Major tech companies are undergoing significant shifts this week. Meta announced testing a paid subscription system on its Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms with exclusive AI features to boost productivity and creativity. Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts warned Gmail users about a new wave of fraud exploiting the email alias change feature. In another development, documents revealed that Google violated its internal AI policies to support an Israeli military contractor, raising questions about internal oversight and the ethics of using technology in military applications.
Meta Tests Paid Subscriptions on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp
Meta announced plans to test a paid subscription system on its main platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in the coming months.
A select group of users will be able to subscribe to premium packages for exclusive features focused on enhancing AI capabilities and providing innovative tools aimed at raising productivity and creativity levels.
The company confirmed that the core experience of the platforms will remain free for everyone, with additional service tiers offered to users wanting to benefit from advanced capabilities. The final pricing or the full list of paid features has not yet been revealed.
Leaks have revealed some potential benefits for Instagram users, such as the ability to create unlimited follow lists, see which accounts you follow that don’t follow you back, and view stories without the account holder’s knowledge.
The packages will also include advanced AI tools like “Vibes” for creating short videos and “Manus,” which helps with searching and automatically creating content, saving users time and effort in managing their accounts and creating engaging content.
This move is part of a strategic shift for the platform, as Meta began converting the “Vibes” tool, launched for free last September, into a “freemium” model, with core functions remaining free while advanced capabilities become paid. The company confirms these new services are completely separate from the current “Meta Verified” identity verification service.
This announcement reflects Meta’s move to diversify its revenue streams months after revealing an ad-free experience option for a monthly fee. Experts indicate that the success of this step depends on the company’s ability to convince users of the value of the offered features, especially given the existence of similar models like YouTube Premium, where tangible, practical features are a crucial factor for attracting subscribers.
Cyber Fraud Targets Gmail Users Following New Email Alias Feature
Cybersecurity experts have warned of a cyber fraud operation targeting Gmail users after Google launched a new feature allowing users to replace their email address while keeping the old one as an alias.
The feature, rolled out in early October, aims to facilitate updating old addresses without losing stored messages or data. However, cybercriminals have exploited this opportunity to send fake emails tricking users into believing there are security changes to their accounts.
These messages often claim it’s necessary to change the Gmail address or confirm login details and appear convincing because they are sent from addresses resembling official Google domains.
The fraudsters ask victims to click on links to verify the account or confirm the new address. However, these links lead to fake sites hosted on the sites.google.com platform, designed to mimic Google’s login pages.
If the attack is successful, the fraudsters can take control of the account and access all associated Google services, including Drive, Google Photos, and Calendar, in addition to accounts linked via Google Sign-In.
Meanwhile, Google confirms that using the new feature does not lead to loss of messages or files, as the inbox and stored content remain intact, along with backup data and purchase/subscription history.
It was noted that the update affects nearly two billion active users and particularly serves those wishing to abandon old addresses linked to previous professional or personal life stages.
Cybersecurity experts warned that phishing emails, despite their sophistication, still carry clear indicators, most notably the use of generic greetings like “Dear Customer
Meta
Meta is a technology company founded in 2021, but it is the parent entity of the social media platform Facebook, which was originally launched by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. The company, formerly known as Facebook, Inc., rebranded to Meta to reflect its new focus on building the “metaverse,” a vision for interconnected virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard University roommates. It began as a campus directory before expanding globally, fundamentally changing how people connect and share information online. The platform has since grown into a tech giant under its parent company, Meta, operating numerous other services.
Instagram
Instagram is a social media platform founded in 2010, initially focused on sharing photos and videos with filters. It has evolved from a simple photo-sharing app into a major cultural and commercial hub, significantly influencing digital communication, marketing, and visual culture globally.
WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a cross-platform messaging application founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. It revolutionized personal communication by allowing users to send text messages, images, and other media over the internet, and it was acquired by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014. The app’s history is marked by its initial focus on providing a simple, ad-free alternative to SMS, growing to become one of the world’s most used communication services.
Google
Google is an American multinational technology company founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. It began as a search engine and has since grown into a global leader in internet-related services, software, and hardware, fundamentally shaping how people access and use information online.
Gmail
Gmail is a free email service launched by Google in 2004, notable for its then-unprecedented 1 GB of storage. It popularized web-based email with features like conversation threading and powerful search, fundamentally changing digital communication.
YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is a subscription service launched by YouTube in 2014 (originally as “Music Key”) that provides ad-free viewing, background play, and access to YouTube Music. It represents the platform’s evolution from a free, ad-supported model to a paid tier offering enhanced features and content.
Drive
“Drive” is a 2011 American neo-noir crime film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a getaway driver. The film, set in Los Angeles, is heavily influenced by 1980s synth-pop aesthetics and pays homage to the existential loner archetypes found in classic noir and western genres. Its minimalist style and intense violence quickly earned it a cult following and critical acclaim for its direction and soundtrack.
Google Photos
Google Photos is a cloud-based photo and video storage service launched by Google in 2015. It allows users to back up, organize, and share their media, leveraging advanced AI for features like automatic categorization and search. The service evolved from the earlier Google+ Photos and Picasa, marking Google’s continued development in digital image management.
Calendar
The Calendar is a historic stone circle located in the Golan Heights, believed to have been constructed over 5,000 years ago during the Chalcolithic period. It is considered one of the oldest known megalithic structures in the region, often compared to Stonehenge, and is thought to have been used for astronomical observations and marking seasonal changes.
Google Sign-In
Google Sign-In is a widely-used authentication service developed by Google that allows users to log into third-party websites and applications using their existing Google account credentials. It was launched in 2008 to simplify the login process for users and provide developers with a secure and reliable identity platform.
Israeli
Israel is a country in the Middle East, established as a modern state in 1948. It is a historic region central to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, containing significant religious sites such as Jerusalem’s Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
