Apr 23, 2021From Japan to Brazil and South Africa: how countries’ ‘data cultures’ shape their response to coronavirusAs part of The Correspondent’s Track(ed) Together project, writers from around the world tell us how their countries’ ‘data culture’ affects the local response to surveillance initiatives designed to curb the spread of Covid-19. In South Africa, digital inequality creates challenge for tracing tools Cape Town, South Africa — South Africa is witnessing a surge of coronavirus cases, with the…3 min read3 min read
Apr 23, 2021South African Uber drivers set for court challenge to assert gig worker rightsA coalition of law firms intends filing a class action complaint against ride-sharing service Uber South Africa on behalf of South African Uber drivers. They argue that Uber drivers are being denied labour rights constitutionally entrenched in South Africa and in the Labour Relations Act. Digital platforms have provided pathways for many in Africa’s informal job sector to move into more “formal” alternatives, pushing governments to shape nascent labour markets in new ways.Gig Workers6 min readGig Workers6 min read
Apr 23, 2021Africa’s Expansion of AI Surveillance — Regional Gaps and Key TrendsMany African states are deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) surveillance technologies to monitor citizens for various purposes, but seldom in ways that are rights-respecting and particularly privacy-respecting. Today’s AI surveillance technologies are capable of analysing big data, monitoring and tracking by classifying people’s movements into astonishingly precise categories. …Artificial Intelligence2 min readArtificial Intelligence2 min read
Apr 23, 2021COVID-19 in Africa: A Datafied Society, Battling the Invisible EnemyCOVID-19 presents a dynamic overtone of an African society encountering digital data transition in almost every aspect of human activity, from digital contact tracing to surveillance, all initiated by governments to help control the spread of COVID-19. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Africa remains comparatively low, as…Big Data4 min readBig Data4 min read
