New feature # 1. Shortened URL preview & scan
This defense mechanism helps to prevent users from being tricked into navigating to a malicious site (eg. phishing, malware).
Example: (on Steem - my testing playground)
So, as per screenshot above, the unfurled URL gets also checked against the known phishing domains as if the link in the comment/post was not shortened to begin with.
At the moment, the preview is automatically generated for the following URL Shorteners:
- https://tinyurl.com/
- https://goo.gl/
- https://bit.ly/
- https://ow.ly/
- https://buff.ly/
- https://is.gd/
- https://adf.ly/
- https://bit.do/
- https://rb.gy/
- https://rebrand.ly/
- https://polr.me/
- https://b.link/
- https://t2m.io/
- https://gestyy.com/
- https://zpr.io/
More will be added in the future.
Furthermore, comments and posts that include links using http instead of https will now get a warning too.
To prevent spamming, this comment gets out only 1 out of 10 times since apparently many users share HTTP (no HTTPS) links.
Example: (on Steem - my testing playground)
NOTE: feedback is welcome! Please let me know if it gets too spammy and I'll reduce these type of comments even further!
(As per screenshots, users can already prevent future comments replying OFF if they're bothered by it)
This is also the first step into not providing my services for steem users: steem accounts that do NOT have the same keys on Hive won't be notified by this bot when they come across a link that is flagged as phishing in my database.
So.. sorry, this feature is only for Hive users. Steem users, you already have Justin Sun taking care of you and making sure you are safu! (lol)
See also my last post on for more details and a code snippet you can re-use in your project for the same purpose.
UPDATE 1:
UPDATE 2
UPDATE 3
..and phishing users..
..in order to counteract these threats!!