How to get unbanned from PlayStation Network

Are you trying to get a ban reversed? Give this a read.

Those of us who have felt the crushing weight of the ban hammer come down upon our fragile skulls, know the pain it can cause. There can be nothing quite as sad as pulling up to your favorite digital hangout only to find that you are no longer allowed inside. If you have turned on your PlayStation 4 and discovered that you have been banned from the PlayStation Network, then take a look at the advice below.

Error messages

If you cannot connect to the PSN you will be provided with an error message. While the details given are somewhat sparse, it can give you an idea of where you stand. Start by writing down your error message and comparing it to the list below.

• 8002A227: You cannot use PlayStation®Network with this account.

• 8002A231: Your PlayStation®Network account has been suspended.

• 80710016: For more information, go to WS-37397 Error Code (most often means psn doesn’t like something about your ip)

• WS-37337-3: This PSN account has been temporarily suspended

• WS-37368-7: This PSN account has been banned

• WS-37338-4: This PS4 console has been permanently banned from the PlayStation Network.

• WS-37397-9: Connection Error. For more information, go to WS-37397 Error Code (most often means psn doesn’t like something about your ip)

What did you do?

There is a veritable litany of reasons for getting banned from the PSN. They range from offenses as seemingly benign as killing off your own team in an online game, to the flagrantly illegal offense of fraud. All the things that will get you nixed from the network can be found in the terms of service which you can take look at here.

The chargeback solution

If you find yourself temporarily banned from the PlayStation Network and you recently asked your bank to stop all payments then that could be your problem. Sony takes a pretty zero tolerance stance on being owed money. If you think that this is your issue, then the solution could be as simple as paying back the money that you owe.

Give them a call

If you have found yourself in a position where you have permanently banned then you may be out of luck. From everything I have heard, only the most severe offenses justify permanent banning from the network. However, if you are certain that your suspension or banning was made erroneously, then your best course of action is to call PSN support.

The most effective advice I can give is to be patient and gracious with your representative to the best of your ability. I know it can be infuriating but for the most part, the old saying about catching flies with honey remains true. Be polite, yet persistent and hopefully you will see a resolution in your favor.

PlayStation support number: 1-800-345-7669

Hopefully, you will never see your PSN account on the receiving end of the ban hammer. From everything I have gleaned and experienced, the back end of getting an account reinstated can be labyrinthine, exhausting, and torturous.

Ever had your PSN account banned or suspended?

What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments.

Why are we talking PlayStation 4 games on Android Central? Let us explain.

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• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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Google Tez is testing a new chat feature in India

Is Google setting its sights on WhatsApp?

Google Tez has quickly become one of the biggest services for sending and receiving payments in India. Google reported it had 12 million users in December, and about a month ago, Tez enabled its users to pay for bills right within the app. Now, it looks like Google may be itching to take on WhatsApp with a new chat feature.

Multiple Tez users have confirmed they’re able to send messages back and forth to contacts within the app, and shortly after reports of this started to emerge, Gadgets360 received an email from a Google representative that said:

We’ve added a feature to Tez that allows you to send simple messages back and forth to your contacts about the payments you make.

If you’ve got access to this, you’ll see a new chat icon next to your buttons for “Pay” and “Request.” Tapping on this will allow you to send messages to your contacts that also use Tez, and you can even block certain people and delete a conversation thread.

Google seems to be marketing this feature as a way for people to strictly talk about the payments they’re making, but it’s hard not to draw comparisons to WhatsApp. WhatsApp just added a peer-to-peer payment option for its beta users in India in early February, and while its chat features are much more fleshed-out than what Tez is currently offering, a few more updates could easily evolve Tez into a one-stop-shop for making payments and communicating with friends/loved ones.

If you live in India and use Google Tez, do you have access to the app’s chat feature?

Google Tez: Everything you need to know

The Galaxy S9’s variable aperture should be on every flagship moving forward

The variable aperture camera is easily the most compelling feature of the Galaxy S9.

Remember when your smartphone could barely take a decent photo in broad daylight, let alone replace your point-and-shoot camera? Those days are thankfully long gone, as smartphone camera technology continues to improve each year. 2017 was especially kind to cameras, with phones embracing all sorts of dual camera combinations for added flexibility, and some like the Pixel 2 even adding machine learning into the mix.

This year is already off to a great start for camera technology, with Samsung introducing an entirely new paradigm to smartphone photography: dual apertures in a single lens. We’ve seen camera software emulate different apertures before, as is the case on the Huawei P10, but the Galaxy S9 is the first example of a genuine physical change in aperture. Andrew’s sample photos give us an early view at some of the incredible shots the S9 is capable of taking, but not everybody is on board with Samsung’s software or design— so when is this same feature coming to other phones?

What is variable aperture?

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are able to physically stop down from f/2.4 to f/1.5, which is extremely impressive for such a small sensor, but if you’re inexperienced in professional photography, these numbers and letters might not make much sense. Let’s break it down.

Your camera’s aperture and f-stop directly relate to how much light is being let into the sensor. The wider your aperture, the faster your lens and the more light being let in. This is why an f/1.8 lens performs much better in low light than, say, an f/4 lens — a lower number means a wider aperture.

With variable apertures, who needs Portrait Mode?

You can see this happening on the Galaxy S9; as you change the f-stop in the camera software, the aperture blades physically move to adjust how much light passes through to the sensor, almost like how your pupils dilate to adjust to sudden changes in lighting. But if f/1.5 lets in more light and performs better in dark environments, why wouldn’t Samsung just use a constant f/1.5 lens instead of a variable aperture?

Why would you need it?

Well, for the same reason you need sunglasses when it’s too bright outside; one setting doesn’t work for every scenario, and too much light can lead to blown out photos. In addition, a wider aperture means a smaller focal plane, meaning that only a small portion of the shot will be fully in focus. This works out great when you want a nice blurry background (what photographers call “bokeh”) for product shots and portraits, but it isn’t always ideal for landscape photography where you want to show off the entire frame.

This all shows in Andrew’s sample photos. There’s a genuine level of depth that even machine learning can’t match with slower glass, and the authentic nature makes you wonder why Samsung even bothered including an artificial bokeh Portrait Mode in the camera software. In addition, the Galaxy S9 is already proving to have one of the best low light cameras we’ve ever seen on a phone, with insanely little noise and sharp details.

Are you sold?

With all of this in mind, has Samsung won you over with its dual aperture lens on the Galaxy S9? If you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited about it — and if your answer is still no, you might want to take another look at the sample photos. Either way, we’d love to hear what you think. Let us know in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone X: Metal and glass sandwiches
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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The best ARCore apps you can use right now

There are some good and not so good apps out there.

Since the release of ARCore we have been seeing a big upturn in the amount of AR apps available in the Play Store. Some of these apps seem helpful, some fun, but most are unrealized tests of what is possible with the new ARCore software that Google has provided.

We are going to run down a list for you of potentially decent apps and hopefully, over the coming months, we can add some new apps to this list.

More: Every Android phone with ARCore right now

AR Stickers (Google Pixels)

AR Stickers from Google are currently the benchmark for making good use of the ARCore framework. Hiding away in your camera app on your Pixel phone, AR stickers are a fun addition to any photo you want to take with your rear-facing camera. Currently, there are six different sticker sets to collect including simple things like text and birthday cakes all the way up to Eleven fighting the Demogorgon in Stranger Things and there are supposed to be more on the way.

To use an AR Sticker simply swipe from the left of your screen and choose AR Stickers from the menu, from there you can pull any sticker you want into your photo and even tap to interact with some of them. You can choose to take pictures or video with them in your shot and they will interact accordingly. ARCore is used simply and with great effect here as each object feels like it occupies the space, in reality, the shadows on the ground and the position on the floor all seem to line up correctly. Of course, it stands to reason AR Stickers would so well after all the Pixel is the reference phone for the ARCore framework if it doesn’t work how can anything else?

See them at the Play Store

AR Emoji (Samsung Galaxy S9)

Baked into every Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ camera is the ability to turn your face into custom emoji. You can record gifs, photos, and video with this animated version of either your face or a pre-loaded set of cartoon faces. Samsung made this easy to share with everyone by recording straight from the camera app, so you can do something silly and instantly share.

It’s a fun thing to play with, but currently limited to these two phones. Hopefully Samsung at least opens it up to other Galaxy and Note phones later this year.

More: Everything you need to know about the S9

Amazon AR View

With the release of ARCore, 1.0 Amazon updated the Amazon Shopping app to include their AR view. Previously only available for the iPhone this clever little extension allows you to put the products you are searching for into space they would occupy in real-time. It’s an extremely helpful way to visualize how your home will look with the product you want. I’ve already used it to buy the armchair you can see in the photo so it’s done its job, at least for me.

To access the AR View simply install the Amazon Shopping app, log in and press the camera icon you see in the top left. From there all you to do is swipe up and select AR View, where you can select the product, place it in the camera view, turn it around and move it to your heart’s content. If you choose to buy it you simply press the 3 dots menu and it will take you to the product listing. Simple.

See it at the Play Store

MoleCatchAR

MoleCatchAR is exactly what it sounds like, a Whack-a-mole game for ARCore. With the easiest and most frustrating of all game mechanics, hit the moles as they appear, it is really good fun as well as a nice stress relief to bash the little blighters on the head. There really is nothing else to this game except it keeps score so you can try to beat your personal best, but that doesn’t stop it from being a solid fun way to spend 10 minutes while waiting for something else to happen.

The ARCore framework works almost flawlessly here, it even seems to take higher surfaces into account, something ARCore does allow for. On a completely flat surface, the holes look like holes and the moles look like moles. Hey, that rhymed.

See it at the Play Store

Stack Tower AR

Another simple game based on an old classic, Tower AR is a block stacking game that uses ARCore to place the blocks in your environment. It’s a really easy way to use AR to, you guessed it, augment a normal app to make it a little more entertaining. The premise is simple of course, tap the screen when the block exactly matches the block below it. Miss and the block split off a portion until they become so small you can’t stack them anymore.

Like the Mole AR game above this is a little game that can while away some time while sitting in a doctors office or sitting anywhere really. it isn’t amazingly detailed but is well worth having as a stop gap.

See at the Play Store

Paint AR

Paint AR is a drawing app using the ARCore framework to allow for 3d drawing. I will say right from the outset I am the worst person to review a drawing app so take my words with a grain of salt. The app seems fine with a small color palette and the ability to change the thickness of the brush stroke. Paint AR is not an artists app like Google’s tilt brush by any stretch, but as a fun little foray into 3d art, it isn’t bad.

The use of AR core in this app is actually quite advanced. You aren’t fixed in one location like some of the games I have played, you are free to roam around and draw in all the available space. I do like that the objects you draw casts shadows on the floor, adding to the feeling you are working on a real object in real space.

See it at the Play Store

Your Turn

This list is certainly not exhaustive. There were a lot of games I was interested in playing that just wouldn’t run on my available devices. Hopefully, as time goes on I can try some more apps and let you know what I think. Until then let me know in the comments section if you find any great ARCore apps out there.

Treat yourself to a $490 Samsung Galaxy S8+ today

You want one? Buy it now!

This is easily the most affordable way to buy an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8+ today without jumping through any hoops. Samsung has the same model listed at $689.99 right now, and you can get up to $300 off that with an eligible trade-in.

This is an unlocked Verizon version of the phone, so it will work on Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and other GSM carriers in the U.S., but not Sprint. While in new condition, it doesn’t come with a retail box and it has a 60-day warranty from the seller.

Sure, Samsung has already announced the Galaxy S9, but it’s much more expensive. If you’re looking for a deal that isn’t the way to look. If you are dead set on the Galaxy S9, be sure to check out Samsung’s student offerings to get the best price around. Consider spending some of your savings on this discounted 400GB microSD card so you never run out of storage.

See at eBay

Facebook Messenger Lite now supports video calls

Keeps getting better and better.

Ever since its U.S. debut last October, I’ve been using Messenger Lite over Facebook’s main Messenger app. Messenger Lite allows me to stay connected to everyone on Facebook without all of Messenger’s unnecessary bloat, and now it’s getting even more useful with the addition of video calling.

Initiating a video call with someone on Messenger Lite is as easy as can be. Simply open the app, tap on a conversation, and then choose the new video icon near the top right. Once the call starts, you have controls for muting your microphone, switching cameras, and ending it.

Per Facebook’s announcement post for the feature:

Video chats are an expected and essential part of everyday communication in today’s messaging experience. Chatting face-to-face live is perfect for those moments when you want to see and hear the voices of people you care about most – whether you’re wishing someone a happy birthday, you have some great news to share, or you spontaneously want to catch up on the day.

In addition to video calls, you can also use Messenger Lite to make voice calls, send stickers, share pictures, and record voice messages.

Download: Messenger Lite (free)

How to downgrade your Android phone to a previous version

Whether you need to downgrade your Android version or just think you need to, there are some things you need to know.

Most of us here are update junkies. When a new version of Android (or anything, for that matter) is announced, we start talking about when we’ll get a chance to try it and take a look at the changes the changes. We look at all the leaks or legit news about an update, and we’re ready to install it as soon as we can. It’s half the fun of owning an Android.

But not everyone feels this way.

There are a few cases where upgrading to a new version isn’t something you ever want to do. Enterprise software is notorious for being slow to adapt and new versions of any software may not be supported. Or you might have some equipment like a handheld scanner that won’t work if you take an update.Things like this aren’t an issue for most people, though.

More often than not, when someone wants to go back to an older version of Android it’s because they aren’t happy with the updated version. We all can deal with some bugs better than others, and if an update brings one of the bugs you can’t deal with you might look for the option of going back. That’s not as simple as it sounds in most cases.

Make sure you want to downgrade your Android

Moving backward and installing an old version of Android is not without its own set of headaches. There’s the security aspect of it all for starters. If your phone is tracked to be on version 3 of the software, issues with version 2 aren’t likely to be addressed by the company who made it. Next you’ll have to figure out how to downgrade, which we’ll talk more about later. After that, you may find that some of the things you really like just won’t work with an older version.

Google introduces new APIs for developers with every iteration of Android, and companies like Samsung or Huawei add their own on top when they customize it. Many times, these changes are not backward-compatible. Some of the new things you won’t get to use may be minor and seemingly unimportant, but there’s always a chance that something you really need or love isn’t going to work with an older version. There’s no real way to fix this unless you want to do something like install custom third-party software.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here, because for most of us, there’s just not going to be a way to roll back to a previous version.

The easy stuff first

If you have a Pixel or Nexus phone, or a phone from another company who is willing to let you unlock your phone’s bootloader and will provide you with a catalog of all the various versions of Android that apply to it, rolling back is fairly easy. And this sin’t unheard of, either. We’ve seen HTC and Motorola both offer a way to unlock bootloaders and have archives of older versions for certain phones that were sold unlocked.

If you have a phone that makes it possible, doing it is simple.

• Back up everything you can to the cloud
• Download the version of software you want to install and any utilities you need to install it
• Read, understand what you’ve read, then do it

There is a lot of stuff you’re not going to be able to back up without having root access. Know that things like game progress, message histories as well as photos and videos inside your messenger app, and any other third-party data that’s not cloud synced may be gone forever, because a downgrade of the OS always requires a full device wipe. Check into the various backup and restore apps and be sure to have Google Photos setup to back up your pics and videos before you start clicking anything.

You’ll also want to be sure you understand the process and have all the tools you need up and running. Flashing the operating system to a phone isn’t one of those things you can stop at the halfway mark

More: How to manually flash your Pixel or Nexus phone

The hard stuff

The thing is, most folks us aren’t using a unlockable device with factory images all packed up and ready to flash. Companies usually don’t like to share an installable version of their OS for some reason, and tracking down something you can flash yourself may prove very difficult. Your best bet is to visit online forums where others with the same model may be looking for the same thing.

Finding an older version can be difficult, and most times that’s the easiest part of it all.

Then again, finding it might be the easy part because there are other hurdles to overcome. Normally, an OS update also updates the device’s bootloader. That means to go back, you’ll need to be able to flash a prior version of the phone’s bootloader first. The bootloader is one of those pieces of software that usually can’t be rolled back through normal means so you’ll need to resort to some really tricky hacks if it can even be done. Flashing a bootloader incorrectly is one of the few sure-fire ways to brick an Android phone.

Sometimes the hacks used to flash software to your model of Android are simple and not that hard to do correctly. But that’s not always the case and you’ll usually see a handful of people explaining how they ruined their phone when things took a turn for the worse.

I’m not trying to talk you out of it, but you need to know that the five minutes it takes to flash your phone back to an older version could have hours and hours of reading as a prerequisite.

Custom ROMs

If you’re serious about going back, and don’t mind losing your warranty, a custom ROM is usually a better choice than actually downgrading.

Custom ROMs are third-party versions of Android that have been built and modified by users like you. It’s not unheard of for the phone manufacturer to give an assist (Sony provides resources for this) but most of the time a custom ROM comes from a person or group of people who just love to write code and tinker with phones.

A custom ROM may mean that you’ll have the best of both worlds: a version of Android that includes any critical updates and new features but can still support a feature that was removed in the official version from the company who made the phone. You’ll also have to void any warranty you may have and installing a custom ROM can be as difficult as installing an older version of official software, though. If you have a popular model, you’ll probably find a custom ROM for it at places like XDA Developers, a website dedicated to the good kind of phone hacking.

It’s not something we want to hear; we’re not allowed to install (or try to install) any software we like on the expensive phone we paid for. It’s almost like we don’t really own it, even if the company that made it has reasons. But it’s a reality in most cases and not something likely to change any time soon.

5 Things You Should Know About Nest Protect

You should know as much as you can about a product as important as a smoke detector.

The 21st century didn’t bring robot butlers and flying cars (yet) but our homes can be filled with smarter products. Take, for example, the Nest Protect.

While products like Google Home or the Amazon Echo are fun to use and can make some things more convenient, a smoke alarm can make the difference between life and death. It’s a product that should be as smart as possible without introducing any new safety concerns. The Nest Protect had a bit of a rough patch when the first generation was recalled, but looking back I think everyone will agree that having a smoke alarm that does everything it can to let you know when there’s a problem and have information for you when there isn’t a problem is better than a dumb thing that knows nothing more than to beep when the battery is low.

If you’re thinking about making the switch to a smarter smoke alarm, it’s important you know as much as you can before you install it in the hallway. We’ve all heard the product pitches and read reviews both good and bad, but here are five things you might not know about the Nest Protect that you should know about it.

See at Best Buy

It performs a self-test over 400 times every day

The Nest Protect checks its power connection, back up battery (if hard-wired), the smoke and CO2 sensors, and it’s connection every 200 seconds. It also tests the alert function once each month.

You’re given a report each night as part of Nest’s “Nightly Promise” but that doesn’t mean it’s only testing once each night. Testing every 200 seconds might sound like overkill, but not when talking about a smoke detector. Each evening you’ll see the light glows green to let you know everything is good to go, and you can also check the app at any time. You can shut the Nightly promise feature off and only be notified if there is a problem, but the testing isn’t user-configurable.

It will alert up to 20 different people if there’s an alarm condition

We all know that Nest will beep in on our phone if it thinks there’s a problem, but you can also set it to alert up to 19 others if you want it to.

You can invite 9 other people to your Nest Account. These folks will have full access to the settings of any Nest equipment and can do everything except change the billing information for any Nest subscriptions (only the designated owner has this access). Additionally, you can assign 10 others with “Home Entry Only” access. This gives them the code to silence any security alarms and lets them get alerts if you like.

If you’re on vacation or out of town for work, having a trusted neighbor or family member who is close get any alarms is great. You can also make sure you would be notified if your parents or grandparents were to have their Nest Protect go off.

They only last 10 years

“Only” and 10 years may or may not belong together here, depending on what your expectations were. The hard-wired 120-volt smoke detectors in my house were installed when it was built in 1986 and still work great, but they don’t have any of the Protect’s extra features and better methods of detecting CO2 and false-alarm preventions.

Regardless, the Protect can be a relatively sizable investment so you need to know up front how long it should last.

There are differences between wired power and battery power

Ideally, you’ll hard-wire a Protect and provide battery backup for the times when the power goes out. That can be expensive, though, and isn’t for everyone, so the Nest also offers a fully battery-powered version. Using 6 AA batteries should give “multiple years” of battery life and the Nest app will let you know about 6 months before it’s time to change them so you’ll have plenty of notice.

The feature differences are significant, but thankfully have nothing to do with the detection and alarm capabilities — both versions are equal, and both test every 200 seconds. The differences:

• The wired version’s Home/Away Assist feature (Nest products use sensors to tell when you’re home) can override other Nest equipment if it sees you and your thermostat or camera doesn’t. The battery version can’t do this.
• Battery-powered versions update your Home/Away status less frequently, too.
• There is no LED power indicator on battery-powered versions.

These differences may be minor to you or they may not. The important thing is that you know about them before you buy anything.

It has different types of alerts for different types of emergencies

Nest Protect uses what the company calls “Split-Spectrum sensors” and advanced AI algorithms to monitor your home. This allows it to tell the difference between slow and fast burning fires and to help avoid alerts that would be false alarms.

You’ll always be alerted, but Nest says you’ll be given a “gentle Heads-Up” alert if it notices smoke slowly building and a more urgent and loud alarm if smoke reaches critical levels or if a fire is detected. The sensors are also specially tuned and paired with humidity sensors to prevent steam from cooking or the shower trigger an alarm.

I’m sure Nest has tested this enough to be 100% confident in the capabilities of it all, but I also think everyone thinking about buying a Nest Protect needs to know it in advance. This is what made me take a second look and decide against depending solely on Nest Protect. I hate the idea of false alarms as much as anyone, but I’d rather have a million of them than one “real” alarm that wasn’t treated as such. I’m not implying that it doesn’t work beautifully, I’m just being overly cautious. You deserve to have the same opportunity for caution, too.

In either case, a Nest Protect still works great as a smoke detector alongside a more traditional system, and you might still appreciate the remote monitoring and multi-user alert capabilities as much as I do.

See at Best Buy

Amazon extends discounted Prime memberships to Medicaid recipients

Amazon announced today that recipients of Medicaid can now get reduced monthly Prime memberships. Individuals with a valid Medicaid card will be able to sign up for $6 per month, less than half of the standard $13 per month rate. The program is an extension of the Prime membership discount program Amazon makes available to those who receive government assistance and have a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. It launched that program last June. The discounted Prime membership comes with all of the perks of a standard one including free, two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music and Prime Now.

Last year, Amazon also joined a USDA pilot program that allows those receiving government assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy groceries through online markets like Amazon’s FreshDirect or Walmart. Buying groceries and other items online often means saving time and/or money, both of which are at a premium among low-income families receiving government assistance through programs like SNAP, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program. Making services like Amazon Prime more accessible to those individuals through reduced fees will allow them to take advantage of cheaper online prices and time-saving online shopping more often.

Discounted Prime memberships are available now to anyone with a valid EBT or Medicaid card. You can enroll here and renew your discounted membership annually for up to four years.

Via: TechCrunch

Russians used fake social accounts to gather Americans’ personal data

It appears as though Russian interest in America and our political landscape wasn’t limited to ads and bots. According to The Wall Street Journal, the country’s influence campaign extended to gathering personal information on Americans. The Internet Research Agency, which is backed by the Russian government, used fake social media accounts to collect names, email addresses and more. The activity continued after the 2016 election.

Using social media, Russian accounts such as @Black4Black and @BlackMattersUS reached out to small business owners, asking for personal information in order to write profiles and promotional content. They promised to add these companies to a business directory as part of their activist outreach. But nothing ever happened.

In another case, a supposed activist organization called BlackFist actually paid a man named Maurice Bright via PayPal to teach self-defense lessons in his community. The group asked for personal information of attendees and videos of the classes in exchange. “They were really adamant about getting names,” Mr. Bright told The Wall Street Journal, especially after he refused to send along any contact information. He chose to discontinue the partnership after the group wanted him to start teaching offensive, rather than defensive, tactics.

It’s not fully clear why Russian operatives want this personal information, but it could be tied to either identity theft or a larger effort to influence US politics. After all, two million American identities were stolen for fake net neutrality comments. It’s quite possible that this kind of personal data could have been used for similar efforts to influence the US political landscape.

Source: The Wall Street Journal