Trending Stories from restofworld.org
Experts say hacked data shared by Anonymous from various Sri Lankan governmental and other websites has put regular citizens at severe risk of cybercrimes
An in-depth look at Meta's and Google's investments in subsea cables in Africa, the least connected continent, as the companies seek new avenues for profit
Some tech workers in Latin America advocate for Spanish-language training and a Spanish programming language, even as the best IT jobs still require English
Survey of 1,800 households in El Salvador shows 61% have abandoned the Chivo bitcoin wallet after withdrawing a free $30 sign-up bonus
A look at Zenly, a Snap-owned social mapping app still operating in Russia amid bans and exits of other Western apps; Zenly had 51M+ downloads in Russia in 2021
Despite SpaceX's global ambitions for Starlink, data shows 98% of users live in the West; many delays come down to regulatory challenges in markets like India
An in-depth look at how governments in 60+ countries have enacted 935+ internet blackouts since 2016 to control populations and silence dissent
A look at Douban, a Reddit-like social network that China has targeted in its crackdowns; Douban was fined $1.65M in 2021 and has shut down popular forums
A look at adult webcam "monitors" in Colombia who train models and provide tech support; Colombia has the world's second largest camming industry behind Romania
Trapped in lockdown, Shanghai residents turn to WeChat groups for food
Brazilian singer Anitta's fans gamed Spotify's algorithm to make "Envolver" top the charts by switching accounts after 20 streams, creating playlists, and more
How homegrown courier services in French Polynesia are building their own online shopping service to fill the gaps left by e-commerce giants in remote islands
Doctors say the rise of fantasy sports apps has led to a spike in gambling addiction in India, where gambling is illegal but fantasy gaming has no clear laws
Six months in, El Salvador’s bitcoin gamble is crumbling – Rest of World
Crypto miners, who scrambled into a welcoming Kazakhstan after China's ban, are leaving as the country throttles power supply due to blackouts and infighting
The global streaming boom is creating a translator shortage (2021)
Behind the rise of Kuaishou's short-form video app Kwai in Brazil, where it has amassed 45M+ monthly active users by appealing to people with blue collar jobs
OSINT researchers went viral unpacking the war in Ukraine – Rest of World
How researchers are using AI to analyze the undeciphered ancient script of the Indus Valley Civilization, and the challenges of deciphering long-lost languages
Leaked docs show how reputation laundering companies use fake DMCA and legal notices to scare news outlets into taking down unflattering articles about clients
US tech firms' "nearshoring" of talent from Latin America, driven by cheaper costs and similar time zones, is leading to staffing shortages for LatAm tech firms
As Uber and Didi's 99 grapple with driver shortages and high fuel prices in Brazil, Taxi.Rio, an app developed by the Rio city government, is gaining riders
Internal report: employees at Wildlife Studios, a Brazilian mobile game maker valued at $3B, have repeatedly alleged gender wage imbalances and discrimination
A look at Chinese fast fashion online retailer Shein, as 2020 sales reportedly hit $10B thanks to knockoff items, a nimble supply chain, and social media
Techmeme · 5 months ago
A look at South Korea's antitrust battles with local tech firms Kakao and Naver, as regulators balance protectionism with the companies' global ambitions
A look at China's extensive tech investments in Africa, including undersea cables, data centers, and fintech apps, as part of its "Digital Silk Road" initiative
Crypto trading volume in Indonesia this year reached ~$50B by October, up over 10x YoY, despite the government and the Ulema Council forbidding crypto payments
Singapore, which is often portrayed as an aspiring techno-utopia, is edging closer to a surveillance state amid a nationwide move toward constant vigilance
Journalists and analysts talk of muted reactions to the Facebook Papers over Meta's failure to stop hate speech and misinformation in the Global South
Q&A with digital rights advocate Luis Fernando García on a biometric ID system in Mexico and why agencies like World Bank fund such systems in the Global South
As Microsoft shuts down LinkedIn in China, developers worry GitHub could be next, even though nearly 10% of GitHub's contributors in 2020 were from China
Instagram usage exploded in India after the TikTok ban, but the creator economy is still devastated, and critics say Reels content is comparatively bland
Techmeme · 8 months ago