DIGITAL HEALTH
“World Health Organisation today released new recommendations on 10 ways that countries can use digital health technology, accessible via mobile phones, tablets and computers, to improve people’s health and essential services…”https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/17-04-2019-who-releases-first-guideline-on-digital-health-interventions
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
“The Department of Homeland Security says it expects to use facial recognition technology on 97 percent of departing passengers within the next four years. The system, which involves photographing passengers before they board their flight, first started rolling out in 2017, and was operational in 15 US airports as of the end of 2018…” https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/18/18484581/us-airport-facial-recognition-departing-flights-biometric-exit
“Microsoft Corp recently rejected a California law enforcement agency’s request to install facial recognition technology in officers’ cars and body cameras due to human rights concerns, company President Brad Smith said on Tuesday…” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-microsoft-ai-idUSKCN1RS2FV
« Uber has announced a deal for a $1 billion investment in its self-driving vehicle unit, just weeks before its initial public offering…” https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/uber-nabs-1-billion-self-driving-car-investment-from-softbank-others.html
INTERNET REGULATION
“The United Nations has restarted its process for setting rules on “responsible state behaviour in cyberspace” with two separate forums, and Australia intends to continue being a key player.
On Friday, Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Dr Tobias Feakin, announced that his senior policy adviser Johanna Weaver would be the nation’s representative on the sixth United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (GGE)…” https://www.zdnet.com/article/australia-to-keep-playing-the-un-cyberspace-norms-game/
« The EU is amending its legal framework on copyright to make it fit-for-purpose in today’s digital environment. The Council today adopted a directive that modernises existing EU copyright law to pave the way towards a true digital single market…” https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2019/04/15/eu-adjusts-copyright-rules-to-the-digital-age/
« On Monday, the U.K. Government published proposals for “tough new measures to ensure the U.K. is the safest place in the world to be online,” claiming these to be the world’s “first online safety laws.” An independent regulator will be put in place with the “powers to take effective enforcement action against companies that have breached their statutory duty of care…” https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/04/08/u-k-government-threatens-facebook-google-and-twitter-enough-is-enough/#5c0e34657762
« The Indian government has ordered the removal of the hugely popular TikTok video-sharing app from both Google and Apple stores over fears of the spread of pornography and child endangerment…” https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/04/17/tiktok-banned-in-india-for-child-endangerment-another-wake-up-call-for-social-media/#1beee2633770
« China’s cyber watchdog has shut down nine instant messaging apps for spreading pornographic information or facilitating prostitution, as part of an ongoing effort to clean up the country’s cyberspace.”
Read more at https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3006677/china-kills-nine-messaging-apps-peddling-pornography-internet#iqLDDFxmoCUjwtQx.99
DIGITAL ECONOMY
« The European Union moved to force technology giants including Google, Facebook, and Amazon to disclose a number of practices they previously argued were trade secrets, all in a bid to win more transparency for smaller businesses dependent on their services for survival…” https://www.androidheadlines.com/2019/04/eu-google-facebook-amazon-trade-secrets-disclosure.html
CYBER TERRORISM
“EU Ambassador to Lebanon Christina Lassen said on Friday that the EU will actively cooperate with Lebanon in the fight against cyberterrorism, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.
“We are currently working with all security agencies in Lebanon to boost their capabilities in fighting against cybercrimes,” Lassen said during a conference on cybersecurity…” http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-04/12/c_137972440.htm
DATA PROTECTION
“Facebook harvested the email contacts of 1.5 million users without their knowledge or consent when they opened their accounts. Since May 2016, the social-networking company has collected the contact lists of 1.5 million users new to the social network, Business Insider can reveal. The Silicon Valley company said the contact data was “unintentionally uploaded to Facebook,” and it is now deleting them…” https://www.businessinsider.fr/us/facebook-uploaded-1-5-million-users-email-contacts-without-permission-2019-4
Internet Governance updates 