Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra hands-on: Didn’t fall far from the Apple tree

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Have you heard the song that goes “anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you?” Well, it seems like the folks at Samsung have been listening to that on repeat. At its Galaxy Unpacked event today, the company unveiled a slew of products, including a few wearables that look remarkably familiar. The Galaxy Ring, which was teased in January, appears to be inspired by the Oura Ring. Meanwhile, the new Galaxy Watch Ultra seems to have borrowed many traits from a competing product at Apple, right down to its name.

The resemblance doesn’t end there, but there are a few key differences between Samsung and Apple’s high-end smartwatches. From my recent hands-on experience, though, Samsung’s latest wearables don’t seem to bring many new things to its familiar-looking products.

The Korean company has a long history of aping Apple, and has even had to pay the iPhone maker millions of dollars as part of a multi-year patent infringement case. With everything from its name to appearance to features being so obviously similar to the Apple Watch Ultra, I don’t think it’s too far for me to outright say that Samsung is copying the iPhone maker, and pretty brazenly so. In fact, even with the Galaxy Watch 7, Samsung seems to be bringing features that already launched elsewhere.

Most of the changes on the Watch 7 aren’t immediately visible. There is a new 3nm Exynos processor under the hood, which Samsung says is three times faster than its predecessor. It’s also supposed to deliver 30% improved power efficiency, which should translate to better battery life. The Watch 7 also has a dual-frequency GPS system for more accurate location tracking. Apple brought dual-frequency GPS to its watches in 2022 with the original Watch Ultra.

The similarities don’t end there. Samsung is also offering new watchbands, including one in a very familiar-looking ripple style. The Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra will also support a new “double pinch” gesture that will let you do things like trigger the camera or dismiss an alert by bringing your thumb and forefinger together twice. Apple formally launched Double Tap on the Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 last year, though the bones of the gesture-based navigation has existed as an accessibility feature for longer.

I wasn’t able to test double pinch at the hands-on event for myself, though Samsung reps onsite showed me how it would work. To be fair, it also took Apple weeks before it actually rolled out Double Tap to the public.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 on a stand on a white table, showing an analog watch face.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Galaxy Watch 7 also comes with the usual set of new watch faces, and has a second-gen bioactive sensor that allows for faster and more-accurate readings. There’s also new software features like an AI algorithm for sleep analysis and a “De Novo FDA-authorized Sleep Apnea feature” that checks for “potential signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.” The Galaxy Watch 7 (and Ultra) is also one of the first to run Wear OS 5, which was first teased at Google I/O back in May.

I’m recuperating from a recent injury and did not take a nap at the hands-on event, so I wasn’t able to check out the new sleep features or really even jump about to see how long my heart rate changes might take to register. I can only say that on the outside the Galaxy Watch 7 looks a lot like the Galaxy Watch 6.

I spent more time checking out the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which is, to give Samsung at least a little credit, the most different looking smartwatch it’s made in years. When rumors were rife that both Samsung and Apple were readying “Pro” models of their watches to launch in 2022, I was seriously underwhelmed when I finally saw the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It was nothing like the Apple Watch Ultra, and seemed to be just a slightly more durable and souped-up version of the classic Galaxy Watch.

With the Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung has managed to successfully change up the look of its long-standing series of smartwatches. This thing’s appearance definitely makes a statement, and it’s not just “Watch Ultra for Android!” One thing Samsung did differently from Apple is that it kept the circle display, but framed it in a rounded square case, resulting in what the company described as a “cushion” design. Supposedly this “enhances protection and visual completeness,” but I suspect it has more to do with a round screen being easier for Samsung’s manufacturing.

The “cushion” style goes a long way in making the Galaxy Watch Ultra look different from other Samsung watches, but it still comes off like a slightly wider version of the Apple one. Both wearables have titanium cases and screens that can go up to 3,000 nits of brightness. They also offer water-resistance of up to 100 meters.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra on a wrist in mid air, with its screen showing the words
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Apple does have a depth gauge and can be used for recreational diving at up to 40 meters, though, while Samsung doesn’t have similar software. There are other small differences in dust- and water-resistance between the two Watch Ultras, with Samsung’s rated at IP68 and Apple’s at IP6X dust-resistant.

Though it looks bulkier, the Galaxy Watch Ultra actually has a smaller 47mm case compared to Apple’s, which is 49mm. The latter is also a hair heavier, weighing 61.4 grams (2.16 ounces) compared to Samsung’s 60.5 grams. On my relatively small wrist, the Galaxy Watch Ultra looked a bit overwhelming, just like the Apple version did. If you have bigger bones and thought the Apple Watch Ultra was an alright size, you won’t have an issue with Samsung’s version. I will say that in my brief time with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it never felt too heavy, and I almost forgot I was wearing it.

I already described how Samsung is bringing double pinch to the Galaxy Watch series this year, which is basically Apple’s double tap but less sophisticated. In my brief experience, Apple’s implementation is more thorough and works in more parts of the interface (like for jumping through individual widgets in its smart stack, for example). Samsung’s approach is fairly limited, since it appears to only be able to do one or two things.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra does have one notable difference from the Apple Watch Ultra — buttons. It has three on its right edge: the Home button on top and the back button at the bottom, just like previous models offered. But a new Quick Button sits in the middle and can be customized to launch an app or workout with a press. You can also determine what it does when you click it twice, but by default holding it down for five seconds will trigger the emergency siren, which is another feature that Apple also launched with the original Watch Ultra. A lot of Samsung’s interface also looks similar to Apple’s here, though its alarm sounds more monotonous and shrill than the iPhone maker’s.

Side view of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra on a wrist in mid air, showing the three buttons on its right edge. The top is a black rectangular button with an orange line in it, while the middle is a round dial with an orange outline. The last one is a black rectangle with a white line in it.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

One thing about the Galaxy Watch Ultra annoyed me more than anything else. Although it’s a dial that can turn, rotating the Quick Button doesn’t scroll through the interface. There’s also no physical spinning bezel here, so the only way you have to scroll through Samsung’s software is by dragging your finger across the screen. For a smartwatch company that’s best known for its rotating bezel that allows for easy scrolling, this seems like a glaring omission and a missed opportunity. Oh and just like the Apple Watch Ultra’s Action button, the Quick button is easy to accidentally press into when you bend your wrist backwards while doing pushups, for example.

There’s a lot more of the Galaxy Watch Ultra I’d like to test properly, like whether its 3nm processor truly translates to speedier performance and longer battery life. Samsung claims the Galaxy Watch Ultra can last up to 60 hours of typical use, 100 hours in Power Saving and 48 hours in “Exercise Power Saving.”

I’m also curious to see how Samsung’s double pinch feature compares to Apple’s version, even though I don’t find myself using the latter much in the real world anyway.

Has Samsung really done anything better than Apple with the Galaxy Watch Ultra? Though I’m skeptical at the moment, it’s a little too early to tell. It’s definitely a good thing that Samsung has priced its Watch Ultra at $650, which is $150 less than the Apple Watch Ultra and certainly more palatable. But I can only wait till after I’ve put the device to the test in the real world to know if it’s worth spending any money on. If you’re already intrigued, you can pre-order the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch 7 starting today on Samsung.com and they’ll be available on July 24.

Catch up on all the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2024 here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-watch-ultra-hands-on-didnt-fall-far-from-the-apple-tree-130030349.html?src=rss

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 have an AirPods-esque design and a dash of AI

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Samsung's new Galaxy Buds lineup is hardly a surprise thanks to a recent leak, but the company still had to officially debut its latest audio accessory at its Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Alongside new folding phones, watches and even a smart ring, Samsung revealed the Galaxy Buds 3 series. The new models have a more AirPods-like look thanks to their stickbud or "blade" design, and Samsung is playing catch-up with new features like an Interpreter tool, Adaptive EQ and others. 

Until now, Samsung has opted for the more common, rounded earbud design most companies favor for their products. The stick-based look has become increasingly popular though, and much of Apple's competition have debuted their own takes on the style. Now we can count Samsung among the fold. The company says its new "blade" design is based on "a variety of collected statistical data" and offers "a more intuitive physical experience" thanks to pinch and swipe controls — another aspect of the AirPods Pro. The key difference is the "regular" Galaxy Buds 3 are an open fit like the "regular" AirPods while the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have a tip that completely seals off your ear canal. Despite that variance, both offer active noise cancellation (ANC), but only the Pro model has ambient sound/transparency mode. 

Another big difference between the two models is the two-way speakers on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Samsung has paired a 10.5mm dynamic driver with dual amplifiers and a 6.1mm planar tweeter that offers "precise high range sound production." Both Galaxy Buds 3 models support ultra high quality (UHQ) sound up to 24bit/96kHz and 360 Audio when paired with a compatible Samsung device. The two models vary on battery life as well. The Galaxy Buds 3 will last up to five hours with ANC on (24 hours total with the case), but you'll get an hour more of noise-canceling performance on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (26 hours total with the case). 

As you might expect, Samsung is sprinkling AI on its new earbuds. Both models offer an Interpreter feature that works with compatible Galaxy devices, a tool that relies on artificial intelligence to do its translating. It's similar to what Google has been doing on its Pixel Buds for a while now and all of the work is done by the connected device rather than the earbuds. 

The company says microphones on the Galaxy Buds 3 series monitor external noise in real time and apply tweaks with both an Adaptive EQ and Adaptive ANC. On the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, the noise cancellation setup can also detect sirens and your voice, and when it picks up the latter, it automatically reduces the volume and activates transparency mode. That feature, known as Voice Detect, was available on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but it's nice to see the feature return. 

Samsung has also added hands-free controls for music and other content with what it calls Voice Command. To improve overall voice quality, the company added a Super Wideband calls tool that allows Galaxy Buds 3 to transmit voice up to 16kHz. Samsung says previous earbuds only utilize up to the 8kHz band, but the Pixel Buds Pro supports Super Wideband too. Of course, the company also employs machine-learning models to battle background noise when you're speaking.

The Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are available for pre-order now for $180 and $250 respectively. Both models come in silver and white color options, and if you buy them from the company's website before July 23, Samsung will throw in a free protective "clip case." 

Catch up on all the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2024 here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-galaxy-buds-3-have-an-airpods-esque-design-and-a-dash-of-ai-130019399.html?src=rss

Samsung just revealed the Galaxy Z Flip 6, putting the S24’s best specs in a compact foldable

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Samsung just announced the Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphone at its most recent Unpacked event and it's a doozy of an update that squeezes some of the S24’s best features into a compact foldable. There’s a new design, an updated camera system and the biggest battery in a Z Flip to date.

The camera system features an updated design with a color-matched lens housing. There’s a new 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, which is the same as the base Galaxy S24. This system includes auto-zoom framing and an AI algorithm for better portraits.

The 4,000mAh battery is the biggest ever in this product category. Once again, this is the same size of battery as found with the Galaxy S24. Samsung also touts its quick-charging capabilities, saying that the phone can reach a 50 percent charge in just 30 minutes. That’s a pretty decent metric.

Four phones.
Engadget

The base RAM has gotten an upgrade, 12GB up from 8GB, and the 6.7-inch AMOLED main screen boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. The cover screen is a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 60Hz display. Software wise, there are some new interactive and generative wallpapers and a photo ambient mode that changes color based on the time and weather. The phone can access a bunch of new widgets, with all new size combinations that allow for multiple widgets on a single cover screen. There’s a new texting feature that analyzes the past seven messages to help come up with suggested replies.

As for the design, there are some new colors, like silver, yellow and blue. Samsung is also selling some exclusive colors, such as white and peach. Preorders are available right now and there’s a bonus for early adopters. Ordering now will automatically bump you up to the next storage size. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at $1,100.

Catch up on all the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2024 here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-just-revealed-the-galaxy-z-flip-6-putting-the-s24s-best-specs-in-a-compact-foldable-130018981.html?src=rss

The Morning After: US officials help take down AI-powered Russian bot farm with nearly 1,000 fake X accounts

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US officials and their allies have identified and taken down an artificial intelligence-powered Russian bot farm comprising almost 1,000 accounts. These accounts were able to spread disinformation and pro-Russian sentiments across X, formerly Twitter. The Justice Department has revealed the scheme was made possible by software created by a digital media department in RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet.

According to a cybersecurity advisory from the FBI, intelligence officers from the Netherlands, and cybersecurity authorities from Canada, it centered on a tool called Meliorator, which can create “authentic appearing social media personas en masse,” generate text messages as well as images and mirror disinformation from other bot personas. For example, one account with the name Ricardo Abbott, which claimed to be from Minneapolis, posted a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin justifying Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

The Justice Department is still tracing and trying to find all 968 accounts used by the Russian actors to disseminate false information. X has shared information with authorities on all the identified accounts and has already suspended them.

— Mat Smith

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Samsung’s next big event kicks off in a few hours. We’ll be covering all the announcements (and testing out devices), so tune into our liveblog. We expect to see the Galaxy Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, but their updates could be minor, as well as Samsung’s newest wearable, the Galaxy Ring. If you want some insight into what to expect, you can read up on that right here.

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Apple blog TUAW returns as an AI content farm

With not-so-new content from writers who haven’t worked there in more than a decade.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) has returned online nearly a decade after shutting down. But the new owners of the once venerable source of Apple news appear to have transformed it into an AI-generated content farm. The site, which ceased operations in 2015, began publishing ‘new’ articles, many of which appear nearly identical to content published by MacRumors and other publications over the past week. Adding to the grossness, the site also has an author page featuring former writers’ names and photos that appear to be AI-generated.

Continue reading.

Eton College, the elite historic British boarding school — with famous alumni Princes William and Harry, Ian Fleming and Tom Hiddleston — has instituted a new mobile phone policy for its first-year students starting in September. Those students will have to leave their smartphones at home and bring their SIM card to school to put in an old-school Nokia cell phone with a simple number pad, which can only make phone calls and send text messages.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-us-officials-help-take-down-ai-powered-russian-bot-farm-with-nearly-1000-fake-x-accounts-111659112.html?src=rss

Google brings passkeys to its Advanced Protection Program

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Google is adding passkey support to its Advanced Protection Program. APP is the company's highest-level security option. It's intended for targets who could be at high risk of hacks or other scams, such as elected officials or human rights workers, and it previously required a physical security key to use. In Google's announcement today, it acknowledged that the physical component made APP less feasible for some of the people who need the service most. Now, people who enroll in APP can opt for a passkey or for a physical key.

Google was one of many tech companies to start offering passkeys for security, rolling out the option to Android and Chrome in 2022 and offering them to all Google accounts in 2023. Earlier this year, Google said that more than 400 million accounts have used passkeys more than 1 billion times. And that's a big number, but on the whole, uptake of this technology has still been gradual.

In addition to adding passkey support, Google also shared that it is partnering with media nonprofit Internews to provide cybersecurity support for its network of journalists and human rights advocates. The arrangement will cover ten countries, including Brazil, Mexico and Poland.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-brings-passkeys-to-its-advanced-protection-program-100034040.html?src=rss

Insta360’s Flow Pro smartphone gimbal uses Apple’s DockKit to track you

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Insta360 has launched the Flow Pro smartphone gimbal with a feature we've never seen on any rival product: Apple DockKit support. That allows it to track you around automatically while you present, perform or do other activities, much like DJI's popular Osmo Pocket 3 gimbal. 

DockKit support effectively gives you a robotic cameraman. Just set the Flow Pro up on its built-in tripod that extends from the handle and pair it with your iPhone. Then, attach your iPhone to the gimbal using the magnetic phone clamp or MagSafe-compatible magnetic phone mount and you're ready to shoot.

From there, it'll use your iPhone's front or rear camera and the native camera app to track and focus on your or your subject. That gives you the freedom to move around, knowing it'll keep you in frame and in focus. It also works with over 200 third-party iOS apps including FaceTime, Zoom and TikTok.

Insta360's Flow Pro smartphone gimbal uses Apple's DockKit to track you
Insta360

The only other DockKit product we've seen to date is Belkin's Stand Pro iPhone dock, but that has no gimbal functionality. The Flow Pro, however, is a more powerful version of Insta360's original Flow gimbal (and is cheaper than Belkin's product to boot). To that end, it offers three-axis mechanical shake reduction that's far superior to your phone's electronic stabilization. 

It also comes with the company's AI-powered subject tracking with features like tracking recovery (re-acquiring a subject after losing it), person re-identification and slo-mo tracking. Insta360 also introduced Deep track 3.0 that adds 360-degree infinite pan tracking, meaning it can rotate 360 degrees horizontally while tracking subjects. It also supports animal tracking (dogs, cats and horses) and adds an LED tracking ring so you can see if it's following your subject at a quick glance.

Insta360's Flow Pro smartphone gimbal uses Apple's DockKit to track you
Insta360

Flow Pro also offers a selfie stick that extends to 215mm (8.5 inches), a built-in cold shoe to add a mic or other accessories and a 2,900mAh power bank to charge your iPhone. Other features include "one-step rapid deploy" to unfold the gimbal in one motion, 10-hour battery life, a SmartWheel for quick access to shooting controls, and four gimbal modes (auto, follow, pan follow and FPV).

The Insta360 is now available in the US and worldwide for $149 at select retailers. It includes a magnetic phone clamp, charge cable, grip cover and protective pouch, with other accessories like a spotlight, magnetic phone mount and decorative inserts sold separately.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/insta360s-flow-pro-smartphone-gimbal-uses-apples-dockkit-to-track-you-010029542.html?src=rss

Google will give users free dark web monitoring

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Google announced in an update on Tuesday that its dark web monitoring service, also known as “dark web report,” will be made available to all Google users in 46 countries including the US and UK at the end of the month, according to Fast Company. The feature was previously only available to users with a Google One membership.

The dark web report will be located in the “Results about you” page when you visit myactivity.google.com.

Google’s “dark web report” feature will scan the seedy underbelly of algorithms that ended up on the wrong side of the digital tracks to determine if your personal information has been leaked. This includes information such as your name, address, phone numbers and email accounts.

It’s a handy feature to have especially if you’re one of the millions of people who’ve fallen victim to hacking, info leaks or identity theft. Just a few months ago, 7.6 million AT&T customers had their information leaked to the dark web forcing the telecom giant to reset all of its affected users’ passcodes.

Other services like Proton Mail and LastPass already have features that monitor the dark web for user information and leaked passwords and alert them if they find anything.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-will-give-users-free-dark-web-monitoring-222557429.html?src=rss

Google Maps’ speedometer finally comes to iOS and CarPlay

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Google Maps is rolling out a speedometer as well as speed limit indicators for iOS and CarPlay, TechCrunch reported. Android has had both features since 2019, while Waze has had them since 2016. Now, iPhone users can use them to gauge how fast they’re driving while using Google Maps.

To enable it, tap your profile picture on Google Maps and go to Settings > Navigation. Scroll down to the Map display section, and you’ll see the switches for the speedometer and speed limit features. When enabled, the speedometer will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen. If you drive over the speed limit the speedometer will change colors to remind you to slow down.

Google said on its support page that the speedometer is for “informational use only” and should not be used as a substitute for your car’s actual speedometer. This is because your actual driving speed may differ from the speed shown on Google Maps. Just something to bear in mind for your own safety.

The new speeding features were spotted being used by iPhone owners in India, and Google will roll them out worldwide in the coming weeks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-speedometer-finally-comes-to-ios-and-carplay-185946210.html?src=rss

The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is on sale for a record low of $140 for Prime Day 2024

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Amazon Prime Day has arrived and it's brought a ton of discounts on Amazon's own devices. One standout deal is on Amazon's Fire Max 11 tablet, which is on sale for $140, down from its usual price of $230. (It was briefly out of stock on Tuesday morning, but has since returned.) The $90 discount is precisely what you'd need to spend for Amazon's Fire Max 11 Keyboard Case, if you're considering using the tablet as a productivity machine.

The Fire Max 11 features, you guessed it, an 11-inch screen with a sharp 2,000 by 1,200 pixel resolution. Its octa-core CPU should be plenty for streaming media and browsing maps, and it also features 4GB of RAM. The Fire Max 11 ships with either 64GB or 128GB of storage, and you can expand that to 1TB using an additional microSD card. It sports 8MP cameras on the front and back for video calls, as well as 1080p video recording. With an estimated 14 hours of battery life, the Fire Max 11 should make for a great road trip companion for the summer. 

In our hands-on with the Fire Max 11, we found it to feel more like a premium tablet, compared to Amazon's cheaper and kid-friendly Fire line. "With slimmer bezels, a more-premium aluminum build and weighing just over a pound, it's designed for those who also want to do some work and multi-tasking," Engadget's Cherlynn Low wrote.

With this new low price, it makes sense to pair the Fire Max 11 with Amazon's $90 keyboard case. It has a kickstand for propping up the tablet, and it delivers a decent typing and touchpad experience. You can also add on Amazon's $35 Stylus Pen for doodling and jotting down notes. With all of those accessories, the Fire Max 11 could be nearly as productive as an iPad or Surface decked out with similar hardware.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-amazon-fire-max-11-tablet-is-on-sale-for-a-record-low-of-140-for-prime-day-2024-173040164.html?src=rss

NGL becomes the first app banned from hosting minors by the FTC

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On Tuesday, the FTC unanimously banned the social messaging app NGL from hosting minors as part of a $5 million settlement. The first-of-its-kind ban comes after revelations that the company actively marketed the app to children with bait-and-switch tactics, false claims about AI moderation and the targeting of “popular” kids (like cheerleaders) to try to lure others onto the predatory hellscape.

“NGL marketed its app to kids and teens despite knowing that it was exposing them to cyberbullying and harassment,” FTC Chair Lina Khan wrote in an agency press release. “In light of NGL’s reckless disregard for kids’ safety, the FTC’s order would ban NGL from marketing or offering its app to those under 18. We will keep cracking down on businesses that unlawfully exploit kids for profit.”

The FTC and the Los Angeles DA’s office worked together on the complaint, which paints a picture of an exploitative business that prioritized building its social graph above honoring even the most fundamental of ethics. (Sound familiar?) Although NGL is still a relatively niche app with nowhere near the popularity of Instagram, TikTok and other first-tier platforms, it has “exploded” in popularity, according to The Washington Post. In 2022, it briefly became the most downloaded app on the iOS App Store.

The company markets the app as a place to message anonymously with unknown friends and contacts from other social channels. That alone sounds like a recipe for disaster. But the FTC says the company made it much worse with false claims of using “world class AI content moderation” with “deep learning and pattern matching algorithms” to prevent cyberbullying and other concerning behavior. It also sent fake, computer-generated messages — which users believed were from their real friends — with provocative prompts like “Are you straight?” and “I know what you did.”

In addition, the company’s predatory business practices also allegedly included bait-and-switch upsell tactics, which promised to reveal the identity of anonymous “friends” (which may have been fake) if they paid up to $10 weekly for a premium subscription. After paying, the service would only supply useless “hints” like the message’s timestamp, the sender’s general location and whether they used an iPhone or Android phone. It would also turn on recurring, hard-to-cancel charges that users didn’t expect.

Even worse, Joao Figueiredo, one of the company’s co-founders, allegedly directed employees to look on “high school cheer [Instagram] pages” to find “kids who are popular to post and get their friends to post.” One user allegedly reported that their friend attempted suicide because of their experience on NGL.

When consumers complained, NGL executives allegedly laughed them off as “suckers.”

The FTC and Los Angeles DA added that NGL violated the COPPA Rule. It requires companies with apps “that are directed to or knowingly being used by children under 13 to inform their parents about the personal information they collect.” Other accusations include a violation of the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.

In addition, the dumpster fire known as NGL allegedly made no attempt to verify users’ ages, failed to obtain parental consent to collect and use data from preteen children and failed to honor parents’ requests to delete children’s data. Finally, the company supposedly “retained children’s data longer than reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which the data was collected.”

Under the settlement terms, NGL and its cofounders have agreed to pay $4.5 million to “provide redress to consumers” and a $500,000 civil penalty to the LA DA’s office. From now on, the company will have to require an age gate that prevents new and current users under 18 from using the app, deleting all info associated with those under 13, agreeing not to misrepresent the origins of messages, make false claims about AI tech and received consent from consumers before billing them for subscriptions (while making canceling recurring charges simple).

It remains to be seen whether the FTC can use the unanimous, bipartisan ruling against NGL as a precedent to go after bigger fish in the social sphere using egregiously unethical marketing tactics of their own.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ngl-becomes-the-first-app-banned-from-hosting-minors-by-the-ftc-171524202.html?src=rss