The order also also instructs the Department to draft a report with recommendations on how to safeguard Americans’ personal data, including their genetic data…reports Asian Lite News
US President Joe Biden has revoked and replaced executive orders targeting TikTok, WeChat and eight other software applications signed by his predecessor President Donald Trump.
“President Biden revoked and replaced three E.O.s (executive orders) that aimed to prohibit transactions with TikTok, WeChat, and eight other communications and financial technology software applications; two of these E.O.s are subject to litigation,” the White House said in a fact sheet released on Wednesday.
The new order signed by Biden on Wednesday directed the US Commerce Department to instead evaluate software applications connected with “foreign adversaries” under recent US supply-chain security rules “and take action, as appropriate”, according to the White House.
The order also also instructs the Department to draft a report with recommendations on how to safeguard Americans’ personal data, including their genetic data, as well as a second report containing additional policy proposals.
Citing national security concerns, Trump had sought to block new users from downloading TikTok and WeChat in the US, but his orders were blocked in federal district courts and never took effect.
The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the move, saying: “President Biden is right to revoke these Trump administration executive orders, which blatantly violated the First Amendment rights of TikTok and WeChat users in the US.
“The Commerce Department’s review of these and other apps must not take us down the same misguided path, by serving as a smokescreen for future bans or other unlawful actions.”
Juhi’s remarks comes just a few days after the Delhi High Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by her against the setting up of 5G…reports Asian Lite News
Bollywood actress and environmentalist Juhi Chawla took to social media on Wednesday to claim that she is not against 5G technology but just wants to learn whether it is safe for all.
Juhi shared a video on Instagram on Wednesday where, speaking in Hindi and English she said: “There has been so much noise in the past few days that I almost could not hear myself too! And I feel that a very important message probably got lost in the middle of all this noise, which is that we are not against 5G. In fact, we are welcoming of it. Please bring it.”
“All we are asking is that the authorities certify that 5G is safe. Please certify it and publish your studies and research made on this on the public domain so that we get rid of this fear of ours. We just want to know that it is safe for children, for pregnant women, for unborn children, for people who are old, infirm, for flora fauna. That is all we are asking,” the actress said in her video.
Juhi’s video comes just a few days after the Delhi High Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by her against the setting up of 5G wireless networks in the country, and also imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh for the abuse of the process of law.
The plea filed by Juhi Chawla, Veeresh Malik and Teena Vachani claimed that 5G wireless technology can be a potential threat to provoke irreversible and serious effects on humans and it could also permanently damage the earth’s ecosystems.
While Blue Origin had, last month, announced to fly its first astronaut crew to space, it did not say that Bezos himself would be taking part…reports Asian Lite News
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said he will fly to the edge of space along with brother onboard his company Blue Origin’s tourism rocket — New Shepard — on July 20.
In a video uploaded on his Instagram profile, Bezos is heard saying that he and his brother Mark will be launching into space on July 20 aboard a rocket built by his space company Blue Origin, the Verge reported.
While Blue Origin had, last month, announced to fly its first astronaut crew to space, it did not say that Bezos himself would be taking part.
Bezos further said that taking a journey into space has been a lifelong dream for him, and that it will be “meaningful” to have his brother along for the ride.
“You see the earth from space and it changes you. It changes your relationship with this planet, with humanity. It’s one Earth,” he said.
“I want to go on this flight because it’s the thing I’ve wanted to do all my life. It’s an adventure. It’s a big deal for me,” he added.
The five-storey-tall New Shepard rocket is designed to launch a crew capsule with seats for six roughly 340,000 feet into the sky toward the edge of space. Paying tourists can experience a few minutes of weightlessness in microgravity and witness super high-altitude views of Earth.
The booster is topped by a gumdrop-shaped Crew Capsule with space for six passengers inside and large windows.
After reaching the Karman line, the internationally recognised boundary of Earth’s outermost atmosphere, which is 100 kilometres above sea level, the capsule will detach from the booster, allowing those inside to view the curvature of the earth and experience weightlessness.
The booster and capsule will then land separately, with the capsule landing in the west Texas desert with the help of parachutes.
In addition to Jeff and Mark Bezos, one seat on the flight will be claimed by the winning bidder of an ongoing online auction. The auction ends on June 12 and currently has a high bid of $2,800,000, the report said.
New Shepard has flown 15 successful consecutive missions to space and back above the Karman Line through a meticulous and incremental flight programme to test its multiple redundant safety systems.
Bezos’ rival Elon Musk is also expected to launch one of his crewed SpaceX Dragonships later this year.
Every week, Chinese regulators have been calling out tech companies for alleged offences…reports Asian Lite News
Claiming a crackdown on anti-competitive practices among Chinese internet giants, Beijing has ramped up a broader effort to clean up the operations of the country’s fast-growing and freewheeling tech sector.
Every week, Chinese regulators have been calling out tech companies for alleged offences, including inconsistent pricing, user privacy concerns and difficult working conditions, reported The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
In May, China’s cyber regulator accused 105 apps, including short-video and job-recruitment apps, of illegally collecting and using personal data and ordered the companies to fix their problems within three weeks or risk legal action.
Chinese regulators have also met with ride-hailing services for potential mistreatment of drivers, while internet firms have been ordered to reform their data and lending practices. Delivery platforms in China have also come under the scanner over what the authorities view as deceptive trading practices.
China continues to crack down on social media content it deems ‘controversial’. Xiaohongshu, a popular e-commerce startup, is the latest to be probed by internet regulators after it posted a message on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo on the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and had its account shut down, WSJ reported.
Beijing has been infamous for using antimonopoly rules to curb the market influence of foreign firms, As it sought to nurture its own tech company, the scenario changed when financial-technology giant Ant Group’s initial public offering (IP) was canceled last year, days after businessman Jack Ma made a speech that infuriated the government leaders.
In April, regulators imposed a whopping USD 2.8 billion fine upon Alibaba, stating that it had abused its dominant market position by engaging in a controversial practice,. Such accusations have dogged China’s e-commerce industry for years, resulting in several public complaints and lawsuits.
For some companies, placating Chinese authorities is a matter of tweaking some app features, while others could suffer more if much of their profits rely on data collection and sharing, WSJ reported citing employees of five app companies.
Some employees said they have grown more cautious about compliance and anything that could be seen as going against regulation. ByteDance, whose short-video app Douyin was among those targeted for improper data collection, has been hiring compliance and legal experts, tasking them with reviewing user terms and various app features to check for rule violations.
Chinese regulators have also called on the nation’s citizens to help supervise the behaviour of tech companies Tech companies have responded with pledges to be good corporate citizens. (ANI)
The campus leverages state-of-the-art immersive technology to provide students unparalleled access to top-notch quality education, allowing them to develop innovative content….reports Asian Lite News
The New Media Academy on Monday announced the launch of the Middle East’s first virtual campus that will deliver an unrivalled learning experience.
The campus leverages state-of-the-art immersive technology to provide students unparalleled access to top-notch quality education, allowing them to develop innovative content.
The inauguration of the virtual campus drew the participation of several Academy members and alumni, including leaders from public and private sector institutions and independent content makers.
Immersive and virtual reality technology specialist and Forbes columnist Charlie Fink delivered a presentation on the role of AR and VR in business and accelerating the global transition towards digital learning in virtual and immersive environments.
The campus is a custom New Media Academy-branded Space Station in orbit around Mars. Users will be given the experience to transport down to the surface of Mars to explore the planet.
“VR and immersive technologies are shaping the learning experience of tomorrow. It is not a moment; it is a permanent movement. With the extensive set of tools that comes with immersive learning, accessibility becomes a possibility and is the next best thing to real life,” said Rashid Al Awadhi, CEO of the New Media Academy.
“Students become active participants in an elevated educational process, with exceptional multi-sensory 3D experiences, where they can interact with objects and each other. VR is not simply a supplement for other learning solutions – it is the future. Our students have access to the highest quality education, supported by the world’s best educators,” Al Awadhi added.
The launch event included a conversation between the participants and Charlie Fink. Fink answered questions about the future of virtual and interactive learning environments, and their role in empowering the leaders of institutions to contribute to building future smart societies.
It also cooperates with world-renowned experts and trainers to deliver its educational programs that cover various digital skills and grant the Academy’s members a competitive head start in communication, digital strategy design and content creation.
FBI to treat ransomware incidents as terror attacks
President Joe Biden said last week that his administration was “looking closely” at whether to retaliate against Russia for a recent ransomware attack….reports Asian Lite News
Taking a tough stand on growing ransomware attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Justice Department have announced to treat such cyber incidents as terror attacks.
Christopher Wray, Director of the FBI, told The Wall Street Journal that the country is facing a similar challenge like 9/11, and the Bureau has identified about 100 different types of ransomware, several of them being traced to Russia.
“There are a lot of parallels, there’s a lot of importance, and a lot of focus by us on disruption and prevention. There’s a shared responsibility, not just across government agencies but across the private sector and even the average American,” Wray told WSJ on Saturday.
President Joe Biden said last week that his administration was “looking closely” at whether to retaliate against Russia for a recent ransomware attack.
“We’re looking closely at that issue,” Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if the US would retaliate against Russia for the latest ransomware attack.
Major meat producer JBS USA said that it suffered a cyberattack and notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organisation likely based in Russia.
The latest ransomware attack came weeks after a similar cyberattack targeting Colonial Pipeline, which forced the company to shut down approximately 5,500 miles of fuel pipeline for days.
Senior Justice Department officials were quoted as saying in reports that ransomware attacks would be investigated in a manner similar to terror incidents.
Biden said last month that he would raise the cybercrime issue in talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when they meet in Geneva on June 16.
Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years.
The two sides have obvious differences on issues related to Ukraine, cybersecurity, human rights, and US election interference.
Alarmed at repeated cyber-attacks on the country, Biden last month signed an executive order, implementing new policies to improve national cybersecurity.
Admitting that the US is facing persistent and increasingly sophisticated malicious cyber campaigns that threaten the public sector, the private sector, and ultimately the American people’s security and privacy, Biden said that the government must improve its efforts to identify, deter, protect against, detect, and respond to these actions and actors.
Speaking on the Government Stage, Ghaith Alsuwaidi, Deputy Director, Security Systems for the DESC, unveiled the new platform, designed entirely by a team of UAE nationals…reports Asian Lite News
The Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC) has launched a new cybersecurity platform, known as “TIRS”, which translates to “Shield” in English, at GISEC 2021, the 9th edition of the Middle East and Africa’s most influential and connected cybersecurity event, where is open until tomorrow at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
Speaking on the Government Stage, Ghaith Alsuwaidi, Deputy Director, Security Systems for the DESC, unveiled the new platform, designed entirely by a team of UAE nationals, which scans Dubai government websites to detect vulnerabilities within departments, delivers top-line data and issues a safety score out of five.
The platform also creates a threat report to inform participating entities on critical weaknesses, enabling them to take appropriate action to resolve any security gaps. Once the threat is identified and dealt with, the DESC will confirm the action taken within the TIRS system.
“TIRS is one of the key pillars monitoring Dubai’s cyberspace, through the Dubai Cyber Index Platform. We continuously scan government websites and based on the security of the government entities we give them a score out of five. It ensures the security of government websites and introduces competitiveness in terms of website security, all the time making Dubai’s cyberspace safer,” said Alsuwaidi, adding that the TIRS scoring will be a parameter on the Dubai Cyber Index by the end of this year.
Dr. Marwan Al-Zarouni, Director, Information Security Services, Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC), stated, “In Dubai, we are not isolated from the world when it comes to regulation, and we participate in global programmes and contribute to policy-making. We are one of the first cities to mandate that all cloud providers to any government bodies need to be compliant to our security standards.”
UAE-based cybersecurity advisor, Digital14, launched its Cyber Resilience Report: The UAE Threat Landscape 2021, during GISEC.
Cyber defence experts evaluated and analysed multiple digital assets in the UAE to give an in-depth understanding of the country’s threat landscape.
Digital14’s research revealed an exponential surge in phishing and ransomware with 1.1 million phishing attacks in 2020.
Joshua Knight, EVP Cyber Defence, Digital14, said, “Traditional cybersecurity approaches are no longer enough. Traditional perimeter-based network defence, for example, is obsolete. Not only does the perimeter no longer exist in our newly connected environments, but organisations must also recognise that their networks have most likely already been breached.”
Key findings of the report include: In 2020, 249,955 vulnerabilities were found in 800,315 unique instances Significant numbers of old vulnerabilities, some dating back to 2000, have yet to be remediated within UAE organisations’ networks. These can easily provide an entry point for devastating cyberattacks Ransomware increased with a 33 percent rise in the number of new ransomware families compared with 2019
Besides topping several global and Arab indices in different fields including smart government, telecommunication, education, health and digital solutions, reports Asian Lite News
The Digital Transformation in the UAE Report 2020 released by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has revealed the many first and the efforts made by the Emirate in making it the hub of digital transformation globally.
Besides topping several global and Arab indices in different fields including smart government, telecommunication, education, health and digital solutions, the UAE has also emerged as the leader in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the Arab region.
Commenting on the report, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director-General of TDRA and Head of Digital Government, said, “The achievements highlighted by this report are fruits of accumulated efforts and vision of the wise leadership to set the UAE as a leading model for future foresight and happiness on basis of technology, advanced science and digital transformation. I appreciate the efforts of federal and local government entities, which worked as one team in harmony to serve the UAE’s objective of digitalising government services.”
In the health sector, UAE has been ranked first in the number of accredited medical facilities index. Accredited medical facilities which met required standards (including IT management and employment in healthcare services) reached 88.33 percent. It has been ranked 12th in health infrastructure.
In the economic sector, UAE has been ranked first in several indices, including public-private partnership and its impact on technology development, use of virtual professional networks, and government purchase of advanced technology products.
UAE has also been ranked first in the Arab region for its readiness in future index, IMD’s digital competitiveness index, and market value of information and media technology index.
With regard to capacity building, the UAE has been ranked fourth globally in the legal framework’s adaptability to digital business models, second in ICT usage, big data usage and analysis, and government future orientation.
The report also reveals on the achievements of federal and local governments in the field of digital transformation. The initiatives by the UAE includes orientation to paperless government, digital service platforms, and digital connection among government entities through the Federal Network (FedNet), UAE Pass and Government Service Bus (GSB). The initiatives also reveal the optimistic strategies approved by the government to enter the age of the fourth industrial revolution, artificial intelligence and big data analysis.
“In the UAE, we are determined to save no efforts to enhance the due position of the UAE since the start of the Union and under directions of our wise leadership. Today, we achieved many top ranks, particularly in digital transformation, under the directions of our leadership and with the help of our national cadres. We prepare for the next fifty years to make more achievements,” said Al Mansoori.
UAE tops mobile phone network coverage
The UAE has been ranked first globally in mobile broadband internet subscriptions, mobile phone network coverage, mobile broadband subscriptions, and wireless broadband. The report referred to a set of leading initiatives related to information society and digital economy, including the E-Health Information System ‘Wareed”, robotic pharmacy, eService integration, and Human Resources Management Information System (Bayanati).
In the economic and security sectors, the UAE has made significant achievements, including the development of “Start your business in 15 minutes”, the police station in your phone, and the Hassantuk project.
The report highlighted the UAE’s smart platform for big data and transition to IPV6. The UAE is the first country at the regional level to apply IPV6, the federal network “FedNet” and the digital identity “UAE PASS”.
The report reviewed achievements made at the level of local governments of the seven emirates of the UAE, highlighting the large volume of work that has been achieved in terms of digital transformation of public services. These achievements enhance the UAE’s orientation towards a new brighter future in the era of the 4th industrial revolution, artificial intelligence, space and the digital knowledge society.
Forty years to the top
The report states the story of digital transformation in the UAE, which started in the early 1980s with the establishment of the Public Information Authority. That authority was responsible for the automation of government processes and the introduction of computer in federal government work. The report highlighted some achievements in the digital world till 2021, the year of the UAE golden jubilee and preparation for the next fifty years.
Juhi Chawla alleges that actions of regulatory agencies reveal an utter derogation of their own statutory duty in order to advance private interests…reports Asian Lite News
A law suit filed by actress Juhi Chawla in the Delhi High Court on the health risks associated with the 5G telecom technology has said that there has been a complete sell-out by the regulatory agencies in order to advance private interests.
The suit documents said that the regulatory agencies have been tasked to protect the health and life of the public, but whose actions reveal an utter derogation of their own statutory duty in order to advance private interests, this sell-out naturally being on account of extraneous considerations provided by private interests.
The suit addressed the “dire and palpable risks to the public at large which an indiscriminate and admittedly untested rollout of the 5G cellular telecommunications technology entails”.
“In other words, no one party/individual can be allowed to profit at the expense of health, safety and life of others,” the suit said.
The suit pointed out that Brussels in Belgium, while recognising the health hazards, became the first major city in the world to actually halt any further steps in the 5G rollout.
It also pointed out that insurance companies like Lloyds of London and Swiss Re have refused since 2001 to cover the risk of telecom providers against lawsuits relating even to injury related to radiation, much less death.
In the suit, Chawla along with Veeresh Malik and Teena Vachani argued that until and unless the 5G technology is “certified safe”, its rollout should not be permitted, seeking directions from the court in this matter.
Chawla said if the telecommunication industry’s plans for 5G come to fruition, “no person, no animal, no bird, no insect and no plant on Earth will be able to avoid exposure, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to levels of RF radiation that are 10x to 100x times greater than what exists today”.
These 5G plans threaten to provoke serious, irreversible effects on humans and permanent damage to all of the Earth’s ecosystems, she said.
The South Korean tech giant moved ahead of China’s Xiaomi for the first time to take the runner-up spot with a market share of 11.8 percent…reports Asian Lite News
Samsung Electronics took over Chinese brand Xiaomi to become the world’s second-largest vendor of wearable devices in the first quarter of the year, a report has showed, on the back of its wireless earbuds sales.
The South Korean tech giant moved ahead of China’s Xiaomi for the first time to take the runner-up spot with a market share of 11.8 percent, which was up 0.6 percentage point from a year earlier, according to the latest report from market researcher International Data Corporation (IDC).
At third place, Xiaomi was the only company among the top five brands to suffer an on-year decline in its wearable devices sales.
Xiaomi’s market share dropped to 9.7 percent from 13.3 percent from a year ago after its wearable shipments slipped 1.8 percent on-year to 10.2 million units, Yonhap news agency reported, quoting from the report.
Samsung shipped 11.8 million units of wearable products in the January-March period, up 35.7 percent from a year earlier.
“Driving its volumes higher has been its truly wireless earbuds, including the Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds+ and the most recent addition, the Galaxy Buds Pro,” IDC said.
