“Will we look back at 2020 as the moment privacy finally evaporated?” asks CNN’s international security editor:
Privacy International called Covid-19’s impact on privacy “unprecedented.” “9/11 ushered covert and overt surveillance regimes, many of which were unlawful,” said Edin Omanovic, the campaign group’s advocacy director. The surveillance industry “understands that this is an opportunity comparable to 9/11 in terms of legitimizing and…
Tag: Panic
US Retail Sales Plunged a Record 16 Percent In April As Virus Hit
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Associated Press: U.S. retail sales tumbled by a record 16.4% from March to April as business shutdowns caused by the coronavirus kept shoppers away, threatened the viability of stores across the country and further weighed down a sinking economy. The Commerce Department’s report Friday on retail purchases showed a sector that has collapsed…
‘Murder Hornet’ Meme Inspires Stupid Americans To Kill Pollinators En Masse
An anonymous reader writes: You really can’t make this stuff up, but Americans across the country, out of fear of “murder hornets,” have begun killing all kinds of bees en masse. According to Doug Yanega, senior museum scientist for the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside, a national panic has led to the needless slaughter of native wasps and bees, beneficial…
Health Officials Worry About Possible Lack of Cooperation on Coronavirus Vaccines
Global health officials and diplomats are “alarmed” by America’s “apparent lack of interest in cooperation” on international efforts for a vaccine against Covid-19. Slashdot reader Charlotte Web quotes this report from Politico:
The fear is that Trump will be content with allowing the race to develop and distribute the vaccine to devolve into a global contest — and that poorer countries will…
Chinese Agents Helped Spread Messages That Sowed Virus Panic In US: Officials
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: The alarming messages came fast and furious in mid-March, popping up on the cellphone screens and social media feeds of millions of Americans grappling with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Spread the word, the messages said: The Trump administration was about to lock down the entire country. “They will…
During the Pandemic, Will Robots Take Over More Human Jobs?
An anonymous reader quotes the New York Times:
Before the pandemic, automation had been gradually replacing human work in a range of jobs, from call centers to warehouses and grocery stores, as companies looked to cut labor costs and improve profit. But labor and robotics experts said social distancing directives, which are likely to continue in some form after the crisis subsides,…
Ask Slashdot: Should the Internet Be A Public Utility?
The pandemic has “proven conclusively that the internet should be a public utility,” argues Quartz. “It’s a basic necessity in the 21st century, like running water, gas, and electricity. Indeed, the United Nations in 2016 declared that internet access is a human right.”
Sure, you could theoretically survive without it, just as you might light your home with candles or warm it…
Bosses Panic-Buy Spy Software To Keep Tabs On Remote Workers
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: With so many people working remotely because of the coronavirus, surveillance software is flying off the virtual shelves. “Companies have been scrambling,” said Brad Miller, CEO of surveillance-software maker InterGuard. “They’re trying to allow their employees to work from home but trying to maintain a level of security and productivity.” Along with InterGuard,…
Russia Accused of Deploying Coronavirus Disinformation to Sow Distrust
AmiMoJo quotes Reuters: Russian media have deployed a “significant disinformation campaign” against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust, according to a European Union document seen by Reuters… The EU document said the Russian campaign, pushing fake news online in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, uses contradictory, confusing and malicious reports to make…
Mental Health Tips for the COVID-19 Outbreak
Dr. Steve Joordens, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, regularly connects psychology to world events. Below, listen to the conversation or read the transcript, and hear Dr. Steve Joordens’s thoughts on: Tips to manage anxiety and fear around the new coronavirus pandemic How often you should check the news How parents […]
The post Mental Health Tips for…