Tech
Google Expands Dark Web Monitoring for Gmail Users: Protecting Your Online Security

Representational Image | Source: Shutterstock
Google has made an announcement stating its plans to extend Dark Web monitoring to all Gmail users in the United States, with a later expansion to international markets. This new feature will allow Gmail users to conduct scans to check if their Gmail address appears on the Dark Web, and they will receive guidance on how to take necessary actions to protect themselves.
Previously, the Dark Web scan feature was exclusively available to Google One subscribers in the US. However, within the next few weeks, it will become accessible to all Gmail users. Google also mentioned its intention to expand access to the Dark Web report to selected international markets.
Jen Fitzpatrick, SVP of Google Core services, highlighted that the company already safeguards Gmail users from approximately 15 billion unwanted messages on a daily basis. They achieve this by blocking over 99.9 percent of spam, phishing attempts, and malware. Furthermore, Google intends to enhance spam protection within Google Drive. They will introduce a new view that simplifies the sorting and reviewing of files, allowing users to identify potential spam and protect themselves from unwanted or harmful content.
To further enhance user safety, Google Drive will automatically classify content into a spam view, similar to the functionality in Gmail. This will prevent users from encountering dangerous or undesirable files. Additionally, Google is launching a new tool called “About this Image” to assist individuals in evaluating the credibility of visual content discovered online. This tool will provide users with important contextual information about images, such as the date of first indexing by Google, where it was initially found, and where else it has appeared online, including news, social, or fact-checking sites.
Google has recently become the first major technology company to enable passkey sign-in on its platform. Passkeys combine the high level of security offered by 2-Step Verification (2SV) with the convenience of simply unlocking the device.
Tech
India Just Got a Huge Internet Upgrade! Thanks to Airtel’s New Undersea Cable.

Bharti Airtel has landed the 2Africa Pearls subsea cable in India, strengthening the country’s global internet connectivity. This project is a joint effort with center3 and Meta, with Airtel serving as the landing partner. The 2Africa Pearls cable is a part of the larger 2Africa network, which, once completed, will be the longest undersea internet cable in the world. Covering around 45,000 km, it will link Asia, Africa, and Europe through the Middle East.
A group of major global companies, including Bayobab, center3, China Mobile International, Meta, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC, is backing the project. Alcatel Submarine Networks is responsible for building and installing the cable.
Sharat Sinha, Director and CEO of Airtel Business, shared that bringing the 2Africa Pearls cable to India is an important step in boosting the company’s network strength. He highlighted Airtel’s recent efforts to expand its global network, including landing the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable in Chennai and Mumbai. He also mentioned that Airtel will keep investing in undersea cables to ensure better reliability and high-speed connectivity for its customers.
Airtel’s global network spans over 400,000 km across 50 countries and five continents. The company has already invested in 34 subsea cable systems, including key projects like the Southeast Asia-Japan Cable 2 and Equiano.
Apart from the newly landed 2Africa Pearls cable, Airtel is also a part of other major subsea systems, such as the i2i cable network, Europe India Gateway, IMEWE, SEA-ME-WE-4, AAG, Unity, EASSy, Gulf Bridge International, and the Middle East North Africa Submarine Cable (MENA).
With these efforts, Airtel aims to further strengthen India’s position in global digital connectivity while offering a faster and more reliable internet experience.
Tech
NRIs Can Now Use UPI for Free Transactions in India: Here’s What You Need to Know.

Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) holding NRE or NRO accounts can now make UPI transactions through their smartphones linked to international mobile numbers. This new option, introduced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), makes it easy for NRIs to send money to family or pay bills in India without the need for regular bank transfers.
Key Features of NRI UPI Transactions
- No Transaction Fees: NRIs from countries like the US, UK, Canada, UAE, Singapore, and Australia can use UPI for free, even while abroad.
- Supported by Major Banks: Popular banks like HDFC, ICICI, Axis, Canara, and PNB support this service, and NRIs can use apps such as PhonePe, iMobile, and BHIM to make transactions.
- Transaction Limits: There’s a daily limit of ?1 lakh. New users start with a limit of ?5,000 for the first 24 hours. UPI can be used for payments between NRE/NRO and resident Indian accounts, though it doesn’t work for transfers between NRO and NRE accounts. Only the primary holder in joint accounts can access UPI.
How NRIs Can Set Up UPI
NRIs need to link their international mobile number to their NRE or NRO bank account, download a UPI app, verify their number, create a UPI ID, and activate their account. This setup allows them to start making easy, fee-free payments in India.
Tech
South Korea Fines Meta $15.67M for Sharing Private User Data with Advertisers.

Representational Image | Source: freemalaysiatoday
Meta has been fined 21.62 billion won (about $15.67 million) by South Korea’s privacy agency for collecting sensitive information from Facebook users and giving it to advertisers without permission. The country’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) found that Meta gathered details on the religious beliefs, political views, and sexual orientation of around 980,000 South Korean Facebook users and shared this data with 4,000 advertisers.
The PIPC explained that Meta tracked users’ activity on Facebook, including the pages they liked and the ads they clicked, to organize users by topics related to these private areas. Some categories created for users included religion, sexual identity, or status as a former North Korean citizen.
According to the commission, Meta used this personal information without approval, which breaks privacy laws. They also pointed out that Meta failed to protect inactive accounts. Hackers managed to reset passwords on these accounts using fake IDs, and Meta accepted these fake documents without proper checks. This led to personal data leaks for 10 South Korean users.
The PIPC added that they will keep an eye on Meta’s actions to ensure it follows privacy rules, protecting people’s information. Meta responded by saying it will “carefully review” the commission’s decision.