Governments worldwide are concerned with the spread of so-called fake news online, Photo: freepik Last week, Google has been accused of manipulating users to track their activities in the Czech Republic, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, and Sweden. AFP reported that seven European consumer groups filed complaints against Google with national regulators, accusing it of covertly tracking users’ movements in violation of EU data protection regulations. The complaints stated that Google used “deceptive design and misleading information, which results in users accepting to be constantly tracked.” Council official Gro Mette Moen charged, “Google uses extremely detailed and comprehensive personal data without an appropriate judicial basis, and the data is acquired by means of manipulative techniques.” Social media contains risks Over the last years, the emergence of the Internet and social media has brought about quite the information … [Read more...] about Taxing times for the internet icons
Bbc news business reporter
Melbourne attack: Man arrested after fire and stabbings
A man has been arrested after setting a car on fire and stabbing three people - one fatally - in central Melbourne, Australia. The attacker was shot by police after confronting officers on a busy city street, authorities said. He was taken into custody in a critical condition. The two survivors were taken to hospital - one in a suspected critical condition. Police said they were "not looking for anyone further at this early stage". It was too early to say if the incident was terror-related, they said. Footage from the scene showed police confronting the man on Bourke Street -- Photo: EPA Officers were initially called to reports of a car fire near Bourke Street, a busy thoroughfare, at about 16:20 local time (05:20 GMT). "As they got out of the car, they were confronted by a male brandishing a knife and threatening them," Supt David Clayton said in a news conference. "At the same time, passers-by were calling out that members of the public had been stabbed." Police said the … [Read more...] about Melbourne attack: Man arrested after fire and stabbings
Baseless accusations do firms long term damage
Con Cung is working to mitigate the damage caused by the ungrounded allegations Photo: Le Toan Con Cung still struggles Despite having cleared its name after being accused of selling goods of unclear origin, the consequences of domestic maternal and baby product distributor Con Cung JSC’s ordeal can be felt to this day. The company lost VND1-2 billion ($44,247-88,495) in sales a day, while the damage done to its reputation is difficult to assess. Nguyen Quoc Minh, chairman of Con Cung JSC’s Management Board, told VIR that since the issue occurred, the company’s business has been hugely impacted. During the 28 days of inspection, instead of maintaining normal business, it had to work with the Market Surveillance Agency to clarify the origin of its goods. “Since the issue occurred, our sales have been reduced by 20 per cent,” Minh added. “We lost VND1-2 billion in sales per day, which directly impacted our staff’s income because their wages … [Read more...] about Baseless accusations do firms long term damage
Vietnam’s ex-Uber drivers shun Grab in favor of local competitors
Former Uber drivers in Vietnam are migrating towards domestic competitors instead of joining ride-hailing firm Grab, which acquired Uber’s Southeast Asian operations last month. Many have opted for firms that offer similar services to Grab, such as Mai Linh and Vato, saying they want to support local businesses where they hope to receive better treatment. Ho Huy, president of Mai Linh, said Uber drivers have been signing up to work for his company since last month, with more coming every day. “At first, there were only a couple of drivers who came to sign up with us. Now we get hundreds of them on our best days,” he told VnExpress. Tran Thanh Nam, CEO of ride-hailing app Vato, said about 5,000 drivers had signed up to work for his firm in just two weeks, ever since word got out at the end of last month that Grab was acquiring Uber, media reports said. Vo Van Phu, a former Uber driver in Ho Chi Minh City, said he felt “sad” about Uber leaving Vietnam as he … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s ex-Uber drivers shun Grab in favor of local competitors
Social News 15/1
Small-scale coffee farmer gets helping handLò Thị Phong from Chiềng Chung Commune in Mai Sơn District in the mountain province of Sơn La, has cultivated coffee for more than 10 years on 5,000 square metres of land, but she still finds life difficult.A decade seems long enough to improve farmining practices by trial-and-error, however, according to the middle-aged Thái woman, “even now, we still cannot keep proper financial accounts”.During discussions hosted by CARE International last week, stakeholders in the mountain coffee industry touched on deeper obstacles facing the industry.CARE has worked in Việt Nam since 1989, concentrating on supporting rights and sustainable development among vulnerable groups, particularly remote ethnic communities, poor women and girls and people vulnerable to climate change.Nguyễn Vĩnh Đức, deputy director of the Sơn La branch of the Minh Tiến Coffee Export Joint Stock … [Read more...] about Social News 15/1