Business
After India, US aims to crackdown on VPN service providers
After India, the US lawmakers have now asked the Lina Khan-led Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address abusive and deceptive data practices by hundreds of companies providing Virtual Private Network (VPN) services for individuals.
A VPN is an online service that purports to give users more security when connecting to the Internet.
However, said the lawmakers, the consumer VPN industry is rife with deceptive advertising and abusive data practices.
The letter by Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) describe several abusive practices in the consumer VPN industry, including promoting false and misleading claims about their services, selling user data and providing user activity logs to law enforcement, despite promises of ‘total anonymity,’ and a lack of oversight of the industry in general.
“We urge you to use your authority to take enforcement actions against the problematic actors in the consumer VPN industry, focusing particularly on those that engage in deceptive advertising and data collection practices,” they said.
The VPN industry is extremely opaque, and many VPN providers exploit, mislead, and take advantage of unwitting consumers, the lawmakers added.
In India, a directive from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has also sought additional compliance requirements for all VPN providers whose users are in the country.
The new rules, to be effective from September 25, require VPN service providers along with data centres and cloud service providers, to store information such as names, email IDs, contact numbers, and IP addresses (among other things) of their customers for a period of five years.
Leading VPN service providers NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN have removed their servers from India over the new directions.
The US lawmakers said it is extremely difficult for someone to decipher which VPN service to trust, especially for those in crisis situations.
“There are hundreds, if not thousands, of VPN services available to download, yet there is a lack of practical tools or independent research to audit VPN providers’ security claims,” the letter read.
Many popular VPN services also spread inaccurate information on their websites.
In December 2021, Consumer Reports (CR) found that 75 per cent of leading VPN providers misrepresented their products and technology or made hyperbolic claims about the protection they provide users on their websites, such as advertising a ‘military-grade encryption’ which doesn’t exist.
Advocacy groups have also found that leading VPN services intentionally misrepresent the functionality of their product and fail to provide adequate security to their users.
“VPN services have also been exposed for collecting, and, in some cases, abusing, user data. In 2020 it was revealed that a leading analytics firm used personal data from over 35 million people who had downloaded one of their 20 VPN and ad-blocking apps to power their analytics platform without consent,” the letter said.
Business
Adani Group Chairman in Kolkata to meet CM Adhikari today

Kolkata, Sep 24: Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata on Thursday.
Gautam Adani arrived in the city on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning visited the iconic Goddess Kali Temple at Kalighat in South Kolkata and offered prayers.
Later in the day, he will be at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Adani Arogya Mandir, a proposed 2,000-bed hospital in New Town. The Chief Minister is scheduled to join the ceremony.
The proposed hospital is seen as a part of the state government’s efforts to attract investment in the healthcare sector and also the beginning of a broader investment push by the Adani Group in West Bengal.
The Adani Group Chairman is likely to have a meeting with CM Adhikari and senior cabinet members, focusing on the Group’s future investments in the state.
After the change of regime in West Bengal, the BJP-led state government is pushing for investments in the state.
CM Adhikari has promised to create more jobs and set up industries. Famous industrialists are coming forward to make investments in the state. The state government expects the Adani Group to invest in multiple sectors in the state.
State secretariat insiders said that the Adani Group has plans to invest in multiple sectors in the state. The Group has already been a part of the restoration of the Writers’ Buildings, the old state secretariat at B.B.D. Bag in Central Kolkata.
Besides that, the Adani Group will be associated with the forthcoming Durga Puja festival. The Group will select the eight best community Durga Pujas and will donate Rs 25 lakh to each.
A special visit programme has also been organised for eminent personalities from home and abroad to showcase the art and tradition of Durga Puja to the world. This special Puja preview tour will be held for three days on October 10, 11 and 12.
Business
Sensex, Nifty post marginal gains as crude prices drop below $100

Mumbai, Sep 23: The Indian equity markets inched up marginally early on Wednesday as crude prices eased below $100 per barrel mark. Investors also remain keen on easing global tensions ahead of scheduled talks between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
As of 9.20 am, Sensex added 194 points, or 0.26 per cent, to reach 74,732 and Nifty gained 49 points, or 0.21 per cent to reach 23,378.
Main broad-cap indices performed in line with the benchmark indices, as the Nifty Midcap 100 added 0.33 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 advanced 0.6 per cent.
Sectoral indices on NSE traded in green except Nifty IT, down 0.37 per cent. Nifty metal was the top gainer, up 1.06 per cent, followed by FMCG and PSU Bank, up 0.55 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively.
“The structure of the market in recent days has been technically weak with a downward bias and will remain so in the absence of significant triggers. A sharp dip in crude prices or US bond yields can provide that trigger,” analysts said.
“Domestic liquidity is supporting the broader market. Market activity is now focused on the broader market. Good growth and better growth prospects are attracting investment into many mid-and small-caps but valuations in these segments are getting stretched,” they added.
Global cues are mixed as Asian markets remain broadly positive, supported by technology stocks, while Wall Street stayed near record levels amid renewed AI optimism.
In the previous session, Nifty closed at 23,329, down 0.43 per cent, after opening higher at 23,454. Immediate support is placed at 23,150–23,200, while resistance is seen at 23,450–23,500.
In the previous session, Bank Nifty closed at 56,215, down 0.49 per cent. Immediate support is placed at 55,800–56,000, while resistance is seen at 56,500–56,600.
In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index shed 0.34 per cent, and Shenzhen lost 0.57 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 1.38 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 0.78 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.08 per cent.
The US markets ended mixed overnight as Nasdaq gained 0.45 per cent. The S&P 500 remained flat, and the Dow Jones shed 0.36 per cent.
On September 22, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold equities worth Rs 3,800 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 4,120 crore.
Business
After Meta, Google to report child sexual abuse content directly to Indian authorities

New Delhi, Sep 22: After Meta, US tech giant Google will report content flagged as child sexual abuse material (CSAM) directly to the Indian authorities, contrary to the long‑standing global practice of routing such reports through a US non‑profit organisation.
Meta announced a similar change last week after Indian officials pressed major tech firms in recent weeks to speed up reporting, citing concerns that the existing system delays reports considerably.
Google “invests significantly to detect, deter, remove, and report child sexual abuse material,” a company spokesperson said, describing the change as part of the company’s “ongoing discussions with the government of India.”
Meta and Alphabet’s Google used to send tips to the US‑based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) which then relayed them to local law enforcement, according to reports.
Such a practice could cause dangerous delays in cases where children may be at immediate risk as reports pass through an intermediary before reaching domestic police who can act on the ground.
The US nonprofit that erstwhile used to receive such reports first hand runs CyberTipline portal that recorded nearly 21.3 million reports from around the world of suspected child sexual exploitation in 2025.
India remains the largest market by user count for both Meta’s Facebook and Google’s YouTube. Meta’s shift in policy comes after weeks of friction with New Delhi, including an apology last month by CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the spread of child sexual abuse material on the company’s platforms.
Technology and law enforcement officials in the United States, the European Union and elsewhere have urged platforms to bolster detection and reporting. However, most countries continue to route reports through the US nonprofit as the primary international clearing house.
The Central government, in July, directed Google to take down multiple Firebase web development accounts that were impersonating the websites and mobile apps of major public- and private-sector banks and other financial institutions.
-
Crime4 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra2 years agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News2 years agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News2 years agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime2 years agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
