TikTok is repeating Facebook’s mistakes in Myanmar
WEBA video posted to TikTok on March 3rd threatening to shoot protesters. Now, members of Myanmar’s digital-rights community say that TikTok, a social media platform valued at $50 billion, is repeating these mistakes. These individuals described the company to Rest of World as a “black hole” that had not made inroads with civil society nor hired enough …
These vending machines sell internet access five minutes at a time
WEBJan 17, 2022 · The sound of clinking coins fills a narrow alley in Metro Manila. In the backstreets of Pasig City, children stream in and out of a corner shop, noisily exchanging bills for pesos before stampeding next door to a row of mini-internet vending machines: pisonets. “Pisonets are necessities,” said Madeleine Casim from behind the counter of …
Behind SmartNews, the $2 billion unicorn trying to fix the news ...
WEBOct 14, 2021 · SmartNews has developed a news-recommendation algorithm that promises to serve its readers a personalized, but politically balanced range of stories. Alongside is a feature called “News From All Sides,” built specifically for the U.S. market. It marks the partisan spectrum of news stories clearly, and allows readers to toggle between them.
Indonesia’s AI efforts led by government agency BRIN, creating …
WEBAug 9, 2024 · Government agency BRIN has taken the lead on AI applications for everyday use. Indonesia lags in AI use, even as Microsoft, Nvidia, and Open AI invest. Data safety is a major concern, with Indonesia a frequent target of cyber attacks. For more than 16 years, Indonesian fisherman Dedi Arianto relied largely on his instinct as he ventured out ...
Data leaked by Anonymous hacktivists has put Sri Lankans at risk …
WEBMay 10, 2022 · Leaked data by the hacker collective has put regular Sri Lankans at severe risk of cybercrime. As massive protests against Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa entered their eighth week, last month the hacktivist collective Anonymous stepped up to show support — in ways that have left cybersecurity experts and the general public …
Nigeria’s filmmakers turn to YouTube for distribution - Rest of World
WEBDec 11, 2023 · Another popular Nigerian filmmaker, Seun Oloketuyi, decided to start releasing his movies on YouTube in 2022, after battling piracy for years. “All it takes is just one person going to the market to buy one copy of the CD and send it to the U.K. and the U.S.,” he told Rest of World. “The person in these countries makes multiple copies and ...
An ancient language has defied decryption for 100 years. Can AI …
WEBFeb 8, 2022 · It took professional and amateur epigraphists — people who study ancient written matter — nearly six decades of mental wrangling to decode Linear B. Officially, 30-year-old British architect Michael Ventris is primarily credited with its decipherment, although the private efforts of classicist Alice Kober lay the groundwork for his ...
Hackers stole and leaked her private photos. Then she was …
WEBOct 4, 2021 · On September 23rd, Judith Heard’s nude photos were leaked for the second time. Lured by a scammer posing as former U.N. Special Rapporteur, David Kaye, the long-time Ugandan fashion model believed she had been offered an …
Who is Harsha Sai? Meet India’s MrBeast - Rest of World
WEB21 March 2023 • Bengaluru, India. Harsha Sai is India’s most popular stunt philanthropist — a YouTube genre where generous acts of kindness are turned into spectacles garnering millions in views and ad revenue. Originally pioneered by MrBeast in the U.S., the model has been localized by Sai. But the economics of running a MrBeast-style ...
Blued, the Chinese equivalent of Grindr, is going global - Rest of …
WEBOct 24, 2023 · Li Ping, the CEO of Newborn Town, said he saw enormous potential in the global LGBTQIA market, and aimed to take Blued to the top by expanding the app’s presence in Asian countries. In a written response in October, BlueCity told Rest of World the company is targeting Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the U.S. in this expansion.