๐ Flying drones for taxis
๐ป Holographs for teachers
๐ Even a man-made moon
Would you sell your data to live in Saudi Arabia's new smart city, #TheLine?
Some are keen but others are concerned. Why? ๐งต
๐๏ธ #TheLine will be the first development in @NEOM, a planned $500 billion city.
The sustainable smart city will feature two skyscrapers stretching in a straight line over 170 kilometers.
๐ It will stack homes and offices vertically, mining the data of its 9 million people.
๐ฐSaudi Arabia plans to pay @NEOM residents for their data.
๐ฒ This will be collected from their smartphones, homes, facial recognition, and a host of other sensors.
๐ It will be used to manage power, water, waste, transport, healthcare, and security.
But Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record doesn't bode well for responsible data usage and privacy protection, experts say.
๐ฃ๏ธ"The surveillance concerns are justified, it is, in effect, a surveillance city," said Vincent Mosco, a researcher of the social impacts of technology.
๐ค๐ซ Some rights experts back paying people for data, which is often collected without an individual's consent.
๐ Others worry that payment incentives will create a two-tier system where some data is valued more highly than others.
But not everyone is concerned.
๐ฃ"My data is already used by social media platforms, ride-sharing apps, etc. This system is better because I get paid," said Fahd Mohamed, a 28-year-old engineer who lives in Jeddah.
๐ฒ @NEOM residents will also have control over what personal information is shared and how it is used.
๐จ They will be alerted if data is used without consent.
โ Would you live in the #TheLine and be paid for your data?
๐Some argue many of us are giving our data away for free anyway. #TheLine shows it can be consensual and people can be paid for it.
โBut critics worry that @NEOM residents will have no control over how it is used.
๐บ๐ฆ "A new nation appeared in the world on Feb. 24... It was not born, but reborn,โ said @ZelenskyyUa in a speech to celebrate Ukraine's 31st independence day.
Today marks six months since the invasion by Russia. Here's how the crisis affected the lives of ordinary Ukrainians. ๐งต
๐บ๐ฆ The war triggered Europe's worst refugee crisis since the end of WWII, @UNmigration reported.
๐ช๐บ Most refugees have crossed to the EU.
In May, nearly 400 of them found a haven in France under a community project.
โญ๏ธ More than 1.5 million children have fled the war in Ukraine by March.
๐ From Ireland to Poland, countries expanded classes and fast-tracked the registration of Ukrainian teachers to ensure children do not lose out on education.
๐ฒ๐ฝ Many Mexicans can't afford to buy basic food...
๐ง๐ท Meat is becoming a luxury in Brazil...
๐ป๐ช And some Venezuelans can't even pay to bury their dead.
The cost-of-living crisis is wreaking havoc in countries worldwide.
Hereโs how three nations in the Americas are coping. ๐งต
๐ฒ๐ฝ In Mexico, the #UkraineCrisis has pushed the price of corn to a nine-year high.
Vegetable oil prices are also up by 23% over the last year. Inflation is at a 21-year high of nearly 8%.
๐ฎ Families are cutting back on staples like tacos and empanadas.
๐จ From London to Nairobi to New Delhi, nations everywhere have been hit by rising food and energy costs.
๐บ๐ฆ Triggered by the #UkraineCrisis and COVID-19, the cost of living crisis is devastating ordinary people.
Here's how it's reaching breaking point in 6 countries. ๐งต
๐ฌ๐ง UK
๐ Inflation is running at the highest rate for 40 years.
๐ธ Debt is spiralling fast with research showing there's now a 38% increase in households saying they were a heavy financial burden in 2021. tmsnrt.rs/3PfjM8b
๐ฌ๐ง 62-year-old Lenny Poynton lost his job as a removal man in early 2021.
๐ฝ He now has to skip meals to stretch his benefit income of about ยฃ250 per month.
๐ Rising bills weigh heavily on his mind and he just about survives with support from friends and family.