Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp suspended during Zambia’s election
Zambia officials threatened to suspend all broadband services on the day of its election to combat misinformation. In the end, its Ministry of Information froze traffic on WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. In the fight to stem the spread political misinformation during its presidential election, has Zambia compromised a sense...
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Study suggests Gen Z prioritise digital life over real life
A new survey shows that young people now believe the way you present yourself online is more important than real life. Is our digital avatar now the priority? If you’ve been active online at all during the last fifteen years, you’ll no doubt have made at least one social...
NASA trials human expeditions to Mars through 3D printed experiment
The space agency is paying volunteers to spend a year living within a 3D printed Martian habitat in Texas. Here, they will conduct VR spacewalks and simulated problems to test the feasibility of attempting the real thing. Between the chaos caused by Covid-19 and the constant flow of demoralising climate...
US politicians call on gaming companies to axe coercive spending
Building on legislation outlined by the UK, US Congress members are calling for developers to better protect young people from ‘predatory’ game mechanics like loot boxes. In 2021, gaming is all about value for money. Subscription services like Games Pass, PlayStation Now, and EA Play are popping with hundreds of...
Athletes on TikTok are switching up the Olympic perspective
Virtual tours of the Olympic Village, cardboard beds, crushes on competitors, and daily coronavirus testing are all new elements of this year’s spectator experience. Qualifying for the Olympics is a level of achievement any professional athlete dreams of. So, when we think about the qualities of those competing, which words come...
Could a new Bitcoin tax stifle blockchain’s greener future?
As lawmakers debate bringing in new tax requirements for cryptocurrency, greener forms of blockchain tech look set to suffer the most significant blow. As cryptocurrency becomes progressively more mainstream, it’s no surprise that lawmakers are lobbying for new tax systems. The White House hopes to bring in new framework to offset...
Facebook accused of using ‘privacy concerns’ to avoid data transparency
Back again with yet another story concerning data privacy and Facebook. But, there’s a twist this time around – Facebook is on the offensive. General public opinion of Facebook has all but fallen off a cliff in recent years. Following the blunder of Cambridge Analytica, we’ve heard endless stories of political manipulation on the app, nefarious sales through Facebook Marketplace, and a lax approach to user privacy and misinformation...
You decide – should social media require a verified ID?
Celebrities, footballers, and many others have faced routine abuse on social media for years. Could verified identification be a solution to hold attackers accountable? In September last year, an online petition was started by UK celebrity Katie Price to make verified ID a requirement for opening a social media account. This proposed legislation that would be called ‘Harvey’s Law’. The petition was in reaction to the frequent abuse and ableist...
Twitter India concedes to Modi’s problematic digital media law
Twitter joins Facebook and YouTube as the latest digital platform complicit in India’s problematic digital media law. Is it a matter of time before the whole of Silicon Valley caves to legal pressure? Digital democracy is fast dying out within India’s borders, as social media companies cave at the prospect of losing the world’s second largest market. Just three months ago, we were pleased to report that Twitter had abstained...
Magnetic device shrinks tumour without radiation or chemotherapy
Researchers have developed a device reportedly capable of shrinking deadly brain tumours without radiation or chemotherapy. Could this be the neurological breakthrough of the decade? When it comes to developing and testing new healthcare technology, there is no organ more complex and challenging than the human brain. There’s a reason brain surgery is often mentioned alongside rocket science. The brain remains one of the biggest medical mysteries of the 21st century...
