Changing conversation about Covid: What to do when Big Tech spreads misinformation?
03 February 2022 |
1:31 pm
Denmark is the EU's first nation to lift all domestic Covid restrictions, raising hopes in northern Europe and beyond. Here in France, new infections have never been higher, but the authorities are relaxing rules too. That's because the vaccination rate is near 90 percent and hospitals are managing. The omicron variant is more infectious but milder. Milder if you are vaccinated, warns the World Health Organization. Many nations remain vulnerable.
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With China scrapping its strict COVID restrictions, several countries have introduced mandatory testing on travelers from China. Italy is calling for EU-wide measures.
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The inter-ministerial watchdog set up to monitor and fight against sects in France has released its latest findings on everything from online coaches to conspiracists, neo-Shamans and would-be healers. The alarming report from MIVILUDES states that since 2020 – and especially since the coronavirus pandemic – such movements are on the rise and are spreading worrying quantities of misinformation when it comes to healthcare.
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As China eases its zero-Covid policy amidst international fears of a new wave, a report by an anglophone journalist in China from late December is being used online as "proof" that the coronavirus figures in Shanghai are hardly cause for concern. But is all as it seems? We take a closer look in this edition with Vedika Bahl.
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Germany's health minister said Berlin would be following an EU recommendation that member states demand travelers from China provide proof of a recent negative rapid COVID test.
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In China, there are fears not just of a Covid wave but maybe a tsunami. Funeral parlours are overwhelmed and hospitals are packed with elderly patients on respirators. This comes after the lifting of China's zero-Covid restrictions following protests. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, is pointing the finger, saying China's official virus data is being under-reported.
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Beijing has started retaliatory moves against countries which have imposed restrictions on Chinese travelers, with Japan also reportedly targeted.
11 Jan
As families and friends reunite around China, the milestone is bittersweet for the coronavirus threat remains high and authorities have used the pandemic to develop a more efficient set of tools to crack down on society.
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"The bird is freed," tech billionaire Elon Musk wrote upon acquiring Twitter in October of last year. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton shot back: "In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules." That early exchange exposed two starkly different views of social media: a haven of free speech, as Musk would have it; or a place where freedom goes hand in hand with protecting users from illegal content – the EU's approach.
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Chinese police have arrested scores of "white paper" protesters more than a month after unprecedented demonstrations nationwide. Many fear detained protesters are being psychologically and physically abused.
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You won't see Elon Musk in Davos this year. He says it’s boring on Twitter, which he now owns, and which is still bleeding money. The same big losses are being seen at his electric car maker Tesla. But it would take a lot more for the billionaire to go broke. The truth is that in today's world, tech titans seem unbreakable, even when the likes of Musk face a lawsuit for allegedly manipulating Tesla's share price.
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It is the first Lunar New Year celebration since China's communist leadership lifted the country's strict measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
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French luxury goods giant LVMH is not feeling the post-Covid pinch. The group has released its figures for 2022, which show revenue just below the bar of €80 billion. Meanwhile, shipments of smartphones have dropped to a near-decade low. Finally, we find out about a lawsuit that involves King Charles III and Elon Musk.
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