Category Archives: Technology

01Oct/22

Big Tech and the right to know

October 1, 2022SecurityAccess to information, Articles, Free software, Freedom of information laws by country, Humanities, Ilaria Fevola, Open government, Public sphere, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Transparency, User-generated contentadmin

Ilaria Fevola
Published: September 28, 2022

Ilaria Fevola is ARTICLE 19’s legal officer focused on transparency.

Today, Sept. 28, is the International Day for Universal Access to Information, that recognises the importance for every individual to be able to access information held by public institutions. Traditionally, it has been an opportunity to examine whether countries have adopted a law on access to information and if, in practice, public bodies adhere to their transparency obligations. Continue reading →

01Oct/22

We’ve had the backlash against Big Tech. Now what?

October 1, 2022Internet.google, Big data, Boston, Cambridge Analytica, Computing, David Carroll, Digital media, Digital rights, Digital technology, Dobbs, Donald Trump, Facebook, Human rights, Internet privacy, Mark Zuckerberg, META, Privacy, Right to privacy, Sacramento, Shopify, SNAP, Terms of service, Thomson Reuters Foundation, United Kingdom, United Statesadmin

David Carroll
Published: September 29, 2022 | Parsons School of Design

David Carroll is an associate professor of media design at Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York.

Thomson Reuters Foundation — On Sept. 13 an employee of Boston’s Northeastern University was injured when a package delivered to a virtual reality research lab exploded in his hands. Like a scene from a futuristic thriller, a note accompanying the bomb accused the lab of secretly working for Facebook and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg in a plot to take over society through virtual reality. Continue reading →

30Sep/22

As Mental Health Persists, Social Media Platform Rises to Meet the Challenge

September 30, 2022InternetManitoba Provincial Road 272, Meir Joe, Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railwayadmin

The pandemic, societal and global issues, inflation and more are increasingly taking a toll on people’s mental health worldwide. According to Mental Health America, nearly 50 million Americans are currently experiencing a mental health issue of some kind, and one in four Americans ages 18 to 44 reported in a survey that they received mental health treatment in 2021-2022. With high demand and unable to find the assistance they need, many are seeking online communities and exploring alternative therapies for self-expression, including poetry. In recognition of World Mental Health Day, Monday, October 10, 2022, Poetizer, the next generation social media startup for poetry, is encouraging everyone to write some poetry. Continue reading

30Sep/22

‘Dark data’ is killing the planet – we need digital decarbonisation

September 30, 2022InternetArticles, Carbon finance, Carbon footprint, Carbon offset, Cloud storage, Creative Commons, Data center, Data management, Energy, Greenhouse gas emissions, Ian R. Hodgkinson, London, Low-carbon economy, Nature, Netherlands, New York, Renewable energy, Steve Mann, Tom Jacksonadmin

Tom Jackson, Loughborough University and Ian R. Hodgkinson, Loughborough University

More than half of the digital data firms generate is collected, processed and stored for single-use purposes. Often, it is never re-used. This could be your multiple near-identical images held on Google Photos or iCloud, a business’s outdated spreadsheets that will never be used again, or data from internet of things sensors that have no purpose.

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23Sep/22

Here’s the real reason to turn on aeroplane mode when you fly

September 23, 2022Mobile5G, Airplane mode, Australia, Aviation safety, Boeing, Creative Commons, Doug Drury, Electromagnetic interference, Mobile phone, Mobile phones on aircraft, Mobile technology, Mobile telecommunications, Radio, Technology, Telecommunications, United States, Wirelessadmin

Doug Drury, CQUniversity Australia

We all know the routine by heart: “Please ensure your seats are in the upright position, tray tables stowed, window shades are up, laptops are stored in the overhead bins and electronic devices are set to flight mode”.

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23Sep/22

ADVANCING DESIGN WITH CIRCULAR TECHNOLOGY

September 23, 2022InnovationEnvironmentalism, In spaceflight, International Lunar Observatory, Mykita, Sustainability, Taipei City Dragons F.C.admin

Joining forces earlier in the year to accelerate the transition to sustainable materials in the eyewear industry, MYKITA and Eastman now release an atmospheric short film that celebrates nature’s capacity to inspire circular solutions for a viable future. Continue reading

19Sep/22

Voyager Space Announces George Washington Carver Science Park Terrestrial Lab to be Located at The Ohio State University

September 19, 2022SpaceAmerican television series, Columbus, Columbus, Ohio, Creative works, National Road, Ohio, Ohio State University, Star Trek: Voyager, Television programs, Voyager Space (Voyager)admin

Voyager Space (Voyager), today announced it has selected a proposal from The Ohio State University, the State of Ohio, JobsOhio, and One Columbus (“Team Ohio”) to locate the terrestrial analog of the George Washington Carver Science Park (GWCSP) at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Continue reading

17Sep/22

Yubo to become first major social media platform to age-verify 100% of its users

September 17, 2022SecurityGeneration Z, Internet privacy, Social media, Social networking services, Social search, Software, Yuboadmin

Yubo, a live social discovery platform for Gen Z, is the first major social media app in the world to implement comprehensive age-verification for all its users, a groundbreaking milestone in a key area of concern in online safety today. Continue reading

12Sep/22

Rivada Space Networks Joins EU Secure Connectivity Programme to Provide Ultra-Secure Infrastructure for Government & Enterprise Communications

September 12, 2022InternetComputer network, Laser communication in space, Low Earth orbit, Satellite, Satellite Internet access, Spacecraft, Spaceflight, Telecommunicationsadmin

Rivada Space Networks GmbH, a global network company launching a constellation of 600 low-earth-orbit satellites (LEO) to enable secure, global connectivity for governments and enterprises, today announced it has joined the EU Secure Connectivity Programme. Continue reading

02Sep/22

Saudi snitching app turns citizens into social media police

September 2, 2022MobileAbsher, Adel al-Jubeir, BEIRUT, bint Saeed al-Qahtani, Countries, India, Khalid Ibrahim, Kollona Amn, Lina al-Hathloul, Nazih Osseiran, Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani, Reactions to the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh, Rothna Begum, Salma al-Shehab, Saudi Arabia, Software, South Africa, Stasi, Taha Alhajji, Twitter, Washington, Western Asia, Women's rights in Saudi Arabiaadmin

Saudi government apps seen encouraging citizen spies
Apps needed for greater efficiency, authorities say
Digital vigilantism on the rise worldwide

By Nazih Osseiran

BEIRUT, Sept 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A Saudi app that lets ordinary people “play the role of a police officer” may have alerted authorities to the tweets of a student whose sentencing to 34 years in jail has drawn international condemnation.
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