The measures follow legislation passed last December that made Australia the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media.

A separate law now requires AI-powered chatbot services to block minors from accessing content such as pornography, extreme violence and material related to self-harm or eating disorders, with penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($34.5 million) for violations.

Australia has also joined the United Kingdom, France and several U.S. states in requiring websites that host pornography to verify that users are over 18.

App stores must also conduct age checks before allowing downloads of applications rated for adults.

Julie Inman Grant, the country’s eSafety Commissioner, said the rules are intended to give children the same protections online that exist offline.

“A child today can’t walk into a bar and order a drink or enter a casino,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “These protections need to exist in the digital realm as well.”

Following the rollout, three of the 15 most downloaded free apps on Apple’s iPhone charts in Australia were VPN services. The most downloaded, VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy, ranked ahead of several social media platforms.

Meanwhile, Canada-based company Aylo blocked Australian access to several of its websites, including RedTube and YouPorn, while showing a restricted version of Pornhub without explicit content.

Advocacy group Digital Rights Watch said it was unsurprising that many users were turning to VPNs, which can hide a device’s location by routing internet traffic through different servers.

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Data Privacy: Why You Need a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an essential tool for safeguarding your online privacy and security. By creating a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet, a VPN protects your personal data from prying eyes, including hackers, internet service providers (ISPs), and advertisers.

How Does a VPN Work?

When you connect to the internet without a VPN, your internet service provider can see all the websites you visit, the data you download, and your location. A VPN masks your IP address, making it difficult for anyone to track your online activities. It also encrypts your data, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information.

The Dangers of Free VPNs

While the appeal of a free VPN might be tempting, it’s important to understand the potential risks. Many free VPNs generate revenue by selling user data to third-party advertisers. This means your online behavior could be monitored and used to target you with personalized ads. Additionally, free VPNs often offer limited server locations and slower speeds, impacting your overall online experience.

Key Benefits of Using a Premium VPN

A reputable VPN service provides several advantages:

• Enhanced privacy: Protects your online identity and prevents data breaches.
• Unrestricted access: Bypasses geo-restrictions to access content from anywhere in the world.
• Secure public Wi-Fi: Encrypts your connection on public networks, safeguarding your data.
• Improved online security: Protects against hackers and cyber threats.
• Faster speeds: Many premium VPNs offer fast servers and unlimited bandwidth.

Choosing the Right VPN

When selecting a VPN, consider the following factors:

• Privacy policy: Ensure the VPN has a strict no-logs policy.
• Server network: A larger network provides more options and better performance.
• Speed: Choose a VPN with fast servers to avoid buffering and slowdowns.
• Compatibility: Verify that the VPN works with your devices (computers, smartphones, tablets).
• Customer support: Reliable customer support is essential in case of issues.

By investing in a reputable VPN service, you can significantly enhance your online privacy and security while enjoying unrestricted access to the internet.

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TECHDIGEST – The record 5.8 million Youtube channels removed in the third quarter of 2022 is a result of the fact that they were flagged as either misleading, participating in scams or simply spamming.

Atlas VPN analysis disclosed that Google’s video platform removed a record number of channels last quarter — 5.8 million, making it the highest volume of removed channels recorded so far, compared to 4.8 million during the third quarter of 2021.

The analysis shows that over 91.2% of all removed channels last quarter were flagged as either misleading, participating in scams, or simply spamming. Also, the number of channels removed in Q3 2022 increased by 1.8 million compared to Q2, representing a growth of 46%.

According to Atlas VPN, the figures were extracted from the YouTube Community Guidelines enforcement report.

Another 194 thousand channels, or 3.3% of the total, were terminated due to breaking YouTube’s community guidelines by showcasing nude or sexual content.

READ ALSO: 40 fintechs, digital loan apps Nigerian govt want to probe over abuses

Meanwhile, an official statement by YouTube notes that the high volume of terminated channels might be due to the actions they have taken to preserve their workforce and cut in-office staffing in response to COVID-19.

Most videos deleted in India

When YouTube deletes a channel, all of its videos are removed as well. Together with 5.8 million channels, due to channel-level suspension, more than 5.6 million videos were removed in the third quarter of 2022.

Surprisingly, one country stands above the rest in terms of the volume of recordings terminated.

Throughout Q3 2022, as many as 1.7 million videos originating from India were deleted. The second country on the list — Indonesia, saw 629 thousand videos removed.

The United States stands in third place, with 534 thousand removals. Brazil (276 thousand) and Russia (218 thousand) round up the top five countries in terms of deleted Youtube videos as a result of overstepping community guidelines.

Interestingly, video and channel removal reasons differ completely.

While 91.2% of channels were removed due to spamming, misleading, and scams, only 3.9% of videos were removed based on these grounds.

In contrast, the largest portion of videos were terminated due to child safety concerns, totaling 2 million videos deleted, comprising 36% of the total.

Source : Techgist Africa

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TECHDIGEST – Internet of Things and the Virtual Private Network were deployed by the government through TCN to monitor real-time grid operations and help mitigate power system collapse.

According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Federal Government has implemented a new technology as a temporary fix to the problems of the nation’s power grid.

Representatives of the firm said the technology, comprising the Internet of Things and the Virtual Private Network, was deployed by the government through TCN to monitor real-time grid operations and help mitigate power system collapse.

The facility, which would enhance real-time national grid operations while waiting for the deployment of a long-term network automation system, was also said to improve power grid management at the National Control Centre in Osogbo, Osun State.

TechEconomy understands that there have been numerous power grid collapses in Nigeria, leaving vast areas of the nation in the dark.

However, the TCN claimed on Wednesday that its new technology would increase grid monitoring, which would aid in managing it moving ahead.

According to Ndidi Mbah, General Manager of Public Affairs, “the deployment of the smart grid system is at an advanced stage of the procurement process for a robust deployment of a full-scale state-of-the-art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System.”

One of Africa’s few and largest transmission networks, TCN manages the country’s power grid with more than 20,000km of 330 and 132-kilovolt transmission lines.

Nigeria now has a proven 7,300 megawatts of energy wheeling capability at its high voltage substations, which are still growing.

TCN is reforming this transmission system as the Nigerian electrical market, which consists of the generation, transmission, and distribution businesses are ready to move beyond the transitional period it has been in for more than seven years and into a competitive market stage.

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TECHDIGEST – Telecommunication companies are at risk of becoming predominantly Internet access providers as a result of a shrinking business model according to GSMA, the global association for operators in the world.

The association disclosed that as consumers shift online, they spend more time and money there. It added that since 2015 the Internet had continued to grow at pace and there were over 4.6 billion users in 2020, representing 59 per cent of the world population.

It said the revenues of the segments that make up the Internet value chain were $6.7tn in 2020, up from $3.3tn in 2015.

In its ‘The Internet Value Chain: 2022 (May 2022),’ report, it said, “At a time when a greater load is being placed on Internet connectivity infrastructure, requiring network operators to increase speed, capacity and coverage, their business model is being squeezed.

“First, enterprises are replacing high margin MPLS and VPN services with more basic internet access services, resulting in an overall loss of revenue and margin for the operators. Second, the scope of operator activities is being narrowed.

“As virtualisation of core network functions takes place, hyperscalers can develop and run these services at a global scale, playing a greater role in core service and network orchestration, while operators in many markets are separating their infrastructure (i.e., into fibre and tower companies) and selling selected assets.

“If these trends play out to their full extent, telecom operators risk becoming predominantly Internet access providers, fulfilling the sales and service function but with significant capex requirements to build and maintain the access infrastructure.”

GSMA stated that while the Internet value chain is growing, the benefits and returns are flowing principally to players in the online services segment, while the telecom operators that are building and running the connectivity infrastructure which underpins these services are not benefitting as strongly as expected.

READ ALSO: FG ImPhoneposes Tax On Calls To Finance Healthcare Fund

It added that even though operators continue to invest in complex networks that enable the entire ecosystem, the low returns raise questions about the robustness of continued investment in capacity, coverage, and speed of the networks to connect internet users with services.

It said telecom operators were dealing with declining returns by carving out the infrastructure assets and sharing them to increase asset utilisation. It stated that there were also tapping into infrastructure investment funds to meet capex needs.

GSMA explained that in financial terms, this replaces the upfront capex need with a long-term opex cost, pressuring operators’ margins and returns.

It said, “The clear consequence of such an outcome is that with lower revenues and margins, the potential to invest in the critical access infrastructure could also be reduced in the long term.”

Source: punching.com

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TECHDIGEST – “If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm” ~ African Proverb

When on June 4th 2021, the Federal Government announced the suspension of Twitter operations in the country after the social media giant deleted a post by President Muhammadu Buhari for “violation of the company’s abusive behaviour policy,” some Nigerians not only failed to take that decision on the merit of which it was approved, but the ensuing head over heels scramblings in using the strongest possible words to ridicule that decision exposed the lack of love, loyalty and patriotism for National Interest harbored by most Nigerians against Nigeria.

Infact, many immediately initiatiated the process of circumventing a national proclamation besorting to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to gain access behind the walls.

This echo-chamber no doubt created a vista for more meddlesomeness from foreign quarters.

Curiously, this is not the first time Twitter is having a showdown with Sovereign Powers. As of 2019, the governments of China, Iran, North Korea, and Turkmenistan have blocked access to Twitter in those countries.

Infact in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Twitter users are prohibited from tweeting content that is contrary to public morals and the principles of that country.

Similarly, Turkey blocked access to Twitter in March 2014 in the run-up to local elections. It lifted the ban on Twitter after the social networking site complied with its request to remove photographs of a slain Istanbul prosecutor.

While it is easy to glorify these moves as repressive, the cradle of free speech and expression itself – the United States – is equally guilty of same.

In September 2020, the Trump administration announced banning of China’s TikTok and WeChat services from mobile app stores in the country.

Administration officials called the bans necessary to protect national security and prevent Beijing from exploiting the apps to collect user data or disseminate propaganda.

While the Biden administration dropped the ban in June 2021, it however included caveats which mandates accountability measures that TikTok does not currently have, including “reliable third-party auditing” of the app for possible security risk.

In the end, it turns out that for each country, no matter how self glorifying, national interest supersedes both internal and external usurpation.

I have always maintained that this is one of the most vulnerable moments in world history; a time when internet community coordination and mobilization is becoming a highly potent weapon for disruptive convergence, a time when dissents are evolving from being pressure bodies to being more daring and lethal actors who defy civility, ruffle authority, invade sanctity and inflame nationality.

In an article I wrote in January last year: Between Nigeria’s ENDSARS and US Capitol Insurrections, I highlighted that fact that, “this is creating a new dynamics for citizens agitations towards seeking redress over grievances and one can bet that every Nation has its fair share of ups and downs, but National pride has always been the defining point between citizen patriotism and treachery.

Ours may not be going through the best of times but in cases where we find ourselves on the brink, opening our doors to “sabi it all” meddlesome actors is a trajectory that is bound to injure our fledgling honor.

From the foregoing, it’s obvious that acts of meddlesomeness and expression of diplomatic finesse is not a game of who cares more for the welfare of citizens of other country but a game of interest for which only the smart and cunning holds the ace.

While we continue to hold our authorities to their responsibilities in our own different ways, Nigerian’s must learn to come through for their country in times like this.

It is therefore a welcome development when the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) issued a loaded, detailed public statement on what transpired before the lifting of suspension on Twitter operations in Nigeria.

Twitter’s compliance to FGs conditions before the ban is lifted proves beyond doubt that drastic times requires uncommon decisions.

Complying to our own laws, being legally registered with the CAC, paying tax, screening inflammatory contents, fake news and hate speeches, setting up local offices and employing Nigerian’s are enormous benefits that was worth the 7-months wait. In the end, many citizens that used VON to hurl words at the FG are bound to benefit from the outcome of the same act they desecrated.

This is indeed a triumph in patriotism, national interest and national security. It is a solemn reminder of the fact that we have our own peculiarities and uniqueness that should be driven by our own values, we do not need the dictates of external interests to determine and shape our journey.

While applauding citizens who are always very meticulous in balancing between their bias and National interest, I should reiterate the need for us all to be wary about enabling malign actors who sow division and amplify conspiracy theories against our collective Nationality.

That these disruptive insurrections against authority are being coordinated on social media, once again brings to the front burner the debate on free speech – with a new reality on ground, to what extent does the world want to define it and where does it lead to?

On the Twitter ban, Yes! we have had a very long and excruciating wait, but there is no denying that the gains incurred far outweighs the fatalities encountered and we have this singular FGs decision to thank for it.

Dahiru, Coordinator of the Network of Advocates for Digital Reporting (NADIR) writes from Kano.

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TECHDIGEST – The need to safeguard data and privacy while using the internet has contributed to an increase in the number of Virtual Private Networks downloads. VPN usage is projected to accelerate to previously unheard-of heights.

Based on data acquired by Finbold, it is projected that the number of VPN downloads globally might surpass one billion in 2021 driven by various factors such as the ongoing work-from-home trend, an increase in cyber-attacks, and the service’s overall rising popularity.

The projection represents a growth of 70.45% from the 616 million downloads recorded in the first half of 2021. Interestingly, the downloads in the first six months of 2021 are more than double the 2020 figure of 277 million.

Elsewhere, during the first half of 2021, Middle East Countries dominated the percentage of the population using VPN. Qatar ranks in the pole position, with 44.47% of the population deploying VPN. The United Arab Emirates is second at 39.91%, followed by Singapore at 29.59%. In India, 25.27% of the population used VPNs in the first half of 2021, followed by Oman with a share of 24.79%.

Madagascar ranks lowest, with just 0.42% of the population using VPN while Japan accounts for a share of 0.85%, while South Africa has a share of 1.43%. Poland ranks as the fourth-lowest country in VPN usage at 1.7%, while Kenya has a share of 2.01%.

The reports highlight the foundation for the projected VPN downloads. According to the research report:

“Amid the pandemic, the demand for VPNs surged following work-from-home trends that various companies initiated. There was an increasing demand for a secure remote working environment as employees rely on the internet from remote workplaces. The work-from-home culture meant that employees were exposed to data breaches and VPN served as the perfect solution for protection. Notably, the work from home trend has gained popularity even as normal operations resume with the rollout of the vaccine.”

The projected spike in VPN use is also expected to be driven by the recent increase in cases of malware and cyber-attacks.

Read the full story with statistics here: https://finbold.com/global-vpn-downloads-set-to-hit-1-billion-in-2021/

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TECH DIGEST – After Nigeria’s government suspended Twitter indefinitely last week, the term, ‘VPN’ gained ascendancy in popular vocabulary as Nigerians considered ways to get around the ban. Still, many are in the dark about what VPN is and whether it portends any form of danger to their online activities.

We will shed some light on VPNs in this article to help our readers stay better protected while surfing the internet.

VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network.” You can think of it as a service that disguises your online identity to make it harder for a third party to track your activities or steal your data.

VPNs provide several features that can keep you safe online, the most important of which are encryption and two-factor authentication. Together, these features keep your online footprints and activities private, inaccessible to even your ISP provider.

However, as much as VPNs are beneficial in securing online data, there are still certain risks associated with using them.

Dangers of using VPNs

Some free VPNs are not safe enough to keep your data private making it possible for your data to be leaked by third parties, especially if it is not well protected. Internet banking data that is not well secured could also get leaked.

Logging policies

If you use a VPN provider that stores data logs, the information about what you do on the web can easily be tracked, which defeats the purpose of using VPN for privacy sake because you no longer have control over your data.

Data leaks

Free VPNs are not totally free because they still need a way to earn revenue, and most times, this revenue is earned from either selling user data to third parties or sending you spam ads without your permission. A study showed that 72% of free VPNs embedded third-party trackers in their software. These trackers are used to gather data on your online activity.

All your devices aren’t automatically protected

If you have a VPN installed only on your phone or PC, that’s the only device that gets protected. If you have more than one device that you’d like to protect, you can either download VPNs on each of the devices or install a VPN router.

Speed issues

VPN slows down your connection speed and can also slow down the overall productivity of your smartphone depending on the service. This can be quite frustrating.

Jurisdiction

The country where your VPN is located affects how secure your VPN is. For instance, if your VPN is located in a country whose government has data retention laws, the VPN might be forced to store your information in secret or if some apps you use are restricted in certain countries, you will also be affected even if you are not there. For example, Binance is banned in the US so if your VPN is set to any US state, your account will be banned. Also, It does not matter what the VPN’s policy is, your data can still be shared.

Bottom line

If you really want better protection online, avoid free VPNs. Go for paid VPNs as they offer better security and user experience. Choose paid VPNs that prevent IP address disclosure and do not collect data logs that users share on it.

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TECH DIGEST – Following the announcement of the indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria on Friday, June 4, 2021, Twitter users in the country have opted for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the ban.

A VPN allows individuals to protect sensitive information by securing a public connection to a private network. Any data that passes through a VPN is converted into a code to prevent unauthorised access. This protects users against probable hacking attacks or theft of crucial data.

While the government and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can monitor daily online activities and restrict the websites or apps that Internet subscribers can visit or access, a VPN can provide security solutions that restore online privacy and liberty.

With a VPN, you can easily browse the Internet without worrying about restrictions, monitoring, or tracking done by the ISPs, government, or even third parties.

Nonetheless, while the adoption of VPNs might be a quick solution for users to bypass the Twitter ban, some of these free VPNs are not safe enough to protect or keep users’ data private because they compromise their security.

Research by the ICSI Networking and Security Group found that 38% of the 283 Android VPNs studied contained malware.

According to Fortinet, an American cybersecurity company, this malware could be used by cybercriminals to steal users’ data, gain unauthorised access to their data or machine, or launch a cyberattack.

In 2020, according to research by Nord VPN, seven free VPN providers, UFO VPN, FAST VPN, Super VPN, Free VPN, Flash VPN, Secure VPN, and Rabbit VPN, in Hong-Kong exposed 1.2 terabytes of data collected from millions of users who trusted them with their logs even though they claimed to offer no-log policies.

Users’ data containing sensitive and personally identifiable information (PII) such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, emails, home addresses, and passwords were unprotected and publicly made available.

Like the ISPs and the government, some free VPNs track their users’ online activities. The ICSI research discovered that 72% of the free VPN services analysed embedded third-party tracking tools in their software.

This permits these VPNs to sell the information they collect to third parties and allows advertisers to target users.

Some free VPNs conceal information about sharing or selling user data, but others disclose it in their privacy policies. But how many people read privacy policies before accepting them?

Free VPNs are not free because they raise money in other ways. To make revenue, they either sell users’ data to third parties or flood you with ads without your permission.

The adage then comes to mind, if you are not paying for the product, you are the product.

While paid VPNs have ad-blocking tools, malware protection features, and unlimited bandwidth that secure users’ data, free VPNs have a smaller infrastructure, leading to slower Internet speeds.

In times like the Twitter ban, VPN services might be a solution. However, users must carefully choose what country they connect with because VPNs are illegal in some countries.

Therefore, do your research to ensure your connection is not established in countries like Russia, Uganda, Turkey, and China, amongst others.

Using a paid VPN will cost you more money than your data subscription. Still, there are affordable paid VPNs that you can access individually or as a family.

Comparitech advises that before choosing a paid VPN, look for a provider that actively prevents IP address disclosures. Also, ensure it does not collect log data that users share on it.

Look for a provider that has a VPN kill switch feature. This helps users exit specific programs if an Internet connection fluctuates, reducing the risk of sensitive data being disclosed.

Finally, ensure the VPN you are selecting supports Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This ensures that only authorised users can gain access to it.

The VPN might be a temporary solution as the Federal Government, on Saturday, June 5, 2021, reportedly reached out to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) to discuss plans to build an Internet firewall.

The Internet firewall, if built, would allow the government to block VPNs. This means that Twitter might not be accessible via some free VPNs.

While social media has been a tool for free speech and expression, in 2019, the government introduced the hate speech and social media bills to control the right to speech and expression online.

Although the social media bill was brought up again in 2020 due to the #EndSARS protests, with the Twitter ban, it looks like it is already being implemented.

We don’t know what the government is planning. However, we know that VPNs are temporary solutions to the Twitter ban, and some free VPNs do not guarantee security and privacy.

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TECH DIGEST – The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), downloaded Virtual Private Network in order to visit Twitter to deactivate it, The PUNCH can confirm.

This is despite Malami’s threats to Nigerians that using Twitter could land them in jail.

The AGF had posted a photo of his deactivated Twitter account.

However, a critical look at the photo by just clicking on it showed that indeed Malami had accessed his Twitter account with the aid of a VPN.

In a chat with The PUNCH on Tuesday, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, described the AGF as a hypocrite.

Effiong said Malami, who is the chief law officer of the nation, had done nothing but undermine the constitution he ought to protect.

He added, “What Malami has done is not illegal because there is no law that makes it an offence to use Twitter but it only shows the character flaw of Malami. If he is threatening Nigerians, he should have led by example. One would have expected him to be honest. It shows the hypocrisy and how unserious the AGF is.

“He is supposed to be the chief law officer. He is not the AGF of the executive but the federation and so his position on things should be devoid of partisanship or primordial sentiments. He has done nothing but bastardise the rule of law. He is a senior advocate but what sort of example is he setting for others?”

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