Are you also guilty of holding on to excessive digital data? If so, this video will help you deal with the issue.

Digital hoarding: What it is and why you should care

Radio came to Bhutan in 1973. Television came to Bhutan in the 1990s. Despite this late start, Bhutan is now surging ahead as a tech savvy nation with digitally connected schools and cryptocurrencies. Find out how.

Bhutan's digital journey: From hermit kingdom to tech savvy nation

Despite repeated pleadings and warnings from government agencies and experts, people continue to take cybersecurity and cyber theft lightly.

According to a new research report by NordPass, the most commonly used password around the globe numeric passwords are 123456, 123456789, 111111, and 12345—which would take only a second to crack the code.

Simple passwords such as qwerty, password, dragon, and money were also found to be used commonly, the report states.

In fact, ‘password’ was the second-most preferred one in Australia, the United States and Canada. The most commonly used password in the US and Russia is ‘123456’.

The situation is similar in India as well. Among the widely&nbsp;used passwords include—“password”, 12345, 123456, 123456789, 12345678, india123, 1234567890, 1234567, qwerty, abc123, iloveyou, xxx, ‘krishna’ and ‘omsairam among others.

All of which takes less than a minute for a hacker to figure it out, except for india123, which takes around 17 minutes to be cracked, according to NordPass.

The report further notes that a majority of people around the world use their own names as passwords.&nbsp;

The list of passwords was compiled from 50 countries in partnership with independent researchers specialising in research of cybersecurity incidents. They evaluated a 4TB database for the analysis.&nbsp;

"It's important to understand that passwords are the gateway to our digital lives, and with us spending more and more time online, it's becoming enormously important to take better care of our cybersecurity," said NordPass CEO Jonas Karklys in a statement.

"Unfortunately, passwords keep getting weaker, and people still don't maintain proper password hygiene," he said.

In its advisory, NordPass says that one can secure their account by using complex passwords—with combinations of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols— and updating them regularly.

(With inputs from agencies)

Despite repeated pleadings and warnings from government agencies and experts, people continue to take cybersecurity and cyber theft lightly. According to a new research report by NordPass, the most commonly used password around the globe numeric passwords are 123456, 123456789, 111111, and 12345—which would take only a second to crack the code.

Despite repeated pleadings and warnings from government agencies and experts, people continue to take cybersecurity and cyber theft lightly. According to a new research report by NordPass, the most commonly used password around the globe numeric passwords are 123456, 123456789, 111111, and 12345—which would take only a second to crack the code. Simple passwords such as qwerty, password, dragon, and money were also found to be used commonly, the report states. In fact, ‘password’ was the second-most preferred one in Australia, the United States and Canada. The most commonly used password in the US and Russia is ‘123456’. The situation is similar in India as well. Among the widely used passwords include—“password”, 12345, 123456, 123456789, 12345678, india123, 1234567890, 1234567, qwerty, abc123, iloveyou, xxx, ‘krishna’ and ‘omsairam among others. All of which takes less than a minute for a hacker to figure it out, except for india123, which takes around 17 minutes to be cracked, according to NordPass. The report further notes that a majority of people around the world use their own names as passwords. The list of passwords was compiled from 50 countries in partnership with independent researchers specialising in research of cybersecurity incidents. They evaluated a 4TB database for the analysis. "It's important to understand that passwords are the gateway to our digital lives, and with us spending more and more time online, it's becoming enormously important to take better care of our cybersecurity," said NordPass CEO Jonas Karklys in a statement. "Unfortunately, passwords keep getting weaker, and people still don't maintain proper password hygiene," he said. In its advisory, NordPass says that one can secure their account by using complex passwords—with combinations of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols— and updating them regularly. (With inputs from agencies)

Do you know what is the most commonly used password around the globe?

Pakistan was ranked among the worst countries in Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index 2021, slipping 14 places since last year and standing at the 97th spot among 110 countries, The Express Tribune reported.

The DQL survey was conducted by cyber security company Surfshark which evaluates countries based on a set of five fundamental digital wellbeing pillars&nbsp;internet affordability, internet quality, electronic infrastructure, electronic security and electronic government.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/digital-gender-gap-unequal-access-to-the-internet-has-cost-low-income-countries-1-trillion-419927">Digital gender gap: Unequal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion</a>

The study shows that Pakistan is lagging behind India and Iran in DQL but performing better than Bangladesh.

The third annual edition of the DQL ranks Pakistan 97th among 110 countries and covering 90 per cent of the global population, according to an official statement.

Internet affordability and internet quality in Pakistan have been ranked at 66th and 74th on DQL Index, respectively, the report said.

However, out of 110 countries Pakistan stood at 106th spot in e-infrastructure, 98th in e-security and 85th in e-government.

Overall, Pakistan has demonstrated one of the most significant downfalls compared to DQL 2020, dropping from 83rd to 97th.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-hospitals-run-out-of-beds-on-dengue-surge-419622">Pakistan hospitals run out of beds on dengue surge</a>

The study found that the country`s internet affordability has decreased by 14 per cent and is now around 50 per cent worse than the global average.

The country ranks 66th for internet affordability and is surpassed by India and Iran.

At the moment, people in Pakistan have to work more than four hours to afford the cheapest broadband package.

Pakistan was ranked among the worst countries in Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index 2021, slipping 14 places since last year and standing at the 97th spot among 110 countries, The Express Tribune reported.

Pakistan was ranked among the worst countries in Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index 2021, slipping 14 places since last year and standing at the 97th spot among 110 countries, The Express Tribune reported. The DQL survey was conducted by cyber security company Surfshark which evaluates countries based on a set of five fundamental digital wellbeing pillars internet affordability, internet quality, electronic infrastructure, electronic security and electronic government. Also Read | Digital gender gap: Unequal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion The study shows that Pakistan is lagging behind India and Iran in DQL but performing better than Bangladesh. The third annual edition of the DQL ranks Pakistan 97th among 110 countries and covering 90 per cent of the global population, according to an official statement. Internet affordability and internet quality in Pakistan have been ranked at 66th and 74th on DQL Index, respectively, the report said. However, out of 110 countries Pakistan stood at 106th spot in e-infrastructure, 98th in e-security and 85th in e-government. Overall, Pakistan has demonstrated one of the most significant downfalls compared to DQL 2020, dropping from 83rd to 97th. Also Read | Pakistan hospitals run out of beds on dengue surge The study found that the country`s internet affordability has decreased by 14 per cent and is now around 50 per cent worse than the global average. The country ranks 66th for internet affordability and is surpassed by India and Iran. At the moment, people in Pakistan have to work more than four hours to afford the cheapest broadband package.

Pakistan lags India in Digital Quality of Life

Amazon India on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Delivering Smiles'&nbsp;initiative, where the company will directly give, and facilitate contribution of digital devices like mobile phones, and laptops, among students and young people from marginalised communities.

The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide in the country, increase accessibility of digital devices for students from underprivileged communities, and empower them for a brighter future.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/amazon-launches-dog-like-robot-that-can-monitor-your-home-416781">&nbsp;Amazon launches dog-like robot that can monitor your home</a>

As part of the initiative, Amazon will directly provide 20,000 new digital devices to underprivileged young people, in partnership with over 150 large and small non-profit organisations, impacting over 100,000 students across India, the company said in a statement.

In addition, the company also encourages its customers to either contribute in cash on Amazon Pay or donate their old devices essentially mobile phones, and laptops, that will be refurbished and distributed to provide digital learning devices for young people, it added.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to focus the stark digital divide, not only in the field of education but also in access to essential services. Amongst the most adversely affected are young people from marginalised communities," said Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India, in the statement.

"Together with our customers, employees and partners, we aim to bridge the gap by enabling young people with digital devices for continued access to online education and essential services for their families," he added.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jeff-bezos-shares-an-old-article-predicting-amazons-failure-elon-musk-replies-419819">Jeff Bezos shares an old article predicting Amazon's failure, Elon Musk replies</a>

Cash contribution from customers is enabled by a partnership between Amazon Pay and GiveIndia. Proceeds from the contribution will be used for purchasing new devices, data cards and digital accessories for students.

Old mobiles that customers contribute will be picked-up by Cashify, Amazon's partner in this initiative, who will refurbish it and donate to Goonj, a nonprofit organization working in the field of sustainable material giving, the company said.

Amazon India on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Delivering Smiles' initiative, where the company will directly give, and facilitate contribution of digital devices like mobile phones, and laptops, among students and young people from marginalised communities.

Amazon India on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Delivering Smiles' initiative, where the company will directly give, and facilitate contribution of digital devices like mobile phones, and laptops, among students and young people from marginalised communities. The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide in the country, increase accessibility of digital devices for students from underprivileged communities, and empower them for a brighter future. Also Read | Amazon launches dog-like robot that can monitor your home As part of the initiative, Amazon will directly provide 20,000 new digital devices to underprivileged young people, in partnership with over 150 large and small non-profit organisations, impacting over 100,000 students across India, the company said in a statement. In addition, the company also encourages its customers to either contribute in cash on Amazon Pay or donate their old devices essentially mobile phones, and laptops, that will be refurbished and distributed to provide digital learning devices for young people, it added. "The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to focus the stark digital divide, not only in the field of education but also in access to essential services. Amongst the most adversely affected are young people from marginalised communities," said Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India, in the statement. "Together with our customers, employees and partners, we aim to bridge the gap by enabling young people with digital devices for continued access to online education and essential services for their families," he added. Also Read | Jeff Bezos shares an old article predicting Amazon's failure, Elon Musk replies Cash contribution from customers is enabled by a partnership between Amazon Pay and GiveIndia. Proceeds from the contribution will be used for purchasing new devices, data cards and digital accessories for students. Old mobiles that customers contribute will be picked-up by Cashify, Amazon's partner in this initiative, who will refurbish it and donate to Goonj, a nonprofit organization working in the field of sustainable material giving, the company said.

Amazon to provide 20K digital devices to underprivileged youth in India

As per a new research, a failure to ensure that women have equal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion over the past decade. Also, this could mean an additional loss of $500 billion by 2025 if governments continue to not take an action.

As per a new research, a failure to ensure that women have equal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion over the past decade. Also, this could mean an additional loss of $500 billion by 2025 if governments continue to not take an action. In 2020, governments in 32 countries, including India, Egypt and Nigeria, lost an estimated $126 billion in gross domestic product because women were unable to contribute to the digital economy. This highlights the digital gender gap, which is, the difference between the number of women and men who can access the internet. The report revealed that the digital gender gap cost $24 billion in lost tax revenues in 2020 This could have been invested in health, education and housing. The study, conducted by the World Wide Web Foundation and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), analysed 32 low and lower-middle-income countries, where the gender gap is often greatest. Also read | Capsule from 1765 containing air reveal facts about Antarctic ice It was concluded that a third of women were connected to the internet compared with almost half of men. The digital gender gap has barely improved since 2011 as it has dropped from 30.9 per cent to 30.4 per cent. Globally, men are 21 per cent more likely to be online than women, rising to 52 per cent in the least developed countries Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former executive director of UN Women and founder of the Umlambo Foundation was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "We will not achieve gender equality until we eliminate this digital gap that keeps so many women offline and away from the opportunities the internet provides.” Various factors contribute to this gap and prevent women from going online. This includes expensive handsets and data tariffs, social norms that discourage women and girls from being online, fears around privacy, safety, and security and a lack of money. Also read | Jeff Bezos shares an old article predicting Amazon's failure, Elon Musk replies Catherine Adeya, director of research at the World Wide Web Foundation was quoted by The guardian saying, "As the internet becomes a more potent enabler for education, business, and community mobilisation, a failure to deliver access for all means failing to realise everyone’s potential to contribute.” Some governments have implemented specific policies to give women access to the internet. According to the A4AI’s 2020 Affordability report, more than 40 per cent of countries had no meaningful policies or programmes to expand women’s access to the internet.

Digital gender gap: Unequal access to the internet has cost low-income countries $1 trillion

Google plans to invest $1 billion in Africa over the next five years to ensure access to fast and cheaper internet and will back startups to support the continent's digital transformation.

Google to invest $1 billion in Africa over five years

India and Singapore will link their respective fast payment systems -- Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow -- to enable users to make instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis, the Reserve Bank said on Tuesday.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the project to link the fast payment systems. The linkage is targeted for operationalisation by July 2022, the RBI said in a statement.

"The UPI-PayNow linkage will enable users of each of the two fast payment systems to make instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis without a need to get onboarded onto the other payment system," it said.

RBI said the UPI-PayNow linkage is a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for cross-border payments between India and Singapore, and closely aligns with the G20''s financial inclusion priorities of driving faster, cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments.

The linkage builds upon the earlier efforts of NPCI International Private Limited (NIPL) and Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) to foster cross-border interoperability of payments using cards and QR codes, between India and Singapore.

It will further anchor trade, travel and remittance flows between the two countries.

This initiative is also in line with RBI''s vision of reviewing corridors and charges for inbound cross-border remittances outlined in the Payment Systems Vision Document 2019-21.

It is to be mentioned here that UPI is a mobile-based fast payment system that facilitates customers to make round the clock payments instantly using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer.

This eliminates the risk of sharing bank account details by the remitter. UPI supports both Person-to-Person (P2P) and Person-to-Merchant (P2M) payments and enables a user to send or receive money.

PayNow is the fast payment system of Singapore which enables peer-to-peer funds transfer service, available to retail customers through participating banks and Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NFIs) in Singapore.

It enables users to send and receive instant funds from one bank or e-wallet account to another in Singapore by using just their mobile number, Singapore NRIC/FIN, or VPA.

India and Singapore will link their respective fast payment systems -- Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow -- to enable users to make instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis, the Reserve Bank said on Tuesday.

India and Singapore will link their respective fast payment systems -- Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow -- to enable users to make instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis, the Reserve Bank said on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the project to link the fast payment systems. The linkage is targeted for operationalisation by July 2022, the RBI said in a statement. "The UPI-PayNow linkage will enable users of each of the two fast payment systems to make instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis without a need to get onboarded onto the other payment system," it said. RBI said the UPI-PayNow linkage is a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for cross-border payments between India and Singapore, and closely aligns with the G20''s financial inclusion priorities of driving faster, cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments. The linkage builds upon the earlier efforts of NPCI International Private Limited (NIPL) and Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) to foster cross-border interoperability of payments using cards and QR codes, between India and Singapore. It will further anchor trade, travel and remittance flows between the two countries. This initiative is also in line with RBI''s vision of reviewing corridors and charges for inbound cross-border remittances outlined in the Payment Systems Vision Document 2019-21. It is to be mentioned here that UPI is a mobile-based fast payment system that facilitates customers to make round the clock payments instantly using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer. This eliminates the risk of sharing bank account details by the remitter. UPI supports both Person-to-Person (P2P) and Person-to-Merchant (P2M) payments and enables a user to send or receive money. PayNow is the fast payment system of Singapore which enables peer-to-peer funds transfer service, available to retail customers through participating banks and Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NFIs) in Singapore. It enables users to send and receive instant funds from one bank or e-wallet account to another in Singapore by using just their mobile number, Singapore NRIC/FIN, or VPA.

India, Singapore launch project to link payment systems for instant fund transfers

After creating digital pictures of whales and selling tokens of their ownership, which are stored on blockchain, a 12-year-old boy earned about £290,000. &nbsp;

During the school holidays, the collection of pixelated artworks called Weird Whales of the child, Benyamin Ahmed, had gone viral. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;London Zoo holds its annual weigh-in

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The success of the child may prove to be a harbinger of the digital business models, which can disrupt the banking sector. &nbsp;

Child’s father Imran, who is a software developer, shared that the artwork is like “digital Pokémon cards”. &nbsp;Imran added, they had been a huge success because the collectors realised its historical significance. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-throwing-porn-collection-judge-orders-couple-to-pay-30441-to-son-in-us-408965" hreflang="en">For throwing porn collection, judge orders couple to pay $30,441 to son in US</a>

“People find the art secondary. Imagine when the printing press came out, if you managed to get hold of a book that was an original, written by a 12-year-old that went viral, you can imagine how that would accrue value over time because of the historical significance,” added the father. &nbsp;

With the help of a pixel art website, the child created a set of 3,350 whales in the style of a common whale meme seen in the video game Minecraft. Benyamin was then able to sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs).&nbsp;

After creating digital pictures of whales and selling tokens of their ownership, which are stored on blockchain, a 12-year-old boy earned about £290,000. During the school holidays, the collection of pixelated artworks called Weird Whales of the child, Benyamin Ahmed, had gone viral.

After creating digital pictures of whales and selling tokens of their ownership, which are stored on blockchain, a 12-year-old boy earned about £290,000. During the school holidays, the collection of pixelated artworks called Weird Whales of the child, Benyamin Ahmed, had gone viral. Watch | London Zoo holds its annual weigh-in × The success of the child may prove to be a harbinger of the digital business models, which can disrupt the banking sector. Child’s father Imran, who is a software developer, shared that the artwork is like “digital Pokémon cards”. Imran added, they had been a huge success because the collectors realised its historical significance. Also Read: For throwing porn collection, judge orders couple to pay $30,441 to son in US “People find the art secondary. Imagine when the printing press came out, if you managed to get hold of a book that was an original, written by a 12-year-old that went viral, you can imagine how that would accrue value over time because of the historical significance,” added the father. With the help of a pixel art website, the child created a set of 3,350 whales in the style of a common whale meme seen in the video game Minecraft. Benyamin was then able to sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

12-year-old boy creates digital whale art, makes £290,000 by selling earned non-fungible tokens  

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday urged the European Union to reconsider its plans for a "discriminatory" digital tax, saying the new global reform deal should make it redundant.

Meeting in Venice, G20 ministers, including Yellen, &nbsp;on Saturday endorsed a plan agreed by 132 countries to overhaul the way multinational companies, including US digital giants, are taxed.

"The agreement that we've reached in the OECD framework discussion calls on countries to agree to dismantle existing digital taxes that the United States has regarded as discriminatory and to refrain from erecting similar measures in the future," Yellen told reporters.

"So it's really up to the European Commission and the members of the European Union to decide how to proceed. But those countries have agreed to avoid putting in place in the future and to dismantle taxes that are discriminatory against US firms."

Yellen is due in Brussels on Monday for talks with Eurozone finance ministers.

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Negotiations at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) secured a historic agreement on July 1 for a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 per cent, and to allow nations to tax a share of the profits of the world's biggest companies regardless of where they are headquartered.

In a diplomatic document seen by AFP late last month, Washington warned the EU that its plans for a bloc-wide digital levy, which it sees a discriminating against US technology firms, risked "entirely derailing" the negotiations at the OECD.

Three EU countries -- including Ireland, which has become a European base for a raft of US companies thanks to low tax rates -- have yet to sign up for the OECD agreement.

Yellen said she would seek to persuade them.

"I will use the opportunity to try to explain why we think that the few remaining EU countries that have not endorsed the inclusive framework, why we think it's in the world's interest, in their interests to be part of the agreement," she said.

"In some cases, there are very specific technical issues that it may indeed be possible to address and where that's possible I know all of us will be working in the common months to do that and to bring those countries on board."

The European Commission has insisted its new levy plan, due to be unveiled later this month, would conform with whatever is agreed at the OECD and would hit thousands of companies, including European ones.

Money raised from the digital tax is intended to help pay for the bloc's 750-billion-euro post-pandemic recovery plan.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday urged the European Union to reconsider its plans for a "discriminatory" digital tax, saying the new global reform deal should make it redundant.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday urged the European Union to reconsider its plans for a "discriminatory" digital tax, saying the new global reform deal should make it redundant. Meeting in Venice, G20 ministers, including Yellen, on Saturday endorsed a plan agreed by 132 countries to overhaul the way multinational companies, including US digital giants, are taxed. "The agreement that we've reached in the OECD framework discussion calls on countries to agree to dismantle existing digital taxes that the United States has regarded as discriminatory and to refrain from erecting similar measures in the future," Yellen told reporters. "So it's really up to the European Commission and the members of the European Union to decide how to proceed. But those countries have agreed to avoid putting in place in the future and to dismantle taxes that are discriminatory against US firms." Yellen is due in Brussels on Monday for talks with Eurozone finance ministers. Also read | 17 years after founding Virgin Galactic, Branson bound for space Negotiations at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) secured a historic agreement on July 1 for a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 per cent, and to allow nations to tax a share of the profits of the world's biggest companies regardless of where they are headquartered. In a diplomatic document seen by AFP late last month, Washington warned the EU that its plans for a bloc-wide digital levy, which it sees a discriminating against US technology firms, risked "entirely derailing" the negotiations at the OECD. Three EU countries -- including Ireland, which has become a European base for a raft of US companies thanks to low tax rates -- have yet to sign up for the OECD agreement. Yellen said she would seek to persuade them. "I will use the opportunity to try to explain why we think that the few remaining EU countries that have not endorsed the inclusive framework, why we think it's in the world's interest, in their interests to be part of the agreement," she said. "In some cases, there are very specific technical issues that it may indeed be possible to address and where that's possible I know all of us will be working in the common months to do that and to bring those countries on board." The European Commission has insisted its new levy plan, due to be unveiled later this month, would conform with whatever is agreed at the OECD and would hit thousands of companies, including European ones. Money raised from the digital tax is intended to help pay for the bloc's 750-billion-euro post-pandemic recovery plan.

Yellen urges EU to reconsider its digital tax plan

Britain and Singapore will on Monday start negotiations on a new digital trade agreement that could remove barriers, part of London's push to become what it calls a 'global tech powerhouse' post-Brexit. 
 
Since completing its exit from the European Union at the end of last year, Britain has been pressing ahead with new trade deals especially with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, with the most recent agreement signed with Australia. 
 
Digital trade is seen as key by the government to support British tech companies in capitalising on investment opportunities abroad to try to help a post-COVID recovery. 
 
The government said any agreement with Singapore could remove barriers to digital trade and enable British exporters to expand into high-tech markets. The talks will be kicked off in a video call. 
 
"A cutting-edge deal with Singapore will keep us at the forefront of the technological revolution, ensuring we lead the way in digitally delivered trade and industries like fintech and cybersecurity," British trade minister Liz Truss said. 
 
"The UK will be the first European country to ever negotiate a Digital Economy Agreement, which shows what we can do as a sovereign trading nation," she said in a statement. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Britain and Singapore will on Monday start negotiations on a new digital trade agreement that could remove barriers, part of London's push to become what it calls a 'global tech powerhouse' post-Brexit.

Britain and Singapore will on Monday start negotiations on a new digital trade agreement that could remove barriers, part of London's push to become what it calls a 'global tech powerhouse' post-Brexit. Since completing its exit from the European Union at the end of last year, Britain has been pressing ahead with new trade deals especially with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, with the most recent agreement signed with Australia. Digital trade is seen as key by the government to support British tech companies in capitalising on investment opportunities abroad to try to help a post-COVID recovery. The government said any agreement with Singapore could remove barriers to digital trade and enable British exporters to expand into high-tech markets. The talks will be kicked off in a video call. "A cutting-edge deal with Singapore will keep us at the forefront of the technological revolution, ensuring we lead the way in digitally delivered trade and industries like fintech and cybersecurity," British trade minister Liz Truss said. "The UK will be the first European country to ever negotiate a Digital Economy Agreement, which shows what we can do as a sovereign trading nation," she said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

UK, Singapore launch talks on digital trade agreement

The UK has adopted digital visa system from the US to keep a check on the actual number of people entering and leaving the country for the first time.

Digital visa&nbsp;has been unveiled for the people who will be entering the UK without a visa or immigration status. The visitors will now have to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). This will help determine the eligibility of the visitors, UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel explained.

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"Our new fully digital border will provide the ability to count people in and out of the country, giving us control over who comes to the UK," Patel said.

This digital visa has been initiated after the Boris Johnson-led government was criticised for miscalculating the number of European citizens staying in the UK. The Home Office had estimated that nearly three million people from the EU lived in the UK and will be applying to the EU settlement scheme.

However, by April end, more than 5.4 million people had already applied for visa under the scheme and nearly 4.9 million had already been given the nod.

The government estimates nearly 144.7 million passengers arrived in the UK till June 2019, of which nearly 40 million had migrated from the European economic area and Switzerland.

The UK has adopted digital visa system from the US to keep a check on the actual number of people entering and leaving the country for the first time. Digital visa has been unveiled for the people who will be entering the UK without a visa or immigration status.

The UK has adopted digital visa system from the US to keep a check on the actual number of people entering and leaving the country for the first time. Digital visa has been unveiled for the people who will be entering the UK without a visa or immigration status. The visitors will now have to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). This will help determine the eligibility of the visitors, UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel explained. Also read | Unprecedented India-UK mobility pact overcomes past barriers: Priti Patel "Our new fully digital border will provide the ability to count people in and out of the country, giving us control over who comes to the UK," Patel said. This digital visa has been initiated after the Boris Johnson-led government was criticised for miscalculating the number of European citizens staying in the UK. The Home Office had estimated that nearly three million people from the EU lived in the UK and will be applying to the EU settlement scheme. However, by April end, more than 5.4 million people had already applied for visa under the scheme and nearly 4.9 million had already been given the nod. The government estimates nearly 144.7 million passengers arrived in the UK till June 2019, of which nearly 40 million had migrated from the European economic area and Switzerland.

UK set to introduce 'digital visa' for travellers arriving in country

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently constituted a working group on digital lending -- including lending through online platforms and mobile applications. This step was a result of various instances where the digital lending applications were in news for all the wrong reasons.

This reasons included reports of people committing suicide due to alleged harassment by such lenders.

While the online lenders have provided an ease never seen before, mushrooming of various unregulated applications entails downsides such as lack of verification of the persons involved, false claims, theft of personal data, non-transparency of transactions, violation of extant guidelines on outsourcing of financial services and Fair Practices Code etc.&nbsp;

In view of such lack of safeguards, a lot of individuals/small businesses have been lured by a growing number of unauthorised and unverified digital lending platforms and mobile applications, claiming to grant instant and hassle-free loans. The RBI, therefore, by virtue of a press release dated December 23, 2020, bearing No. 2020-2021/819 (“Press Release”), issued a public warning against such unauthorised digital lending platforms and/or applications over deployment of questionable recovery methods and the charging of extravagant interest rates along with other hidden charges by such lenders.

The RBI’s intent through the circular was to caution the public at large, especially retail individuals, small traders, and other small-scale borrowers.&nbsp;

Many of the individual or small businesses do not have the requisite documents which are required to obtain credible loans from the accredited banking institutions and thus, they opt for money lending services which are informal and less stringent.&nbsp;

This makes such small businesses more prone to getting entrapped in such money lending schemes.&nbsp;

Therefore, the RBI has urged the borrowers to verify the antecedents of such lenders offering loans on digital lending platforms or through mobile applications.

Earlier, the RBI had also issued an official notification dated June 24, 2020 (“Notification”) mandating strict adherence to the Fair Practices Code and outsourcing guidelines for the loans sourced by accredited banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) through such digital lending platforms.&nbsp;

The notification prescribes that banks and NBFCs offer lending services either directly through their own digital platforms or through a digital lending platform under an outsourcing arrangement. However, in most cases, these digital platforms and mobile applications do not disclose the name of the bank/NBFC and thus, the customers are left at their mercy without having access to a systematised grievance redressal mechanism, which is otherwise available under the regulatory framework.&nbsp;

The RBI had also directed such lending platforms and mobile applications to issue a sanction letter to the concerned borrowers on the letter head of the concerned bank/NBFC before the execution of the loan agreement.&nbsp;

Therefore, to protect the general public from fraudulent activities of unauthorised money lenders providing such services through their own digital lending platform or through an outsourced lending platform, the RBI categorically directed them to strictly adhere to the Fair Practices Code in true letter and spirit.&nbsp;

RBI has also placed the onus of compliance obligations under the regulatory instructions regarding outsourcing of financial and IT services with the concerned bank/NBFC and not on the outsourced agency. In view thereof, the RBI has further directed the banks and NBFCs, engaging digital lending platforms as their agents to source borrowers and/or to recover dues to: (a) disclose the name of the digital lending platforms engaged as agents on their websites; (b) to disclose to the customer the name of the bank/ NBFC on whose behalf such digital lending platforms are interacting with him; (c) to issue the sanction letter to the borrower on the letter head of the concerned bank/ NBFC before execution of the loan agreement; (d) to furnish a copy of the loan agreement along with a copy all enclosures quoted in the loan agreement to the borrowers at the time of sanction/ disbursement of loans; (e) to ensure effective oversight and monitoring over such digital lending platforms; and (f) to undertake adequate efforts towards creation of awareness about a proper grievance redressal mechanism. Any violation thereof by banks and/ or NBFCs will be viewed strictly by the RBI.

Recently however, in December 2020, owing to the increased reporting of incidents pertaining to unauthorised digital transactions, the RBI was forced to publish a press release to alert the general public of such activities.&nbsp;

The RBI also advised consumers to never share copies of their KYC documents with unidentified persons or unverified/unauthorised mobile applications. Further, the RBI has repeatedly advised for reporting such activities either to the concerned law enforcement agencies or by using the Sachet portal to file online complaints.

It is evident that the RBI is taking stern and imperative measures against such unauthorised lending digital platforms. The steps to eradicate exploitative practices of unauthorised lending need to be tackled with multi-pronged approach consisting of regulation, increase in awareness and forthrightness on the part of genuine players in raising the transparency standards of lending.&nbsp;

The steps taken by the RBI appear to be in the right direction and an earnest step towards the eradication of predatory practices by such unauthorised lending players and for protection of the data and privacy of such lenders.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently constituted a working group on digital lending -- including lending through online platforms and mobile applications. This step was a result of various instances where the digital lending applications were in news for all the wrong reasons.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently constituted a working group on digital lending -- including lending through online platforms and mobile applications. This step was a result of various instances where the digital lending applications were in news for all the wrong reasons. This reasons included reports of people committing suicide due to alleged harassment by such lenders. While the online lenders have provided an ease never seen before, mushrooming of various unregulated applications entails downsides such as lack of verification of the persons involved, false claims, theft of personal data, non-transparency of transactions, violation of extant guidelines on outsourcing of financial services and Fair Practices Code etc. In view of such lack of safeguards, a lot of individuals/small businesses have been lured by a growing number of unauthorised and unverified digital lending platforms and mobile applications, claiming to grant instant and hassle-free loans. The RBI, therefore, by virtue of a press release dated December 23, 2020, bearing No. 2020-2021/819 (“Press Release”), issued a public warning against such unauthorised digital lending platforms and/or applications over deployment of questionable recovery methods and the charging of extravagant interest rates along with other hidden charges by such lenders. The RBI’s intent through the circular was to caution the public at large, especially retail individuals, small traders, and other small-scale borrowers. Many of the individual or small businesses do not have the requisite documents which are required to obtain credible loans from the accredited banking institutions and thus, they opt for money lending services which are informal and less stringent. This makes such small businesses more prone to getting entrapped in such money lending schemes. Therefore, the RBI has urged the borrowers to verify the antecedents of such lenders offering loans on digital lending platforms or through mobile applications. Earlier, the RBI had also issued an official notification dated June 24, 2020 (“Notification”) mandating strict adherence to the Fair Practices Code and outsourcing guidelines for the loans sourced by accredited banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) through such digital lending platforms. The notification prescribes that banks and NBFCs offer lending services either directly through their own digital platforms or through a digital lending platform under an outsourcing arrangement. However, in most cases, these digital platforms and mobile applications do not disclose the name of the bank/NBFC and thus, the customers are left at their mercy without having access to a systematised grievance redressal mechanism, which is otherwise available under the regulatory framework. The RBI had also directed such lending platforms and mobile applications to issue a sanction letter to the concerned borrowers on the letter head of the concerned bank/NBFC before the execution of the loan agreement. Therefore, to protect the general public from fraudulent activities of unauthorised money lenders providing such services through their own digital lending platform or through an outsourced lending platform, the RBI categorically directed them to strictly adhere to the Fair Practices Code in true letter and spirit. RBI has also placed the onus of compliance obligations under the regulatory instructions regarding outsourcing of financial and IT services with the concerned bank/NBFC and not on the outsourced agency. In view thereof, the RBI has further directed the banks and NBFCs, engaging digital lending platforms as their agents to source borrowers and/or to recover dues to: (a) disclose the name of the digital lending platforms engaged as agents on their websites; (b) to disclose to the customer the name of the bank/ NBFC on whose behalf such digital lending platforms are interacting with him; (c) to issue the sanction letter to the borrower on the letter head of the concerned bank/ NBFC before execution of the loan agreement; (d) to furnish a copy of the loan agreement along with a copy all enclosures quoted in the loan agreement to the borrowers at the time of sanction/ disbursement of loans; (e) to ensure effective oversight and monitoring over such digital lending platforms; and (f) to undertake adequate efforts towards creation of awareness about a proper grievance redressal mechanism. Any violation thereof by banks and/ or NBFCs will be viewed strictly by the RBI. Recently however, in December 2020, owing to the increased reporting of incidents pertaining to unauthorised digital transactions, the RBI was forced to publish a press release to alert the general public of such activities. The RBI also advised consumers to never share copies of their KYC documents with unidentified persons or unverified/unauthorised mobile applications. Further, the RBI has repeatedly advised for reporting such activities either to the concerned law enforcement agencies or by using the Sachet portal to file online complaints. It is evident that the RBI is taking stern and imperative measures against such unauthorised lending digital platforms. The steps to eradicate exploitative practices of unauthorised lending need to be tackled with multi-pronged approach consisting of regulation, increase in awareness and forthrightness on the part of genuine players in raising the transparency standards of lending. The steps taken by the RBI appear to be in the right direction and an earnest step towards the eradication of predatory practices by such unauthorised lending players and for protection of the data and privacy of such lenders. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Lending on digital platforms and mobile applications

In a bid to reopen society, Denmark announced on Wednesday it plans to develop a digital coronavirus passport to allow foreign travel.&nbsp;

According to the country’s Finance Ministry, the passport would allow Danes to document that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 for business and other trips abroad.&nbsp;

The representatives of the confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Chamber of Commerce and the cultural sector have been invited to be a part of the project. &nbsp;

Under the plan, people would be able to log on to a website and check their Covid-19 immunization status from February end. The development of a digital passport and an app is likely to take another three to four months. &nbsp;

For several months, it has been possible for Danes to display and print a document stating that they have recently tested negative for the virus. "It is absolutely crucial for us to be able to restart Danish society and that companies can get back on track. Many Danish companies are global companies," said Morten Bodskov, the country's acting finance minister.&nbsp;

"This is light at the end of the tunnel for very many companies," said the head of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, Brian Mikkelsen.&nbsp;

The passport would be used by people wishing to visit restaurants, conferences, music festivals and sports events. Many sections of Danish society remain closed until February 28, although pharmacies, grocery stores and supermarkets are still open. Bars, cafes and restaurants across the whole country are limited to takeaway orders. Till January 29, about 184,000 people in the country of 5.8 million have received their first vaccination dose.&nbsp;

Danish disease authorities said on Wednesday that the country saw a rise in the share of coronavirus cases containing a more contagious variant, despite seeing general infection numbers drop. &nbsp;

From several thousands of daily Covid-19 infections in December, only 425 cases have been registered in the last 24 hours out of more than 110,377 tested, according to SSI, meaning only 0.38% tested positive.&nbsp;

In a bid to reopen society, Denmark announced on Wednesday it plans to develop a digital coronavirus passport to allow foreign travel. According to the country’s Finance Ministry, the passport would allow Danes to document that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 for business and other trips abroad.

In a bid to reopen society, Denmark announced on Wednesday it plans to develop a digital coronavirus passport to allow foreign travel. According to the country’s Finance Ministry, the passport would allow Danes to document that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 for business and other trips abroad. The representatives of the confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Chamber of Commerce and the cultural sector have been invited to be a part of the project. Under the plan, people would be able to log on to a website and check their Covid-19 immunization status from February end. The development of a digital passport and an app is likely to take another three to four months. For several months, it has been possible for Danes to display and print a document stating that they have recently tested negative for the virus. "It is absolutely crucial for us to be able to restart Danish society and that companies can get back on track. Many Danish companies are global companies," said Morten Bodskov, the country's acting finance minister. "This is light at the end of the tunnel for very many companies," said the head of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, Brian Mikkelsen. The passport would be used by people wishing to visit restaurants, conferences, music festivals and sports events. Many sections of Danish society remain closed until February 28, although pharmacies, grocery stores and supermarkets are still open. Bars, cafes and restaurants across the whole country are limited to takeaway orders. Till January 29, about 184,000 people in the country of 5.8 million have received their first vaccination dose. Danish disease authorities said on Wednesday that the country saw a rise in the share of coronavirus cases containing a more contagious variant, despite seeing general infection numbers drop. From several thousands of daily Covid-19 infections in December, only 425 cases have been registered in the last 24 hours out of more than 110,377 tested, according to SSI, meaning only 0.38% tested positive.

In a first, Denmark to develop digital coronavirus passport

If you have a chronic headache, we suggest you put your smartphone away. A new study finds that excessive time spent on your smartphone could be contributing to a relentless headache

Smartphone users may be more likely to use painkillers and find less relief and the subjects of this study were from India.

We are all guilty of being addicted to our smartphones whether it is surfing social media or online shopping.

Be it using WhatsApp to communicate or a trending news app to stay updated. From content consumption to content creation — the smartphone has become the hub of all activities.

People are relying on their phones to complete daily tasks.

And now, a new study finds a link between smartphone usage and headaches. Up until now, there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that excessive use of smartphones and "screen time" can lead to lifestyle disorders and now, a study carried by researchers at the all India institute of medical sciences in New Delhi, makes some alarming suggestions.

It suggests that smartphone users were more likely to use pain medication for headaches and find less relief than those who didn't use smartphones.

The study was published in the medical journal 'Neurology: Clinical practice'. Researchers studied 400 people in India with headaches which included migraines, tension headaches and others.

They were questioned on their smartphone use, headache history as well as medication use. The study cites associations which suggest that smartphones may be a potential trigger for worsening headaches.

The study found that 96 per cent of smartphone users were more likely to take medication compared to 81 per cent of non-smartphone users.

In the study, smartphone users also reported a higher occurrence of "aura", which is a warning sensation before epilepsy or migraine attack.&nbsp;

This was in comparison to non-smartphone users. Medical experts believe that excessive smartphone screen time hampers your posture.

The act of bending your neck to look at your phone, dubbed as "text neck", maybe a strain on one's spine.

While this new research doesn't make any conclusive claims, it adds to the existing knowledge which warns against increased smartphone usage 
so put that phone down and step out for some fresh air.

If you have a chronic headache, we suggest you put your smartphone away. A new study finds that excessive time spent on your smartphone could be contributing to a relentless headache Smartphone users may be more likely to use painkillers and find less relief and the subjects of this study were from India.

If you have a chronic headache, we suggest you put your smartphone away. A new study finds that excessive time spent on your smartphone could be contributing to a relentless headache Smartphone users may be more likely to use painkillers and find less relief and the subjects of this study were from India. We are all guilty of being addicted to our smartphones whether it is surfing social media or online shopping. Be it using WhatsApp to communicate or a trending news app to stay updated. From content consumption to content creation — the smartphone has become the hub of all activities. People are relying on their phones to complete daily tasks. And now, a new study finds a link between smartphone usage and headaches. Up until now, there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that excessive use of smartphones and "screen time" can lead to lifestyle disorders and now, a study carried by researchers at the all India institute of medical sciences in New Delhi, makes some alarming suggestions. It suggests that smartphone users were more likely to use pain medication for headaches and find less relief than those who didn't use smartphones. The study was published in the medical journal 'Neurology: Clinical practice'. Researchers studied 400 people in India with headaches which included migraines, tension headaches and others. They were questioned on their smartphone use, headache history as well as medication use. The study cites associations which suggest that smartphones may be a potential trigger for worsening headaches. The study found that 96 per cent of smartphone users were more likely to take medication compared to 81 per cent of non-smartphone users. In the study, smartphone users also reported a higher occurrence of "aura", which is a warning sensation before epilepsy or migraine attack. This was in comparison to non-smartphone users. Medical experts believe that excessive smartphone screen time hampers your posture. The act of bending your neck to look at your phone, dubbed as "text neck", maybe a strain on one's spine. While this new research doesn't make any conclusive claims, it adds to the existing knowledge which warns against increased smartphone usage so put that phone down and step out for some fresh air.

Smartphone use cause migraines, headaches: Study

As the world is moving towards automation and digital world, cybercrimes and threats are also increasing and posing challenges in equal ratio, director-general of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) Sanjay Bahl said on Thursday.

Bahl was addressing cybersecurity heads, IT employees, police officers from across the country, students and the public at the “Cyber Security Conclave 5.0 the Next Gen Threats and Solutions.”

The conclave was organised by the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) in association with Cyberabad police, according to an official press release.

Bahl also presented CERT-Ins priorities that focussed on collecting, analysing and disseminating cyber threat intelligence to benefit all stake-holders who are potentially impacted by these attacks, the release said.

Cyberabad police commissioner V C Sajjanar said nowadays the complaints on cyber crimes are more than the usual crimes.

The complaints are more related to social media, online financial offences and data theft, and the loss due to cyber crimes is immense and poses tough challenges to the police, he said.

SCSC vice-chairman Bharani Kumar Aroll said the digital transformation happening across India is changing the way businesses operate efficiently and effectively and also brings with it risks.

He presented statistics on cyber attacks and also talked about the threat landscape and the promising future of cybersecurity, the release added.

As the world is moving towards automation and digital world, cybercrimes and threats are also increasing and posing challenges in equal ratio, director-general of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) Sanjay Bahl said on Thursday.

As the world is moving towards automation and digital world, cybercrimes and threats are also increasing and posing challenges in equal ratio, director-general of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) Sanjay Bahl said on Thursday. Bahl was addressing cybersecurity heads, IT employees, police officers from across the country, students and the public at the “Cyber Security Conclave 5.0 the Next Gen Threats and Solutions.” The conclave was organised by the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) in association with Cyberabad police, according to an official press release. Bahl also presented CERT-Ins priorities that focussed on collecting, analysing and disseminating cyber threat intelligence to benefit all stake-holders who are potentially impacted by these attacks, the release said. Cyberabad police commissioner V C Sajjanar said nowadays the complaints on cyber crimes are more than the usual crimes. The complaints are more related to social media, online financial offences and data theft, and the loss due to cyber crimes is immense and poses tough challenges to the police, he said. SCSC vice-chairman Bharani Kumar Aroll said the digital transformation happening across India is changing the way businesses operate efficiently and effectively and also brings with it risks. He presented statistics on cyber attacks and also talked about the threat landscape and the promising future of cybersecurity, the release added.

Cyber crimes, threats loom large as world goes digital: Expert

A new report has raised concerns over smartphone addiction among youngsters. Psychiatrists say that almost a quarter of young people are so dependent on their mobiles that they become panicky and upset if they are denied constant access.

The study by UK based researchers also found that youngsters are unable to control the amount of time they spend on the phone.

The study which involved 42 thousand youngsters warns that such addictions have "serious consequences" for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../teenagers-not-getting-enough-exercise-at-risk- of-obesity-and-cardiovascular-diseases-world-health-organisation-2...">mental health</a>.

23 per cent of the surveyed youngsters were found to be addicted to their phones. They showed anxiety when denied access to their gadgets. The addiction also interfered with their daily activities.

Researches said that such behaviour could also be linked to other problems such as stress, lack of sleep and poor performance in school.

The study concluded that there was a need for public awareness and that parents should monitor the amount the time their children are spending on smartphones.

A new report has raised concerns over smartphone addiction among youngsters. Psychiatrists say that almost a quarter of young people are so dependent on their mobiles that they become panicky and upset if they are denied constant access.

A new report has raised concerns over smartphone addiction among youngsters. Psychiatrists say that almost a quarter of young people are so dependent on their mobiles that they become panicky and upset if they are denied constant access. The study by UK based researchers also found that youngsters are unable to control the amount of time they spend on the phone. The study which involved 42 thousand youngsters warns that such addictions have "serious consequences" for mental health. 23 per cent of the surveyed youngsters were found to be addicted to their phones. They showed anxiety when denied access to their gadgets. The addiction also interfered with their daily activities. Researches said that such behaviour could also be linked to other problems such as stress, lack of sleep and poor performance in school. The study concluded that there was a need for public awareness and that parents should monitor the amount the time their children are spending on smartphones.

Smartphone addiction: Digital dependency could doom the youth

Expressing concern over threats posed from cyberspace, India on Tuesday called for coordinated efforts to prevent forces of terrorism and extremism from building their presence in the digital domain.

Speaking at the Paris Peace Forum on issues pertaining to the governance of cyberspace, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that New Delhi "strongly supports" the Christchurch Call to eliminate rich and violent extremist content online.

Named after New Zealand city where a deadly terrorist attack took place on May 15, the non-binding agreement Christchurch Call has been signed by 18 leaders from around the globe to encourage tech companies and countries to curb extremism online.

"We are excited about the opportunity (given by digital transformation), we are concerned naturally about the threats from cyberspace because there are actors, both state and non-state, whose actions pose a clear threat to national, regional and global security one of the examples of that is the relatively unimpeded growth of terrorism-related activities including extremist propaganda terrorist financing illicit trafficking and radicalisation," said Jaishankar.

"That is the reason we very strongly support Christchurch Call to eliminate rich and violent extremist content online and we are pleased to work with like-minded countries ... We need to get the balance right between the less a fair approach and authoritarian approach and the sense of responsibility becomes very important so," said he.

He also urged the countries to build "national capacities" to secure the cyber world.

"We need a very clear role and responsibility from states and government to strengthen the respective national capacities when it comes to cybersecurity. States must protect data privacy and make sure data security for all citizens and they maintain openness ta the same time," said Jaishankar. The second annual forum was hosted by France.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Expressing concern over threats posed from cyberspace, India on Tuesday called for coordinated efforts to prevent forces of terrorism and extremism from building their presence in the digital domain.

Expressing concern over threats posed from cyberspace, India on Tuesday called for coordinated efforts to prevent forces of terrorism and extremism from building their presence in the digital domain. Speaking at the Paris Peace Forum on issues pertaining to the governance of cyberspace, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that New Delhi "strongly supports" the Christchurch Call to eliminate rich and violent extremist content online. Named after New Zealand city where a deadly terrorist attack took place on May 15, the non-binding agreement Christchurch Call has been signed by 18 leaders from around the globe to encourage tech companies and countries to curb extremism online. "We are excited about the opportunity (given by digital transformation), we are concerned naturally about the threats from cyberspace because there are actors, both state and non-state, whose actions pose a clear threat to national, regional and global security one of the examples of that is the relatively unimpeded growth of terrorism-related activities including extremist propaganda terrorist financing illicit trafficking and radicalisation," said Jaishankar. "That is the reason we very strongly support Christchurch Call to eliminate rich and violent extremist content online and we are pleased to work with like-minded countries ... We need to get the balance right between the less a fair approach and authoritarian approach and the sense of responsibility becomes very important so," said he. He also urged the countries to build "national capacities" to secure the cyber world. "We need a very clear role and responsibility from states and government to strengthen the respective national capacities when it comes to cybersecurity. States must protect data privacy and make sure data security for all citizens and they maintain openness ta the same time," said Jaishankar. The second annual forum was hosted by France.

Must prevent terrorism, extremism from building digital presence: S Jaishankar

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) board of directors has approved the formation of wholly-owned digital services subsidiary with a capital infusion of Rs 1.08 lakh crore.

The new company will become the conglomerate`s umbrella platform for all digital businesses including Jio.

The Rs 1.08 lakh crore investment will be in the form of a rights issue of optionally convertible preference shares (OCPS).

The wholly-owned subsidiary will also acquire RIL`s equity investment of Rs 65,000 crore in Jio so far, making it virtually net debt-free by March 31, 2020, with the exception of spectrum-related liabilities.

"This new company will be a truly transformational and disruptive digital services platform," said RIL Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani.

"It will bring together India`s number one connectivity platform, leading digital app ecosystem and the world`s best tech capabilities globally to create a truly digital society for each Indian."

Jio has been heralding the digital services revolution in India and will continue to do so in the years to come, said Ambani in a statement released late on Friday hinting at making way for the entry of a strategic investor.

"Given the reach and scale of our digital ecosystem, we have received strong interest from potential strategic partners. We will induct the right partners in our platform company, creating and unlocking meaningful value for RIL shareholders," he said.

Ambani said the group continues to focus on cutting-edge, technology-enabled digital platforms that enable and accelerate digital society with frictionless and seamless universal access and adoption with a focus on healthcare, education, agriculture, commerce, government-to-citizen services, gaming, manufacturing and many others.

These platforms are also backed by investment in emerging and next-generation technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning, virtual, augmented and mixed reality, computer vision, high performance and edge computing, natural language processing and voice-enabled services.

RIL is India`s largest private sector company with a consolidated turnover of Rs 6.23 lakh crore, cash profit of Rs 64,478 crore and a net profit of Rs 39,588 crore for the year ended March 31.

Its activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and digital services.

Jio is a 4G-based telecom operator having than 35.5 crore subscribers. It is future-ready and can be easily upgraded to support even more data as technologies advance on to 5G, 6G and beyond.&nbsp;

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) board of directors has approved the formation of wholly-owned digital services subsidiary with a capital infusion of Rs 1.08 lakh crore.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) board of directors has approved the formation of wholly-owned digital services subsidiary with a capital infusion of Rs 1.08 lakh crore. The new company will become the conglomerate`s umbrella platform for all digital businesses including Jio. The Rs 1.08 lakh crore investment will be in the form of a rights issue of optionally convertible preference shares (OCPS). The wholly-owned subsidiary will also acquire RIL`s equity investment of Rs 65,000 crore in Jio so far, making it virtually net debt-free by March 31, 2020, with the exception of spectrum-related liabilities. "This new company will be a truly transformational and disruptive digital services platform," said RIL Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani. "It will bring together India`s number one connectivity platform, leading digital app ecosystem and the world`s best tech capabilities globally to create a truly digital society for each Indian." Jio has been heralding the digital services revolution in India and will continue to do so in the years to come, said Ambani in a statement released late on Friday hinting at making way for the entry of a strategic investor. "Given the reach and scale of our digital ecosystem, we have received strong interest from potential strategic partners. We will induct the right partners in our platform company, creating and unlocking meaningful value for RIL shareholders," he said. Ambani said the group continues to focus on cutting-edge, technology-enabled digital platforms that enable and accelerate digital society with frictionless and seamless universal access and adoption with a focus on healthcare, education, agriculture, commerce, government-to-citizen services, gaming, manufacturing and many others. These platforms are also backed by investment in emerging and next-generation technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning, virtual, augmented and mixed reality, computer vision, high performance and edge computing, natural language processing and voice-enabled services. RIL is India`s largest private sector company with a consolidated turnover of Rs 6.23 lakh crore, cash profit of Rs 64,478 crore and a net profit of Rs 39,588 crore for the year ended March 31. Its activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and digital services. Jio is a 4G-based telecom operator having than 35.5 crore subscribers. It is future-ready and can be easily upgraded to support even more data as technologies advance on to 5G, 6G and beyond.

Reliance to invest Rs 1.08 lakh crore in new digital services subsidiary

When Danny Reagan was 13, he began exhibiting signs of what doctors usually associate with drug addiction. He became agitated, secretive and withdrew from friends. He had quit baseball and Boy Scouts, and he stopped doing homework and showering.

But he was not using drugs. He was hooked on YouTube and video games, to the point where he could do nothing else. As doctors would confirm, he was addicted to his electronics.

"After I got my console, I kind of fell in love with it," Danny, now 16 and a junior in a Cincinnati high school, said. "I liked being able to kind of shut everything out and just relax."

Danny was different from typical plugged-in American teenagers. Psychiatrists say internet addiction, characterized by a loss of control over internet use and disregard for the consequences of it, affects up to 8 per cent of Americans and is becoming more common around the world.

"We're all mildly addicted. I think that's obvious to see in our behaviour," said psychiatrist Kimberly Young, who has led the field of research since founding the Center for Internet Addiction in 1995. "It becomes a public health concern obviously as health is influenced by the behaviour."

Psychiatrists such as Young who have studied compulsive internet behaviour for decades are now seeing more cases, prompting a wave of new treatment programs to open across the United States. Mental health centres in Florida, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and other states are adding inpatient internet addiction treatment to their line of services.

Some skeptics view internet addiction as a false condition, contrived by teenagers who refuse to put away their smartphones, and the Reagans say they have had trouble explaining it to extended family.

Anthony Bean, a psychologist and author of a clinician's guide to video game therapy, said that excessive gaming and internet use might indicate other mental illnesses but should not be labelled independent disorders.

"It's kind of like pathologizing a behaviour without actually understanding what's going on," he said.

'Reboot'

At first, Danny's parents took him to doctors and made him sign contracts pledging to limit his internet use. Nothing worked, until they discovered a pioneering residential therapy center in Mason, Ohio, about 22 miles (35 km) south of Cincinnati.

The "Reboot" program at the Lindner Center for Hope offers inpatient treatment for 11 to 17-year-olds who, like Danny, have addictions including online gaming, gambling, social media, pornography and sexting, often to escape from symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Danny was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at age 5 and Anxiety Disorder at 6, and doctors said he developed an internet addiction to cope with those disorders.

"Reboot" patients spend 28 days at a suburban facility equipped with 16 bedrooms, classrooms, a gym and a dining hall. They undergo diagnostic tests, psychotherapy, and learn to moderate their internet use.

Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services, started the program in December after seeing several cases, including Danny's, where young people were using the internet to "self-medicate" instead of drugs and alcohol.

The internet, while not officially recognized as an addictive substance, similarly hijacks the brain's reward system by triggering the release of pleasure-inducing chemicals and is accessible from an early age, Tuell said.

"The brain really doesn't care what it is, whether I pour it down my throat or put it in my nose or see it with my eyes or do it with my hands," Tuell said. "A lot of the same neurochemicals in the brain are occurring."

Even so, recovering from internet addiction is different from other addictions because it is not about "getting sober," Tuell said. The internet has become inevitable and essential in schools, at home and in the workplace.

"It's always there," Danny said, pulling out his smartphone. "I feel it in my pocket. But I'm better at ignoring it."

Is it a real disorder?

Medical experts have begun taking internet addiction more seriously.

Neither the World Health Organization (WHO) nor the American Psychiatric Association recognizes internet addiction as a disorder. Last year, however, the WHO recognized the more specific Gaming Disorder following years of research in China, South Korea and Taiwan, where doctors have called it a public health crisis.

Some online games and console manufacturers have advised gamers against playing to excess. YouTube has created a time monitoring tool to nudge viewers to take breaks from their screens as part of its parent company Google's "digital wellbeing" initiative.

WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said internet addiction is the subject of "intensive research" and consideration for future classification. The American Psychiatric Association has labelled gaming disorder a "condition for further study."

"Whether it's classified or not, people are presenting with these problems," Tuell said.

Tuell recalled one person whose addiction was so severe that the patient would defecate on himself rather than leave his electronics to use the bathroom.

Research on internet addiction may soon produce empirical results to meet medical classification standards, Tuell said, as psychologists have found evidence of a brain adaptation in teens who compulsively play games and use the internet.

"It's not a choice, it's an actual disorder and a disease," said Danny. "People who joke about it not being serious enough to be super official, it hurts me personally."

When Danny Reagan was 13, he began exhibiting signs of what doctors usually associate with drug addiction. He became agitated, secretive and withdrew from friends.

When Danny Reagan was 13, he began exhibiting signs of what doctors usually associate with drug addiction. He became agitated, secretive and withdrew from friends. He had quit baseball and Boy Scouts, and he stopped doing homework and showering. But he was not using drugs. He was hooked on YouTube and video games, to the point where he could do nothing else. As doctors would confirm, he was addicted to his electronics. "After I got my console, I kind of fell in love with it," Danny, now 16 and a junior in a Cincinnati high school, said. "I liked being able to kind of shut everything out and just relax." Danny was different from typical plugged-in American teenagers. Psychiatrists say internet addiction, characterized by a loss of control over internet use and disregard for the consequences of it, affects up to 8 per cent of Americans and is becoming more common around the world. "We're all mildly addicted. I think that's obvious to see in our behaviour," said psychiatrist Kimberly Young, who has led the field of research since founding the Center for Internet Addiction in 1995. "It becomes a public health concern obviously as health is influenced by the behaviour." Psychiatrists such as Young who have studied compulsive internet behaviour for decades are now seeing more cases, prompting a wave of new treatment programs to open across the United States. Mental health centres in Florida, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and other states are adding inpatient internet addiction treatment to their line of services. Some skeptics view internet addiction as a false condition, contrived by teenagers who refuse to put away their smartphones, and the Reagans say they have had trouble explaining it to extended family. Anthony Bean, a psychologist and author of a clinician's guide to video game therapy, said that excessive gaming and internet use might indicate other mental illnesses but should not be labelled independent disorders. "It's kind of like pathologizing a behaviour without actually understanding what's going on," he said. 'Reboot' At first, Danny's parents took him to doctors and made him sign contracts pledging to limit his internet use. Nothing worked, until they discovered a pioneering residential therapy center in Mason, Ohio, about 22 miles (35 km) south of Cincinnati. The "Reboot" program at the Lindner Center for Hope offers inpatient treatment for 11 to 17-year-olds who, like Danny, have addictions including online gaming, gambling, social media, pornography and sexting, often to escape from symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Danny was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at age 5 and Anxiety Disorder at 6, and doctors said he developed an internet addiction to cope with those disorders. "Reboot" patients spend 28 days at a suburban facility equipped with 16 bedrooms, classrooms, a gym and a dining hall. They undergo diagnostic tests, psychotherapy, and learn to moderate their internet use. Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services, started the program in December after seeing several cases, including Danny's, where young people were using the internet to "self-medicate" instead of drugs and alcohol. The internet, while not officially recognized as an addictive substance, similarly hijacks the brain's reward system by triggering the release of pleasure-inducing chemicals and is accessible from an early age, Tuell said. "The brain really doesn't care what it is, whether I pour it down my throat or put it in my nose or see it with my eyes or do it with my hands," Tuell said. "A lot of the same neurochemicals in the brain are occurring." Even so, recovering from internet addiction is different from other addictions because it is not about "getting sober," Tuell said. The internet has become inevitable and essential in schools, at home and in the workplace. "It's always there," Danny said, pulling out his smartphone. "I feel it in my pocket. But I'm better at ignoring it." Is it a real disorder? Medical experts have begun taking internet addiction more seriously. Neither the World Health Organization (WHO) nor the American Psychiatric Association recognizes internet addiction as a disorder. Last year, however, the WHO recognized the more specific Gaming Disorder following years of research in China, South Korea and Taiwan, where doctors have called it a public health crisis. Some online games and console manufacturers have advised gamers against playing to excess. YouTube has created a time monitoring tool to nudge viewers to take breaks from their screens as part of its parent company Google's "digital wellbeing" initiative. WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said internet addiction is the subject of "intensive research" and consideration for future classification. The American Psychiatric Association has labelled gaming disorder a "condition for further study." "Whether it's classified or not, people are presenting with these problems," Tuell said. Tuell recalled one person whose addiction was so severe that the patient would defecate on himself rather than leave his electronics to use the bathroom. Research on internet addiction may soon produce empirical results to meet medical classification standards, Tuell said, as psychologists have found evidence of a brain adaptation in teens who compulsively play games and use the internet. "It's not a choice, it's an actual disorder and a disease," said Danny. "People who joke about it not being serious enough to be super official, it hurts me personally."

The digital drug: Internet addiction spawns US treatment programs

Lately, I can't log onto Facebook without being asked to consider my own motivations for using the site.

As a researcher who focuses on online communities, I'm accustomed to this running meta-narrative about what it is I'm actually doing online — but usually, that narrative plays inside my head, not all the way down the feed I'm scrolling through.

It's like my research questions have sprung to life these days: What's Facebook all about, anyway? Is this even fun? If it's not fun … what is it, exactly?

This is an exciting time in the very short history of social media use.

Facebook's users are becoming critical of the systems into which they’ve been conscripted. This is an important moment: Will public opinion follow the same well-worn cycle of outrage and acceptance, or will it jump the tracks and begin engaging Facebook on new, more challenging terms?

Researchers have been asking tough questions about Facebook for the past decade, but even armed with the most prestigious credentials, they pose a much smaller threat than educated consumers. And without consumer outrage, government regulation seems unlikely to move forward.

'Sound and fury'

So far, at least in my own feed, the same old script is being followed to the letter. The soul-searching is punctuated by passionate cris-de-coeur from the feed's more opinionated characters: Wake up, sheeple! If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product — remember? Quit Facebook! Encrypt your data! Smash your phone under the heel of your steel-toed boots!

Next, right on cue, the incisive social commentators swoop in to remind us that these calls are coming from inside the house. "Pretty ironic that you're posting all this stuff on Facebook!" To which everyone silently rolls their eyes in resignation.

Cue the gallows humor about how we're all under constant surveillance, rinse and repeat. The human condition's same old two-step. Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

That this discursive cycle was triggered by the revelations earlier this year that voter profiling company Cambridge Analytica obtained the Facebook data of 50 million American accounts is beside the point.

This is only the latest in a long series of such leaks about data mining. In 2017, approximately 200 million registered voters' personal data stored by voter profiling company Deep Root Analytics was accidentally made public. The previous year, Russian hackers accessed a large cache of voter information owned by the Democratic National Committee.

What this latest go-round is revealing is that these are industry practices that will carry on undisturbed, regardless of what Mark Zuckerberg says or does. This is not a Zuckerberg problem anymore it's a problem with an advertising model that is the industry standard.

Most of us Facebook users have been on the platform for about a decade, and perhaps our outrage is our growing pains.

We've gained some critical distance through time spent on the platform. We are less easily distracted by the ostensible fun the platform offers. And we appear to be compelled to ask questions about Facebook we've never asked before

Must ask different questions

Fenwick McKelvey, co-director of the Media History Research Centre at Concordia University’s Milieux Institute for Art, Culture and Technology, wishes that the media would start asking different questions about how data is being used by platforms like Facebook.

"The media narrative still assumes that the goal of these platforms (like Facebook) is to expose people to information," McKelvey told me. "But it's less and less about that — the goal is to manage and control people's behaviour.”

Among the urgent questions media commentators should be asking, McKelvey believes, is how online advertisers are deploying user data to subtly nudge people. He provides the illustrative example of SnapChat — a company with relatively strong privacy settings in place — that leaks data to advertisers with dizzying granularity that reflects the industry standard.

Through SnapChat's protocols, your phone informs advertisers how much time passes between the moment you're served one of their ads and the moment you make a purchase at their business, either online or in person.

Every time you walk into a retailer with your phone's location services on, you are leaking data about your consumption habits.

Perhaps we should be burrowing even deeper into Facebook's business practices.

Facebook tends to rely on the fact that most of its data collection practices are laid bare in its terms of service. But according to Martin French, an assistant professor of sociology at Concordia, Facebook’s notion of "consent" is flimsy at best.

Most unaware of how their data is being used

"Facebook reportedly changed its policies after 2015 to stop app developers accessing information on app users' network. But for me, the question is: Are Facebook users, in the real world, actually aware of the changing ways their data is being used, and the policies that purportedly govern these uses?" wonders French.

French posits that based on research that has been done on who reads and understands social media privacy policies, most users are unaware of how their data is actually being used. The "consent" that Facebook is talking about when they refer to an agreement with their users is not really a kind of consent that conforms to any dictionary definition of that term.

The consensus among social scientists who study life online is that whatever dynamics play out online have offline analogs.

We've had a decade to incorporate Facebook into our lives, and like any learning process, our success with it has been uneven.

We're at a critical moment as users of Facebook. It's our responsibility to educate ourselves about the implications of our participation. Deactivating our accounts won't change how our personal data is valued to advertisers.

But perhaps, as we become mature users of social media, we can begin to demand that limits be set on how and when our data is bought and sold.

*Kathryn Jezer-Morton is a Doctoral student, at Concordia University

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-stay-on-facebook-its-complicated-93906">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Facebook's users are becoming critical of the systems into which they’ve been conscripted

Lately, I can't log onto Facebook without being asked to consider my own motivations for using the site. As a researcher who focuses on online communities, I'm accustomed to this running meta-narrative about what it is I'm actually doing online — but usually, that narrative plays inside my head, not all the way down the feed I'm scrolling through. It's like my research questions have sprung to life these days: What's Facebook all about, anyway? Is this even fun? If it's not fun … what is it, exactly? This is an exciting time in the very short history of social media use. Facebook's users are becoming critical of the systems into which they’ve been conscripted. This is an important moment: Will public opinion follow the same well-worn cycle of outrage and acceptance, or will it jump the tracks and begin engaging Facebook on new, more challenging terms? Researchers have been asking tough questions about Facebook for the past decade, but even armed with the most prestigious credentials, they pose a much smaller threat than educated consumers. And without consumer outrage, government regulation seems unlikely to move forward. 'Sound and fury' So far, at least in my own feed, the same old script is being followed to the letter. The soul-searching is punctuated by passionate cris-de-coeur from the feed's more opinionated characters: Wake up, sheeple! If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product — remember? Quit Facebook! Encrypt your data! Smash your phone under the heel of your steel-toed boots! Next, right on cue, the incisive social commentators swoop in to remind us that these calls are coming from inside the house. "Pretty ironic that you're posting all this stuff on Facebook!" To which everyone silently rolls their eyes in resignation. Cue the gallows humor about how we're all under constant surveillance, rinse and repeat. The human condition's same old two-step. Sound and fury, signifying nothing. That this discursive cycle was triggered by the revelations earlier this year that voter profiling company Cambridge Analytica obtained the Facebook data of 50 million American accounts is beside the point. This is only the latest in a long series of such leaks about data mining. In 2017, approximately 200 million registered voters' personal data stored by voter profiling company Deep Root Analytics was accidentally made public. The previous year, Russian hackers accessed a large cache of voter information owned by the Democratic National Committee. What this latest go-round is revealing is that these are industry practices that will carry on undisturbed, regardless of what Mark Zuckerberg says or does. This is not a Zuckerberg problem anymore it's a problem with an advertising model that is the industry standard. Most of us Facebook users have been on the platform for about a decade, and perhaps our outrage is our growing pains. We've gained some critical distance through time spent on the platform. We are less easily distracted by the ostensible fun the platform offers. And we appear to be compelled to ask questions about Facebook we've never asked before Must ask different questions Fenwick McKelvey, co-director of the Media History Research Centre at Concordia University’s Milieux Institute for Art, Culture and Technology, wishes that the media would start asking different questions about how data is being used by platforms like Facebook. "The media narrative still assumes that the goal of these platforms (like Facebook) is to expose people to information," McKelvey told me. "But it's less and less about that — the goal is to manage and control people's behaviour.” Among the urgent questions media commentators should be asking, McKelvey believes, is how online advertisers are deploying user data to subtly nudge people. He provides the illustrative example of SnapChat — a company with relatively strong privacy settings in place — that leaks data to advertisers with dizzying granularity that reflects the industry standard. Through SnapChat's protocols, your phone informs advertisers how much time passes between the moment you're served one of their ads and the moment you make a purchase at their business, either online or in person. Every time you walk into a retailer with your phone's location services on, you are leaking data about your consumption habits. Perhaps we should be burrowing even deeper into Facebook's business practices. Facebook tends to rely on the fact that most of its data collection practices are laid bare in its terms of service. But according to Martin French, an assistant professor of sociology at Concordia, Facebook’s notion of "consent" is flimsy at best. Most unaware of how their data is being used "Facebook reportedly changed its policies after 2015 to stop app developers accessing information on app users' network. But for me, the question is: Are Facebook users, in the real world, actually aware of the changing ways their data is being used, and the policies that purportedly govern these uses?" wonders French. French posits that based on research that has been done on who reads and understands social media privacy policies, most users are unaware of how their data is actually being used. The "consent" that Facebook is talking about when they refer to an agreement with their users is not really a kind of consent that conforms to any dictionary definition of that term. The consensus among social scientists who study life online is that whatever dynamics play out online have offline analogs. We've had a decade to incorporate Facebook into our lives, and like any learning process, our success with it has been uneven. We're at a critical moment as users of Facebook. It's our responsibility to educate ourselves about the implications of our participation. Deactivating our accounts won't change how our personal data is valued to advertisers. But perhaps, as we become mature users of social media, we can begin to demand that limits be set on how and when our data is bought and sold. *Kathryn Jezer-Morton is a Doctoral student, at Concordia University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why do we stay on Facebook? It's complicated

British parliamentarians said they were prepared to issue formal summons for Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to appear before them and answer questions over a data scandal which has engulfed the technology giant.

The social network has faced questions on both sides of the Atlantic over how millions of users' details got into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, and over its wider handling of personal data.

Zuckerberg previously declined to come in person to answer questions from British lawmakers, instead sending Facebook's Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer to face a four-hour grilling last month. Schroepfer apologised for errors made by the firm and vowed to do more to improve transparency.

But the head of parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Damian Collins said on Tuesday he still wanted Zuckerberg to appear before lawmakers, ideally by May 24, and listed 39 questions or points which remained unanswered.

"While Mr Zuckerberg does not normally come under the jurisdiction of the UK parliament, he will do so the next time he enters the country," Collins wrote in a letter.

"We hope that he will respond positively to our request, but if not the Committee will resolve to issue a formal summons for him to appear when he is next in the UK."

Zuckerberg previously declined to come in person to answer questions from British lawmakers, instead sending Facebook's Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer to face a four-hour grilling last month

British parliamentarians said they were prepared to issue formal summons for Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to appear before them and answer questions over a data scandal which has engulfed the technology giant. The social network has faced questions on both sides of the Atlantic over how millions of users' details got into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, and over its wider handling of personal data. Zuckerberg previously declined to come in person to answer questions from British lawmakers, instead sending Facebook's Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer to face a four-hour grilling last month. Schroepfer apologised for errors made by the firm and vowed to do more to improve transparency. But the head of parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Damian Collins said on Tuesday he still wanted Zuckerberg to appear before lawmakers, ideally by May 24, and listed 39 questions or points which remained unanswered. "While Mr Zuckerberg does not normally come under the jurisdiction of the UK parliament, he will do so the next time he enters the country," Collins wrote in a letter. "We hope that he will respond positively to our request, but if not the Committee will resolve to issue a formal summons for him to appear when he is next in the UK."

UK lawmakers prepared to summon Facebook boss Zuckerberg over data scandal

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering issuance of its own virtual currency (VC) while instructing financial institutions to refrain from and cut off business relations with private entities that are dealing with virtual currencies.

An interdepartmental group has been constituted to study and provide guidance on the “desirability and feasibility” to introduce a “central bank digital currency” and will submit its report by June, the central bank said.

“Several central banks are debating the possibility of introducing a fiat digital currency. As opposed to private digital tokens, these are issued by a central bank. They constitute a liability of the central bank, and they will be in circulation in addition to the paper currency that we have,” RBI deputy governor BP Kanungo told reporters during the customary post-policy address.

Explaining its rationale behind the central digital currency, RBI said technological innovations, including virtual currencies, have the potential to improve the efficiency and inclusiveness of the financial system.

 
The RBI has also directed banks and regulated entities not to deal with or provide services to individuals or businesses dealing in virtual currencies.&nbsp;

RBI directs banks and regulated entities not to deal in or provide services to individuals or businesses dealing in virtual currencies

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering issuance of its own virtual currency (VC) while instructing financial institutions to refrain from and cut off business relations with private entities that are dealing with virtual currencies. An interdepartmental group has been constituted to study and provide guidance on the “desirability and feasibility” to introduce a “central bank digital currency” and will submit its report by June, the central bank said. “Several central banks are debating the possibility of introducing a fiat digital currency. As opposed to private digital tokens, these are issued by a central bank. They constitute a liability of the central bank, and they will be in circulation in addition to the paper currency that we have,” RBI deputy governor BP Kanungo told reporters during the customary post-policy address. Explaining its rationale behind the central digital currency, RBI said technological innovations, including virtual currencies, have the potential to improve the efficiency and inclusiveness of the financial system. The RBI has also directed banks and regulated entities not to deal with or provide services to individuals or businesses dealing in virtual currencies.

RBI planning on introducing digital currency

Under Hitler, Germany experienced the consequences of a nation caving into propaganda and hate speech. This may explain its government&rsquo;s urgency to enact a new law, known as the &ldquo;Facebook Act,&rdquo; in response to the recent alarming rise of hate speech online.

Canada is experiencing a similar rise.

Media marketing company Cision documented a six-fold rise - that&rsquo;s a 600 per cent increase - in the amount of intolerant and hate speech in social media postings by Canadians between November 2015 and November 2016. Hashtags such as #banmuslims, #siegheil, #whitegenocide and #whitepower were widely used on popular social media platforms such as Twitter.

Some analysts blame Trump. But Canadian media outlets shouldn&rsquo;t be too smug about their adherence to the practice of fair and balanced journalism.

A group of scholars at Ryerson University conducted a critical analysis of how the Canadian media covered the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Canada between September 2015 and April 2016. They found several news outlets played a major role in reinforcing the negative image of Syrian refugees and Muslims in the public eye.

The refugees were subject to &quot;othering,&quot; the practice of depicting nonwhite cultures as &quot;alien,&quot; and highlighting differences rather than shared values or interests. The new arrivals from Syria were stereotyped, criminalised (especially men) and perceived as passive, lacking agency, vulnerable, needy and a drain on government resources. Male Syrian refugees were viewed as security threats and female Syrian refugees as voiceless, oppressed and desperate.

My research study investigates the way youth view their role in society as it relates to refugees, and how they regard and interpret online propaganda.

The $74 million question

The European Commission recently announced a new set of guidelines and principles for online platforms to prevent content inciting hatred, violence and terrorism, and Twitter began implementing its new rules for fighting hate on Nov. 1.

Should Canada follow in Germany&rsquo;s footsteps and enact a law that would pressure social networks to remove offensive posts within 24 hours or risk fines of up to $74 million for failing to comply? Adopting new regulations forcing social media platforms to respond swiftly could be an effective intervention to halt the spread of hate speech online. However, it could also prove to be challenging, as moderators wade into complex language and often get it wrong. Ultimately, we need to adopt a systematic response to hateful and dangerous rhetoric online.

The German social media law has been the subject of criticism since it was announced. Some critics say the law is too broad while others warn it could be the executioner of free speech. The thin line between hate speech and free speech is the focus of many concerned Canadians.

In Canada, hate speech is addressed in the recently updated Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46). However, the applicability of this law to online hate speech is a frequent subject of debate that produces conflicting conclusions. In particular, the Defenses section of the code outlines cases where the proponents of hate speech could be exempted.

Distinguishing hate speech from fear speech - speech originating from fear and masked with terms and expressions usually associated with hate - is by itself a great challenge. Motion 103 (M-103), which condemns Islamophobia in Canada, and was passed in the House of Commons this Spring, is perceived by some Canadians to be suppressing free speech.

How to stop hate online?

Extremist parties, politicians and their fans have all successfully taken advantage of social media platforms to spread messages filled with racism and intolerance - even incitement to radical views.

Right-wing activists and the movements they espouse now total more than 100 organised groups in Canada. They are more visible and also better connected than ever before.

Stopping hate speech and extremist views on social media may be an impossible mission.

Yet, a majority of Canadians get their news about politics through social media giants such as Facebook. Facebook says 84 per cent of young Canadians actively use the social media platform.

&quot;The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it,&quot; said Joseph Goebbels, Hitler&rsquo;s minister of propaganda and national enlightenment.

According to the Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication, created in 1948 by mathematician and electronic engineer Claude Elwood Shannon and scientist Warren Weaver, every communication includes an information source, a message, a transmitter, a receiver, a destination and a noise source.

If we apply the communication model to online hate speech, we can identify the information sources as the propagandists, including extremist parties. They craft a simple, direct message such as &ldquo;Muslims are terrorists&rdquo; and transmit it through social media posts.

The destination is the audience the propagandists are focused on manipulating. This audience belongs to a whole spectrum, ranging from supporters of the idea to an audience that is outraged by it.

The receiver is the system used by the audience to decode the message and interpret it. The noise source includes the laws, acts, filtering and flagging strategies put in place to prevent the message from reaching the destination.

So far, it has been proven that the sender of hate speech is unstoppable and the noise source lacks efficiency since hate speech not only persists but also is on the rise.

Therefore, we must shift our tactics. We could, for example, focus on the receiver and the destination of the hate-filled message. We could teach the audience - youth in particular - how to withstand digital hate speech propaganda.

Youth need to be part of the solution

Conversations that characterise millennials as passive consumers of news with little and incidental exposure to world events could not be more wrong. A study conducted by the Media Insight Project in 2015 found youth between the age of 18 and 24 are &quot;anything but &#39;newsless&#39;&quot; passive or uninterested in civic issues.

Instead, they consume news and information in strikingly different ways than previous generations and their paths &quot;to discovery are more nuanced and varied than some may have imagined&quot;.&nbsp;Social media plays a large role in their news consumption.

Many youths are critical of media content and their choice of the information and the news they read online is far from random. They often see or experience direct or indirect racial discrimination online or witness unproductive, uncivil or disturbing Facebook discussions.

They recognise the agendas and algorithms behind the posts that pop up on their walls, and they hunger for an influential voice that would disrupt the discourses about issues that affect their lives.

Yet, fearing a backlash, a majority of youth choose to remain bystanders in an era where their social media presence and skills are needed the most. They remain &quot;power users (frequent users),&quot; instead of &quot;powerful users (influential users).&quot;

Youth could be our best candidates to be these agents of change, given their familiarity with social media. For this to happen, young people need to develop civic online reasoning and identify ways to leverage the power of social media for &quot;greater control, hate speech and ugly online conversations around Syrian refugees are mainly orchestrated to spread fear among people who might otherwise be members of actual or prospective welcoming communities. A campaign to counter propaganda, led by agents of change, is important to counterbalance the negative influence and allow host societies to make informed choices.voice and influence over issues that matter most in their lives.&quot;

They need to understand where their political tolerance and intolerance comes from and understand the concerns, emotions and values that generate public attitudes.

Many argue that education is not enough. However, equipping and empowering youth to disrupt the messaging transmitted by radical extremists or parties with racist agendas start with the pedagogy of understanding oneself.

The power of self-knowledge

My research study involved 126 in-depth interviews with 42 youth between 18 and 24 years old from Canada, the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Greece and Lebanon. During the interviews, I engaged these young participants in the process of learning about themselves using tools I adapted from Personal Construct Psychology.

I wanted to understand how they viewed their role in the integration and inclusion of refugees in their societies, in a context where the image of refugees was deeply influenced by social media, especially after terror attacks.

I also wanted to discover what knowledge and skills they developed through the process of understanding themselves by identifying their construct systems - the &quot;lenses&quot; they used when decoding digital propaganda targeting sensitive and controversial issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis.

Through our discussions, each of these 42 young people had an &quot;aha moment.&quot;

Regardless of their geographical locations or the ways they experienced the refugee crisis and the recent terror attacks, they had the same sudden realisation. Not only could they control how social media influenced them, but they also had a role to play in shaping the image of refugees through what they shared online.

They became critical of media content. They developed empathy towards both refugees and people who rejected newcomers. They moved from passive bystanders to became confident agents of change, ready to play a leadership role in counterbalancing the digital hate speech propaganda against refugees.

To eradicate digital hate speech propaganda, we need to prevent propagandists from reaching their objectives.

Laws such as Germany&rsquo;s &quot;Facebook Act&quot; constitute one piece of the solution. The other key is to make sure audiences are trained to better withstand manipulation.

Our youth, once equipped and empowered, are our best candidates to disrupt the messages spread by propagandists and to pursue the mission of putting a stop to hate speech.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-trump-effect-in-canada-a-600-per-cent-increase-in-online-hate-speech-86026" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Anti-hate laws and self-awareness education for audiences is essential to eradicate digital hate speech propaganda

Under Hitler, Germany experienced the consequences of a nation caving into propaganda and hate speech. This may explain its government’s urgency to enact a new law, known as the “Facebook Act,” in response to the recent alarming rise of hate speech online. Canada is experiencing a similar rise. Media marketing company Cision documented a six-fold rise - that’s a 600 per cent increase - in the amount of intolerant and hate speech in social media postings by Canadians between November 2015 and November 2016. Hashtags such as #banmuslims, #siegheil, #whitegenocide and #whitepower were widely used on popular social media platforms such as Twitter. Some analysts blame Trump. But Canadian media outlets shouldn’t be too smug about their adherence to the practice of fair and balanced journalism. A group of scholars at Ryerson University conducted a critical analysis of how the Canadian media covered the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Canada between September 2015 and April 2016. They found several news outlets played a major role in reinforcing the negative image of Syrian refugees and Muslims in the public eye. The refugees were subject to "othering," the practice of depicting nonwhite cultures as "alien," and highlighting differences rather than shared values or interests. The new arrivals from Syria were stereotyped, criminalised (especially men) and perceived as passive, lacking agency, vulnerable, needy and a drain on government resources. Male Syrian refugees were viewed as security threats and female Syrian refugees as voiceless, oppressed and desperate. My research study investigates the way youth view their role in society as it relates to refugees, and how they regard and interpret online propaganda. The $74 million question The European Commission recently announced a new set of guidelines and principles for online platforms to prevent content inciting hatred, violence and terrorism, and Twitter began implementing its new rules for fighting hate on Nov. 1. Should Canada follow in Germany’s footsteps and enact a law that would pressure social networks to remove offensive posts within 24 hours or risk fines of up to $74 million for failing to comply? Adopting new regulations forcing social media platforms to respond swiftly could be an effective intervention to halt the spread of hate speech online. However, it could also prove to be challenging, as moderators wade into complex language and often get it wrong. Ultimately, we need to adopt a systematic response to hateful and dangerous rhetoric online. The German social media law has been the subject of criticism since it was announced. Some critics say the law is too broad while others warn it could be the executioner of free speech. The thin line between hate speech and free speech is the focus of many concerned Canadians. In Canada, hate speech is addressed in the recently updated Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46). However, the applicability of this law to online hate speech is a frequent subject of debate that produces conflicting conclusions. In particular, the Defenses section of the code outlines cases where the proponents of hate speech could be exempted. Distinguishing hate speech from fear speech - speech originating from fear and masked with terms and expressions usually associated with hate - is by itself a great challenge. Motion 103 (M-103), which condemns Islamophobia in Canada, and was passed in the House of Commons this Spring, is perceived by some Canadians to be suppressing free speech. How to stop hate online? Extremist parties, politicians and their fans have all successfully taken advantage of social media platforms to spread messages filled with racism and intolerance - even incitement to radical views. Right-wing activists and the movements they espouse now total more than 100 organised groups in Canada. They are more visible and also better connected than ever before. Stopping hate speech and extremist views on social media may be an impossible mission. Yet, a majority of Canadians get their news about politics through social media giants such as Facebook. Facebook says 84 per cent of young Canadians actively use the social media platform. "The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it," said Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda and national enlightenment. According to the Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication, created in 1948 by mathematician and electronic engineer Claude Elwood Shannon and scientist Warren Weaver, every communication includes an information source, a message, a transmitter, a receiver, a destination and a noise source. If we apply the communication model to online hate speech, we can identify the information sources as the propagandists, including extremist parties. They craft a simple, direct message such as “Muslims are terrorists” and transmit it through social media posts. The destination is the audience the propagandists are focused on manipulating. This audience belongs to a whole spectrum, ranging from supporters of the idea to an audience that is outraged by it. The receiver is the system used by the audience to decode the message and interpret it. The noise source includes the laws, acts, filtering and flagging strategies put in place to prevent the message from reaching the destination. So far, it has been proven that the sender of hate speech is unstoppable and the noise source lacks efficiency since hate speech not only persists but also is on the rise. Therefore, we must shift our tactics. We could, for example, focus on the receiver and the destination of the hate-filled message. We could teach the audience - youth in particular - how to withstand digital hate speech propaganda. Youth need to be part of the solution Conversations that characterise millennials as passive consumers of news with little and incidental exposure to world events could not be more wrong. A study conducted by the Media Insight Project in 2015 found youth between the age of 18 and 24 are "anything but 'newsless'" passive or uninterested in civic issues. Instead, they consume news and information in strikingly different ways than previous generations and their paths "to discovery are more nuanced and varied than some may have imagined". Social media plays a large role in their news consumption. Many youths are critical of media content and their choice of the information and the news they read online is far from random. They often see or experience direct or indirect racial discrimination online or witness unproductive, uncivil or disturbing Facebook discussions. They recognise the agendas and algorithms behind the posts that pop up on their walls, and they hunger for an influential voice that would disrupt the discourses about issues that affect their lives. Yet, fearing a backlash, a majority of youth choose to remain bystanders in an era where their social media presence and skills are needed the most. They remain "power users (frequent users)," instead of "powerful users (influential users)." Youth could be our best candidates to be these agents of change, given their familiarity with social media. For this to happen, young people need to develop civic online reasoning and identify ways to leverage the power of social media for "greater control, hate speech and ugly online conversations around Syrian refugees are mainly orchestrated to spread fear among people who might otherwise be members of actual or prospective welcoming communities. A campaign to counter propaganda, led by agents of change, is important to counterbalance the negative influence and allow host societies to make informed choices.voice and influence over issues that matter most in their lives." They need to understand where their political tolerance and intolerance comes from and understand the concerns, emotions and values that generate public attitudes. Many argue that education is not enough. However, equipping and empowering youth to disrupt the messaging transmitted by radical extremists or parties with racist agendas start with the pedagogy of understanding oneself. The power of self-knowledge My research study involved 126 in-depth interviews with 42 youth between 18 and 24 years old from Canada, the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Greece and Lebanon. During the interviews, I engaged these young participants in the process of learning about themselves using tools I adapted from Personal Construct Psychology. I wanted to understand how they viewed their role in the integration and inclusion of refugees in their societies, in a context where the image of refugees was deeply influenced by social media, especially after terror attacks. I also wanted to discover what knowledge and skills they developed through the process of understanding themselves by identifying their construct systems - the "lenses" they used when decoding digital propaganda targeting sensitive and controversial issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis. Through our discussions, each of these 42 young people had an "aha moment." Regardless of their geographical locations or the ways they experienced the refugee crisis and the recent terror attacks, they had the same sudden realisation. Not only could they control how social media influenced them, but they also had a role to play in shaping the image of refugees through what they shared online. They became critical of media content. They developed empathy towards both refugees and people who rejected newcomers. They moved from passive bystanders to became confident agents of change, ready to play a leadership role in counterbalancing the digital hate speech propaganda against refugees. To eradicate digital hate speech propaganda, we need to prevent propagandists from reaching their objectives. Laws such as Germany’s "Facebook Act" constitute one piece of the solution. The other key is to make sure audiences are trained to better withstand manipulation. Our youth, once equipped and empowered, are our best candidates to disrupt the messages spread by propagandists and to pursue the mission of putting a stop to hate speech. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Trump effect in Canada: A 600 per cent increase in online hate speech

India&#39;s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a first information report (FIR) against some customers of digital wallet Paytm on the company&#39;s complaint that it has allegedly been cheated to the tune of Rs 6.15 lakh by customers based here.

It is rare for the agency to take up such cases unless they have been referred by the central government or there are directions by the Supreme Court or a high court.

CBI has registered FIR against 15 customers who are residents of Kalkaji, Govindpuri and Saket besides unknown officials of One97 Communications--parent company of Paytm.

The complaint from the Manager Legal, M Sivakumar, claimed that the company makes payment for defective products received by a customer and also arranges a reverse pickup of the damaged product which is sent to the merchant.

The process is done by a team of customer care executives who have been assigned specific IDs and passwords to handle such complaints from the customers and arrange refund and pickup.

It is alleged that the company found that in 48 cases customers had received refunds even though the delivery of orders was made successfully to them.

&quot;As a matter of facts wherein delivery of orders were successful and satisfactory to the customer, refund should not happen. However, in all these 48 cases refund of order amount happened to the respective customers to the tune of Rs 6.15 lakh,&quot; the complaint, which is now part of the FIR, alleged.

It alleged that customers &quot;illegally&quot; appropriated money refunded in their bank accounts and wallets.

It claimed that the acts reflects &quot;serious&quot; fraudulent act and foul play with common intention to wrongfully gain along with such involved customers.

The alleged fraud occurred in 2015-16.

The USD five-billion digital wallet company, which got a big boost in transactions after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, claimed that the accused first got details of internal working of the company and then executed their plans.

&quot;Accused persons first acquired knowledge as to how the system of complainants&#39; company works and conspired to book orders, take deliveries of products at common addresses known and or belonging to them and their accomplices and then made or managed false and fabricated entries in computer system of complainant company and approved/made fraudulent refunds against the same orders, delivery of which were taken by their accomplices,&quot; the company alleged.

The company alleged that most of these customers had taken deliveries of products at common or similar addresses.

Naming the customers in the FIR, the company claimed that they may be instrumental in said fraudulent acts and could be known to each other forming bigger part of the larger conspiracy.

The company has information that in those cases where refunds were made, money was further transferred from wallet to bank accounts of either accused persons or people known to each other, it alleged.

The company claimed that the refunds were made within five to six minutes of disputes being raised by the customer.

(PTI)

It alleged that customers 'illegally' appropriated money refunded in their bank accounts and wallets

India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a first information report (FIR) against some customers of digital wallet Paytm on the company's complaint that it has allegedly been cheated to the tune of Rs 6.15 lakh by customers based here. It is rare for the agency to take up such cases unless they have been referred by the central government or there are directions by the Supreme Court or a high court. CBI has registered FIR against 15 customers who are residents of Kalkaji, Govindpuri and Saket besides unknown officials of One97 Communications--parent company of Paytm. The complaint from the Manager Legal, M Sivakumar, claimed that the company makes payment for defective products received by a customer and also arranges a reverse pickup of the damaged product which is sent to the merchant. The process is done by a team of customer care executives who have been assigned specific IDs and passwords to handle such complaints from the customers and arrange refund and pickup. It is alleged that the company found that in 48 cases customers had received refunds even though the delivery of orders was made successfully to them. "As a matter of facts wherein delivery of orders were successful and satisfactory to the customer, refund should not happen. However, in all these 48 cases refund of order amount happened to the respective customers to the tune of Rs 6.15 lakh," the complaint, which is now part of the FIR, alleged. It alleged that customers "illegally" appropriated money refunded in their bank accounts and wallets. It claimed that the acts reflects "serious" fraudulent act and foul play with common intention to wrongfully gain along with such involved customers. The alleged fraud occurred in 2015-16. The USD five-billion digital wallet company, which got a big boost in transactions after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, claimed that the accused first got details of internal working of the company and then executed their plans. "Accused persons first acquired knowledge as to how the system of complainants' company works and conspired to book orders, take deliveries of products at common addresses known and or belonging to them and their accomplices and then made or managed false and fabricated entries in computer system of complainant company and approved/made fraudulent refunds against the same orders, delivery of which were taken by their accomplices," the company alleged. The company alleged that most of these customers had taken deliveries of products at common or similar addresses. Naming the customers in the FIR, the company claimed that they may be instrumental in said fraudulent acts and could be known to each other forming bigger part of the larger conspiracy. The company has information that in those cases where refunds were made, money was further transferred from wallet to bank accounts of either accused persons or people known to each other, it alleged. The company claimed that the refunds were made within five to six minutes of disputes being raised by the customer. (PTI)

Paytm alleges customers cheated it, India's investigation agency registers case

Upwardly-mobile, tech-savvy young professionals from across the globe are swapping their briefcases and brogues for backpacks and sneakers, setting themselves up as digital nomads who can operate from wherever their laptops can go. 
 
Jobbatical and Teleport, two recent tech start-ups, promise to take the guesswork out of digital job hunting on a global scale. 
 
Both hail from tiny tech titan Estonia and are part of a crop of cutting-edge online sites catering to digital nomads, typically young males who work remotely and move around regions like Southeast Asia every few months. 
 
Their creators insist the start-ups have the potential to shake things up on the global job market, similar to how Estonians previously transformed global communications with Skype and digital international money transfers via Transferwise. 
 
Tallinn-based entrepreneur Karoli Hindriks said she launched Jobbatical two years ago to fill the growing gaps she noticed in global recruiting. 
 
With employment offers from Greece, to Thailand and Costa Rica among others, it takes just a few clicks of the mouse for product or account managers, programmers and other tech professionals to land a dream job, whether programming in Malaysia&#39;s tropical paradise of Penang or managing an adventure travel operation in Bali. 
 
Jobbatical targets &quot;adventurous tech, business, and creative professionals with over five years of working experience,&quot; Hindriks said at the Latitude59 technology conference in Estonia&#39;s capital Tallinn. 
 
She points to &quot;a generational mindset shift&quot; as key to her client base of 70,000 unique users each month across 150 countries. 
 
&quot;The millennial&#39;s view of success isn&#39;t necessarily a house, a well-paying job and a picket fence,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s a huge shift towards defining success as working in terms of things that one truly believes in, and appreciating experiences over material possessions.&quot; 
 
New technologies, less expensive international travel and easier communications mean that moving around to work is &quot;becoming smoother and cheaper than ever&quot;, she added. 
 
Most Jobbatical offers involve positions that, like sabbaticals, last around 12 months, creating a revolving client base. 
 
The company takes a &quot;success&quot; fee of five per cent of the annual salary upon hiring. 
 
Surf more than just the internet 
 
Vicente Gracia, a much-travelled 28-year-old business strategist from Chile, has been surfing more than just the internet since he began using Jobbatical. 
 
Dissatisfied with the terms he was being offered by South American companies, Gracia used it to find a job based in Bali. 
 
&quot;New generations are looking for more than just a paycheck,&quot; Gracia said via Skype. 
 
A keen surfer, he now enjoys riding the waves on a Bali beach every morning during a break in his commute to work. 
 
&quot;For me, being able to prioritise my career and a healthy lifestyle is crucial.&quot; 
 
Insisting that Jobbatical is unique, Hindriks shuns comparisons to online job sites like Monster, insisting that &quot;it&#39;s like comparing Craigslist to Airbnb&quot;. 
 
Describing Jobbatical as a &quot;matchmaker for companies&quot;, Hindriks insists that short-term &quot;jobbaticals&quot; encourage professionals to choose countries off the beaten path - like her own Estonia - that they may not have considered were the positions permanent. 
 
&quot;If you look at the reality, there are no permanent jobs any more, so in that sense we&#39;re bringing honesty to the conversation,&quot; she said. 
 
Peace of mind 
 
Teleport meanwhile takes stock of the personal preferences and expectations of digital job-seekers and then suggests ideal places for them to live and work. 
 
Teleport &quot;scouts&quot;, or local experts, are just a click away to iron out any wrinkles. For a modest fee, they can help with everything from visas to finding the right apartment or the nearest vegan restaurant. 
 
A veteran tech entrepreneur who headed up Skype&#39;s Estonia operations from 2005-12, Teleport CEO Sten Tamkivi insisted his startup goes further than competitors like NomadList, which essentially works like a traditional travel guide. 
 
Tamkivi said that aside from calculating ideal locations based on personal preferences and its &quot;scouts&quot;, its &quot;flock&quot; service also locates the nearest co-working spaces. 
 
Anthony Lapenna, a Frenchman working in New Zealand, is one happy Teleport user. 
 
The service meant he could keep his job, but change hemispheres, shifting from Paris to Auckland, New Zealand, where he continues his role as a software engineer. 
 
&quot;I wanted to go to an English-speaking country in order to improve my English, plus I was kind of sick of the big city of Paris,&quot; he said via email. 
 
&quot;New Zealand is located at the world&#39;s end, which is pretty exciting. I also had a curiosity about the landscape, because I&#39;m fond of hiking.&quot; 
 
&quot;I&#39;ll probably move again, but not before I&#39;ve explored as much of New Zealand as I can.&quot; 
 
And Lapenna is not alone. As Google predicts the world&#39;s online population will double to five billion by 2020, digital nomads are likely to be a growing tribe. 
 
(AFP)

Tech start-ups from Estonia are catering to a growing number of young, laptop-carrying professionals who travel and work remotely

Upwardly-mobile, tech-savvy young professionals from across the globe are swapping their briefcases and brogues for backpacks and sneakers, setting themselves up as digital nomads who can operate from wherever their laptops can go. Jobbatical and Teleport, two recent tech start-ups, promise to take the guesswork out of digital job hunting on a global scale. Both hail from tiny tech titan Estonia and are part of a crop of cutting-edge online sites catering to digital nomads, typically young males who work remotely and move around regions like Southeast Asia every few months. Their creators insist the start-ups have the potential to shake things up on the global job market, similar to how Estonians previously transformed global communications with Skype and digital international money transfers via Transferwise. Tallinn-based entrepreneur Karoli Hindriks said she launched Jobbatical two years ago to fill the growing gaps she noticed in global recruiting. With employment offers from Greece, to Thailand and Costa Rica among others, it takes just a few clicks of the mouse for product or account managers, programmers and other tech professionals to land a dream job, whether programming in Malaysia's tropical paradise of Penang or managing an adventure travel operation in Bali. Jobbatical targets "adventurous tech, business, and creative professionals with over five years of working experience," Hindriks said at the Latitude59 technology conference in Estonia's capital Tallinn. She points to "a generational mindset shift" as key to her client base of 70,000 unique users each month across 150 countries. "The millennial's view of success isn't necessarily a house, a well-paying job and a picket fence," she said. "There's a huge shift towards defining success as working in terms of things that one truly believes in, and appreciating experiences over material possessions." New technologies, less expensive international travel and easier communications mean that moving around to work is "becoming smoother and cheaper than ever", she added. Most Jobbatical offers involve positions that, like sabbaticals, last around 12 months, creating a revolving client base. The company takes a "success" fee of five per cent of the annual salary upon hiring. Surf more than just the internet Vicente Gracia, a much-travelled 28-year-old business strategist from Chile, has been surfing more than just the internet since he began using Jobbatical. Dissatisfied with the terms he was being offered by South American companies, Gracia used it to find a job based in Bali. "New generations are looking for more than just a paycheck," Gracia said via Skype. A keen surfer, he now enjoys riding the waves on a Bali beach every morning during a break in his commute to work. "For me, being able to prioritise my career and a healthy lifestyle is crucial." Insisting that Jobbatical is unique, Hindriks shuns comparisons to online job sites like Monster, insisting that "it's like comparing Craigslist to Airbnb". Describing Jobbatical as a "matchmaker for companies", Hindriks insists that short-term "jobbaticals" encourage professionals to choose countries off the beaten path - like her own Estonia - that they may not have considered were the positions permanent. "If you look at the reality, there are no permanent jobs any more, so in that sense we're bringing honesty to the conversation," she said. Peace of mind Teleport meanwhile takes stock of the personal preferences and expectations of digital job-seekers and then suggests ideal places for them to live and work. Teleport "scouts", or local experts, are just a click away to iron out any wrinkles. For a modest fee, they can help with everything from visas to finding the right apartment or the nearest vegan restaurant. A veteran tech entrepreneur who headed up Skype's Estonia operations from 2005-12, Teleport CEO Sten Tamkivi insisted his startup goes further than competitors like NomadList, which essentially works like a traditional travel guide. Tamkivi said that aside from calculating ideal locations based on personal preferences and its "scouts", its "flock" service also locates the nearest co-working spaces. Anthony Lapenna, a Frenchman working in New Zealand, is one happy Teleport user. The service meant he could keep his job, but change hemispheres, shifting from Paris to Auckland, New Zealand, where he continues his role as a software engineer. "I wanted to go to an English-speaking country in order to improve my English, plus I was kind of sick of the big city of Paris," he said via email. "New Zealand is located at the world's end, which is pretty exciting. I also had a curiosity about the landscape, because I'm fond of hiking." "I'll probably move again, but not before I've explored as much of New Zealand as I can." And Lapenna is not alone. As Google predicts the world's online population will double to five billion by 2020, digital nomads are likely to be a growing tribe. (AFP)

Backpacking digital nomads land dream jobs on the go

Amazon has grabbed the top spot in Massachusetts Institute of Technology&#39;s annual list of the world&#39;s smartest companies of 2016. 
 
MIT&#39;s editors have picked the 50 companies that best combine innovative technology with an effective business model. 
 
According to the technology review site, large companies, like Jeff Bezos-led online retail giant Amazon and Alphabet, have made the list because they are using digital technologies to redefine industries, while others like Microsoft, Bosch, Toyota and Intel are wrestling with technological changes. 
 
The top ten in the list are: 
 
1. Amazon 
2. Baidu 
3. Illumina 
4. Tesla Motors 
5. Aquion Energy 
6. Mobileye 
7. 23andMe 
8. Alphabet 
9. Spark Therapeutics 
10. Huawei 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

The cloud-computing giant recognized by MIT for combining innovation and effectiveness

Amazon has grabbed the top spot in Massachusetts Institute of Technology's annual list of the world's smartest companies of 2016. MIT's editors have picked the 50 companies that best combine innovative technology with an effective business model. According to the technology review site, large companies, like Jeff Bezos-led online retail giant Amazon and Alphabet, have made the list because they are using digital technologies to redefine industries, while others like Microsoft, Bosch, Toyota and Intel are wrestling with technological changes. The top ten in the list are: 1. Amazon 2. Baidu 3. Illumina 4. Tesla Motors 5. Aquion Energy 6. Mobileye 7. 23andMe 8. Alphabet 9. Spark Therapeutics 10. Huawei (ANI)

Amazon awarded world's smartest company

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