“Dystopia Prime”: Amazon AI van cameras spark surveillance concerns
Berlin, GermanyThomson Reuters Foundation Amazon.com Inc’s announcement this week that it would be rolling out AI-powered cameras in its branded delivery vans for safety has drawn criticism from privacy advocates and workers concerned with being subjected to surveillance on the job. The world’s largest e-commerce firm said the cameras, which are developed by transportation technology […]
Singapore to limit police access to COVID-19 contact-tracing data
Thomson Reuters Foundation Singapore’s government has tabled a bill in parliament to allow the use of personal data from its coronavirus contact-tracing app in “serious” criminal investigations, a move aimed at addressing privacy concerns among users of such technologies. An amendment to its COVID-19 bill – presented to parliament this week – will limit the […]
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 […]
Trackers to mask detectors: India bets on COVID tech amid privacy fears
ANNIE BANERJI, writing for Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how the Indian Government is using high tech solutions to stop the spread of coronavirus – and how its leading to rising concerns over associated privacy issues…
COVID-19 controls turn Asia into global surveillance hotspot, analysts say
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Asia has become the world’s surveillance hotspot and is at risk of serious privacy breaches as measures rolled out to contain the spread of COVID-19 become permanent in many countries, researchers warned on Thursday. The Right to Privacy Index published by British-based risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, rated 198 countries for […]
Debate on surveillance and privacy heats up as US protests rage
Milan, Italy/New York, USThomson Reuters Foundation Chaotic demonstrations over race and policing that swept through the United States over the past week have fuelled a debate over the growing use of surveillance technology by security forces in protests worldwide and its impact on privacy. Peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black […]
Privacy debate heats up over India contact tracing app
Bangkok, Thailand/New Delhi, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation Indian authorities plan to make a contact-tracing mobile app mandatory for everything from taking public transit to going to work, raising concerns among digital rights experts about privacy and increased surveillance. Aarogya Setu, the app launched by the Indian government earlier this month to stem the novel coronavirus outbreak, […]
US senator says Apple, Google need to show contact tracing will not violate privacy
Washington, DCReuters Smartphone software makers Alphabet’s Google and Apple will have to convince the public that any contact tracing technology to track who has been exposed to the new coronavirus will not lead to a violation of their privacy, Senator Richard Blumenthal said on Wednesday. “Apple and Google have a lot of work to do […]
To combat coronavirus, governments step up digital surveillance
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation The coronavirus pandemic has pushed governments globally to impose draconian lockdowns, travel bans and tighter border controls in a bid to stem the spread of the contagious virus. From China to Russia, containment measures have often come with heightened surveillance, as authorities use artificial intelligence and big data to keep tabs […]
Privacy fears as India hand stamps suspected coronavirus cases
Mumbai/Chennai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation People suspected of having the coronavirus in India have received hand stamps and are being tracked using their mobile phones and personal data to help enforce quarantines, raising concerns about privacy and mass surveillance. The outbreak, termed COVID-19, has infected more than 234,000 people worldwide and killed nearly 10,000, according to […]