Good morning. Let’s get into the tech news, shall we?
1. SMS scam legislation drafted
The Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland has introduced new legislation to parliament that would give the Australian Communications and Media Authority the power to maintain an SMS Sender ID Register.
The proposed register would be introduced to counteract SMS scams in Australia, and to prevent ‘spoof’ scams, where bad actors mask their phone numbers to impersonate companies or government agencies, such as Telstra or the Australian Tax Office.
“The Register will help protect well-known brand names from being imitated and make Australia an even harder place for scammers to operate,” Minister Rowland said.
2. New Australian satellite to be built
Australian aerospace company Space Machines Company has penned an agreement with NewSpace India Limited to build an launch the brand’s second Optimus spacecraft.
The spacecraft will be built and designed within Australia, and will launch aboard NewSpace’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle in 2026. The mission will be dubbed Space MAITRI. It’ll focus on debris management and sustainability.
“The Space MAITRI mission and our collaboration with NewSpace India Limited represents a significant leap forward for Australia’s space industry. By combining our innovative spacecraft capabilities with India’s proven launch expertise, we are not only strengthening the ties between our nations’ space sectors but also demonstrating our shared commitment to sustainable space operations,” CEO and co-founder of Space Machines Company Rajat Kulshrestha said.
3. Rabbit’s back
The Rabbit R1, the controversial AI gadget that is very likely to be just an Android device, has deep security flaws in its code, according to researchers. Via 404 Media, a group of researchers called Rabbitude say that they have found that API keys are hardcoded into the company’s codebase, which could put user privacy at risk. The researchers say that this gives anyone access to any response ever given on an R1.
NEW: Researchers say Rabbit left critical API keys used by R1 hard coded and exposed. They sent me emails using Rabbit admin accounts to prove this: https://t.co/tblK4hC24w
— Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) June 26, 2024
4. Reddit to combat web scraping
Last week, it was reported that AI startups were ignoring the Robots.txt protocols of websites that prevented the scraping of information. Now, Reddit has announced that it’s updating its own Robots.txt file, and it’ll be rate-limiting bots and crawlers on the platform. “his update shouldn’t impact the vast majority of folks who use and enjoy Reddit. Good faith actors – like researchers and organizations such as the Internet Archive – will continue to have access to Reddit content for non-commercial use,” Reddit wrote.
5. TikTok/X ID verification found flawed
Engadget reports that ID verification service AU10TIX, which is used by companies such as TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Uber, has had admin credentials left exposed for more than a year. This could mean that user drivers licences could be accessible by bad actors. The company says that “data was potentially accessible” but that “no evidence that such data has been exploited.”
BONUS ITEM: Thanks for the memories?
You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me
— Sydney Trains & NSW TrainLink Info (@TrainsInfo) June 26, 2024
📷: @powerhouse pic.twitter.com/S5Y1xxHbcf
Have a lovely day.
Image: iStock/Space Machines Company