Bullied herself online, Britain’s Princess Beatrice is determined to ensure other girls are equipped to deal with internet abuse and get the best from the digital world. Beatrice — who as the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and his former wife, the Duchess of York, is eighth in line to the British throne — said …
Facebook: More than 100 Accounts Blocked Prior to US Midterms
Facebook says it has blocked more than 100 accounts with potential ties to a so-called Russian “troll farm” that may have sought to interfere with Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. The social media giant said in a statement Wednesday that it had blocked the Facebook and Instagram accounts ahead of the …
Facebook, Google Tools Reveal New Political Ad Tactics
Public databases that shine a light on online political ads – launched by Facebook and Google before Tuesday’s U.S. elections – offer the public the first broad view of how quickly the companies yank advertisements that break their rules. The databases also provided campaigns unprecedented insight into opponents’ online marketing, …
Floating Solar Panels Buoy Access to Clean Energy in Asia
When the worst floods in a century swept through India’s southern Kerala state in August, they killed more than 480 people and left behind more than $5 billion in damage. But one thing survived unscathed: India’s first floating solar panels, on one of the country’s largest water reservoirs. As India …
Young Women Build Kyrgyzstan’s First Satellite
Reaching for the stars will no longer be impossible for girls and young women in Kyrgyzstan, who aim to build and launch the country’s first satellite before 2020. A dozen budding female scientists have been tinkering with computers, 3-D printers and soldering irons since March to build a CubeSat, which …
Indonesian Startup Uses Road Safety to Drive Women’s Empowerment
Iim Fahima Jachja cannot operate a vehicle and relies on a driver to get around the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, but that did not stop her from putting road safety at the heart of her women’s empowerment startup. Since launching in late 2016, Queenrides has attracted 200,000 members to join its …
Facebook Says Human Rights Report Shows It Should Do More in Myanmar
Facebook on Monday said a human rights report it commissioned on its presence in Myanmar showed it had not done enough to prevent its social network from being used to incite violence. The report by San Francisco-based nonprofit Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) recommended that Facebook more strictly enforce its …
Don’t Leave Half the World Offline and Behind, Urges Web Founder
British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, appealed on Monday for companies and governments not to leave behind half of the world population yet to have internet access, which includes billions of women and girls. Berners-Lee told the opening of the Europe’s largest technology conference that …
Musk Tweets New Video of LA-area Transportation Test Tunnel
Elon Musk has tweeted a new video of a tunnel constructed under a Los Angeles suburb to test a new type of transportation system. Musk tweeted Saturday that he walked the length of the tunnel and commented that it is “disturbingly long.” The tunnel runs about 2 miles …
As Americans Vote, Facebook Struggles With Misinformation
As U.S. voters prepare to head to the polls Tuesday, the election will also be a referendum on Facebook. In recent months, the social networking giant has beefed up scrutiny of what is posted on its site, looking for fake accounts, misinformation and hate speech, while encouraging people to go …
As US Prepares for Elections, Facebook Struggles to Tackle Misinformation
As U.S. voters prepare to head to the polls Nov. 6, all eyes are on how Facebook is grappling with giving people a platform to speak but also keeping misinformation in check. Michelle Quinn reports from San Francisco. …
Camera-Equipped Dogs Are Sniffing and Scoping out Crime Scenes
We’ve all heard about how surveillance robots can scope out an area before police or rescue personnel head into a potentially dangerous situation. But some K-9 officers in the U.S. states of Oregon and Wisconsin are getting great help from camera equipped dogs. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
Google Silicon Valley Employees Join a Worldwide Protest
San Francisco Google employees joined a worldwide company walkout Thursday in protest of what they are calling the mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations. Deana Mitchell reports. …
Days After Synagogue Massacre, Online Hate Is Thriving
A website popular with racists that was used by the man charged in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre was shut down within hours of the slaughter, but it hardly mattered: Anti-Semites and racists who hang out in such havens just moved to other online forums. On Wednesday, four days after 11 …
Google Workers Worldwide Protest Company’s Handling of Sex Harassment Cases
It was a protest that went around the globe. From Singapore to Dublin, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Pryor, Oklahoma, Google employees walked out of their offices to protest the internet search giant’s handling of sexual discrimination cases, and express their frustration with its workplace culture. In San Francisco, where Google …
Report: China Exporting Knowledge of Restricting Internet Worldwide
China is exporting its methods of strict internet controls to governments around the world that are employing them to stifle dissent and free flow of information, and tighten their grip on power, according to U.S.-based Freedom House. In an annual report issued Wednesday, the rights watchdog said global internet freedom …
Google Workers Launch Worldwide Protests
Hundreds of Google employees left their offices Thursday as part of a worldwide walkout protest of the company’s handling of sexual harassment cases and its workplace culture. More than a thousand workers and contractors reportedly gathered outside of Google’s Mountain View, California, headquarters. Hundreds more, most of them women, also …
Report: Freedom of Internet Declines for 7th Consecutive Year
Governments around the world are increasing control over use of the internet and social media, according to the latest report by the Freedom House organization. In 2017, officials in many countries accused dissidents of spreading fake news as a pretext to silence them. Online propaganda and uncontrolled harvesting of personal …
US Supreme Court Divided Over How Google Settled Privacy Case
U.S. Supreme Court justices, in an internet privacy case involving Google, disagreed on Wednesday over whether to rein in a form of settlement in class action lawsuits that awards money to charities and other third parties instead of to people affected by the alleged wrongdoing. The $8.5 million Google settlement …
Birthday Blues for Bitcoin as Investors Face Year-on-Year Loss
Bitcoin was heading towards a year-on-year loss on Wednesday, its 10th birthday, the first loss since last year’s bull market, when the original and biggest digital coin muscled its way to worldwide attention with months of frenzied buying. By 1300 GMT, bitcoin was trading at $6,263 on the BitStamp exchange, …
S. Korean Voting Machines at Center of DRC Election Dispute
As elections approach in the central African nation the Democratic Republic of Congo, concerns have been raised over the integrity of electronic voting machines being used in the national poll that were made by South Korea’s Miryu Systems. VOA’s Steve Miller reports from Seoul on the risks. …
Google Spinoff to Test Truly Driverless Cars in California
The robotic car company created by Google is poised to attempt a major technological leap in California, where its vehicles will hit the roads without a human on hand to take control in emergencies. The regulatory approval announced Tuesday allows Waymo’s driverless cars to cruise through California at speeds up …
Electronics Flexes Into the Future
Advancements in digital printing are leading to more sophisticated, flexible electronics capable of changing the way we live and the way we use technology. Reporter Deana Mitchell takes a look at the latest technological innovations at a research center in San Jose, California. …
China Steps Up VPN Blocks Ahead of Major Trade, Internet Shows
Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to block virtual private networks (VPN), service providers said Tuesday in describing a “cat-and-mouse” game with censors ahead of a major trade expo and internet conference. VPNs allow internet users in China, including foreign companies, to access overseas sites that authorities bar through the …