Forest protection: Armed with phones and seeds, jobless Kenyans tackle illegal logging
KAGONDU NJAGI, writing for Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on efforts to stem deforestation in Kwale County, Kenya, during the coronavirus pandemic…
Debt to personal data: Five threats to digital rights in Africa in 2020
Johannesburg, South Africa/Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation From internet blackouts to contact tracing apps, digital rights across Africa were spotlighted in 2020 as millions of people were forced online to work, study and socialise amid lockdowns to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Rights advocates and research groups raised concerns that measures enacted to curb […]
Essay: COVID-19 shouldn’t kill cash
As Black Friday sales take place around the world, London-based social commentator and futurist MAL FLETCHER, in an indepth article, looks at the implications of a cash-free society…
Ethnic identifiers in Myanmar election app criticised
Yangon, Myanmar/Bangkok, ThailandAP A Sweden-based organisation that promotes democracy and assists in organizing elections said Thursday it is not responsible for a smartphone application’s inclusion of a controversial term describing the ethnic background of at least two candidates in Myanmar’s upcoming elections. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, or International IDEA, said in […]
After much hype, how are coronavirus contact tracing apps faring?
Milan, ItalyThomson Reuters Foundation As countries around the world emerge from coronavirus lockdowns, many are stepping up contact tracing efforts to head off a second wave of infections. Yet, some mobile apps that were initially touted as a possible game-changer to help contain the virus have had a seemingly limited impact and been pulled. The […]
Life with coronavirus: Back to work? Not without a check-in app, immunity passport
RINA CHANDRAN, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how nations are using technology to enable people to keep safe even as they head back to work…
WHO readies coronavirus app for checking symptoms, possibly contact tracing
Oakland, CaliforniaReuters The World Health Organization plans to launch an app this month to enable people in under-resourced countries to assess whether they may have the novel coronavirus, and is considering a Bluetooth-based contact tracing feature too, an official told Reuters on Friday. The app will ask people about their symptoms and offer guidance on […]
Digital handshake: Can contact tracing deliver on its promise in coronavirus battle?
UMBERTO BACCHI, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how countries are using tracing apps to help tackle the spread of COVID-19…
With simple words, mapping apps offer help to refugees, slum dwellers
Mumbai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation Attic.Caramel.Truth is not a crossword puzzle. It is the address of India’s most famous monument – the Taj Mahal – on a mapping app that aims to help millions of slum dwellers, rural residents, refugees and those in need of emergency aid. As smartphones become a common sight in developing nations […]
US, allies urge Facebook not to encrypt messages as they fight child abuse, terrorism
Washington, DCReuters The United States and allies are seizing on Facebook Inc’s plan to apply end-to-end encryption across its messaging services to press for major changes to a practice long opposed by law enforcement, saying it hinders the fight against child abuse and terrorism. The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia were planning to […]