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Undermining Democracy: The European Commission’s Controversial Push for Digital Surveillance
The European Commission wants to turn digital communication apps, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, TikTok and X, into mass surveillance tools so that digital communications of all EU citizens, including their live conversations, photos and videos, can be automatically scanned for criminal offences.[1] Even of citizens who are not suspected of any crime. This proposal…
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Don’t (just) teach children computer programming
What is the purpose of education? To prepare children for an independent life in the world of tomorrow. But what are educational decision makers to do when the world evolves so rapidly that even the most esteemed scientists and visionaries can only shrug when asked what the future will be like? Computer programming, that’s the buzzword…
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ANWB’s Big Brother insurance is a terrible idea
How can a car insurance company continue to make money if driverless cars might make car damage a thing of the past? The answer is simple and sinister: by gathering as much private information about their customers as possible. Google has been doing it very successfully for years and the value of their shares has…
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Why the popularity of ad blockers is the advertising industry’s own fault
Ten years ago, I moved out of my parents’ house. The first thing I bought was a NO/NO sticker, which people in the Netherlands can put on their letterboxes to indicate they’re not interested in junk mail. I put it on mine with a happy smile. Isn’t that wonderful, I thought, having the power to…