Technology

KARACHI: Concerned about the broad scope of the Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020, approved by the Pakistan government, the Global Network Initiative (GNI) has identified aspects of the rules that create significant risks to privacy and freedom of expression. The GNI is a multi-stakeholder organisation composed of leading information and communication technology (ICT) companies (like Google, Microsoft, Telenor), …

PARIS: Huawei will build its first European manufacturing plant in France, the chairman said on Thursday, as the Chinese telecom giant seeks to ease worldwide concerns stoked by US charges that Beijing could use its equipment for spying. Liang Hua said Huawei, the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, would invest 200 million euros ($217m) in the first phase of …

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman voiced concerns over mobile app TikTok’s fingerprinting technology, saying that it was ‘truly terrifying’ and that it was “fundamentally parasitic” owing to privacy concerns. “Maybe I’m going to regret this, but I can’t even get to that level of thinking with [TikTok],” he said at the Social 2030 venture capital conference this week. He said that …

As the new coronavirus spreads globally, the online battle to keep misinformation about the disease is also stepping up. Google, Facebook and other platforms are struggling to keep ahead of scammers, trolls, and others with ill intent who routinely use major tragedies or disasters as opportunities to swindle or manipulate people. “The public concern about coronavirus is being used as …

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear Apple Inc’s bid to avoid paying about $440 million in damages for using patent licensing firm VirnetX Inc’s internet security technology without permission in features such as FaceTime video calling. The justices rejected Apple’s appeal in the long-running case in which a federal jury in 2016 found that Apple had …

HOUSTON, Texas — Volvo and Porsche are already doing it. Now, Nissan is getting in on the vehicle subscription service model with a new program called Nissan Switch. The service will debut in Houston. “Nissan Switch is another way that Nissan is testing alternatives to the notion of traditional mobility, without long-term financial commitments for our customers,” said Andrew Tavi, …

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh will hear on Monday an application assailing the legitimacy of new social media regulations published by Ministry of Information, Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT). “The regulations prima facie appear to be illegal and ultra vires for contravening and exceeding the scope of Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganization Act, 1996 and the Prevention of Electronic …

Smartphone addiction does to your brain what drug addiction or substance abuse does, German researchers revealed in their recent study. In this age, it’s almost impossible to fathom a day without smartphones. Whether you need it to function as an alarm clock, a calendar, a messaging service or to get your daily news, smartphones have replaced many things in our …

It has been four years since the draconian Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) was passed, but confusion still reigns in the country over how to deal with harmful content on social media. On Feb 15, the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) — a group of internet companies, including giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Google — wrote a letter to …

ISLAMABAD: As the clamour against the government’s move to regulate social media becomes louder, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), lawyers and civil society members have decided to launch a nationwide movement for getting the Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules revoked. Journalist unions, lawyers, and civil society organisations termed the recently notified rules unacceptable and urged the government …