Ransomware group retires and releases decryption key, China sets strict playtime for online video games, and Canadians may be able to take part in a battery lawsuit settlement.
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It’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Tuesday, August 31, and I’m your host, Tom Li.
Ransomware group Ragnarok has seemingly retired. Before making its exit, the group released the master decryption key for its 12 victims. The group garnered infamy after its attack on Citrix ADC servers and managed to acquire $4.5 million in ransom payments in its two years of operation. It’s unclear why they decided to stop, but TechCrunch speculates that it could be due to the elevated crackdowns by the U.S. government. Earlier this year, the U.S. government elevated ransomware as a national security threat. Several other notorious hacking groups, such as REvil and DarkSide, have also disappeared and retired.
Up next, China has set a harsh time limit on how much kids can play online games. According to several news outlets, minors in China will only have three hours to play online video games per week. Furthermore, they’re prohibited from playing between Monday to Thursday. In a statement to Reuters, a Chinese regulator said that gaming companies will be barred from providing services to minors outside of the specified times and must have a real-name verification system in place. In addition, online games will need to link to a state anti-addiction system. And yeah, this applies to mobile games as well. The reason for the new rule is to prevent societal ills, and to minimize distraction from studying and family responsibilities for young people wrote the Wall Street Journal.
Canadians can apply to get a few bucks back in a lithium-ion class-action lawsuit settlement. The lawsuit commenced in Ontario, BC and Quebec, alleged several lithium-ion battery manufacturers of price-fixing, leading to higher-priced products. The companies named in the lawsuit include Samsung, Panasonic, LG, Sony, and several other major electronics makers. According to the claims page, the settlements are a compromise of disputed claims and are not admissions of liability. To take part in the settlement, which totalled $21.3 million, Canadians can file a claim online, with or without proof of purchase, for a minimum payment of $20.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire Newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Friday at 3 pm. If you have a suggestion or tip, please drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thanks for listening, I’m Tom Li.
