Hundreds of millions of Facebook records exposed on Amazon cloud servers - CNN

Two third-party Facebook app developers were found to have stored user data on Amazon's servers in a way that allowed it to be downloaded by the public, according to a report from UpGuard, a cybersecurity firm.

One of the companies stored 146 gigabytes of data containing more than 540 million records, including comments, likes, reactions and account names, on the Amazon servers, according to UpGuard. The number of users whose data was included is not yet clear.

Another app is said to have stored unprotected Facebook passwords for 22,000 users.

Chris Vickery, the director of cyber risk research at UpGuard, told CNN Business that the find "highlights a problem that is intrinsic with mass data collection."

Vickery said that the data appeared to have been gathered through a Facebook integration. Facebook allows third party developers to integrate apps and websites with its platform to allow for functionality like signing into a service using Facebook.

Facebook has "no way of guaranteeing the safe storage of the data of their end users if they are going to allow app developers to harvest it in mass," Vickery said.

In a statement provided to CNN Business, a Facebook spokesperson said, "Facebook's policies prohibit storing Facebook information in a public database. Once alerted to the issue, we worked with Amazon to take down the databases. We are committed to working with the developers on our platform to protect people's data."

Representatives for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bloomberg was first to report the news.

The new finding is the latest to highlight Facebook's struggle to protect the data collected from its more than 2 billion users. It may only increase scrutiny on the company after a year of data privacy scandals.

Last March, news broke that Cambridge Analytica, a data firm with ties to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, accessed information from as many as 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge.

Facebook has said the data was initially collected by a professor for academic purposes in line with its rules. The information was later transferred to third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, in violation of Facebook's policies, Facebook has said.

Since then, Facebook has come under scrutiny for offering more of its users' data to companies than it had previously admitted. Last year, the company also revealed that attackers exploited a bug on the platform to expose the information of nearly 50 million users.

Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic have sharply criticized the company's data privacy practices. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is said to be looking to levy a record fine against the company for violating an earlier data privacy agreement. In October, UK authorities hit Facebook with a £500,000 fine, the maximum possible, over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

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2019-04-03 19:44:00Z
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E-cigarette users are reporting seizures to the FDA - The Verge

The Food and Drug Administration just issued a special announcement about a new health risk that they worry may be linked to e-cigarettes: seizures.

Since June 2018, the agency received what it called “a recent uptick” in reports where users describe having seizures that may be connected with their e-cigarette use. The FDA collects information about vape safety risks through their Safety Reporting Portal, where people who use e-cigarettes can share their experiences. Between reports via that portal and from poison control centers, the FDA counted 35 reports of seizures between 2010 and early 2019 that may be related to vaping. Most of those, it said, involved “youth or young adult users.”

We know that nicotine poisoning can cause seizures, like when people swallow vape juice. But the FDA doesn’t know yet what the relationship between seizures and vaping is here, says FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a statement today. Some of these seizures might be unconnected, or some might be caused by inhaling massive amounts nicotine. That seems less plausible, says Peter Chai, a medical toxicologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “I think exposure (skin contact or oral) in children, or vaping exposure in younger individuals (adolescents through which we’ve seen a large increase in e-cig use), might be accounting or the increase in these seizures,” he says in an email to The Verge.

“To get enough nicotine in your body to cause seizures by smoking cigarettes is well-nigh impossible,” says medical toxicologist Edward W. Boyer, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. But similar cases of nicotine-related seizures have been linked to eating it. Boyer thinks it’s plausible that e-cigarettes could deliver enough nicotine to do the same. The truth is, there’s not much data to go on. And for now, the FDA’s Gottlieb says, “We can’t yet say for certain that e-cigarettes are causing these seizures.”

There are also lots of different types of seizures which, the FDA says, “result from sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain.” This can lead to convulsions, but also can make people freeze and stare. They don’t usually cause long-term damage — but public health experts would still like to figure out why and, if they find that the seizures are related to vaping, how to prevent them.

So far, there don’t seem to be clear trends in the reports. The FDA said that there were people who reported a seizure after vaping for the first time, and people who experienced seizures after vaping for a while. Some people had been diagnosed with seizures before, and others suggested that they’d been using other substances, too, like cannabis or amphetamines. Making the agency’s job even more difficult, most didn’t say the brand of vape or vape juice involved.

The FDA suspects that the case count of 35 is an underestimate, given that people submit these reports voluntarily. But Chai expects that now that this potential link is out there, the FDA will get even more reports. The agency’s asked the health care community to be on the lookout for potential vape-related seizures. And it wants e-cigarette users to tell their doctors if they experience any symptoms of seizures, which the CDC says can range from shaking to confusion. The agency also asks that people report health and safety issues with vapes to their Safety Reporting Portal, and list details including the manufacturer and brand of e-cigarette that they’re using, as well as where they bought it.

The FDA’s soon-to-be-ex commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement today: “While 35 cases may not seem like much compared to the total number of people using e-cigarettes, we are nonetheless concerned by these reported cases.”

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2019-04-03 17:57:01Z
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Stocks Climb; Chip Stocks Lead Nasdaq, S&P 500, Dow Jones - Investor's Business Daily

Stocks grabbed strong early gains Wednesday, with chip stocks leading, as hints of more U.S.-China trade talk progress boosted global optimism.

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The Nasdaq jumped out to an early lead, up 0.5%. The S&P 500 followed with a 0.3% advance. The Dow Jones Industrials slipped into tight losses, as heavyweights Caterpillar (CAT) and Boeing (BA) fell to the bottom of the index. (For updates on this story and other market coverage, visit the Stock Market Today.)

Chip stocks shifted firmly higher, with ST Microelectronics (STM) scoring a gap up open, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel (INTC) rallying on analyst actions.

Amazon.com (AMZN) and Intel were both rising within buy ranges. Micron Technologies (MU) rose 5% to lead the Nasdaq 100. AMD topped the S&P 500. Dave & Buster's Entertainment (PLAY) soared after reporting fourth-quarter results late Tuesday.

Caterpillar dropped 0.8% on a downgrade and a price target cut from Deutsche Bank. Boeing slid 1.6% as details from the Egypt Air crash investigation leaked out in news reports.

Dow Jones, S&P 500 Near Fresh Highs

The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 2.9% below its October high early Wednesday, holding firmly above the 26,000 level. The S&P 500 was 2.3% below its peak from September, maintaining support above the 2,800 mark. The Nasdaq moved to within 3% of its August high. All of the index's 2018 peaks occurred in concert with tariff- or sanction-related policy announcements.

For more detailed analysis of the current stock market and its confirmed uptrend, study the Big Picture.

Chip Stocks: Intel, Advanced Micro Get Buy Ratings

Chip stock Intel jumped 1.8% at the open, after Nomura initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating. The note placed a price target for the stock at 65, almost 20% above Tuesday's closing price.

Intel remains in a buy range, after topping a 54.20 buy point in a cup-with-handle base in mid-March. Shares remain in buy range through 56.91.

Advanced Micro Devices sparked almost 8% higher, scoring an early breakout. Nomura also initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating and a 33 price target. AMD's move hoisted it past a buy point at 28.21, in a possible six-month cup-with-handle base. The base is 53% deep, which adds some risk to any potential breakout.

FANGs: Amazon, Netflix Advance

Amazon.com and Netflix paced the FANG stock tech leaders in early action, each with a 0.5% gains. IBD Leaderboard stock Amazon ended Tuesday at the very top of a buy range above a 1,736.51 buy point. The buy range runs through 1823.33.

Netflix possibly received a boost from Tuesday's news that the Justice Department had warned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that barring content from streaming services such as Netflix could violate antitrust laws.

Netflix, an IBD Leaderboard watch list stock, ended Tuesday 1% below a 371.59 buy point in a cup-with-handle base.

Hiring, Service Sector Slow; Mortgage Action Surges

U.S. non-farm private sector employers added 129,000 workers in March, according to ADP's National Employment Report. That was down from 183,000 new hires in February, and well below forecasts for a decrease to 165,000 new jobs. Service sector employers added 135,000 new workers, while employment among goods producers decreased by 6,000. Education and health posted the largest increase: 56,000 new jobs.

Mortgage application activity spiked for a second straight week as mortgage rates posted their biggest one-week drop in a decade, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage application volume swelled 18.6% vs. the prior week and was up 28% over year-ago levels. Refinance applications soared 39% week-over-week, and 58% above year-ago activity.

Researcher Markit reported U.S. service sector activity slowed less than expected in March. Markit's services purchasing managers index settled to 55.3 for the month. Economists had projectged a downshift to 54.8, from February's 56 reading.

The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index is due out at 10 a.m. ET.

U.S.-China Trade War Final Push?

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He meets with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington, D.C., today, as negotiations push to close what appear to be last-mile gaps in a restructured U.S.-China trade relationship.

Trade optimism sent China's markets higher, with both the Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index taking better-than 1% gains. Japan followed suit, with Tokyo's Nikkei 225 jumping 1%.

China-facing ETFs traded generally higher on U.S. markets. The Direxion Daily CSI 300 China A Share Bull 2X (CHAU) rose 3.3%, the Direxion Daily FTSE China Bull 3X (YINN)  swept 4% higher in opening trade. The iShares MSCI China (MCHI) climbed 1.1%.

Prime Minister Shakes Up Brexit Talks

Prime Minister Theresa May abandoned her effort to muster support for her existing Brexit proposal, offering to compromise with opposition Labour leaders and to implement any deal that was agreed to by a majority of lawmakers. The shift in stance points to a much "softer" Brexit plan than had been favored by May's Conservative party, and points to a less severe change than many Brexiteers had hoped for in the U.K.'s relationship to the European Union.

May plans to request a short delay to the U.K.'s already extended deadline for exit from the trade bloc, currently set for April 12. Europe's markets were mixed on May's strategy, with London's FTSE 100 trading a fraction in the red near midday. Frankfurt's DAX sprung 1% higher and the CAC-40 in Paris gained 0.6%.

Oil Prices Inch Up Ahead Of Data

Oil prices chalked up narrow gains ahead of Energy Information Administration weekly supplies data due out at 10:30 a.m. ET. West Texas Intermediate crept 0.2% higher to $62.72 a barrel. Brent crude gained 0.4% to $69.64. WTI is at its highest level since the first week of November.

Oil-focused ETFs Citigroup Global Markets VelocityShares 3x Long (UWT) slipped 0.4%, the United States Oil Fund (USO) dipped 0.1%, in early trade.

Follow Alan R. Elliott on Twitter @IBD_Aelliott

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2019-04-03 13:31:18Z
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Tesla will start installing Model 3 production equipment in Gigafactory 3 this May: report - Teslarati

By Simon Alvarez

Posted on April 3, 2019

Tesla President of Automotive Jerome Guillen and Shanghai Deputy Mayor Wu Qing held a meeting on Tuesday, where they discussed the progress of Gigafactory 3’s buildout in the Shanghai Lingang Industrial Zone. The Tesla executive and Chinese official shared in-depth updates on the project, including an estimated timeframe for the installation of the facility’s vehicle production lines.

Local news agency Laoyaoba, which covered the meeting, pointed out that the installation of vehicle production equipment could start as early as May, when the initial stages of the facility are expected to be completed. This represents a notable accomplishment for both the electric car maker and its construction partner, considering that Gigafactory 3 is one of the most ambitious foreign-owned projects that have been attempted in China.

Based on this recent update, it appears that Tesla intends to start the installation of production equipment in Gigafactory 3 while other areas of the 864,885-square meter site are still under construction. This is a bold and risky move on Tesla’s part, but if the electric car maker pulls it off, such a strategy will likely help the company meet its goal of starting Model 3 production in Gigafactory 3 by the end of 2019.

Guillen and Wu also discussed the recent milestones of the project. Construction work in Gigafactory 3 started back in January, and since then, the first phase of the buildout has been moving along very well. Pile foundation structures have been completed, and the steel structure construction of the factory has begun. Multiple sets of steel roof grids have also been completed.

Gigafactory 3 is under an incredibly ambitious timeline. During the groundbreaking ceremony of the facility, Elon Musk noted that he expects the factory to be completed around summer. This timeframe was mocked by Tesla’s skeptics, many of whom claimed that such a target was impossible. This was until Shanghai official Chen Mingbo stated that Gigafactory 3 was on track to be completed by May, a date even more ambitious than Musk’s estimate.

The work in Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 site in Shanghai does not stop for the night. (Photo: 烏瓦/YouTube)

Part of the reason behind Gigafactory 3’s rapid progress is the support that Tesla enjoys from the Chinese government. Tesla’s presence in China is beneficial to the country, which is aggressively pushing for the adoption of electric vehicles. In a statement to Xinhua News, Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association, noted that Tesla’s China production will have a “catfish effect” in the country’s auto industry, pushing domestic carmakers to expedite and improve their own electric vehicles to compete with the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker.

China’s support for Tesla was evident during Musk’s visit to the country. When Musk met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, the CEO was received at the Tower of Violet Light, a place that is usually reserved for dignitaries. Li also proved receptive to Musk’s ambitious ideas, even offering the CEO a “Chinese Green Card” so that he can pursue his vision in the country freely.

Tesla will start installing Model 3 production equipment in Gigafactory 3 this May: report

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2019-04-03 15:31:01Z
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Stocks trim gains after services economy measure disappoints - CNBC

Stock rose on Wednesday as investors cheered a nearing trade deal between the U.S. and China though softer measures on payrolls and the service economy kept a lid on optimism.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 10 points as UnitedHealth and Home Depot outperformed. The S&P 500 gained 0.25 percent, led by materials and technology stocks. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.5 percent.

American and Chinese officials are reportedly closing in on a trade deal, having resolved most of the outstanding issues in their protracted trade dispute. Both countries have levied tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of each other's goods since last year.

According to the Financial Times, Beijing wants Washington to remove existing U.S. duties on Chinese imports, while the Trump administration wants China to agree to enforcement measures that ensure the country sticks to the deal.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are scheduled to meet with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He later on Wednesday to resume talks.

European stocks rose broadly as the Stoxx 600 index gained 0.8 percent. In Asia, the Shanghai Composite surged 1.2 percent, while the Japanese and Korean Kospi indexes both rose around 1 percent.

"To a certain degree, a trade deal is already priced in," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities. However, "a trade deal is a win for the United States and the global economy."

"That will lift a major cloud that's over the global economy," he said.

This comes after a rocky previous session for Wall Street. The Dow fell for the first time in four sessions Tuesday, pulling back from a solid rally at the start of the week.

Gains were capped, however, by weaker-than-expected economic data.

Private payrolls increased by 129000 in March, according to ADP and Moody's Analytics. That is well below a Refinitiv estimate of 173,000. The report from ADP and Moody's is typically seen as a preview for the U.S. government's monthly jobs report, which is scheduled for release Friday morning.

A weaker-than-expected update on the U.S. services sector also capped stock advances throughout the session. Growth in services fell more than expected in March and advanced at its slowest pace in more than 12 months, the Institute for Supply Management reported.

The ISM non-manufacturing index dipped to 56.1 last month, its softest read since August 2017.

A bearish call on Caterpillar shares also kept the market in check. Caterpillar shares fell 1 percent after Deutsche Bank downgraded the industrial giant to hold from buy and slashed its 12-month price target. The bank cited a "collapse" in synchronized global growth.

—CNBC's Ryan Browne contributed to this report.

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2019-04-03 14:17:28Z
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FDA investigates reports of seizures after vaping - CNN

In a public notice the agency reported "a recent uptick in voluntary reports of adverse experiences with tobacco products that mentioned seizures occurring with e-cigarette use (e.g., vaping)" signaling "a potential emerging safety issue."

Since June 2018, the FDA said it has "observed a slight but noticeable increase in reports of seizures" connected with e-cigarette use.

"After examining poison control centers' reports between 2010 and early 2019, the FDA determined that, between the poison control centers and the FDA, there were a total of 35 reported cases of seizures mentioning use of e-cigarettes within that timeframe," the notice says. "Due to the voluntary nature of these case reports, there may be more instances of seizure in e-cigarette users than have been reported."

FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb released an accompanying statement explaining why the agency was releasing the information.

"We want to be clear that we don't yet know if there's a direct relationship between the use of e-cigarettes and a risk of seizure. We can't yet say for certain that e-cigarettes are causing these seizures," he said.

"We're sharing this early information with the public because as a public health agency, it's our job to communicate about potential safety concerns associated with the products we regulate that are under scientific investigation by the agency. This also helps encourage the public to voluntarily report additional adverse events that can better inform our work."

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2019-04-03 14:44:00Z
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FDA is investigating nearly three dozen reports of seizures after vaping - CNBC

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating nearly three dozen cases of people suffering from seizures after vaping, the agency announced Wednesday.

Between 2010 and 2019, the FDA said it received 35 reports of people, especially kids and young adults, experiencing seizures after using e-cigarettes. However, the FDA said it's unclear whether e-cigarettes caused the seizures.

"While 35 cases may not seem like much compared to the total number of people using e-cigarettes, we are nonetheless concerned by these reported cases," outgoing FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy said in a statement.

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E-cigarette liquids contain high concentrations of the nicotine. If swallowed, they can be poisonous, often causing nausea, sweating, dizziness and tremors, according to the National Capital Poison Center. In severe cases, nicotine poisoning can cause seizures or even death.

The FDA said the evidence it has analyzed so far doesn't establish a clear pattern or cause for the cases.

"We want to be clear that we don't yet know if there's a direct relationship between the use of e-cigarettes and a risk of seizure," Gottlieb and Abernethy said.

In some instances, people were using e-cigarettes for the first time. In others, they were regular users. Some seizures occurred after a few puffs and others occurred up to one day after people vaped, the FDA said. A few people had a prior history of seizures. In some cases, people had also used other substances like marijuana or amphetamines.

The FDA said several factors may lead to seizures, such as some e-cigarette designs allowing people to get huge amounts of nicotine quickly or some people deliberately inhaling more nicotine than normal. Also, the seizures may have been triggered by something else, like an underlying medical condition or another substance, the FDA said.

"We're sharing this early information with the public because as a public health agency, it's our job to communicate about potential safety concerns associated with the products we regulate that are under scientific investigation by the agency," Gottlieb and Abernethy said

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2019-04-03 13:15:36Z
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