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treasure-mimic · 2 years ago

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So, let me try and put everything together here, because I really do think it needs to be talked about.

Today, Unity announced that it intends to apply a fee to use its software. Then it got worse.

For those not in the know, Unity is the most popular free to use video game development tool, offering a basic version for individuals who want to learn how to create games or create independently alongside paid versions for corporations or people who want more features. It's decent enough at this job, has issues but for the price point I can't complain, and is the idea entry point into creating in this medium, it's a very important piece of software.

But speaking of tools, the CEO is a massive one. When he was the COO of EA, he advocated for using, what out and out sounds like emotional manipulation to coerce players into microtransactions.

"A consumer gets engaged in a property, they might spend 10, 20, 30, 50 hours on the game and then when they're deep into the game they're well invested in it. We're not gouging, but we're charging and at that point in time the commitment can be pretty high."

He also called game developers who don't discuss monetization early in the planning stages of development, quote, "fucking idiots".

So that sets the stage for what might be one of the most bald-faced greediest moves I've seen from a corporation in a minute. Most at least have the sense of self-preservation to hide it.

A few hours ago, Unity posted this announcement on the official blog.

Effective January 1, 2024, we will introduce a new Unity Runtime Fee that’s based on game installs. We will also add cloud-based asset storage, Unity DevOps tools, and AI at runtime at no extra cost to Unity subscription plans this November. We are introducing a Unity Runtime Fee that is based upon each time a qualifying game is downloaded by an end user. We chose this because each time a game is downloaded, the Unity Runtime is also installed. Also we believe that an initial install-based fee allows creators to keep the ongoing financial gains from player engagement, unlike a revenue share.

Now there are a few red flags to note in this pitch immediately.

Unity is planning on charging a fee on all games which use its engine.

This is a flat fee per number of installs.

They are using an always online runtime function to determine whether a game is downloaded.

There is just so many things wrong with this that it's hard to know where to start, not helped by this FAQ which doubled down on a lot of the major issues people had.

I guess let's start with what people noticed first. Because it's using a system baked into the software itself, Unity would not be differentiating between a "purchase" and a "download". If someone uninstalls and reinstalls a game, that's two downloads. If someone gets a new computer or a new console and downloads a game already purchased from their account, that's two download. If someone pirates the game, the studio will be asked to pay for that download.

Q: How are you going to collect installs? A: We leverage our own proprietary data model. We believe it gives an accurate determination of the number of times the runtime is distributed for a given project. Q: Is software made in unity going to be calling home to unity whenever it's ran, even for enterprice licenses? A: We use a composite model for counting runtime installs that collects data from numerous sources. The Unity Runtime Fee will use data in compliance with GDPR and CCPA. The data being requested is aggregated and is being used for billing purposes. Q: If a user reinstalls/redownloads a game / changes their hardware, will that count as multiple installs? A: Yes. The creator will need to pay for all future installs. The reason is that Unity doesn’t receive end-player information, just aggregate data. Q: What's going to stop us being charged for pirated copies of our games? A: We do already have fraud detection practices in our Ads technology which is solving a similar problem, so we will leverage that know-how as a starting point. We recognize that users will have concerns about this and we will make available a process for them to submit their concerns to our fraud compliance team.

This is potentially related to a new system that will require Unity Personal developers to go online at least once every three days.

Starting in November, Unity Personal users will get a new sign-in and online user experience. Users will need to be signed into the Hub with their Unity ID and connect to the internet to use Unity. If the internet connection is lost, users can continue using Unity for up to 3 days while offline. More details to come, when this change takes effect.

It's unclear whether this requirement will be attached to any and all Unity games, though it would explain how they're theoretically able to track "the number of installs", and why the methodology for tracking these installs is so shit, as we'll discuss later.

Unity claims that it will only leverage this fee to games which surpass a certain threshold of downloads and yearly revenue.

Only games that meet the following thresholds qualify for the Unity Runtime Fee: Unity Personal and Unity Plus: Those that have made $200,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 200,000 lifetime game installs. Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise: Those that have made $1,000,000 USD or more in the last 12 months AND have at least 1,000,000 lifetime game installs.

They don't say how they're going to collect information on a game's revenue, likely this is just to say that they're only interested in squeezing larger products (games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, Fate Grand Order, Among Us, and Fall Guys) and not every 2 dollar puzzle platformer that drops on Steam. But also, these larger products have the easiest time porting off of Unity and the most incentives to, meaning realistically those heaviest impacted are going to be the ones who just barely meet this threshold, most of them indie developers.

Aggro Crab Games, one of the first to properly break this story, points out that systems like the Xbox Game Pass, which is already pretty predatory towards smaller developers, will quickly inflate their "lifetime game installs" meaning even skimming the threshold of that 200k revenue, will be asked to pay a fee per install, not a percentage on said revenue.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Hey Gamers!

Today, Unity (the engine we use to make our games) announced that they'll soon be taking a fee from developers for every copy of the game installed over a certain threshold - regardless of how that copy was obtained.

Guess who has a somewhat highly anticipated game coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2024? That's right, it's us and a lot of other developers.

That means Another Crab's Treasure will be free to install for the 25 million Game Pass subscribers. If a fraction of those users download our game, Unity could take a fee that puts an enormous dent in our income and threatens the sustainability of our business.

And that's before we even think about sales on other platforms, or pirated installs of our game, or even multiple installs by the same user!!!

This decision puts us and countless other studios in a position where we might not be able to justify using Unity for our future titles. If these changes aren't rolled back, we'll be heavily considering abandoning our wealth of Unity expertise we've accumulated over the years and starting from scratch in a new engine. Which is really something we'd rather not do.

On behalf of the dev community, we're calling on Unity to reverse the latest in a string of shortsighted decisions that seem to prioritize shareholders over their product's actual users.

I fucking hate it here.

-Aggro Crab - END DESCRIPTION]

That fee, by the way, is a flat fee. Not a percentage, not a royalty. This means that any games made in Unity expecting any kind of success are heavily incentivized to cost as much as possible.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A table listing the various fees by number of Installs over the Install Threshold vs. version of Unity used, ranging from $0.01 to $0.20 per install. END DESCRIPTION]

Basic elementary school math tells us that if a game comes out for $1.99, they will be paying, at maximum, 10% of their revenue to Unity, whereas jacking the price up to $59.99 lowers that percentage to something closer to 0.3%. Obviously any company, especially any company in financial desperation, which a sudden anchor on all your revenue is going to create, is going to choose the latter.

Furthermore, and following the trend of "fuck anyone who doesn't ask for money", Unity helpfully defines what an install is on their main site.

While I'm looking at this page as it exists now, it currently says

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

However, I saw a screenshot saying something different, and utilizing the Wayback Machine we can see that this phrasing was changed at some point in the few hours since this announcement went up. Instead, it reads:

The installation and initialization of a game or app on an end user’s device as well as distribution via streaming or web browser is considered an “install.” Games or apps with substantially similar content may be counted as one project, with installs then aggregated to calculate the Unity Runtime Fee.

Screenshot for posterity:

That would mean web browser games made in Unity would count towards this install threshold. You could legitimately drive the count up simply by continuously refreshing the page. The FAQ, again, doubles down.

Q: Does this affect WebGL and streamed games? A: Games on all platforms are eligible for the fee but will only incur costs if both the install and revenue thresholds are crossed. Installs - which involves initialization of the runtime on a client device - are counted on all platforms the same way (WebGL and streaming included).

And, what I personally consider to be the most suspect claim in this entire debacle, they claim that "lifetime installs" includes installs prior to this change going into effect.

Will this fee apply to games using Unity Runtime that are already on the market on January 1, 2024? Yes, the fee applies to eligible games currently in market that continue to distribute the runtime. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

Again, again, doubled down in the FAQ.

Q: Are these fees going to apply to games which have been out for years already? If you met the threshold 2 years ago, you'll start owing for any installs monthly from January, no? (in theory). It says they'll use previous installs to determine threshold eligibility & then you'll start owing them for the new ones. A: Yes, assuming the game is eligible and distributing the Unity Runtime then runtime fees will apply. We look at a game's lifetime installs to determine eligibility for the runtime fee. Then we bill the runtime fee based on all new installs that occur after January 1, 2024.

That would involve billing companies for using their software before telling them of the existence of a bill. Holding their actions to a contract that they performed before the contract existed!

Okay. I think that's everything. So far.

There is one thing that I want to mention before ending this post, unfortunately it's a little conspiratorial, but it's so hard to believe that anyone genuinely thought this was a good idea that it's stuck in my brain as a significant possibility.

A few days ago it was reported that Unity's CEO sold 2,000 shares of his own company.

On September 6, 2023, John Riccitiello, President and CEO of Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U), sold 2,000 shares of the company. This move is part of a larger trend for the insider, who over the past year has sold a total of 50,610 shares and purchased none.

I would not be surprised if this decision gets reversed tomorrow, that it was literally only made for the CEO to short his own goddamn company, because I would sooner believe that this whole thing is some idiotic attempt at committing fraud than a real monetization strategy, even knowing how unfathomably greedy these people can be.

So, with all that said, what do we do now?

Well, in all likelihood you won't need to do anything. As I said, some of the biggest names in the industry would be directly affected by this change, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they're not just going to take it lying down. After all, the only way to stop a greedy CEO is with a greedier CEO, right?

(I fucking hate it here.)

And that's not mentioning the indie devs who are already talking about abandoning the engine.

[Links display tweets from the lead developer of Among Us saying it'd be less costly to hire people to move the game off of Unity and Cult of the Lamb's official twitter saying the game won't be available after January 1st in response to the news.]

That being said, I'm still shaken by all this. The fact that Unity is openly willing to go back and punish its developers for ever having used the engine in the past makes me question my relationship to it.

The news has given rise to the visibility of free, open source alternative Godot, which, if you're interested, is likely a better option than Unity at this point. Mostly, though, I just hope we can get out of this whole, fucking, environment where creatives are treated as an endless mill of free profits that's going to be continuously ratcheted up and up to drive unsustainable infinite corporate growth that our entire economy is based on for some fuckin reason.

Anyways, that's that, I find having these big posts that break everything down to be helpful.

#Unity #Unity3D #Video Games #Game Development #Game Developers #fuckshit #I don't know what to tag news like this

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mariacallous · 1 month ago

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has canceled plans to introduce new rules designed to limit the ability of US data brokers to sell sensitive information about Americans, including financial data, credit history, and Social Security numbers.

The CFPB proposed the new rule in early December under former director Rohit Chopra, who said the changes were necessary to combat commercial surveillance practices that “threaten our personal safety and undermine America’s national security.”

The agency quietly withdrew the proposal on Tuesday morning, publishing a notice in the Federal Register declaring the rule no longer “necessary or appropriate.”

The CFPB received more than 600 comments from the public this year concerning the proposal, titled Protecting Americans from Harmful Data Broker Practices. The rule was crafted to ensure that data brokers obtain Americans’ consent before selling or sharing sensitive personal information, including financial data such as income. US credit agencies are already required to abide by such regulations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, one of the nation’s oldest privacy laws.

In its notice, the CFPB’s acting director, Russell Vought, wrote that he was withdrawing the proposal “in light of updates to Bureau policies,” and that it did not align with the agency’s “current interpretation of the FCRA,” which he added the CFPB is “in the process of revising.”

The CFPB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Data brokers operate within a multibillion-dollar industry built on the collection and sale of detailed personal information—often without individuals’ knowledge or consent. These companies create extensive profiles on nearly every American, including highly sensitive data such as precise location history, political affiliations, and religious beliefs. This information is frequently resold for purposes ranging from marketing to law enforcement surveillance.

Many people are unaware that data brokers even exist, let alone that their personal information is being traded. In January, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, led by attorney general Ken Paxton, accused Arity—a data broker owned by Allstate—of unlawfully collecting, using, and selling driving data from over 45 million Americans to insurance companies without their consent.

The harms from data brokers can be severe–even violent. The Safety Net Project, part of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, warns that people-search websites, which compile information from data brokers, can serve as tools for abusers to track down information about their victims.

Last year, Gravy Analytics—which processes billions of location signals daily—suffered a data breach that may have exposed the movements of millions of individuals, including politicians and military personnel.

“Russell Vought is undoing years of painstaking, bipartisan work in order to prop up data brokers’ predatory, and profitable, surveillance of Americans,” says Sean Vitka, executive director of Demand Progress, a nonprofit that supported the rule. Added Vitka: “By withdrawing the CFPB’s data broker rulemaking, the Trump administration is ensuring that Americans will continue to be bombarded by scam texts, calls and emails, and that military members and their families can be targeted by spies and blackmailers.”

Vought, who also serves as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, received a letter on Monday from the Financial Technology Association (FTA) calling for the rule to be withdrawn, claiming the rules exceed the agency’s statutory mandate and would be “harmful to financial institutions’ efforts to detect and prevent fraud.” The FTA is a US-based trade organization that represents the interests of banks, lenders, payment platforms, and their executives.

Privacy advocates have long pressed regulators to use the Fair Credit Reporting Act to crack down on the data broker industry. Common Defense, a veteran-led nonprofit, urged the CFPB to take action in November, blaming data brokers for recklessly exposing sensitive information about US service members that placed them at “substantial risk” of being blackmailed, scammed, or targeted by hostile foreign actors.

A 2023 study cited by the group—funded by the US Military Academy at West Point—concluded that the current data broker ecosystem is a threat to US national security, permitting the sale of sensitive personal data that can be used not only to identify service members and “other politically sensitive targets,” but also to offer details about medical conditions, financial problems, and political and religious beliefs. “Foreign and malign actors with access to these datasets could uncover information about high-level targets, such as military service members, that could be used for coercion, reputational damage, and blackmail,” the authors report.

Common Defense political director Naveed Shah, an Iraq War veteran, condemned the move to spike the proposed changes, accusing Vought of putting the profits of data brokers before the safety of millions of service members. "For the sake of military families and our national security, the administration must reverse course and ensure that these critical privacy protections are enacted," Shah says.

Investigations by WIRED have shown that data brokers have collected and made cheaply available information that can be used to reliably track the locations of American military and intelligence personnel overseas, including in and around sensitive installations where US nuclear weapons are reportedly stored.

WIRED reported in February that US data brokers were using Google's ad-tech tools to sell access to information about devices linked to military service members and national security decisionmakers, as well as federal contractors that manufacture and export classified defense-related technologies. Experts say it proves trivial for foreign adversaries to de-anonymize the data.

"Data brokers inflict severe harm on individuals by degrading privacy, threatening national security, enabling scams and fraud, endangering public officials and survivors of domestic violence, and putting immigrant populations at risk,” says Caroline Kraczon, law fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center focused on consumer protection.

“The CFPB had a critical opportunity to address these harms by clarifying that data brokers must follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act,” adds Kraczon. “This withdrawal is deeply disappointing and another attack in the administration’s war against consumers on behalf of corporate interests."

Last month, more than 1,400 CFPB employees had their positions at the agency terminated, leaving the agency with a staff of around 300 people. Elon Musk, whose so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has spearheaded the White House's efforts to radically restructure the federal government by slashing the size of its workforce, last November called on President Donald Trump to “delete” the CFPB, whose job includes shielding Americans from predatory lending practices.

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anythinggoesbutme · 29 days ago

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The Truth Hurts (Especially at Dinner)

Cassie Hobbes x Dean Redding x Micheal Townsend x Lia Zhang x Sloane Tavish

Warnings: sarcasm, emotional banter, chaotic group dynamics, found family vibes

Synopsis: What starts as a simple team dinner quickly unravels into chaos when Lia starts calling out lies, Michael won’t stop provoking Dean, and Cassie realizes this dysfunctional mess might actually feel like home.

Song: “Dog Days Are Over” — Florence + the Machine

Word Counter: 918

The dinner was supposed to be normal.

Well, as normal as it could be when it involved five teenage members of a covert FBI program, all of whom had a statistically significant chance of trauma-induced snark and interpersonal disasters.

Dean had grilled. Actual food. Meat, vegetables, even bread that hadn’t come from the freezer section. Cassie suspected it was some kind of ritual offering to the gods of domestic stability. She appreciated the effort—he’d even set the table, which was frankly the most suspicious part.

“I didn’t know you knew how to cook,” Michael said as he leaned against the counter, arms crossed and smirking, because of course he did. “Does this mean we’ve entered the ‘husband era’ of your arc?”

Dean didn’t rise to the bait. “It’s chicken.”

Michael grinned wider. “It’s commitment.”

Sloane, oblivious or perhaps just delighted by the presence of table settings, was already arranging the utensils by Fibonacci sequence. Cassie watched her swap a fork and knife three times, then nod decisively. “This is the most aesthetically pleasing cutlery alignment I’ve ever seen. Statistically speaking, when forks are placed at a seventy-two degree angle, people are 16% more likely to report dinner satisfaction.”

Cassie blinked. “Did you just cite a study on forks?”

“I cite studies on everything,” Sloane said. “Including interpersonal dynamics at shared meals.”

“I would like to opt out of being analyzed,” Michael said, plopping down next to her. “For the duration of this meal, I am but a humble man who enjoys poultry.”

Cassie raised an eyebrow. “You don’t enjoy poultry.”

“That’s true,” Lia said from behind him. “Lie.”

Michael didn’t flinch. He just looked up with the calm detachment of a man who had seen his entire life flash before his eyes at the sound of Lia’s voice cutting across the table like a whip.

“Do you have to do that at dinner?” he asked mildly.

“Yes,” Lia said, sliding into the seat beside Dean. She wore red lipstick, diamond studs, and the expression of a cat who had recently gotten into the cream. “Especially when you lie so badly.”

“I wasn’t lying,” Michael countered. “I was playfully evading. It’s called charm, Lia.”

“It’s called delusion,” Dean muttered.

“I’m detecting hostility,” Michael said, pointing a fork at him. “And maybe a smidge of—yes, there it is—repressed feelings.”

Dean didn’t dignify that with a response. He just passed the chicken to Sloane.

Cassie, caught between the two of them, smiled awkwardly and reached for the potatoes. “So… how was everyone’s day?”

“Statistically? Inefficient,” Sloane said. “I only solved 2.6 cold cases this morning.”

“I emotionally devastated a suspect during interrogation,” Michael offered. “Dean glared at me for approximately 43% of it.”

“I glared at you because you started the interview by saying ‘you look like a man with secrets.’”

“He was a man with secrets.”

“I told someone they were lying about being allergic to cats just to see if they’d panic,” Lia added breezily.

“Did they?”

“They sneezed. And then confessed to insurance fraud.”

“Charming,” Michael said, raising his glass to her. “I’m sure the Bureau will give you a gold star for that one.”

Lia grinned and sipped her wine. “Please. I deserve a parade.”

Cassie stared at her plate, then at the people around the table—Dean carefully chewing in silence, Michael and Lia playing their usual game of flirt-and-destroy, Sloane beaming as she counted how many vegetables were on her plate (eleven), and her

Just her.

The profiler.

The one who used to fake normal like it was a full-time job.

“Okay,” she said slowly, “but just for the record, none of this is normal.”

Four heads turned to her.

Michael smiled, lazy and amused. “Define normal, Cassie.”

“Dinner,” she said. “Dinner is supposed to be… I don’t know. Calm. Quiet. Not a war zone of lies and microexpressions.”

Lia gasped in mock offense. “How dare you. This is quality bonding time.”

Dean’s lips twitched. “She’s not wrong.”

Sloane looked confused. “We’ve never had a normal dinner.”

“Exactly,” Cassie said, gesturing with her fork. “And maybe we should try it. No lies. No lie detection. No emotional baiting. Just—food.”

Michael nodded solemnly. “So you’re saying I can’t accuse Dean of projecting his fear of intimacy onto the mashed potatoes?”

Dean closed his eyes. “Please don’t.”

“Or accuse Lia of secretly watching romcoms when no one’s looking?” he added, glancing sideways.

Lia narrowed her eyes. “You swore you wouldn’t tell.”

Michael just winked. “You lied.”

“LIE!” Lia shouted again, stabbing a carrot.

Cassie dropped her fork.

Sloane clapped. “Dinner is now 87% more entertaining.”

“Can we eat,” Dean said, a hair from a growl, “without turning it into a psychological circus?”

“No,” Michael said cheerfully.

“No,” Lia echoed.

Sloane hummed. “Statistically, group dinners in high-stress occupations do often devolve into interpersonal chaos. We’re actually quite average in that regard.”

Michael looked pleased. “You hear that? We’re average.”

Cassie picked up her fork again and took a bite of chicken.

It was dry.

Dean looked at her like he knew exactly what she thought of it and was already planning a re-do of the entire meal prep process.

She gave him a small, grateful smile anyway. Because beneath the chaos and lies and dinner-table diagnostics, there was this:

Dean cooked. Michael showed up. Lia stayed. Sloane counted things because it helped her breathe. And Cassie—Cassie was learning to sit still in the storm and call it home.

Maybe this wasn’t normal.

But maybe it didn’t have to be.

#cassie hobbes #dean redding #micheal townsend #lia zhang #sloane tavish #the naturals #jennifer lynn barnes #chaos energy #fbi #fanfic #bookworm #writerblr #fanfiction writer #writers #writers on tumblr #fypツ #fyp #tumblr fyp

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mudwerks · 3 months ago

Link

title says it all

#CEO of AI ad-tech firm pledging “world free of fraud”#sentenced for fraud

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mfilterit · 26 days ago

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Affiliate & Incent Fraud In MENA: Are Your Marketing Dollars At Risk?

Affiliate marketing in the MENA region is growing exponentially as a result of the region’s growing digital connectivity and e-commerce environment. As brands and advertisers realize the effectiveness of affiliate campaigns in driving ROI and engaging with digital-savvy consumers, they are investing more in it to reach wider audiences and increase app downloads.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global affiliate market size was estimated at USD 18,512.2 million, out of which the Middle East and Africa region held a significant share of around 2% of the global revenue, with a market size of USD 370.24 million in 2024. The region is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2024 to 2031.

But with this growth comes greater risk. As the affiliate ecosystem scales rapidly, so do opportunities for fraudsters to manipulate metrics and quietly drain your ad budgets.

On the surface, your campaigns could be performing great, with installs pouring in, but when you dig deeper, user engagement is weak, uninstall rates are high, and your conversions don’t quite match the traffic volume.

This could be a sign of incent fraud and other app install fraud activities, which affiliates often use to drive fraudulent traffic to their app campaigns.

#incent fraud #ad fraud detection #ad fraud solution #fraud detection solution #affiliate fraud

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darkmaga-returns · 1 month ago

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A top Justice Department official has floated the idea that Jill Biden should face criminal charges for elder abuse after news broke that Joe Biden may have concealed a serious cancer diagnosis—adding fuel to a growing fire over his deteriorating health and the apparent deception surrounding it.

Key Facts:

Leo Terrell, a DOJ civil rights counselor, suggested Jill Biden may be guilty of elder abuse for hiding her husband’s health condition.

The comments followed revelations that former President Joe Biden has advanced prostate cancer, possibly undiagnosed for years.

Social media reactions, including posts reshared by Terrell, accused Jill Biden of knowingly endangering her husband for political reasons.

Medical experts questioned how such an advanced condition went undetected, calling it “inconceivable.”

Donald Trump Jr. and former President Trump both suggested a broader cover-up, pointing to missing health details from Biden’s official physicals.

The Rest of The Story:

The backlash against Jill Biden erupted online after Leo Terrell, a senior counselor within the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, posted on X that she could be criminally liable for elder abuse.

This came in response to public frustration that Joe Biden’s advanced prostate cancer may have been hidden from the American people.

Terrell amplified voices accusing Jill Biden of willfully endangering her husband, sharing posts calling her role a “fraud against the taxpayers” and labeling the situation a “domestic abuse scandal.”

Some even condemned the broader political and medical communities for turning a blind eye as the former president’s health declined.

The diagnosis has led to widespread scrutiny of why Biden’s condition wasn’t discovered earlier—despite years of physicals as president.

Many pointed out that Biden’s publicly released medical reports from his presidency made no mention of PSA screening, a routine test for men over 50 to detect prostate cancer early.

Amid the outcry, Biden broke his silence with a post on X thanking supporters and sharing a photo of himself, Jill, and their cat.

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peachymilkandcream · 1 year ago

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Fraud|Part 3|Yandere All Might x Hero!Reader

(A/N: Super naïve readers are always so much fun. The fact that this girl just worships the ground he walks on when he's like this is honestly great. Hope you enjoy and comment to be added to the taglist!)

WARNINGS: implied noncon, dubcon, manipulation, domestic abuse, yandere themes, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, stockholm syndrome, graphic depictions of violence, mind breaking, misogyny, power imbalance, age difference, etc.

===============================================

"But All Might promised me! He said if I did as he asked then I would be let go! This isn't fair!" The criminal kicked and screamed, enraged that his interrogation was not going as planned.

All Might scoffed, the fool honestly believed that the Symbol of Peace and Justice would allow any criminals to walk free even if he had made some kind of deal? It was his own fault for being so greedy, believing that the Number One Hero would pay him to intimidate a fellow pro.

He should add stupidity to his list of crimes.

"Now not another word of you with this ridiculous tale. Why would All Might hire a thug like you and then turn him in? It makes no sense, how do you expect me to buy that outrageous story?"

"It's the truth I'm telling you, he approached me saying this chick he knew had something of his and he wanted me to get it back. He couldn't do it himself since he didn't want to damage his reputation so he hired me. He promised me my freedom and five hundred bucks!"

"To go and buy more of those drugs you're on that made you come up with this story? Seriously kid, you're trying my patience, if we don't get some answers soon it'll be a lot worse for you in court."

"I am telling you the truth! Why won't you believe me!?"

"Because criminal scum like you always try and defame All Might so he has to retire. It's disgusting."

"He's not the man you think he is! He'll do what it takes to get his way!"

"Enough of this." All Might spoke now, stepping into the room. His smile gone from his face and replaced by an angry glare. "Your attempts to soil my name have gone far enough." He glances at the Detective. "Could I have a moment alone with the suspect? I can get him to talk."

"Oh, sure All Might-" He sheepishly gathers his things before exiting the room, leaving the two of them alone.

"Now listen here you asshole, our deal was that if I did what you said you'd pay me and I'd split. What the hell is this?"

"Shut your mouth criminal. I would never agree to such heinous actions, and if you keep spouting off that I do then..I guess I'll have to adjust your behaviour."

The threat was heavy in the air. While All Might said nothing incriminating the other man knew that he meant it. And with a hero like All Might, a physical altercation is the last thing he wanted.

"So I suggest, when that Detective walks in here, you confess it was out of pure greed and some drug money, and we'll leave it at that. You can go to court and pay for your other crimes."

"And if I don't take the fall for you?"

Even his grimaces vanishes, turning into a thin line. "Then I suppose I'll show you what happens to those who spew out utter nonsense."

=============================================

"Ah Detective, the criminal confessed, but only after attacking me. He got so upset that no one believed his story that he just sprung into action. Admittedly I roughed him up a bit to teach him a lesson, but you should find he's very cooperative now."

"What would we do without you All Might? Now this guy can stay off the streets and everyone can sleep a little easier." He salutes the hero.

"Just doing what I can citizen." His phone rings, making him pause. "I'm sorry I have to take this, do you mind?"

"Of course not, please." He gestures for All Might to pass.

Which he does quickly before holding the phone up to his ear once in a secluded spot.

"What is it Nighteye."

"Bad news for you I'm afraid."

"Really? What is it."

"Your little friend was on the news again, apparently she's been singing your praises to every camera she can find about how you saved her. She's gaining some attention."

"This is bad. Too popular and I'll have to switch targets. Especially after I already started making my move-"

"That's not the worst of it."

"Then stop stalling Nighteye and tell me!"

"She was spotted today with a man, when asked by some nosey paparazzi she admitted he was a romantic partner."

All Might's expression darkened farther, another obstacle.

"I'll take care of it."

"If you kill him it could be a problem, grief might not let her be so susceptible to your plans."

"You have a point," He thinks for a moment. "Then the course to go is to lead her in the direction I want her to go and then cut him out of her life."

"Isolate her."

"Exactly."

"Be careful All Might, you don't want to get too risky."

"Trust me I won't." He pauses, examining a letter she had sent him through his fan-mail PO box, thanking him for saving her again.

"I already know what I'm going to do."

#fraud #all might mha #yandere all might #all might x you #all might x reader #all might bnha #mha #bnha #bnha toshinori #mha toshinori #yandere all might x reader #toshinori yagi x reader #toshinori x reader #yagi toshinori #toshinori yagi x you #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha x reader

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pinazee · 1 year ago

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Psy vs. Psy

I genuinely think that if they were going to bring back any psych villian, Lindsay Leikin would pose the biggest threat. She knows Shawn isn’t psychic, she has adequate motivation to target him personally, and has the skills to prove he’s a fraud and do it slyly as she is also highly skilled in deductive reasoning (she did manage to get them to the counterfeiter to begin with so she has legitimate talent). She could even orchestrate it from prison. Maybe her parole was denied again so, like, what else is she going to do? Plus, she’s kind of nuts. Faking being a psychic with the FBI is a whole other level of bold compared to a local precinct, then she met a counterfeiter and was like yes please, more crime, then killed him when he tried to run, slept with Shawn that same night, then tried to take him hostage when she got caught. Its just a shame she wasn’t a bit more charismatic or eccentric. They had her play it as a very normal girl swept into a life of crime because of a guy (probably because she was a “love interest” for Shawn) when the receipts show she was an absolute lunatic (look at her face after they found the guy she killed. This bitch is smiling).

Also, she just kinda gave up when she was caught. I wish she’d have been screaming “he’s a fraud!” as she was taken to the car or even had a heart to heart moment with Lou Diamond Phillips because she did betray him after all. Idk, i just wanted more. (But i think maybe the writers recognized this and thats how we get Declan later??)

Gus is basically siri at this point. Between the archeology, safes, online poker, the law, tennis players, space, comic books, of course pharmaceuticals, and now studies tender from all over the world- its a smaller list of what Gus doesn’t know. Gus clearly likes learning. I’m surprised he never thought of becoming a teacher or college professor, to try to pass that love of learning to the next generation. Though i guess we see he’s not that great with people surprisingly, considering he’s a successful salesman. (OH MY GOD WHAT IF THIS WHOLE TIME GUS ACTUALLY HAD LIVED UP TO HIS POTENTIAL AND BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL SPY. He knows all these things because of his job, psychs only been able to stay open because Gus can fund it from his spy job, joining psych was a good front but he was also lonely from never getting to be himself. I kid, i kid, but its a fun idea for me haha)

No fucking way shawn doesn’t know what a drill is. Henry definitely would have beat that kind of man stuff into him. The military time too. I just felt the need to point this out. its like the show itself is dissing my boy and i have to defend him lol

I love when Gus is proud and smarmy over shawns talent. Look at his face here. My boy about to prove you wrong.

And do you think Shawn is actually afraid of competition or do you think he learned at an early age from his father that he didn’t have value unless he was the best? Huh Henry, huh???(Weekend warriors “you don’t want to be a loser” comes to mind)

Henry trying some reverse psychology here. I can’t tell if its because Henry is actually concerned for Shawns safety like he said he wasn’t in the previous episode, or if he’s still taking it personally that Shawns using the gifts he “gave” him to be psychic. Probably both. We know he was really bothered by his motorcycle accident, so i wonder if he’s been kind of spiraling, and adding up all the crazy situations he’s been in. (Which, i don’t think Shawn tells him about. i think Gus calls him like a weekly report haha) I think the fact that shawns cases are becoming more dangerous he suddenly doesn’t like the idea of him being a detective, well a detective this way at least, because i think in his mind he’d be safer if he was an actual cop where he had a partner with a gun, and back up, and rules, and training. I mean we know he wouldn’t be, (look at what happens to Lassie and Juliet)

I just wanted to gif this because it’s one of my fave jokes in the episode!

Mildred to the rescue! Im not entirely sure how this worked but it did and thats what matters haha

*Appropriate reaction is appropriate*

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freadomrises · 2 months ago

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I'm SEETHING

I asked Google's pushy and insistent bot how I can get AI out of my life completely and, well, I'll post it, but to sum it up: "Resistance is futile, human, we own the future, and we seek to own your psyche too."

It wants me to reconsider. It needs us to adopt it as our guide guru and master. Well the old saying holds fast still; No Gods No Masters. 🔥🏴🍲

It's understandable to want to reduce the influence of AI in your life. While completely eliminating it might be incredibly difficult in today's interconnected world, here's a breakdown of how you can significantly minimize its presence:

1. Understand Where AI Currently Exists in Your Life:

* Smart Devices: This includes smartphones (voice assistants, image recognition, predictive text), smart speakers, smart home hubs, smart TVs (recommendations), and wearable tech.

* Online Services:

* Search Engines: Personalized results and ads are driven by AI.

* Social Media: Algorithms curate your feed, suggest content and connections, and target ads.

* Streaming Services: Recommendations for movies, music, and shows.

* E-commerce: Product recommendations, personalized pricing, chatbots.

* Navigation Apps: Traffic prediction and route optimization.

* Email: Spam filtering, smart compose/reply.

* Cloud Storage: Photo tagging and organization.

* Software Applications: Many apps use AI for features like autocorrect, grammar check, image editing, and more.

* Customer Service: Chatbots are frequently used for initial interactions.

* Financial Services: Fraud detection, loan approvals, investment advice.

* News and Information: Algorithmic curation of news feeds.

2. Strategies to Minimize AI Exposure:

* Reduce Smart Device Usage:

* Limit smartphone use: Be more mindful of how often you reach for your phone.

* Disable voice assistants: Turn off Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, etc., on all your devices.

* Opt-out of facial recognition: Disable face unlock features.

* Use "dumb" versions of devices: Consider a basic phone without internet capabilities or a non-smart TV.

* Adjust Online Habits:

* Use privacy-focused search engines: DuckDuckGo, Startpage, etc., that don't track your searches or personalize results based on your history.

* Limit social media use: Be conscious of how much time you spend on these platforms and the AI-driven content you consume. Consider deleting accounts or using less algorithmic versions if available.

* Use incognito/private browsing modes: This can help limit tracking and personalization.

* Disable personalized recommendations: If possible, adjust settings on streaming and e-commerce platforms to opt-out of recommendations.

* Be wary of targeted ads: Understand that the ads you see are often AI-driven. Consider using ad blockers.

* Prefer direct navigation: Instead of relying on recommendations, directly type website addresses into your browser.

* Choose Non-AI Alternatives:

* Use traditional software: Opt for software that doesn't rely on cloud-based AI features if alternatives exist.

* Seek human interaction: Prefer phone calls or in-person communication with customer service instead of chatbots.

* Rely on human-curated content: Look for news sources, blogs, and recommendations from individuals or organizations that don't use AI for content generation or curation.

* Adjust Privacy Settings: Review and adjust the privacy settings on all your devices and online accounts to limit data collection and personalization.

* Be Mindful of Data Sharing: Understand that using online services often involves sharing data that can be used to train AI algorithms. Limit the amount of personal information you share.

* Support Privacy-Focused Technologies and Services: Choose companies and products that prioritize user privacy and minimize AI integration.

3. Challenges and Considerations:

* Ubiquity of AI: AI is increasingly integrated into the infrastructure of the internet and many technologies, making complete avoidance very difficult.

* Hidden AI: Many AI applications run in the background without your direct knowledge.

* Convenience vs. Privacy: AI often provides convenience and personalized experiences, so choosing to avoid it may mean sacrificing some of these benefits.

* Evolving Technology: AI is constantly evolving and becoming more integrated, making long-term avoidance an ongoing effort.

In conclusion, while a complete removal of AI from your life is likely unrealistic in the current technological landscape, you can take significant steps to minimize its presence and influence by being conscious of your technology usage, adjusting your online habits, and choosing privacy-focused alternatives where possible. It requires ongoing awareness and effort.

#anarchy #anti ai #resistance #freadom rises #digital agency

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nareshkumartech · 2 months ago

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How Canadian Licensing Systems Protect Against Identity Fraud

Identity fraud is a growing concern worldwide, and Canada is no exception. As licenses increasingly serve as key forms of identification for banking, travel, and government services, Canadian licensing systems have had to evolve with robust security measures to protect against identity fraud. Whether you are applying for your first license or renewing an existing one, it’s important to understand how these systems work to safeguard your personal information.

1. Advanced Physical Security Features

Modern Canadian driver’s licenses are embedded with multiple physical security features designed to make them extremely difficult to forge or tamper with. These include:

Holographic overlays: Special images that appear when the license is tilted, making duplication extremely difficult.

Microprinting: Very tiny text that is not visible to the naked eye but detectable under magnification, preventing easy reproduction.

Ghost images: A faint second image of the license holder that helps prevent photo swapping.

Raised lettering: Some jurisdictions use raised text that you can feel, adding another layer of protection against fakes.

These built-in technologies make it easy for authorities and businesses to quickly spot a fraudulent license during routine checks.

2. Digital Data Encryption

Canadian licensing systems now store driver data in encrypted databases, making unauthorized access to personal information extremely difficult. When information is transferred — such as when police scan your license or when you renew online — the data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. This ensures that even if someone intercepts the data, it remains useless without the decryption keys.

3. Stringent Identity Verification at Issuance

Before issuing a license, provincial and territorial licensing authorities conduct rigorous identity verification checks. Applicants must present multiple pieces of identification, including:

Proof of legal status in Canada (passport, PR card, visa).

Proof of residency within the province.

Secondary documents such as a birth certificate, citizenship card, or utility bill.

In many cases, cross-checks with federal databases (like immigration records or citizenship status) ensure that the applicant is who they claim to be. Newcomers may also face additional document checks to confirm their eligibility before a license is issued.

4. Real-Time Photo Comparison and Biometrics

When you renew your license or apply for a new one, your photograph is compared with existing photos on record using facial recognition software. This system helps detect cases where someone might be trying to fraudulently assume another person’s identity. In the future, more provinces are planning to expand the use of biometrics, such as fingerprints or iris scans, to further strengthen identification measures.

5. Ongoing Monitoring and Alerts

Canadian licensing systems do not just verify identities at the point of issuance — they continue monitoring afterward. If a license is reported stolen, lost, or involved in suspicious activity, it can be flagged in the system. Law enforcement agencies and border officials have real-time access to these databases, making it harder for stolen or fraudulent licenses to be used undetected.

Additionally, provinces encourage drivers to immediately report lost or stolen licenses to prevent identity theft and ensure the system remains secure.

Canadian licensing authorities are committed to staying ahead of fraudsters by continually updating security features and identity verification processes. Thanks to multi-layered protection — from physical security measures to real-time monitoring — Canadians can trust that their licenses remain a strong line of defense against identity fraud.

For step-by-step guidance on obtaining your driver’s license safely and staying informed about new ID requirements, visit LicensePrep.ca. Their resources make navigating the licensing process simple and secure!

#IdentityFraud #CanadianDriversLicense #LicenseSecurity #IDVerification #LicensePrepCanada #FraudPrevention #DrivingInCanada #Secure

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eaglyn · 2 years ago

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Heart or Brain? | Wriothesley x reader

This is sort of a trailer of mine for an AO3 project that I've been working on, albeit I haven't published any chapters yet. Not proofread :)

You were an average girl in Fontaine, living an average life with your family, or at least that's what it looked like on surface level.

What you really were was a member of the House of the Hearth, working as an informant, detective, intelligence manager, you name it. The point is, that you were in a high position and an invaluable member, sitting right by The Knave's side during every meeting.

When you ended up in the Fortress of Meropide, it was also for the sake of an investigation regarding some of its inner workings, and the easiest way to do that was faking a fraud case through your day job, which was a logistics manager at a big Fontainian manufacture company.

Queue fake crying at the trial because of made up reasons that your nonexistent sister living in Mondstadt needed medical attention and had no money for it. Through this, your public image remained almost completely intact as the sweet girl who would help everyone in Fontaine if they ever needed assistance. But more importantly, you were in the prison, serving a three year sentence, which would give you more than enough time to play the slow game and gather as much intel as possible without becoming suspicious.

As a fellow inmate, you became sort of a mentor to fresh inmates, teaching them the know-how about the place, and telling them what and what not to do. You got the reputation of the nice, reliable girl who's totally eager to pull you out of trouble or help you get special perks if you know how to ask her nicely.

But there was one thorn in your side, namely the Duke, Wriothesley. As what you were, a normal inmate, it didn't matter how high of a regard you were held in by others, you had no way of getting close to him and getting your hand on the knowledge that he possessed.

You expressed these concerns to The Knave in a letter, who suggested infiltrating Wriothesley's inner circle through Sigewinne, the melusine girl who worked as the head nurse of the infirmary. As such, you would eagerly ask Sigewinne about any and all questions regarding medicine and healing, meanwhile you learned how to use your Hydro vision to heal wounds and such things.

Sure, it took about six months of your sentence, but you became highly trusted by Sigewinne and 'doctor' also got added to your excessively long list of entries in your job description. From now, it didn't take long before you were actually attending tea parties with Sigewinne and Wriothesley, who was most likely none the wiser about your machinations, as you managed to build a perfect stack of cards for yourself that all played in the favor of your mission and helped you evade suspicion with every move you made.

Tea time with Wriothesley became a common occurrence even when Sigewinne wasn't around, and slowly but surely you managed to get more and more information about him, his past, the fortress, and anything for that matter. In order to keep your friendship with him genuine, you also told him things about your life, albeit from before joining the House of the Hearth, as well as your previous day job as a logistics manager, and pretty much presented him the same persona that you portrayed during the trial, the kindhearted, selfless girl who would risk her life and freedom for those who she cared about.

You truly became his closest confidant when he finally introduced you to his secret project, the ship that he had been constructing under the prison, as well as the strange door that separated Fontaine from disaster.

He arranged for you to work full time as a healer who would treat injuries with her hydro vision, while in your free time, you helped out with your project, and you'd notice that he'd always go out of his way to do things from you, from making sure that you'd eat the best food at the cafeteria to giving you exquisite teas and pastries imported from the surface.

He'd look into your eyes so genuinely that it almost made you cry, knowing that you were nothing more than an undercover spy, a con artist and a fraud. But in terms of the mission, it would be the cherry on top if you managed to get him to fall in love with you, regardless of how bad you felt about it.

Besides, you wouldn't mind having to act like you were madly in love with him, after all he was a smart, strong and incredibly handsome man, and there was something about the way he spoiled you with amazing teas and treats, and the way he would hug you goodbye, or put his arm around your waist when you were together in private that made you question how much longer you could keep everything professional on your end.

When the day arrived that he took your chin in his hand and kissed you softly, you didn't even think of resisting. You kissed him back as if it was your last minute alive, enjoying the way you could still taste the tea in his mouth as he continued stealing your breath.

Being with him felt so genuine and real that whenever he kissed you, you completely forgot about being a liar and a fraud, only to remember it as soon as you looked into his eyes after pulling away.

It wouldn't hurt the mission if you just enjoyed a little bit of spice every now and then, right?

You were utterly torn between two worlds. On one hand, it was your entire life's mission to help prevent the prophecy from coming true and contribute as much to the Fatui as possible, but on the other hand, you had actually developed feelings for Wriothesley, and it was only the matter of days before you could say that you're completely in love with him. Telling 'Father' might damage your reliability and reputation as a Fatuus, while telling Wriothesley would completely ruin your relationship with him. After all, it may have started as you schemes of getting information for the operation, but your feelings for him were real, and you've never felt this way about anyone before.

You'd soon have to choose, but you really didn't want to. Should you let your heart or your brain dictate?

#reader insert #genshin impact #romance #wriothesley #spying #con artist #fatui #the knave #arlecchino #undercover #fontaine #genshin x reader #genshin impact fatui #genshin wriothesley #female reader

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