- The Disberse blockchain platform completed its first successful trial, transferring funds from the Dorcas international office in the Netherlands to their office in Albania. The trial serves as proof of concept for Disberse, which is working with the Start Network on developing blockchain technology for humanitarian financing (Start Network).
- UNHCR and the Government of Rwanda are launching a joint verification program for refugees and asylum-seekers in the country, including biometric identification. UNHCR says that the biometric data-sharing agreement will enable better access to government and humanitarian services for refugees, as well as supporting better planning (UNHCR).
- Security researchers Collin Anderson and Claudio Guarnieri say that the international community is failing to protect dissidents, journalists and human rights activists online. They argue that governments, tech companies and cybersecurity researchers need to take more responsibility for monitoring, notifying and defending against politically-motivated attacks by malicious actors (Motherboard).
- US Senator Marco Rubio has raised questions over plans by biotech multinational Thermo Fisher Scientific to sell DNA sequencing equipment to China. Human Rights Watch has previously flagged concerns over the company’s relationship with police forces in western Xinjiang, where a repressive surveillance campaign including collection of DNA and blood types is being undertaken by authorities against the Uyghur minority population (Radio Free Asia).
- For previous coverage of targeting of Uyghur communities in China, see the roundups from Friday 2nd February and Friday 9th February.
- WeRobotics has made baseline aerial imagery for Tonga available on its site to help with the Cyclone Gita The imagery was collected in 2017 as part of the UAVs for Disaster Resilience project. WeRobotics’ Pacific Flying Labs is on standby to assist with the recovery (WeRobotics).
- Uganda is embarking on a biometric “re-verification” of all 1.4 million refugees in the country, in the wake of alleged fraud and embezzlement of funds (BBC).
- Researchers with Stanford’s Digital Civil Society Lab have launched an online tool to help non-profits and NGOs think about their privacy and information management practices and responsibilities (Privacy Patterns).
Thoughts, comments or something missing which you think should be on this list? Feel free to get in touch at contact[at]humanitech.news.
humanitech.news 