruit Indians To Control Internet Using AI!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which suggests that Bill Gates announced plans to recruit and train two million Indians to control the Internet using AI (artificial intelligence)!

Here is an excerpt from the long, and (intentionally?) rambling article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Bill Gates Recruiting 2 Million Strong Army To ‘Seize Control of Internet’ Using AI

Recommended : Did FAA Admit Pilot EKGs Not Normal After Vaccines?!

 

Truth : Bill Gates Is Not Recruiting Indians To Control Internet Using AI!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Bill Gates Did Not Announce Plans To Recruit 2 Million Indians

Let me start by pointing out that Bill Gates did not announce any plans to recruit and train two million Indians to use artificial intelligence (AI) to control the Internet.

The People’s Voice offered no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim, and there is no report by any legitimate media outlet that Bill Gates announced any such plan.

Fact #2 : Microsoft Isn’t Recruiting 2 Million Indians Either!

The People’s Voice article claimed that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the plan by Bill Gates to recruit and train two million Indians to use artificial intelligence to control the Internet. That is also not true.

Satya Nadella only announced that Microsoft will support India’s goal of a self-sufficient AI workforce, by training 2 million people through its ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative. However, Microsoft is not recruiting those two million Indians to work for them.

Under this initiative, Microsoft will collaborate with the Indian Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, as well as state governments in India, to offer fundamental and advanced AI training to students and job seekers in rural areas.

Microsoft will also offer comprehensive AI technical training to young women through instructors at higher education institutions in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, so they can obtain certifications in cloud, AI and cybersecurity.

Fact #3 : Satya Nadella Is Microsoft CEO, Not Bill Gates

As its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, it is Satya Nadella who decides what Microsoft does, not Bill Gates.

For people who are unaware, Bill Gates handed over day-to-day operations at Microsoft more than 15 years ago. He also stepped down as Microsoft Chairman, when Satya Nadella was appointed as CEO in February 2014 – 10 years ago!

If Microsoft decides to hire 2 million Indians to “take over the world” like Pinky and the Brain, that would be Satya Nadella’s decision, not Bill Gates.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates Planning To Kill Billions Using Turbo AIDS?!

Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did Pope Francis Order Christians To Pray To Satan?!

Did Pope Francis just order Christians to pray to Satan for real enlightenment?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Pope Francis Orders Christians To Pray To Satan!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims Pope Francis just ordered Christians to pray to Satan for real enlightenment!

Here is an excerpt from the long, and (intentionally?) rambling article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Pope Francis Orders Christians To ‘Pray to Satan’ for ‘Real Enlightenment’

Recommended : Did This Muslim Man Just Marry An 8 Year-Old Girl?!

 

Truth : Pope Francis Did Not Order Christians To Pray To Satan!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Pope Francis Did Not Order Christians To Pray To Satan

Let me start by simply pointing out that Pope Francis did not order Christians to pray to Satan for real enlightenment in a ceremony that was broadcasted across the world.

There was no broadcast, international or otherwise, in which Pope Francis ever ordered Christians to pray to Satan. The People’s Voice certainly offered no evidence to back up its claim – not even the video of the ceremony that was allegedly broadcasted to the entire world.

If Pope Francis really called for Christians to pray to Satan, it would have been covered worldwide by news outlets, Christian websites, and social media would have “blown up”. Yet, no one mentioned this except for The People’s Voice???

Fact #2 : Pope Francis Never Called Klaus Schwab “More Important Than Jesus”

The People’s Voice article also offered no evidence that Pope Francis ever called WEF founder Klaus Schwab “more important than Jesus”. In fact, it only referred to its own article (long debunked) making that claim.

Fact #3 : Pope Francis Screenshot Is Fake

The People’s Voice article and video used a cover photo which appears to feature a screenshot of a post by Pope Francis on X (formerly Twitter), in which he appears to say “We must open our hearts to Satan, for he is risen.

That is definitely a fake screenshot, because Pope Francis never posted anything like that on his X account. On top of that, the screenshot shows Pope Francis’ account with a blue checkmark. The real Pope Francis account has a gray checkmark.

Recommended : Did Pope Francis Suddenly Become A Fashion Icon?!

Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Biden hired Bill Gates to flood Internet with AI censorship bots?!

Did Joe Biden hire Bill Gates and other billionaire technocrats to flood the Internet with AI censorship bots, ahead of the 2024 election?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Biden Hires Bill Gates To Flood Internet With AI Censorship Bots!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims or suggests US President Joe Biden hired Bill Gates and other billionaire technocrats to flood the Internet with AI censorship bots ahead of the 2024 election!

Here is an excerpt from the long, and (intentionally?) rambling article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Biden Hires Bill Gates To Flood the Internet With ‘AI-Censorship Bots’

Recommended : Is Interpol Investigating Bill Gates For Murder?!

 

Biden Did Not Hire Bill Gates To Flood Internet With AI Censorship Bots!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Bill Gates Doesn’t Even Have An AI Program!

Let me start by simply pointing out that it is impossible for Joe Biden to hire Bill Gates to floor the Internet with AI censorship bots, because Bill Gates doesn’t even have an AI program!

Bill Gates is a big proponent of artificial intelligence, and has made a number of investments in AI companies like Inflection AI and LikeWise. However, he does not actually own or run those AI companies.

As far as anyone can tell – Bill Gates does not have the power or resources to “flood the Internet with AI censorship bots”.

The People’s Voice certainly offered no evidence that Joe Biden hired Bill Gates, or any other billionaire, to flood the Internet with AI censorship bots.

Fact #2 : Report Doesn’t Even Mention Bill Gates!

The People’s Voice article is based on an “Interim Staff Report” (PDF) by the GOP Representative Jim Jordan’s Subcommittee on the Weaponization of Government under the House Judiciary Committee.

While the report mentions a number of tech luminaries like Elon Musk and Marc Andreesen, it does not even mention Bill Gates once as a person of interest in the issue!

So why on Earth would anyone claim that US President Joe Biden hired Bill Gates, when he was not even mentioned in the report as a person of interest?!

Bill Gates’ name only appeared in the notes on Page 10 as part of a title of an article written by Jonathan Turley.

Recommended : Was Oprah Just Exposed In Jeffrey Epstein Client List?!

Fact #3 : Report Doesn’t Claim AI Tools Were Deployed

Even though the Jim Jordan report claims or suggests that the National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding the development of AI tools, it doesn’t even claim that they were deployed, or ready to deploy, for the 2024 US presidential election.

So why would anyone claim that Bill Gates or any tech billionaire was hired by Joe Biden to use these AI tools, which are still under development, to censor people during the 2024 Presidential election???

Fact #4 : Report Doesn’t Claim Joe Biden Was Involved

Notably, the Jim Jordan report also does not directly claim that the Biden White House is involved in the NSF funding of those AI censorship tools.

It only said that senior White House officials berated social media companies into changing their content moderation policies.

Fact #5 : NSF Convergence Accelerator Was Launched Under Trump!

It would be quite impossible for anyone to blame Joe Biden for the development of these AI tools, because NSF Convergence Accelerator was established in 2019 – during the Trump Administration!

While the report focused on Track F, which launched in March 2021, the earlier Track B and Track D on AI technologies were initiated in 2019 and 2020 during the Trump Administration.

Recommended : E. Jean Caroll Admits Lying To Help Biden Destroy Trump?!

Fact #6 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Will Microsoft Disable Your Computer If You Share Fake News?!

Is Microsoft planning to disable your computer if you post or share fake news / misinformation?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Microsoft To Disable Your Computer If You Share Fake News!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that Microsoft is planning to disable your computer if you post or share fake news / misinformation!

Microsoft To Disable Computers of Users Who Share ‘Non-Mainstream Content’ Online

Recommended : Is Interpol Investigating Bill Gates For Murder?!

 

Truth : Microsoft Won’t Disable Your Computer If You Share Fake News!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Microsoft Did Not Announce Plans To Disable Computers

Let me start by pointing out that Microsoft did not announce any plans to disable computers of people who share “non-mainstream” content online, in an attempt to combat “misinformation” in the run-up to the 2024 US Presidential election.

If Microsoft actually announced such plans, it would have been major news covered by news outlets all over the world. It would also have gone viral on social media, with conservative and right-wing personalities criticising those plans.

Microsoft certainly made no such announcement, and The People’s Voice offered no evidence to back up its “fact checked” claim.

Fact #2 : Satya Nadella Is Microsoft CEO, Not Bill Gates

Interestingly, The People’s Voice article used a photo of Bill Gates, even though he handed over day-to-day operations at Microsoft more than 24 years ago. He also stepped down as Microsoft Chairman, when Satya Nadella was appointed as CEO in February 2014.

If Microsoft does indeed plan to disable computers to fight fake news, that decision would have to be approved by its CEO and Chairman, Satya Nadella. Not its former founder, Bill Gates.

How is Bill Gates involved in this “story”? Nothing in the article even remotely suggests that Bill Gates is, in any way, involved in Microsoft affairs, or the non-existent plan to disable computers of people who share fake news / misinformation.

Recommended : Is Bill Gates Planning To Kill Billions Using Turbo AIDS?!

Fact #3 : Satya Nadella Never Said Anything About Disabling Computers

The People’s Voice article used a video of Lester Holt from NBC News interviewing Satya Nadella as evidence that Microsoft plans to disable computers of people who share misinformation. However, that’s completely nonsensical.

The NBC News video only shows Satya Nadella saying that the tech industry is using technological solutions like watermarking [AI created content], detecting deep fakes, and implementing content IDs, to fight disinformation and misinformation.

This is not the first election where we dealt with disinformation or propaganda campaigns by adversaries and election interference.

We’re doing all the work across the tech industry around watermarking, detecting deep fakes and content IDs. There is going to be enough and more technology quite frankly in order to be able to identify the issues around disinformation and misinformation.

Fact #4 : Microsoft Can’t “Magically” Disable Computers Remotely

Even if Microsoft is so inclined, disabling a computer remotely isn’t like waving a magic wand, or chanting “Abracadabra”!

With the possible exception of specifically hacking into your computer to gain access, or tricking you into installing malware, it is not possible for Microsoft to remotely disable your computer simply because you shared fake news or misinformation.

The People’s Voice article certainly offered no explanation of how Microsoft might conceivably disable your computer remotely… like magic!

Recommended : Is Bill Gates Facing Life Behind Bars For Child Rape?!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should never share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did WHO Unveil Global Police Force With Arrest Powers?!

Did the WHO (World Health Organization) just unveil its Global Police Force with the power to arrest people?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : WHO Unveils Global Police Force With Arrest Powers!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), claiming that the WHO (World Health Organization) just unveiled its Global Police Force at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos.

Ostensibly, this WHO Global Police Force has the power to arrest people who spread “non-mainstream content” on the Internet!

WHO Unveils ‘Global Police Force’ To Arrest Citizens Who Post Independent Media Online

Recommended : Did WEF Order Arrests Of Climate Change Deniers?!

 

Truth : WHO Did Not Unveil Any Global Police Force!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : WHO Did Not Unveil Any Global Police Force

First, let me just point out that the WHO (World Health Organization) did not unveil any Global Police Force, whether at the 2024 World Economic Forum, or elsewhere.

If such a police force was actually established, it would have been reported by mainstream media all over the world. There was no such coverage because it never happened. The People’s Voice article certainly offered no evidence of such a WHO Global Police Force.

In fact, if such a global Internet police force was established, the creators behind fake news websites would have been arrested. The fact that The People’s Voice can freely post such fake news is evidence that such a police force does not exist.

Fact #2 : Pandemic Treaty Was Initiated By WHO Member States

It is also important to point out that the Pandemic Treaty was not initiated by the World Health Organization itself, but rather its member states.

The International Health Regulations (IHR) were first adopted by member states in 1969, empowering the WHO to monitor global diseases. Those regulations have since been revised over the years, including in 2005 – after the SARS outbreak.

On 1 December 2021, world leaders agreed to kickstart the process to draft and negotiate an agreement or convention to “strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response“.

Recommended : Is Biden Admin signing over US sovereignty to WHO?!

Fact #3 : Pandemic Treaty Does Not Outlaw Free Speech

If you read the zero draft of the proposed Pandemic Treaty, you will realise that the WHO is not planning to control the Internet, or outlaw free speech. This is explicitly stated in Article 17, which refers to “Parties” that are the member states.

The Parties commit to increase science, public health and pandemic literacy in the population, as well as access to information on pandemics and their effects, and tackle false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation, including through promotion of international cooperation.

As you can see, under the agreement, each individual country will commit to increase knowledge about science and public health, as well as combat “false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation”.

Not only does the article clearly state that it is up to each country (not the WHO) to implement its policies, it does not mention anything about controlling the Internet.

The only people who need to worry about Article 17 of this proposed WHO agreement are those who peddle “false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation”.

Fact #4 : Pandemic Treaty May Not Be Binding

If you download and read the zero draft, you will realise that the WHO is still calling it a “convention, agreement, or other international instruments“, clearly showing that member countries have not decided whether they want it to be binding or otherwise.

In the third point noted on the very first page of the draft, it was even pointed out that this is just a draft that is being used for “commencing negotiations“, and that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed“.

The INB (Intergovernmental Negotiating Body) further agreed that the zero draft would be considered at its fourth meeting as a basis for commencing negotiations at that meeting, it being understood that the zero draft will be without prejudice to the position of any delegation and following the principle that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”.

While some countries like the European Union, Britain, Indonesia and Kenya would prefer a legally-binding Pandemic Treaty, other countries like the United States, India and Brazil oppose a legally-binding agreement.

So it is ludicrous to claim that the Pandemic Treaty will be legally binding. No such decision has been made.

Recommended : Is ICC launching Nuremberg 2 trials for COVID crimes?!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Publishing Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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How To Register For Your PADU Account!

Find out how to register for your PADU Central Database Hub account, so you can check and update your information!

 

PADU Central Database Hub : What Is It?

Malaysia introduced the PADU Central Database Hub – on Tuesday, 2 January 2024. Developed in just 7 months, PADU is designed to give the government a better way to distribute subsidies, and make other policy decisions going forward.

PADU accomplishes this by combining data from over 400 government agencies, and related organisations, into one central database, hence its name – Pangkalan Data Utama (PADU), or Central Database Hub in English.

The Malaysian government has currently made PADU open to Malaysian citizens and permanent residents, who are 18 years and older. However, it is not mandatory for anyone to register for a PADU account.

Registering for a PADU account will allow you to check and update your information in the system. But even if you do not register for an account – PADU will automatically consolidate your data from multiple government agencies.

Recommended : PADU Central Database Hub : What You Need To Know!
Recommended : Is PADU Being Used To Monitor All Your Personal Data?!

 

How To Register For Your PADU Account!

It is pretty easy to register for your PADU account, but you will need to at least have a smartphone. Here is the step-by-step process.

Step 1 : Register for a new account at the official PADU website at https://www.padu.gov.my/auth/daftar.

Step 2 : Key in your basic information in the registration form:

  • Nama Penuh / Full Name
  • No. Kad Pengenalan / Identity Card Number
  • Poskod / Postcode
  • No. Telefon Bimbit / Mobile Telephone Number
  • E-mel / Email address

Then click on the Seterusnya / Next button.

Step 3 : The PADU system will send your mobile number a One-Time Password (OTP). Key in the OTP number, and click on the Seterusnya / Next button.

Step 4 : You will now be asked to create a password for your PADU account. Make sure your password meets these minimum requirements:

  • it must have at least 8 characters
  • there must be a combination of capital and small letters
  • you must include at least one special character like @$!%*$?&

Step 5 : Key in the same password to make sure it’s correct. You can click on the eye button to view the password. Then click on the Seterusnya / Next button.

Step 6 : The PADU system will generate a QR code, which changes over time. Open your smartphone camera app, and aim it at the QR code.

Alternatively, you can use a QR code reader on your smartphone to read the generated QR code.

Step 7 : When the link pops-up in your smartphone’s camera app or QR code reader, click on it to launch the e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) process.

Step 8 : You will now be asked to take and upload photos of both the front and back of your MyKad identity card.

  • Please make sure you do this in a bright area, as you should not use a flash.
  • You need to avoid glare – light reflecting off the plastic MyKad.
  • You need to make sure the MyKad is within the dotted-line frame, when you take the photos.
  • You also need to make sure the MyKad is in focus when you take the photos.

Note that there is a magnification feature at the upper right corner, that allows you to zoom in at up to 2.5X. This is actually a very useful feature.

After trying it out, I found that the best way to avoid shadows is to use the maximum 2.5X magnification feature to take the photo of the MyKad from a distance.

Reflections on the plastic MyKad is a problem. But you can avoid the glare by taking the photos at a slight angle.

Step 9 : Next, you will be asked to take a selfie using your smartphone, and upload it.

Even though there is the same option to zoom in with a magnification of up to 2.5X, don’t use it. Keep it at 1X.

There is no requirement to take the photo with a white background. You just need to make sure you take the selfie in a bright area, so there is no need to use a flash (to avoid glare).

You will need to make sure your face is within the dotted line frame, before you take the photo. Make sure you are looking forward, with your eyes opened. If you are wearing glasses, please take them off to avoid glare.

Note : Samsung smartphone users may notice that the system hangs with the “Trying to access lens” message. You can either wait a few minutes, or click on the Tukar Lens (Change Lens) option at the top left corner of the screen.

That’s it! After you upload photos of your identity card, and your selfie, you will receive a message stating that PADU will need up to 3 days to verify your identity, and will inform you when your account has been successfully created.

All you need to do is wait for the email or SMS notification. Once you receive the notification, you can proceed to log into your PADU account using the password you registered at https://www.padu.gov.my/.

We hope you found this guide useful. Please SHARE this article with your family and friends!

 

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Is PADU Being Used To Monitor All Your Personal Data?!

Is the government using PADU – the Central Database Hub – to collect and monitor all of your personal data, including your banking information?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : PADU Lets The Government Monitor All Your Data!

People are sharing this message on WhatsApp and social media platforms, which claims or suggests that the new PADU Central Database Hub allows the government to collect and monitor all of your personal data, including your banking information!

Soon for everyone….. Government new method to monitor All Malaysian assets and income.. it’s called PADU.. it links all personal information from your Mycard to your passport to all your officials document’s , including insurance , property & land titles, Electric and water bills to JPJ vechical grant.
All your bank transitions, From PDRM summons including bank loans, credit cards, Business registration and accounts. even your phone SIM card.. In the future a Malaysian can’t even fart, Without the government’s knowledge

Recommended : PADU Central Database Hub : What You Need To Know!

 

Truth : PADU Does Not Let Government Monitor All Your Data

This appears to be yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : PADU Combines Existing Data

Malaysia introduced the PADU Central Database Hub – on Tuesday, 2 January 2024. Developed in just 7 months, PADU is designed to give the government a better way to distribute subsidies, and make other policy decisions going forward.

PADU accomplishes this by combining data from over 400 government agencies, and related organisations, into one central database, hence its name – Pangkalan Data Utama (PADU), or Central Database Hub in English.

The data that PADU stores was always there, just split up into databases owned and managed by different government agencies, and related organisations. All that PADU does is consolidate data from all those different sources into a central database.

Fact #2 : You Are Not Required To Register For PADU

The Malaysian government does not actually require you to register to access PADU. Registering for a PADU account is not mandatory.

In fact, the government has set a deadline limiting public access to PADU. Those who register for a PADU account can check, update, and add information, until 31 March 2024.

Whether you register your account or not, PADU already has your data. The data remains in PADU, even if you refuse to register for an account.

Recommended : How To Appeal Rejected eMADANI Application!

Fact #3 : PADU Has No Access To Banking Data

While PADU is designed to determine whether you qualify for subsidies and other government assistance, there are limits to what the PADU can collect.

Claims that PADU will give the government access to all of your “bank transactions” and data, including “bank loans, credit cards, business registration and accounts”, etc. are false.

That’s because the PADU Central Database Hub is forbidden from collecting banking data by the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989 (BAFIA).

Fact #4 : PADU Has No Access To Your SIM Card

Just to be clear – PADU has no access to your SIM card. It only has your mobile phone number.

For more information about the PADU Central Database Hub, please read our FAQ.

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Free TNG RFID Bar Code Scam Fact Check!

Will your phone get hacked if you scan the TNG RFID bar code?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-11-17 : Added new version, and more details.
Originally posted @ 2023-05-10

 

Claim : Scanning TNG RFID Bar Code Can Hack Your Phone!

This warning about an RFID bar code scam has gone viral on WhatsApp, and social media, claiming that scammers are sending people free TNG RFID stickers, and asking them to scan the bar code.

Allegedly, scanning the TNG RFID bar code will cause your phone to be hacked by these scammers!

They send the RFID to you. When you scan the bar code they hack your hp
It’s a scam

他们将 RFID 发送给您。 当您扫描条形码时,他们会入侵您
这是一个骗局

Mereka menghantar RFID kepada anda. Apabila anda mengimbas kod bar mereka menggodam anda
Ia satu penipuan ☠️👻💩😱😰

If you get this free RFID card via courier, please throw away. Another scam.

Recommended : Bank Letter QR Code Scam : What You Need To Know!

 

Truth : Scanning TNG RFID Bar Code Will NOT Hack Your Phone!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : TNG RFID Bar Code Cannot Hack Your Phone

First of all – let me just say that the TNG RFID bar code cannot hack your phone. In fact, no one can hack your phone just because you scan an RFID bar code.

The bar code is nothing more than a series of numbers, which you can readily see printed under the bar code. These numbers cannot possibly hack your phone / smartphone.

Fact #2 : TNG Bar Code Is Used To Register RFID Sticker

The bar code visible in the clear window of the TNG RFID self-fitment kit is merely the serial number for the RFID sticker (also known as an RFID tag).

This serial number is used to register the RFID sticker, by scanning scan the bar code using the TNG eWallet mobile app. All it does is link the RFID sticker to your TNG eWallet account, so that all toll charges are automatically deducted from that account.

Fact #3 : TNG RFID Swapping Can Be Easily Detected

One of our readers suggested that the scammer might have swapped out the bar code, to trick you into registering a different TNG RFID sticker owned by the scammer.

This would allow the scammer to use his/her TNG RFID sticker to go through highway tolls for free, while you would be charged for his/her travels.

While that is plausible, it would be quickly detected by the victim who would not be able to use the RFID sticker to get through the toll. The victim would also be able to detect the illegal charges to his/her TNG eWallet account.

Read more : TNG RFID Self-Fitment Guide : How To Do It Yourself

Fact #4 : TNG RFID Is Unique To Each Chip

One of our readers suggested that the scammer may be trying to trick people into scanning the barcode of a duplicated RFID sticker. The scammer can then use the duplicate RFID sticker to go through tolls, which would be charged to the victims’ TNG eWallet accounts.

Now, Touch ‘n Go has not revealed much about how it is protecting its RFID stickers, only saying that each TNG RFID sticker has an embedded radio-frequency chip that makes every sticker “unique to each customer”.

But that suggests that the RFID stickers are not only encrypted, the chip has a private key that prevents duplication, which makes a lot of sense. Without such encryption and private key, anyone can literally just read the number off any RFID sticker in a parking lot, and duplicate it in a programmable RFID sticker.

Unless the scammer has somehow stolen the private keys, and can perfectly duplicate the RFID stickers, this seems like an improbable scam. More so when the scammers would be limited to using the tolls for free. Hardly worth the effort, if you ask me.

Fact #5 : There Are Easier + Cheaper Ways To Hack Your Phone

Truth be told – there are far easier and cheaper ways to hack your phone, than send you a free RFID sticker and ask you to scan the bar code.

These scammers will have to put in considerable expense and technical expertise into hacking the TNG eWallet app, and inserting their malware that the fake RFID number would trigger.

But why bother? If they can hack the TNG eWallet, they don’t even need to send you any fake RFID bar code to scan!

Making fake RFID stickers (tags) that look like genuine TNG RFID self-fitment kits costs money. Sending these fake kits also put them at risk, because deliveries can be traced.

There are many other ways to compromise your smartphone. There is simply no reason why scammers to waste time and money on such a convoluted scheme.

Recommended : WhatsApp Block Button Scam : What You Need To Know!

Fact #6 : Packages Do Get Delivered Wrongly

The most plausible explanation for receiving a free TNG RFID sticker out of the blue is that it was wrongly delivered to you. If you receive one, check the name and address on the package. It may not be meant for you. In that case, contact the delivery company and have them resend it to the right person.

I have also personally experienced receiving packages that I did not order, some of which appear to be sent due to a database error of some sort – my name and phone number are on the package, but the address was wrong or non-existent.

Out of an abundance of caution, just don’t install any RFID sticker that you did not order. Or you can call up TNG to verify that the RFID sticker is legitimate.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Cybersecurity | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!