Why did the government hide a data leak about Afghans working with British forces and why did the courts finally reveal it?: William Barton/Shutterstock When thousands of Afghans were quietly flown to the UK under a secret relocation scheme, few knew it was triggered by an error. A defence official had accidentally leaked the personal …
Humanitarian aid depends on good data: what’s wrong with the way it’s collected: The defunding of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), along with reductions in aid from the UK and elsewhere, raises questions about the continued collection of data that helps inform humanitarian efforts. Humanitarian response plans rely on accurate, accessible and up-to-date …
Africa’s data workers are being exploited by foreign tech firms – 4 ways to protect them: Data workers in Africa often have a hard time. They face job insecurities – including temporary contracts, low pay, arbitrary dismissal and worker surveillance – and alarming physical and psychological health risks. The consequences of their work can include …
Who owns digital data about you? South African legal scholar weighs up property and privacy rights: alexsl In the digital economy, data is more than just information – it is an asset with immense economic and strategic value. Yet, despite its significance, a fundamental legal question remains unresolved: Can data be owned? While privacy laws …
Ancient stone walls and power: what data science tools can reveal in African archaeology: Visibility has always been important in people’s decisions about where to live and how to arrange their spaces. People make connections with what they can see. Being able to see prominent landmarks, such as certain mountain peaks, rivers or ancestral sites, …
Data centres in space: they’re a brilliant idea, but a herculean challenge: Be under no illusions … Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock Data centres are the backbone of our digital infrastructure, supporting everything from social media platforms to online shopping and streaming services. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and the internet of things, …
‘The data on extreme human ageing is rotten from the inside out’ – Ig Nobel winner Saul Justin Newman: From the swimming habits of dead trout to the revelation that some mammals can breathe through their backsides, a group of leading leftfield scientists have been taking their bows at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the …
What the economic data told Rishi Sunak about the best date for a general election: The announcement of July 4 for the UK general election took many by surprise. A key question is why it was called then when it did not have to be? The decision to call an election is always a gamble …
Your smart watch isn’t a medical device – but it is tracking all your health data: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock For millions of people, smartwatches aren’t just a piece of technology. They can use them to take control of their health in ways never thought possible. As you go on your morning run, a smartwatch …
History’s crisis detectives: how we’re using maths and data to reveal why societies collapse – and clues about the future: The Death of Julius Caesar, an 1806 painting by Vincenzo Camuccini. Wikipedia American humorist and writer Mark Twain is believed to have once said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” I’ve been working …
Cash-strapped conservationists in South Africa are struggling to collect biodiversity data – how to change that: South Africa’s government conservation organisations have experienced substantial budget cuts. Even after steps to cut costs, South African National Parks reported a big shortfall (R223 million or about US$ 11.92 million) for 2021/22. So did the provincial body KZN …
Why the UK census should not be replaced with alternative sources of data: Hert Niks|Unsplash Every ten years since 1801 – save for a wartime interruption in 1941 – the UK government has conducted a national census of England and Wales. This is a big event. The data collated in the last survey, in 2021, …
Palantir: privacy fears over handing NHS data to US defence provider show how lack of trust is holding back much-needed reform: Shutterstock/Marian Weyo Controversial US tech company Palantir has been awarded a £330 million contract to create a new system for sharing data – including patients’ medical details – within the NHS in England. The …
We asked the Top Financial Services, Insurance, and Retail companies in South Africa – Is Data the New Currency?: The management of data quality is a common struggle across companies and industries. Prioritising fraud prevention and having insight into data can have a ripple effect on the economy. Everything is hyper-personalised by tracking people’s engagements, …
Having a single parent doesn’t determine your life chances – the data shows poverty is far more important: Valery Zotev/Shutterstock Numerous research studies have suggested that children from a single-parent family are worse off than those who have two parents at home. These findings chime with decades of stigma that have painted coming from a …
South Africa’s 2022 census missed 31% of people – big data could help in future: No census is ever exact: as academics Tom Moultrie and Rob Dorrington at the University of Cape Town have noted previously: a census is not, in reality, a full and accurate count of the number of people in a country; …
Dark patterns: how online companies strive to keep your money and data when you try to leave: Artem Samokhvalov/Shutterstock Have you signed up to an online service for a free trial, decided it isn’t for you, but still ended up paying for it months – or even years – later? Or tried cancelling a subscription, …
Suella Braverman warns of ‘unmanageable’ numbers of asylum seekers – the data shows we hardly take any: A migration “hurricane” is coming, Suella Braverman has warned. Speaking at the Conservative party conference, the home secretary claimed that without action by the Conservatives, millions more people will come to Britain, “uncontrolled and unmanageable”. The idea that …