This week we begin with an Op Ed by Mark Zuckerberg, on the importance of data in the fight against COVID-19. Then, we have a story on Bill Gates’ views about countries tracking the spread of the pandemic by using interviews and databases. The next piece is about Indian banks using alternative data, like online shopping and E-Bill payments, to ascertain creditworthiness. The following story is regarding researchers wanting social media platforms to preserve Coronavirus misinformation content and news. After this, we cover a major hack suffered by Nintendo, which has exposed 160,000 user accounts. Lastly, we have included an article on the use of satellite images to track food supply.
Mark Zuckerberg: How data can aid the fight against COVID-19
As the world fights COVID-19 and countries develop plans to reopen their societies, it’s critical to have a clear understanding of how the disease is spreading. Better data can help governments determine where to send resources such as ventilators and personal protective equipment — and eventually which areas are safe to start opening up again.
Bill Gates says countries will probably use interviews and databases to track the coronavirus
Bill Gates thinks most countries will fight COVID-19 with interview-based contact tracing and a central database to track exposure. Gates posted a paper today outlining potential pandemic treatments, vaccines, and containment strategies. He calls contact tracing, which helps identify and isolate people who could spread the virus, an “ideal way” to stop the pandemic.
Indian banks are using data from mobile bills and e-shopping to check customers’ creditworthiness
In India, a young person who has just started a new job, or a middle-aged, blue-collar worker who has never taken a bank loan, often face rejections when they apply for credit due to the lack of a credit repayment history.
Researchers want social media companies to preserve coronavirus misinformation data
A group of scholars and nonprofit organizations have asked web platforms to keep track of the content they’re removing during the coronavirus pandemic so they can make it available to researchers studying how online information affects public health.
Nintendo suffers major hack affecting 160,000 online accounts
The company, which makes the Switch gaming console, said on a support page (published in Japanese) that hackers “obtained illegally” the personal IDs and passwords of the affected accounts. Additionally, it said the hackers had attempted to log in to an unspecific number of accounts by using the stolen information in early April.
Satellites help track food supplies in coronavirus era
As the coronavirus pandemic leads to anxiety over the strength of the world’s food supply chains, everyone from governments to banks are turning to the skies for help.
Source: https://mailchi.mp/zigram.tech/data-asset-weekly-dispatch_27_april
