We take a weekly look at mobile tech stories from around the world. Headlines include… Meta could charge Facebook and Instagram users in EU to go ad-free to comply with privacy rules, AI is driving more phone scams, Payments in telecoms: Deepening customer relationships and more…
Meta could charge Facebook and Instagram users in EU to go ad-free to comply with privacy rules
Euronews
Euronews reports that Meta might plan to give Facebook and Instagram users in Europe the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media platforms as a way to comply with the continent’s strict data privacy rules.
According to reports the cost for users would be about €10 a month to use Instagram or Facebook without ads on desktop browsers. It is unclear if EU regulators will sign off on the plan or insist that the company offer cheaper versions.
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AI is driving more phone scams
Venturebat
Venturebeat shares a report from Hiya that shows AI is driving more phone scams and the average mobile phone user is now getting 14 spam calls a month.
The research on phone fraud and spam highlighted a trend where a quarter of unknown phone calls analyzed by Hiya being classified as unwanted.
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Payments in telecoms: Deepening customer relationships
Fintech Magazine
FinTech Magazine explores how telecom companies are leveraging digitalisation in payments to expand their financial offerings in emerging markets, with a collection of views from market leaders from across the ecosystem regarding the benefits of mobile banking, especially for underserved regions where many are unbanked.
They cite a report by Spearline from 2021 showing that telecom companies play a vital role across all areas of emerging market economies, providing access to information, services and additional markets – driving economic growth in these regions.
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Another major carrier is moving its RCS services to Google Jibe
Android Police
Android Police reports that O2, the UK’s second-largest cellular service provider, is partnering with Google to improve communication by integrating Google’s Jibe platform as its RCS backend.
The UK company says that through the migration, it anticipates a better user experience while levying fewer expenses on the user. The migration will allow users to send large files and high-resolution images and participate in group chats with and without a data connection.
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Mobile gaming is dominating consumer spending on games in 2023 compared to other platforms
Techwire Asia
Techwire Asia Reports that data projections from data.ai and IDC reveal that mobile gaming takes the biggest slice of consumer spend in the gaming industry. For 2023, mobile gaming is predicted to command a staggering 56% of the global consumer spending in gaming. This dwarfs the projected 22% for consoles and 21% for PC/Mac.
The site lists some of the great success stories including League of Legends: Wild Rift which has clocked in over US$1 billion in global player expenditure since its 2020 inception, as per data.ai
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Lyca Mobile investigates customer data leak after cyberattack
Bleeping Computer
Report on the events surrounding an unexpected disruption on Lyca Mobile’s network caused by a cyberattack that may have also compromised customer data.
“Our number one priority is ensuring the safety and security of our customers’ data, and we are urgently investigating whether any personal information may have been compromised as part of this attack,” said the company statement.
“We are confident that all our records are fully encrypted, and we will keep customers updated on the outcome of our investigation as we work with our expert partners to establish the facts.”
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