New UN deal with data mining firm Palantir raises privacy concerns

CIA-linked software firm Palantir will help the UN’s World Food Programme analyse its data in a new partnership worth $45 million, both organisations announced Tuesday, drawing immediate flak from privacy and data protection activists. The California-based contractor, best known for its work in intelligence and immigration enforcement, will provide software and expertise to the UN’s …

Linguistic Diversity Essential For Innovation, Development, Roundtable Speakers Say

By Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Multilingualism not only expands cultural horizons but also provides a tool for innovation, speakers gathered at an international roundtable yesterday said. However, language uniformity is a tempting road taken by many – often for cost-related reasons – while multilingualism should be promoted as a factor in development, they said. …