‘’A phone farm is a collection of multiple smartphones used simultaneously to generate income through various apps and services, such as watching ads, completing surveys, or mining cryptocurrency.’’ Back in October, word started making the rounds of an AI startup called Doublespeed. Backed by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Doublespeed offers customers a unique service: access to a massive phone farm that could be used to operate hundreds of AI-generated social media accounts. Now, 404 Media reports in an explosive scoop that Doublespeed has been hacked. This wasn’t just one account associated with the startup, but the entire backend used to manage its phone farm — so it provides an extraordinary glimpse at how the service is actually being used to manipulate social media at scale. Speaking to 404 on condition of anonymity, the hacker said they can “see the phones in use, which manager [computers controlling the phones] they had, which TikTok accounts ...
I am a technology writer with a focus on cybersecurity. I cover topics such as malware, vulnerabilities, exploits, and security defenses, as well as research and innovation in information security.