Author: Akin Naphtal

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Monday that it will offer a new option for its European users to enjoy its social media platforms without seeing any Ads. The EU regulations threaten to curb Meta’s ability to personalize ads for users without their consent and hurt its major revenue source. The Ad- free subscription plan, which will be available starting next month, is a response to the growing regulatory scrutiny and public backlash that Meta and other tech giants are facing over their data collection and advertising practices. Meta was fined 390 million euros earlier this…

MTN Ghana has re-registered 600,000 previously blocked SIM cards due to the National Communications Authority’s (NCA) SIM card re-registration initiative. This represents 11% of the SIMs re-registered. The total number of outstanding disconnected SIMs currently stands at 4.9 million at the end of September 2023. Adhering to the SIM re-registration directive by the NCA, MTN blocked 5.4 million SIM cards that lacked registration with the Ghana card as of May 31, 2023. But it was able to re-register about one-eleventh at the end of September 2023 This consequently decreased its subscriber base by 9.3% to 25.8 million. The telecommunications giant…

In a historic moment for the future of artificial intelligence (AI), China, the United States (US), the European Union (EU), and over 25 countries have gathered at Bletchley Park, England, in a landmark summit to chart a course for safe AI development. This summit aims to address the rising concerns surrounding the rapid progress of AI and the imperative need for global cooperation in designing safeguards and regulations. It was initiated by British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who aims to position the United Kingdom (UK) as an intermediary between the economic blocs of the United States, China, and the European…

Cybersecurity firm, CyberSOC Africa, has chosen Kenya as the springboard for launching an expansive cybersecurity endeavour across the African continent, and also enable Kenyan organisations flourish within a secure digital landscape. The establishment of the CyberSOC Kenyan office is set to bolster the cybersecurity defences of regional governments and the private sector. With the increasing number of services and transactions transforming to digital platforms, the Kenyan office’s mission is to enhance their capacity to respond effectively to evolving cyber threats. Additionally, the newly inaugurated office will serve as the East African headquarters, playing a pivotal role in promoting cybersecurity awareness…

Aiming to revolutionise Africa’s blockchain mining landscape, leading blockchain mining platform, Pacminer, has announced a $50 million joint venture with Ghanaian government agencies and blockchain companies. Pacminer debuted in Ghana in October 2022, introducing innovative approaches to employment and investment that have catalysed the growth of the mining market. This move garnered praise from over one million global users, establishing Pacminer as a force to be reckoned with in the blockchain mining industry. One of the cornerstones of Pacminer’s success has been its unwavering commitment to technological advancements. This commitment has translated into an industry-wide increase of over 20% in…

28 Countries attending the ongoing  AI Summit in the United Kingdom (UK) have signed the “Bletchley Declaration”, an international agreement listing opportunities, risks and needs for global action on ‘frontier AI,’ systems that pose the most urgent and dangerous risks, the 28 countries, including the US, the UK, China, six EU member states, Brazil, Nigeria, Israel and Saudi Arabia. All these countries attended the UK’s AI Safety Summit, taking place in Bletchley Park, England, on November 1-2. The Declaration fulfils key summit objectives in establishing shared agreement and responsibility on the risks, opportunities and a forward process for international collaboration…

The world’s first global summit on AI safety will take place this week at Bletchley Park in Southern England from Nov 1st to 2nd November, hosted by Britain to explore the dangers of the rapidly expanding technology and initiate a global conversation on how to regulate it. There would be around 100 guests, including world leaders, tech company executives, academics and nonprofits to grace the grand occasion along with reputable sponsors like OMDIA, Reply, IBM, Italian Trade Agency, Shell, Domino Data Lab, Technology Innovation Institute, Cambridge Consultants, Deloitte, and many more. Also, the event will be attended by many distinguished…

Canada has banned the use of the Chinese messaging application, WeChat, and Russian antivirus program, Kaspersky, on government-issued mobile devices, citing concerns about privacy and security. The removal of these applications from government-issued mobile devices commenced on Monday, 30th October, and future downloads will be blocked for users. The ban follows a comprehensive assessment held by Canada’s chief information officer, Catherine Luelo, found that the applications posed an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” according to the Treasury Board of Canada, responsible for public administration oversight. WeChat, owned by Tencent, and applications developed by the Moscow-based company Kaspersky,…

Preparations are in top gear as leaders in digitization will be honoured at the 8th Africa Digital Economy Awards on 10th November 2023 at the Emara Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Following 7 successful editions in West Africa, ADEA moves to Kenya in its 8th edition to engender Pan-Africanism in digitalization. Themed, “Celebrating Digital Excellence,” ADEA in its 8th year will celebrate and honour Africa’s digital champions, innovators, creativities, and inventions across multiple areas whose contributions have significantly impacted the digital growth and security of the African economy during the gala night. ADEA is in alignment with the digital…

UK telecoms group, Vodafone, is set to sell its Vodafone Spain to Zegona Communications for 5 billion euros ($5.30 billion), as CEO, Margherita Della Valle, works to increase the telecom giant’s growth in mature markets. Since she assumed her position in January 2023, Margherita Della Valle, has made a commitment to enhance Vodafone’s profitability. She has focused on turning around underperforming markets, announcing 11,000 job cuts in May, and the merger of Vodafone’s British unit with CK Hutchison’s Three in June. Della Valle highlighted that the deal with Zegona Communications was a strategic move that would allow Vodafone to concentrate…