⚡️ Forget the Olympic athletes, it's the tech that's going for gold at #Beijing2022.

⭕️ But could some of the new gadgets and tools lead to a privacy nightmare?

🇨🇳 We look at 5 innovations creating a buzz at the #Olympics. 🧵👇

news.trust.org/item/202201311…
1️⃣ Robot chefs

👩‍🍳 Visitors can expect some of their food to be prepared and served by friendly robots.

🍔 They can make hamburgers, serve ice cream and coffee, and even deliver room service.

⭕️ They also ensure social distancing and help sanitise areas.
news.trust.org/item/202201311…
2️⃣ Digital yuan

🏦 The Olympics will be the first major test for foreigners to use the digital yuan, a central bank digital currency.

The digital coin has been trialled across China.

👁 But CBDCs are vulnerable to cyber attacks and can increase surveillance, tech experts warn.
3️⃣ App surveillance

📱 The Olympics' COVID-19 monitoring app has security weaknesses that can expose users to data breaches, say @CitizenLab.

⭕️ But authorities have explained that its main purpose is to monitor people's health, and that it follows strict rules to protect data.
4️⃣ Phone monitoring

📱 Cybersecurity firm Internet 2.0 advised attendees to buy a new phone to use only while in China.

@TeamUSA were encouraged to use a new device.

🇳🇱Dutch athletes have been told to not bring their phones and laptops to avoid the risk of being spied on.
5️⃣ Unrestricted internet

⚡️China has promised unrestricted internet access for foreign athletes.

💻This means sites normally blocked in the country, like Facebook and Twitter, can be accessed.

⭕️But using Chinese WiFi to connect opens visitors up to surveillance, experts warn.
👁 @HRW says visitors going to @Beijing2022 could be subjected to an "Orwellian surveillance state."

😲 But authorities say the new tech is a leap into the future.

⭕️ Read more from reporter @RinaChandran: news.trust.org/item/202201311…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Thomson Reuters Foundation News

Thomson Reuters Foundation News Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @TRF_Stories

Jan 27
💰 #Crypto could be revolutionising the way we pay.

🚨 But is it doing more harm than good?

🇸🇻 While nations like El Salvador are embracing crypto like #Bitcoin, others such as Russia are starting to crack down.

Here’s why countries and authorities are sounding the alarm. 🧵
1️⃣Crypto could weaken the economy

@IMFNews has urged El Salvador to drop #Bitcoin as a legal tender, citing "large risks".

🇵🇰Pakistan's central bank argues cryptocurrency trading could mean more money flowing out of the country.

news.trust.org/item/202201260…
2️⃣ Citizens may need more protections

🇸🇬 Singapore's @MAS_sg has deemed crypto "highly risky and not suitable for the general public".

☪️ In Indonesia, top clerics say that paying using crypto is unlawful in Islam, because they carry elements of uncertainty and harm.
Read 9 tweets
Jan 25
🇦🇫 Five months since the Taliban seized power, Afghan companies are battling to stay afloat.

📉 International sanctions and curbs against the hardline Islamist group are fuelling a deepening economic crisis.

⭕️ Here's how businesses in the country have been affected. 👇 ImageImage
1️⃣ Dynamic Vision

⭕️ Dynamic Vision was one of the country's top infrastructure companies.

It had more than 300 projects, some 1,200 employees and an annual turnover of $10 million.

⛔️ But the Taliban takeover meant millions stuck in unpaid dues and limited cash. Image
🤝 Now, Dynamic Vision has shifted from infrastructure to humanitarian work.

🇺🇳 It's currently doing research for the @UNmigration.

💼 CEO @AbdulEhsanMohma warns that unless jobs are created, the poor will suffer the most. Image
Read 8 tweets
Jan 18
📈 The #NFT market has exploded over the past year.

💰 Sales soared past $24.9 billion in 2021, according to market tracker @DappRadar.

⚠️ But more artists are sounding the alarm over thieves stealing their digital work.

⭕️ How big is the industry's fraud problem? 🧵
1️⃣ What are NFTs?

🖥 NFTs represent a digital item like an image or video.

⚡️ They're usually bought with #crypto and transactions are recorded on a blockchain.

📱 On some marketplaces, anyone can create and sell NFTs, without showing proof of ownership of the original image.
2️⃣ Who is embracing them?

✨ More celebrities are joining the craze like rapper @SnoopDogg who unveiled his first collection in 2021.

🦧 TV host @JimmyFallon bought @BoredApeYC NFTs while actress @ReeseW voiced her support for more women in NFT spaces.
Read 11 tweets
Jan 17
💰 A new billionaire has emerged every 26 hours since the pandemic began.

📈 According to @Oxfam, the world's richest people including @ElonMusk and @JeffBezos have seen their fortunes soar.

🌎 So what has COVID-19 meant for inequality?

⭕️ Here are 4 facts you need to know. 🧵
1️⃣ The rich got richer...

⭕️ The 10 wealthiest men earned $1.3bn a day during the pandemic.

They own more than the world's poorest 3.1bn people combined.

💰 The increase in @JeffBezos’ fortune alone could pay for everyone on earth to be safely vaccinated, says @Oxfam.
2️⃣ The poor became poorer...

🏚More than 160m people have been pushed into poverty. Inequality between nations is set to rise for the first time in a generation.

⭕️Yet wealthy countries are recovering faster from COVID-19 and output could return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023.
Read 7 tweets
Dec 22, 2021
🤯 Did you know the global metaverse market could hit nearly $42 billion globally by 2026?

🌎 From tech giants to pop stars and entire cities, more are racing to embrace these virtual worlds.

Here are 5 major players emerging in the metaverse. 🧵 ImageImageImage
🏗 The builders

Firms like @Meta and @Microsoft are doing the groundwork to build the metaverse and develop the tech underpinning it.

🎮 They’re joined by video game platform @Roblox which said it aims to help users create their own vast virtual places. news.trust.org/item/202112211… ImageImage
👗 The designers

👟 @Nike bought virtual sneaker company RTFKT and built a new digital world "NIKELAND".

@BALENCIAGA teamed up with #Fortnite to bring the brand’s clothing and 'fit sets' into the game.

@VANS_66 has even created a virtual skateboarding playground for fans. 🛹 ImageImageImage
Read 8 tweets
Dec 7, 2021
🇺🇸 In the U.S., a new war is emerging in classrooms.

🚫 Texas recently banned teaching critical race theory, an academic concept examining how race and racism has shaped society in America.

But it’s not the only state outlawing CRT. Here's what's happening across the nation. 🧵
🔴 Texas

💬 @GovAbbott's Senate Bill 3 came into effect last week. The measure says teachers can't discuss how one race is "inherently superior" or that someone is responsible for past actions of their race.

Students should also not feel "distress on account of... race or sex.”
🔴 Arizona

🚫 In June, a similar law was signed by governor @DougDucey banning teachers from “instruction that presents any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex.”

Schools that violate HB 2898 face a fine of up to $5,000. news.trust.org/item/202110011…
Read 9 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

:(