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<ul><li><keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> and <keyword id="10591" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="samsung" source="Orion">Samsung</keyword> are collaborating to develop a single hub for <keyword id="13944808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-and-fitness-data" source="Orion">health and fitness data</keyword> - Health Connect.</li><li>According to Google, users will have more control over data sharing and privacy controls.</li><li>Developers will get access to Health Connect APIs via Android Jetpack.</li></ul>Google and Samsung have joined hands to give developer an opportunity to sync users' health and <keyword id="6526409" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fitness-data" source="Orion">fitness data</keyword> between Android apps and their devices. Called 'Health Connect', the platform and API (application programming interface) is for Android app developers to securely access users' health data. With user permission, developers can use a single set of APIs to securely access and share health and fitness data across Android devices, Google said in a statement. "We're building this new unified platform in collaboration with Samsung to simplify connectivity between apps" to foster richer app experiences while also providing centralised privacy controls for users," the tech giant added. Google is working with developers including MyFitnessPal, Leap Fitness and Withings as part of an early access programme. In addition, Samsung Health, Google Fit and Fitbit are adopting Health Connect. All developers can get access to Health Connect's common set of APIs for Android via Android Jetpack," the company informed. ‘Health Connect' supports many common health and fitness data types and categories, including activity, sleep, nutrition, body measurements and vitals like heart rate and blood pressure. "The users will have full control over their privacy settings, with granular controls to see which apps are requesting access to data at any given time," said Google. The users will also have the ability to shut off access or delete data they don't want on their device, along with an option to prioritise one data source over another when using multiple apps. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/how-to-use-the-realistic-crying-face-filter-on-snapchat/articleshow/91587875.cms">How to use the realistic crying face filter on Snapchat</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-beta-reveals-rich-link-previews-to-display-link-details-in-status-updates/articleshow/91588322.cms">WhatsApp beta reveals rich link previews to display link details in status updates</a>

Google and Samsung join forces to help Android developers sync fitness data between apps seamlessly

The internet is decades old, but many of its fundamental aspects remain the same. It's a collection of networks that constantly communicate with each other to create a more extensive worldwide web. Over time, instead of a ticking broadband modem, we now have high-speed fibre-optic broadband that allows for faster data transfer. One fundamental aspect of the internet, embedded in all that data being transferred, has shaped a lot of how we engage with brands - <keyword id="118638" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cookies">cookies</keyword>. A cookie is a small file that gets stored on your computer and keeps a note of your browsing history or behaviour. From saving your browsing preferences to recording your taste in books, it can do everything. This small functionality completely changed how we use the internet as it enabled developers and by extension brands to know their customers better. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How the cookie crumbles" comment="subhead" text="How the cookie crumbles">How the cookie crumbles</cmsannotation> Cookies were a eureka moment for marketing and advertising teams. Instead of relying on mass-marketing tools like outdoor hoardings and televisions, marketers could now understand their customers' needs at an individual level and directly address them. In this digital age, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/adobe-summit-2021-empowering-a-digital-first-economy-through-personalisation/articleshow/82477417.cms">businesses that have an edge over personalisation win the long-term game</a> and cookies enable automation like never before. However, cookies have been getting a bad name because advertising companies share user metadata with each other for better targeting. These are specifically called third-party cookies (a tracker on websites created by a company other than the website owner) and ad networks depend on them the most. However, with the world gravitating toward securing user identity and data and complying with evolving privacy regulations, companies are now exploring safer methods of ad personalisation, with many exploring cookieless tracking as a solution. <div type="ExtQuote" text="The preservation of our customers' privacy has long been a priority for IBM. With first-party data rising in importance in this new era, we place tremendous value on our close collaboration with strategic partners such as Adobe to put the interests of consumers at the forefront of what we do." auname="Jason Andrews, Vice President for Digital Marketing at IBM"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Personalisation minus the privacy concerns" comment="subhead" text="Personalisation minus the privacy concerns">Personalisation minus the privacy concerns</cmsannotation> Over the last few years, brands have realised that privacy is sacrosanct and any data leakage can be detrimental to long-term audience acquisition, growth, and retention. Customers, in turn, expect companies to be more transparent about their data collection practices and cut down on third-party sharing - all the while expecting relevant and personalised communications and experiences. While this challenges the current status quo of the marketing and advertising industry, it also offers an opportunity to those who can think outside the box. Apple and Firefox have already blocked third-party cookies, and Google plans to follow suit soon. What this means is the metadata collected by the cookie shall remain between you (the user) and the website. There's no third-party sharing, helping build a stronger one-to-one relationship. Research from the Winterberry Group and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) shows that spending on first-party tracking is rising. More than half of the respondents have already adjusted their budgeting to accommodate the change. comScore says that 55% of cookies today are overstated, and 35% fail to figure out demographics accurately. Since browsers are now clamping down on cookies, brands will find it difficult to track unknown visitors on their digital properties including websites, in turn, reducing their ability to deliver a personalised experience and target ads. Hence it is becoming important for brands to recalibrate their customer acquisition strategy and prioritise quality permission-based first-party collection to be able to provide customers with most relevant personalised experiences using information customers choose to share. <div type="ExtQuote" text="As consumers, we now expect personalized brand experiences while being in control of the data we share. With Adobe Real-time CDP, we are partnering with brands to deliver relevant, responsive and respectful experiences through first-party data." auname="Anil Chakravarthy, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Experience Business and Worldwide Field Operations at Adobe"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="ZRhaD1pQVPM" title="Adobe Announces Industry’s First CDP Architected For First-Party Data" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZRhaD1pQVPM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How is Adobe pioneering a cookie-less future" comment="subhead" text="How is Adobe pioneering a cookie-less future">How is Adobe pioneering a cookie-less future</cmsannotation> <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2021/Adobe-Announces-Industrys-First-CDP-Architected-For-First-Party-Data/default.aspx">Adobe Real-time Customer Data Platform (CDP)</a> is industry’s first CDP architected for <keyword id="11246893" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="first-party-data">first party data</keyword>. It acts as a centralised hub for first-party data, and helps build a customer's profile over time. The platform is connected with Adobe Target, a tool that ingests information and makes it easier to orchestrate personalise experiences across the customer journey. As the name suggests, it works in real-time. Adobe CDP steadily monitors user behavior, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to trigger registration or consent from them at the right time. It is also able to incorporate collaboration between brands to expand first party data sets without compromising sensitive user information. Thanks to ‘Segment Match’ - an innovation unveiled at Adobe Summit 2021, an apparel retailer can now team up with a jewellery brand to strategically target customers and offer an in-sync experience. Unlike the current norm, one visit to a clothing e-store won't bombard you with ads from a hundred other sellers. Similarly, businesses can utilise ‘Look-Alike Segments’ to grab customers with similar interests or attributes. It helps create a new database for marketers that can be synced along with Segment Match to give a more detailed outlook. Adobe also launched a B2B edition that lets businesses enter the B2C segment directly. Market insights are the most difficult to find, and this is the massive gap Adobe intends to fill. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What does the future hold?" comment="subhead" text="What does the future hold?">What does the future hold?</cmsannotation> Cookies have been an integral part of the internet and we’re not entirely getting rid of them, just finding a middle ground where both personalisation and privacy are achieved. Early adopters have the maximum lead, and with privacy and ethics gaining centre stage, marketers need to revisit their strategies. Privacy is no longer a privilege, but a fundamental right that’s now extended to everyone on the internet. And the companies that understand this sooner, shall excel faster. <div type="ExtQuote" text="Essentially, marketers need to retool their customer acquisition stack in a way that will eliminate the exclusive reliance on third party cookies. While these are not all the things that are changing, what’s not changing is that first party cookies are not going away, and customer acquisition isn’t going away. But how you do this must take consumer privacy and choice into consideration." auname="Amit Ahuja, VP, Experience Cloud Platform &amp; Products, Adobe"></div> To know more about Adobe’s vision to equip businesses in a cookieless world, watch this <a href="https://business.adobe.com/summit/2021/sessions/reaching-customers-in-a-cookieless-world-s951.html">session</a> at Adobe Summit 2021 on demand now. DISCLAIMER: This article is in partnership with Adobe.

Ensuring personalisation in a cookieless world

Meta-owned <keyword id="819905" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="instagram" source="Orion">Instagram</keyword> is starting to test digital collectibles or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) this week, its CEO <keyword id="6354630" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mark-zuckerberg" source="Orion">Mark Zuckerberg</keyword> said on Monday, as the global <keyword id="4668945" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nft" source="Orion">NFT</keyword> market sees downturn. <keyword id="353568" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zuckerberg" source="Orion">Zuckerberg</keyword> confirmed that the social network is testing NFTs on Instagram, with "similar functionality" coming soon to Facebook. "Similar functionality is coming to Facebook soon, along with augmented reality NFTs on Instagram Stories via Spark AR so you can place digital art into physical spaces," he announced. In a video, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said a small group of US users will get to display NFTs on their feed, stories and in messages. Clicking on the tag called "digital collectibles will showcase details like the name of the creator and the NFT owner. "This week we're beginning to test digital collectibles with a handful of US creators and collectors who will be able to share NFTs on Instagram. There will be no fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectible on Instagram," said Mosseri. "I want to acknowledge upfront that NFTs and blockchain technologies and Web3 more broadly are all about distributing trust, distributing power," Mosseri added in the video. "But Instagram is fundamentally a centralised platform, so there's a tension there," he said, adding that support for NFTs on Instagram may popularise the technology further. The Instagram's push for NFTs comes at a time when sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have fallen a massive 92 per cent since September last year, shows data from popular website NonFungible. The sale of NFTs fell to a daily average of about 19,000 last week, a 92 per cent decline from a peak of about 225,000 in September. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/coinbase-silvergate-capital-shares-tank-as-broad-crypto-selloff-hits-wider-ecosystem/articleshow/91452245.cms">Coinbase, Silvergate Capital shares tank as broad crypto selloff hits wider ecosystem</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/bitcoin-has-plummeted-53-from-its-all-time-high-as-crypto-follows-broader-markets-lower-amid-investors-fears-of-tighter-fed-policy/articleshow/91450342.cms">Bitcoin has plummeted 53% from its all-time high as crypto follows broader markets lower amid investors' fears of tighter Fed policy</a>

Instagram to start testing NFT sharing this week, Facebook to begin soon

<ul><li>Global tech CEOs have been voicing their concerns against India’s proposed <keyword id="2617070" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Personal-Data-Protection-Bill">Personal Data Protection Bill</keyword> to looks to localise the data of Indian users. </li><li><keyword id="300740" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ginni-Rometty">Ginni Rometty</keyword>, the CEO of IBM, and data firms like Cognizant and <keyword id="25698" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Genpact">Genpact</keyword> are only the most recent companies to flag the potential issues with the bill. </li><li>CEOs of other global companies like Google, Mastercard, Twitter and Qualcomm also have concerns with how the bill will be implemented. </li></ul>The Indian government has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/gdr-compliant-firms-should-find-it-easy-to-adhere-to-proposed-data-protection-bill-in-india/articleshow/65198854.cms">pushing for data localisation</a> in India but companies around the world have their doubts about its efficiency and clarity. The Draft Personal Data Protection Bill suggests that the personal data of Indian users should be held by digital and global firms within and processed only in India. But, global CEOs have been<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/groups-of-foreign-companies-are-lobbying-against-indias-personal-data-protection-bill/articleshow/66070718.cms"> making a case</a> for how hindering the free flow of data across borders might have “unintended consequences”. One concern is that the regulations that govern the privacy of data should be able to differentiate between user data and data from businesses. Ginni Rometty, the CEO of IBM, said, “We believe strongly in consumer privacy and you have to be careful to not conflate consumer data issues with business-to-business data issues,” in an <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/ites/differentiate-between-consumer-biz-data-ginni-rometty-ibm-ceo/articleshow/68384341.cms">interview</a> with the Economic Times on Tuesday. Cognizant and Genpact share a similar view flagging the risks to business-to-business data issues in their <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/ites/as-government-tightens-data-rules-it-firms-flag-risks/articleshow/68384442.cms">annual filing</a> with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this week. Cognizant remarked, “Complying with changing regulatory requirements requires us to incur substantial costs, exposes us to potential regulatory action or litigation, and may require changes to our business practices in certain jurisdictions, any of which could materially adversely affect our business operations and operating results.” Genpact also told the SEC, “Evolving laws and regulations in India protecting the use of personal information could also impact our engagements with clients, vendors and employees in India.” Google’s CEO, Sunder Pichai, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-what-sundar-pichai-had-to-say-to-the-indian-government/articleshow/65756506.cms">addressed</a> the issue more directly warning the government of the effect that it may have on the ‘Digital India’ program in the country. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="&quot;Free flow of data across borders — with a focus on user privacy and security — will encourage startups to innovate and expand globally and encourage global companies to contribute to India's digital economy.&quot;" auname="Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, in a letter to the Indian IT Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, thanking him for his visit to the Google’s Mountain View campus in August 2018"></div>

 <keyword id="44475" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajay-Banga">Ajay Banga</keyword>, the president and CEO at Mastercard, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/localisation-may-not-ensure-data-security-mastercard-chief-ajay-banga/articleshow/66456945.cms">clarifies</a> that global companies aren’t against data localisation because its makes conducting business more expensive — but because it makes it harder to keep data safe. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="&quot;When we talk about our lack of support for data localisation, it is not caused so much by expenses. It is caused by the inefficiency of what that does to the ability to provide safety, security and analytics to India’s banks and merchants.&quot;" auname="Ajay Banga, Mastercard’s president and CEO, said at an investor call in October 2018"></div>

 But, some companies believe that the conversation shouldn’t be about localisation in the first place, but about ownership. <keyword id="265395" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jack-Dorsey">Jack Dorsey</keyword>, the CEO of Twitter, feels that regardless of whether the data sits in India or outside India, individuals should be the ones with absolute control over their information. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="&quot;That's the conversation that I think we need to have rather than where exactly the data sits. It's more about the ownership by the individual.&quot;" auname="Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO, told IANS"></div>

 Facebook’s deputy chief privacy officer, Rob Sherman, did make an <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/social-media/centralised-platform-needed-for-data-privacy-laws-facebook/article24884483.ece">suggest</a> an alternative approach to the problem of data localisation in India at the panel discussion on ‘Digital lows in the Digital Age’. Rather than localise data, the Indian could put a certification process in place instead where digital companies should fulfill the required standards to ensure protection and privacy rather than set up local servers in India to store Indian users data. But there’s also an <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/qualcomm-opposes-blanket-rule-on-data-localisation/67414442">argument</a> to be made about how changing technology which, in turn, would make any new regulations obsolete when new technology comes into play. Qualcomm’s president, Christiano Amon, notes, “Certain things can be centralised, certain things can be localised, but you can't really have a rule that mandates this.” Sharing Banga’s concerns about the safety of data Amon said, “A regulation like that instead of helping, prevents a company from becoming competitive and make use of the technology…One possible approach is to make sure that the systems they're using, the data are secure.” 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="&quot;You have to look at it case by case. Because technology moves faster than regulation, I think it is important to take a very pragmatic view.&quot;" auname="Christiano Amon, Qualcomm President"></div>

 Nasscom and the Broadband Indian Forum have also criticized the Draft Personal Data Protection Bill 2018. Global companies are <a href="https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/columnists/towards-building-a-digital-future.html">calling</a> for the Bill to be consistent with international best practices outlined in the APEC CBPR rules and the OECD privacy framework. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/groups-of-foreign-companies-are-lobbying-against-indias-personal-data-protection-bill/articleshow/66070718.cms">Groups of foreign companies are lobbying against India's Personal Data Protection Bill</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/gdr-compliant-firms-should-find-it-easy-to-adhere-to-proposed-data-protection-bill-in-india/articleshow/65198854.cms">GDPR compliant firms should find it easy to adhere to draft Personal Data Protection Bill in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-plans-on-handing-over-the-reins-of-data-privacy-to-the-telecom-industry-watchdog/articleshow/66416519.cms">India plans on handing over the reins of data privacy to the telecom industry watchdog</a>

Here’s what global tech CEOs have to say about India's data protection laws

<ul><li>The pandemic has made us realise the importance of preparedness and the need to predict and prevent such epidemics at all costs</li><li>Understanding the effects of all the potential viruses that can spread to human beings, by deploying <keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ai" source="Orion">AI</keyword>, statistical models, and machine learning, is key to achieving this prevention</li><li>In this article, we take a closer look at how we can use AI models to spot the next pandemic and what are the obstacles that we may need to overcome</li></ul>Zoonosis, as defined by the World Health Organization (<keyword id="6366244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="who" source="Orion">WHO</keyword>), can transmit infectious diseases from wild animals to humans – diseases that can be deadly enough to cause pandemics. The principal reasons for transmission are the increasing human encroachment on animal habitats, changing climate, and the increased movement of people, animals, and animal products because of international trade. The Global Virome Project estimates around 1.7 million animal viruses are known to cause infections in birds and mammals. Scientists believe almost half of those viruses can spread to humans. Understanding these has now become key to preventing pandemics or at least being better prepared in case one hits us. Research of this kind is an unbelievably huge task and has led to the development of a new discipline where machine learning (ML) and statistical models are used to predict the emergence of various diseases, likely animal hosts, geographical hotspots, and which viruses are most likely to affect humans. Scientists who support this technology firmly believe that the findings will guide the development of medicines and vaccines, and help everyone involved to study, observe, and predict situations accurately. Naturally, all researchers do not agree with this approach. Many do not believe predictive technology can keep up with the frequently changing virome or the scale of what exists at any given point. True, there is a constant improvement of data and <a href="https://www.infosysbpm.com/offerings/functions/annotation-services-for-ai-ml/insights/documents/data-annotation-the-life-blood-of-ai-ml-applications.pdf">artificial intelligence (AI) models</a>, but for such tools to be truly predictive of future pandemics, the efforts must include a very wide network of researchers spread across the globe. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="AI spotted the first signs of Covid-19" comment="subhead" text="AI spotted the first signs of Covid-19">AI spotted the first signs of Covid-19</cmsannotation> Canada-based Bluedot was one of the first organisations to recognise the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and sound the alarm. It uses an AI-based algorithm that continuously searches global data to pinpoint the next outbreak of an infectious disease. HealthMap, the algorithm run at the Boston Children’s Hospital, also caught these first signs of Covid-19. So was the case with Mayo Clinic’s Coronavirus Map Tracking Tool. Rapidly developing Natural-language processing (NLP) algorithms monitor global healthcare reports and news outlets in various languages, and flag mentions of diseases such as Covid-19, or endemic ones such as tuberculosis or HIV. Air-travel data is also monitored to assess the risks of spreading. Social media was found to be quite a reliable source of data during Covid-19. Data scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder, used ML and a short-term forecasting model to analyse large datasets gathered from popular online platforms and compared the results to insights obtained from analysing the more conventional mobile device location data. As people travelled during the pandemic, or recovered and talked about their Covid experience, the technology recognised specific keywords and gathered relevant data. In 2021, when mask-wearing policies, lockdowns, and travel restrictions kept changing, this model was found to be far closer to reality than other models. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Early buzz but not much later" comment="subhead" text="Early buzz but not much later">Early buzz but not much later</cmsannotation> However, after that initial buzz, AI could not do much. Almost all AI models were weak when applied to real-world clinical settings. Deep-learning models, when applied to CT scans and chest x-rays, were found to be unsuccessful. Perhaps a major reason for these failures was that the AI models were working on a real pandemic for the first time. Four areas were identified as the primary roadblocks: imperfect datasets, human failures, automated discrimination, and complex global conditions. Researchers are hopeful that the disappointments during Covid-19 will pave the way to generate better and sturdier AI models. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Imperfect datasets" comment="subhead" text="Imperfect datasets">Imperfect datasets</cmsannotation> For AI models to predict the emergence of a pandemic, the primary requirement is large amounts of reliable datasets, which is not always easy to gather. Different institutes across different countries have varying policies about sharing healthcare data. Further, individuals may not want their data shared either, even anonymously. For all the aspects to come together, leaders in healthcare, government, and businesses must be on the same page about privacy issues. <a href="https://www.infosysbpm.com/offerings/functions/robotics-process-automation/case-studies/documents/bots-power-millions-of-savings-on-online-sales.pdf">AI models are only as good as the data they work on</a>. So, given the many barriers to collecting good datasets, the predictions during Covid-19 were understandably below par. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Human errors" comment="subhead" text="Human errors">Human errors</cmsannotation> Data entry errors because of tremendous pressure, insufficient manpower, hurry to reach conclusions, and wrong incentives – everything was at play during Covid-19. The inability of people in charge to interpret data and AI predictions correctly was another common error. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Automated discrimination" comment="subhead" text="Automated discrimination">Automated discrimination</cmsannotation> Predictions and decisions regarding treatment taken by healthcare authorities also affected recovery rates despite the availability of AI models. Many disadvantaged groups did not receive appropriate or poor treatment because of AI biases, which can again be traced to human biases. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Complex global conditions" comment="subhead" text="Complex global conditions">Complex global conditions</cmsannotation> As mentioned earlier, data sharing is governed by different rules in different countries and that affects the quality and quantity of reliable data available. During the pandemic, there were many discussions and debates about sharing genome sequences across countries. Populations of different countries also reacted differently to the idea of sharing health data. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Way forward" comment="subhead" text="Way forward">Way forward</cmsannotation> Prediction, diagnosis, and treatment are the three areas where AI can be best used. For AI models to learn and predict efficiently, a few factors must be corrected over time. <ol><li>Find better healthcare datasets, preferably in standardised formats, to create a centralised repository of data. Consider using synthetic data instead of real data to bypass the principles of privacy. New data processing techniques must be developed.</li><li>Ensure greater diversity in the data collected. This will prevent automated discrimination and underrepresentation of disadvantaged groups.</li><li>Promote greater cooperation across teams such as AI teams, researchers, clinicians, engineers, and even ethicists to ensure AI systems are aligned with the existing value systems.</li><li>International data sharing rules must be outlined to facilitate data sharing without breaking any privacy rules. AI teams must be trained to recognise differences in data gathered from different regions of the world. </li></ol>The fast spread of Covid globally and the struggle faced by health services to stay ahead of the disease pushes home the need to use the best AI models available to track and predict pandemics. AI developers must continue working on predictive models to ensure that the next pandemic, if any, can be preemptively predicted and contained at the right time. Disclaimer: This article is authored by Sudeep Patta, Head – Digital Transformation Office, Infosys BPM. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Business Insider India

Can AI spot the next pandemic before it starts?

Dublin, July 7 (IANS) Ireland has released a Covid-19 contact tracing app which is based the Exposure Notification API developed by Apple and Google, to help contract trace as well as slow the spread of coronavirus. Users in Ireland can download the 'Covid Tracker Ireland' app from the App Store as well as Google Play and it will send a notification to a user if they recently came into contact with another user tested positive for Covid-19. "It allows every single person to play an extra part. It will allow us to get on with contact tracing in a matter of hours, it will allow people who have the app to completely control their own data, there will be no centralisation of data," Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said in a statement to The Journal. "The people themselves can choose if they want to anonymously share with close contacts that they have tested positive. It's a very, very powerful tool. We'll be getting into more of the detail tomorrow and we'll be really encouraging as many people as possible to download and use it," Donnelly added. Apart from Ireland, several other countries have released apps that use Apple and Google's Exposure Notification API, including Switzerland, Latvia, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia, while other countries, such as the UK, have such apps in the works. --IANS wh/na

Ireland releases Covid tracing app based on Apple-Google API

<keyword id="12161" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="San-Francisco">San Francisco</keyword>, Amid the tense political situation in the US, encrypted messaging app <keyword id="1275203" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telegram">Telegram</keyword> has blocked and shut down hundreds of public calls for <keyword id="6355987" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Violence">violence</keyword> that could've otherwise reached tens of thousands of <keyword id="66720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="users">users</keyword> in the country. Telegram founder <keyword id="1684385" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pavel-Durov">Pavel Durov</keyword> said that the company welcomes peaceful debate and protest, but "our Terms of <keyword id="6359391" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="service">Service</keyword> explicitly prohibit distributing public calls to violence". "civil movements all over the world rely on Telegram in order to stand up for human rights without resorting to inflicting harm," he said in a statement late on Monday. For the last two weeks, the world has been following the events in the US with concern. While the US represents less than 2% of Telegram's user base, the company said it has been watching the situation closely. "In early January, the Telegram moderation team started to receive an increased number of reports about US-related public activity on our platform. The team acted decisively by clamping down on US channels that advocated violence," Durov noted. "The team continues to process reports from users in addition to proactively removing content that directly incites violence". Telegram has seen a significant uptake in new users as WhatsApp's new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy have trigged a fresh data sharing debate. It has crossed 525 million users. "Telegram welcomes political debate coming from all sides of the political spectrum – but will act swiftly to stop those who incite people to inflict harm on others," Durov said. Durov, however, did not address Telegram's encrypted chat feature that protects conversations from outside access and is not subject to centralised moderation. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-rakesh-jhunjhunwala-backed-nazara-technologies-is-preparing-for-its-big-ipo-debut/articleshow/80321946.cms">The startup behind Chhota Bheem, Motu Patlu and Shikari Shambhu is back with an IPO plan ⁠⁠— after a series of acquisitions and fundraisings</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/heres-what-analysts-have-to-say-about-the-4634-crore-indian-railway-finance-corporation-irfc-ipo/articleshow/80323479.cms?upcache=2">The ₹4,600 crore IPO from IRFC is ‘attractive,’ and the best thing about the borrowing arm for Indian Railways is the assured margin</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-apply-for-indian-railway-finance-corporation-irfc-ipo/articleshow/80327303.cms">How to apply for IRFC IPO? Check the details and online application process here</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/cure-fit-strengthens-its-us-offering-by-acquiring-digital-trainer-and-workout-app-onyx/articleshow/80326857.cms">Cure.fit strengthens its US offering by acquiring digital trainer and workout app Onyx</a>

Telegram shuts down 'hundreds' of public calls for violence in US

New Delhi, Dec 30 () Phones users in Delhi-NCR who lose their handsets will now have some respite, with the government launching a portal that will enable blocking and tracing of stolen or lost mobile phones.
 The initiative was launched in Mumbai in September this year, and has been rolled out for Delhi-NCR now. It will be extended to other parts of the country in 2020.
 The launch of the portal, www.ceir.gov.in, for Delhi-NCR subscribers will facilitate requests for blocking of stolen or lost mobile phones by customers, blocking of such mobile phones across various mobile networks, allowing services to other existing customers having mobile phones with the same International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, sharing of traceability data with police authorities, as well as unblocking of recovered phones.
 The project is backed by the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system, which was undertaken by the telecom department for addressing security, theft and other concerns including reprogramming of mobile handsets.
 Launching the initiative, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said safety and security of phones are crucial given the country's technological strides and digital prowess.
 "While we make optimum use of technology for development, there are equally smart criminals who abuse technology for their own ends," Prasad said.
 The latest initiative is expected to benefit 5 crore mobile subscribers in Delhi and adjoining areas.
 "Delhi telecom subscribers whose phones get stolen or those who lose their phones can log into the web portal from today... they can go to the portal and register their complaint, along with which they will also have to upload the police complaint and their own ID proof. Based on this, the lost mobile will be blocked. Also if someone uses it, the same can be traced based on the tower signals so the police can also recover the device," Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash told reporters.
 Explaining this further, Prakash said the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is the unique identity of a mobile phone devices. IMEI number is programmable and miscreants and criminals reprogramme the 15-digit unique number, which results in cloning of IMEI. The result is multiple phone devices, at times even hundreds of numbers, with same IMEI number.
 If such IMEI is blocked, a large number of mobile phones stand the risk of being blocked (as they are handsets with the same IMEI number) causing inconvenience to genuine customers. The software that has been developed now allows an individual phone to be blocked even if it is on a cloned IMEI number.
 Moreover, because of the centralised nature of the register or database, all the operators can block the particular stolen or lost device across the country even though the phone is being serviced by one particular operator.
 "This will also reduce the market for stolen phones," Prakash added.
 Asked about the progress of the initiative in Mumbai, where it had been announced a few months back, Prakash said as many as 500-600 complaints were logged in Mumbai. "In 50 per cent of the cases in Mumbai, traceability information has been handed over to the police. Also remember, much depends on whether the phone is being used after it has been stolen... If someone does not use it, it cannot be traced, but it can certainly be blocked. They won't be able to sell it," he said. MBI HRS

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