Singapore Threatens Meta with Fines Over Facebook Impersonation Scams

The Singapore government has issued a directive requiring Meta Platforms to implement measures, including facial recognition, to curb impersonation scams on Facebook by the end of the month. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the directive on Thursday, stating it was issued to Meta on Wednesday.

Credit: META

Meta Platforms faces a fine of up to SGD 1 million (USD 776,639) if it fails to comply "without reasonable excuse," the Ministry of Home Affairs stated. Daily fines of up to SGD 100,000 will be imposed for each day of non-compliance after the deadline.

A Meta spokesperson stated on Wednesday that impersonation and deceptive advertisements using public figures are against company policies. Such content is removed upon detection, the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson also noted that Meta has specialised systems to identify impersonating accounts and celebrity-bait advertisements. The organisation is collaborating with law enforcement on legal action against scam perpetrators.

Earlier this month, Singapore’s police had separately directed Meta to implement anti-scam measures targeting advertisements, accounts, profiles, and business pages that impersonate key government office holders on Facebook. This earlier order did not include a deadline.

The Ministry of Home Affairs reported an increase in Facebook impersonation scams between June 2024 and June of the current year. Scammers used videos and images of government office holders in fake advertisements, accounts, profiles, and business pages.

Despite Meta’s global efforts to address impersonation scam risks, including those in Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Singapore Police Force expressed continued concern over the prevalence of such scams within the country.

This directive marks the first order issued under Singapore's new Online Criminal Harms Act, which became effective in Feb. 2024.

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• Singapore has issued a directive to Meta Platforms to implement measures against Facebook impersonation scams.

• Meta faces potential fines of up to SGD 1 million (USD 776,639) and daily penalties for non-compliance after the month's end deadline.

• The required measures include facial recognition to combat scams using fake accounts and advertisements.

Source: REUTERS

ASUS Refocuses Business Computing, Unveils Budget, Secure & Tough ExpertBook PM3 Series

ASUS Business is refocusing its role in the business computing landscape, showcasing a renewed commitment to equipping the modern workforce with devices that blend power, security, and exceptional value. This focused approach aims to address the rapidly changing demands brought about by hybrid work and the rise of AI-powered workflows.

Emma Ou, Commercial Regional Head of ANZ, MY and SG and Rex Lee, Corporate VP, GM of APAC Commercial, ASUS

ASUS officially unveiled its new Expert PM3 Series, laptops that are designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses, from large enterprises to SMBs (small-to-medium businesses) and public sector organisations, the ExpertBook PM3 Series is positioned as a solution designed to meet evolving needs at the "right price point and deliver the legendary innovation for the commercial world now", according to Emma Ou, Commercial Regional Head of ANZ, Malaysia and Singapore, ASUS. She believes that all business professionals should have access to "Enterprise grade, product security, and service". This vision targets filling a recognised market gap where professionals require durable, portable laptops that offer robust security and reliable after-sales support.

ExpertBook PM3 Series Laptop

The ExpertBook PM3 series is built upon a cornerstone of durability, by undergoing the world’s most extensive and strictest US military-grade testing, the MIL-STD 810H standard, with 12 test methods and 26 test procedure to ensure maximum reliability and robustness in any work environment. According to ASUS, the laptop panels are built to pass rigorous 50KG panel pressure tests but in one of their live demonstration, they have a colleague claiming to weigh 100 kg standing on the laptop for 10 seconds and still the device remained in good working condition.

The metal hinges, secured by four screws on each side, are engineered to handle the demands of heavy use, having been tested to withstand up to 50,000 open-and-close cycles, an estimated 15 to 20 years of daily device usage.

For common workplace accidents, the backlit keyboard is spill-resistant to 66cc of liquid. Finally, the I/O ports are reinforced by a metal plate and can survive an 8KG I/O port stress tests and enduring up to 15,000 times plug and un-plug cycles for the Type-C port.

ASUS ExpertBook Chassis Intrusion Detection

ASUS recognises that security in the digital environment is non-negotiable, a point Emma Ou emphasises by stating, "Cyber attack is evolving every day, and the business must be protected, not just the data, but also their people and their Integrity and their reputation". To address this challenge, the ExpertBook PM3 is built for worry-free, exceptional security, protected by ASUS ExpertGuardian across both hardware and software. This robust defense begins with dedicated components like the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip and an advanced BIOS that features a NIST SP 800-155 compliant system and a self-healing BIOS capable of automatically restoring the system if it comes under attack. Physical security is also paramount, with an optional Chassis Intrusion Detection system that alerts the user if the device has been physically opened, thereby allowing the business to take immediate action to prevent data leakage. Finally, fast and secure access is ensured through biometric options, such as the fingerprint sensor integrated with the Power Key.

In line with the current technology trend, the ExpertBook PM3 series leverages artificial intelligence to dramatically enhance the professional workflow, proudly standing as the first Copilot+ PC for work featuring an AMD Ryzen AI 7 processors, delivering up to 50 TOPS NPU (Neural Processing Units) performance. As Emma notes, AI is not just a passing trend but "a bare bone of the modern business," providing super fast AI performance to accelerate workloads, handle multitasking, and automate complex processes. To further enhance its commitment to AI, ASUS also offers the proprietary AI ExpertMeet, a complimentary, on-device AI conferencing solution developed by ASUS that empowers teams to work effortlessly across languages with features like Real-Time Translation, AI-Generated Meeting Summaries, and Intelligent Noise Cancellation. Beyond AI, the PM3 series ensures continuous and flexible connectivity, featuring a full-function USB Type-C port that supports display, power, and data transfer, a RJ45 port for high-speed and stable internet connections, and a type-C charging port that supports versatile charging, allowing users to use small 5W USB power banks or even USB ports found on airplanes to charge the device when traveling.

The ASUS ExpertBook PM3 series starts at S$2,199 and is available through selected ASUS Business partners and resellers.

AI Voice Cloning Sparks Outcry Among Tomb Raider Fans, Actors

French *Tomb Raider* fans and actors expressed outrage after an Aug. 14 update to *Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered* incorporated an AI-generated voice for protagonist Lara Croft. This AI voice replaced French voice actor Françoise Cadol's long-standing portrayal, prompting immediate criticism.

Credit: STEAM

Romain Bos, a lifelong French gamer, noted the "robotic" and "lifeless" quality of the French-language voice, contrasting it with Cadol's "warmth, grace, and believability." Cadol, who has voiced Croft since 1996, immediately contacted her lawyer.

Aspyr, the Austin, Texas-based game developer, acknowledged incorporating "unauthorized AI generated content" into the Aug. 14 update. The company later posted on its website that it had "addressed this issue by removing all AI voiceover content" and apologised "for any inconvenience this may have caused."

The incident has raised alarms within the voiceover community, sparking wider concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on human workers and employment. Patrick Kuban, a French-language voice actor and co-president of United Voice Artists, warned that AI encroachment could extend beyond actors to "accountants, and a whole range of other professions."

Kuban noted similar concerns globally, citing instances of actors' voices being "captured" for "illicit use on social media" and by "content producers" in different countries. He highlighted the difficulty for actors to reclaim control over their voices and to block these uses.

Cadol discovered the cloning when her phone "began erupting" with messages, emails, and social media notifications from upset fans minutes after the update's release. She described her fans, whom she calls "guardians," as having an "intimate bond" with her work over 12 years of voiceovers from 1996 to 2008.

Jonathan Elkaim, Cadol's Paris lawyer, is seeking an apology and financial redress from Aspyr. Fans specifically identified an awkward segment in the update where a voice instructed players to "Place toi devant et appuyez sur avancer" — "Stand in front and press 'advance'."

This instruction was criticised for sounding "clunky" and being "grammatically incorrect" to French speakers, as it mixed polite and less polite forms of address. Bos posted a YouTube video expressing his disgust, stating, "It's half Françoise Cadol, half AI. It's horrible! Why have they done that?"

Credit: Tomb Raider

Bos, a 34-year-old, explained he "grew up with Françoise Cadol's voice" and had been a *Tomb Raider* fan "since I was young kid." He emphasised the need to "set boundaries" so future generations could experience talented actors.

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• An Aug. 14 update to *Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered* featured an AI-generated voice for Lara Croft, replacing the original voice actor.

• French voice actor Françoise Cadol and many fans expressed immediate outrage, citing the AI voice as "robotic" and "lifeless."

• Game developer Aspyr acknowledged and removed the "unauthorized AI generated content" from the update, issuing an apology.

Source: AP NEWS