Afghan panic over digital footprints spurs call for data collection rethink
Thomson Reuters Foundation Concerns about sensitive data falling into the hands of the Taliban after they took control of Afghanistan have rekindled a debate among privacy experts on the ethics of data collection by aid agencies and multilateral institutions. As the insurgents moved into the capital, Kabul, on Sunday, residents fretted that biometric databases maintained […]
EU criticised over surveillance aid in nations where privacy at risk
London, UK Thomson Reuters Foundation European Union aid has been used to pay for surveillance equipment and training in countries with inadequate safeguards against excessive state snooping, rights groups said on Wednesday, calling for an end to the “unacceptable” practice. From training Algerian police on social media monitoring to equipping Niger with phone-tracking tools, the […]
World risks “sleepwalking into surveillance” with coronavirus controls
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation Digital surveillance rolled out to curb coronavirus should be limited in time and scope, more than 100 rights groups said on Thursday, warning governments not to use the crisis as cover for pervasive snooping. From facial recognition to phone tracking, governments are turning to technology to trace infections and keep tabs […]