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TechCrunch Daily Crunch

AI startup Perplexity sued for alleged trademark infringement

Feb 1, 2025
An AI startup is facing a trademark infringement lawsuit that could shake up the tech landscape. WhatsApp reveals it successfully disrupted a hacking campaign targeting journalists. Meanwhile, Apple gears up to enhance its AI capabilities with support for more languages. In health tech, a new device allows users to measure cortisol levels at home, while the fintech sector sees the unexpected downfall of a notable startup.
06:20

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Quick takeaways

  • WhatsApp successfully disrupted a hacking campaign that targeted journalists by utilizing malicious PDFs via group chats.
  • The lawsuit against AI startup Perplexity underscores critical issues of trademark infringement and branding in the AI industry.

Deep dives

WhatsApp Disrupts Hacking Campaign

WhatsApp disrupted a significant hacking campaign that targeted approximately 90 users, including journalists and civil society members. This operation was linked to Paragon, an Israeli spyware maker, which utilized malicious PDFs sent via WhatsApp groups to compromise its targets. Following the incidents, WhatsApp implemented a fix to prevent this type of attack, highlighting the platform's proactive measures against emerging threats. A senior researcher from Citizen Lab corroborated these findings, indicating that investigations into this hacking vector are ongoing.

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