TheNewsGuru

Tag: internet

  • Contract for the Web: What governments, companies, citizens should know

    As the world awaits the 50/50 moment when more than half of the world’s population will be online, inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee has launched a campaign to persuade governments, companies and individuals to sign a Contract for the Web.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Contract for the Web that has received support from Internet giants, including Google, is a set of principles designed to defend a free and open Internet.

    Berners-Lee, who hatched the Web in 1989, said a sense of optimism about the Internet had been damaged by abuses of personal data, online hate speech, political manipulation and the centralization of power among a small group of major tech firms.

    He said he wanted to rebuild trust in the web and increase Internet access on fair and affordable terms by encouraging governments, companies and individuals to work together.

    “The web was designed to bring people together and make knowledge freely available. Everyone has a role to play to ensure the web serves humanity,” an excerpt from Contract for the Web read.

    Contract for the Web – Core Principles

    Governments will: Ensure everyone can connect to the internet so that anyone, no matter who they are or where they live, can participate actively online.

    Governments will: Keep all of the internet available, all of the time so that no one is denied their right to full internet access.

    Governments will: Respect people’s fundamental right to privacy so everyone can use the internet freely, safely and without fear.

    Companies will: Make the internet affordable and accessible to everyone so that no one is excluded from using and shaping the web.

    Companies will: Respect consumers’ privacy and personal data so people are in control of their lives online.

    Companies will: Develop technologies that support the best in humanity and challenge the worst so the web really is a public good that puts people first.

    Citizens will: Be creators and collaborators on the web so the web has rich and relevant content for everyone.

    Citizens will: Build strong communities that respect civil discourse and human dignity so that everyone feels safe and welcome online.

    Citizens will: Fight for the web so the web remains open and a global public resource for people everywhere, now and in the future.

    “We are encouraging governments, companies and citizens around the world to commit to these principles, and to help protect the open web as a public good and a basic right for everyone,” the contract read.

     

  • 50/50 moment: Over half of world’s population will be online in May 2019

    50/50 moment: Over half of world’s population will be online in May 2019

    Next year, the world will reach an important milestone, the 50/50 moment, when more than half of the world’s population will be online.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports May 2019 has been projected as the 50/50 moment when more than half of the world’s population will be online for the first time in the history of the Internet.

    Thirty years after Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, it makes a huge difference in people’s lives – whether it is the chance to access a world of information, to improve their education, develop new skills, or build new businesses.

    For all the billions of people that are already online, there are billions more who are not benefiting from the economic potential of the World Wide Web, or its wider promise – the ability to exercise fundamental human rights such as access to information and free expression.

    As the world marks this milestone, Berners-Lee has launched a campaign to persuade governments, companies and individuals to sign a Contract for the Web set of principles designed to defend a free and open Internet.

    Google has announced support for Contract for the Web, stressing that over the coming months, they will work with the World Wide Web Foundation to draw up principles that protect the open web as a public good and a basic right for everyone.

    “As we approach the 50/50 moment, we support the World Wide Web Foundation’s call to create a new Contract for the Web.

    “Over the coming months, we’ll work with the World Wide Web Foundation and many other partners from government and business, as well as web users around the world, to draw up principles that protect the open web as a public good and a basic right for everyone.

    “We’re also backing up that commitment with a one million dollar Google.org grant to the World Wide Web Foundation so that it can continue to drive forward its important work #ForTheWeb,” Jacquelline Fuller, President, Google.org said in a statement.

     

  • Inventor of World Wide Web launches contract for better Internet

    Inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee has launched a campaign to persuade governments, companies and individuals to sign a Contract for the Web set of principles designed to defend a free and open Internet.

    Berners-Lee, who hatched the Web in 1989, said a sense of optimism about the Internet had been damaged by abuses of personal data, online hate speech, political manipulation and the centralization of power among a small group of major tech firms.

    He said he wanted to rebuild trust in the web and increase Internet access on fair and affordable terms by encouraging governments, companies and individuals to work together.

    “The web is at a crucial point… we need a new Contract for the Web, with clear and tough responsibilities for those who have the power to make it better,” Berners-Lee said in excerpts from his speech launching the project at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon on Monday.

    Berners-Lee said governments, companies and individual Internet users had a role to play.

    “Some policy things like net neutrality have to involve governments, some things clearly involve companies – big companies, small companies and start-ups.

    “If you’re an ISP (Internet service provider) you (commit to) deliver a neutral Internet. If you are a social networking company you make sure that (…) you allow people to control their data,” he said in an interview ahead of the launch.

    Individuals would pledge to “respect civil discourse and human dignity so that everyone feels safe and welcome online”, according to one of the core principles of the contract.

    However, it is not clear how such a principle could be enforced, given the inherent anonymity of the Internet.

    The contract’s starting principles have already received the endorsement of more than 50 organizations including the French government, Internet Sans Frontieres and companies including Google and Facebook.

    Berners-Lee said the full terms of the contract would be agreed in the coming months, with the objective to finalize it in May 2019 – the 50/50 moment when more than half of the world’s population will be online for the first time.

    People will be able to get involved by using the hashtag #ForTheWeb, he said.

     

  • NCC establishes industry code to regulate internet access

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has concluded plans to establish internet industry code of practice to regulate internet access and services in the country.

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC made this known at a Stakeholders’ Consultation Forum on the Establishment of Internet Industry Code of Practice in Abuja.

    Danbatta, who was represented by Mrs Yetunde Akinloye, the Director Legal Regulatory Services (NCC) said that the code would clearly define the rights and obligations of internet access service providers.

    He said that the code would also put measures in place to safeguard and protect minors, vulnerable audiences and consumers as a whole.

    “This envisioned as a co-regulatory effort between the commission and industry stakeholders, hence the need for extensive public consultation and in the final document, ‘’ he said.

    Danbatta said that the establishment of the code was conceived to ensure safety, security and to harness the benefits of the internet for good governance and better user experience.

    He said that the Sub-Saharan Africa had lost between seven and 20 per cent of its GDP to cyber crimes as stated by internet society, adding that it was very vital to intensify efforts to secure the country against imminent threats.

    He said that NCC also considered other factors including but not limited to online child protection, privacy and data protection, objectionable content and traffic management practices.

    “The global perspective is that the internet be open and unregulated creativity and internet access. Propositions are for either self-regulation or government regulation in repressive economies.

    “However, both have their advantages and disadvantages. Thus, the drive for a co-regulatory practice as it relates to the internet in Nigeria.

    “Consequently, the NCC in accordance with its mandate to regulate the communications sector in Nigeria as expressed in the Nigerian communication Act 2003 sets out to establish Internet Code of Practice.’’

    Mr Destiny Amana, the President, Nigerian Internet Group, one of the stakeholders at the event said that internet fraud was one the major problems in the country.

    Amana said that there was need to protect the young and old ones online.

    “Hence there is need for check and balances, which the commission is trying to put in place, ‘’ he said.

    Another stakeholder, Mr Adeboye Adegoke, the Programme Manager, Digital Earth, Paradigm Initiative called on the commission to emphasis importance of judicial oversight instead of using phase such as legal authority.

    “The importance of judicial oversight is that it creates system of checks and balances,‘’ he said.

     

  • Internet users in Nigeria hit 106m in September

    Internet users in Nigeria increased marginally to 106 million in September, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.
    The NCC made this known on Friday in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for September posted on its website.
    According to the data, Airtel, MTN and Globacom gained more internet subscribers during the month under review, while 9mobile was the biggest loser.
    The data also showed that overall internet users increased to 105,980, 062 in September from the 104,628,342 in August showing an increase of 1, 351,720.
    The breakdown revealed that MTN gained the more with 1,010, 264 new internet users in September increasing its subscription to 40,469,906 as against 39, 459,642 in August.
    It said that Airtel gained 417,171 new users increasing its subscription in September to 27, 925,411 compared to 27,508,240 in August.
    Globacom gained 14,840 new internet users, increasing its subscription in September to 27,433,607 from 27, 418,767 recorded in August.
    It further showed that 9mobile, lost 90,555 internet users in September decreasing its subscription to 10,151,138 as against 10, 241,693 recorded in August.
     

  • Airtel formally launches 4G that works in Nigeria

    Airtel Nigeria formally launched its 4G network in Lagos state on Wednesday, following launch of the network in several parts of the country.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Airtel Nigeria first launched its 4G network coverage in the country in the city of Ibadan February this year.
    Airtel’s CEO & MD, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya said the telco hopes to empower Lagosians, and indeed Nigerians with the largest and best 4G network coverage that works in the country.
    Since the first launch in Ibadan, Airtel has also launched the 4G network in cities in Rivers State, including capital of the state, Port Harcourt; Warri, Onitsha, Asaba, amongst others, before proceeding to Lagos.
    With the Lagos launch, Airtel 4G network is now live in the federal capital territory (FCT) Abuja; Delta, Anambra, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom states, with Airtel promising to further expand the network coverage across the country.
    Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Mr. Ogunsanya made the promise of Airtel expanding the coverage, stressing that the Nigeria foremost telecoms firm hopes to empower more Nigerians by launching 4G coverage for other states in the country soon.
    “Airtel’s 4G network is now in over 60 major cities and towns in Nigeria across different States, making Airtel the network with the widest and largest 4G coverage in the country,” he said.
    He said Airtel is stamping it’s authority as truely Nigeria’s telco with the largest network coverage with the launch of its 4G network coverage across the length and breadth of the federation.
    “This launch serve as a great testimony of our commitment to empower Airtel users across Nigeria. We began building the largest 4G network in Nigeria early 2018, and since then, we have established our footprint in Ibadan, Abuja, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna and Lagos.
    “Our aim is to empower every Nigerian with the power of fast Internet connectivity. The good news is that Airtel 4G will help everyone in Lagos to do more and achieve more, regardless of status and location.
    “With fast mobile Internet, a young professional will be able to use his map to understand the traffic network, plan and connect with the right people.
    “The tailor will be able to take measurement through video calls; the fish seller will be able to share photos and short videos of his current stock. Ditto every other person.
    “Indeed, 4G comes with tons of benefits and the possibilities are endless: it will accelerate economic and commercial activities,” Ogunsanya said.
    The Airtel boss said the company’s target was to cover 100 cities by the end of March 2019.
     

  • Black Friday and the Nigerian Entrepreneur

    Black Friday and the Nigerian Entrepreneur

    The earliest mention of the phrase Black Friday was used to describe the day after Thanksgiving in the United States in 1952, which is usually the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November — a day considered to be the beginning of the country’s Christmas shopping season.
    Black Friday was coined to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic that would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Twenty years after its first mention, the phrase became more widespread and represented the point in the year when retails began to turn a profit, thus going from ‘being in the red’ (losses) to ‘being in the black’ (profits).
    In 2003, Black Friday was the busiest shopping day of the year and has retained that position every year till date. It has become a shopping day in the US for a number of reasons: as the first day after the major holiday before Christmas, it marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season; some employers give their employees the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and, retailers in the country both big and small take advantage of the holiday by offering various sales incentives to attract traffic to their stores.
    Since the beginning of the 21st century, there have been attempts by retailers with origins in the US to introduce a retail Black Friday to other countries around the world.
    Adoption of Black Friday in Nigeria
    Prior to the debut of eCommerce platforms in Nigeria, Black Friday was relatively unknown. Jumia introduced Black Friday to Nigerians as a shopping festival in November 2013. Shortly after that, other ecommerce players created their own simulation such as the Yakata Sales, but unfortunately, this didn’t command as much buzz as the Black Friday shopping festival.
    Similar to what it stands for in developed countries, especially its country of origin — the US, Black Friday has been known in Nigeria to be a day that online retailers — and until recently, offline stores — dedicate to offering jaw-dropping discounts across all product categories in an attempt at attracting traffic to their platforms.
    It is interesting to note that media reports have shown that Black Friday seems to be the most productive & profit driven period for most eCommerce platforms and their vendors. It provides the opportunity to level up their sales target considering there’s usually an enormous influx of shoppers during this period.
    Little wonder, most of the vendors selling on eCommerce platforms always offer their products for sale at extremely low prices, in addition to offering free delivery and shipping for items above N10,000 in major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, and many more.
    Realizing that a day might not be sufficient to shop, and considering the fact that, unlike the US, Black Friday is not yet a public holiday in Nigeria, some eCommerce platforms have extended the shopping festival to cover a period of one month, usually starting mid-November through mid-December. Thus, providing shoppers with an extended period to shop for the Christmas season.
    Life Changing Moment for Nigerian Entrepreneurs
    The second biggest beneficiaries of the Black Friday shopping festival are the entrepreneurs who sell on various eCommerce platforms and in offline stores. Although, while there’s no accurate & reliable data to show the percentage of customers who still patronise brick & mortar shops in Nigeria, the continuous rise in the usage of smartphones to shop — thanks to internet penetration — in both urban & rural areas provide a hindsight on where most shoppers might find most convenient to shop for their everyday needs.
    To maximize the sales opportunities during this period, entrepreneurs selling on eCommerce platforms, must among other things:
    (1) offer the most competitive price for their wares. The eCommerce platform is a battlefield, only the seller with the best prices stands a chance to attract shoppers’ attention. This is one of the best time to grow the business on volume, even while selling — probably at half the price; the more the orders, the better for the business. Moreover, the products with the most competitive prices will,
    (a) likely be displayed on the first page of the eCommerce website,
    (b) likely be sent via newsletters to millions of customers signed up on the platform,
    (c) likely be included in paid online advertising, sponsored by the platform.
    (2) check the quality of your products. Customers who buy an inferior product oftener from your online store won’t return for a repeat purchase. Although, some eCommerce platforms encourage customers to return products they consider inferior or a far cry from what was ordered. Ensure you offer to sell only good quality products that will pass the QC test established by the eCommerce platform. This reduces to the barest minimum the risk of returns from unsatisfied or disgruntled customers, which if successful, translates to completed sales for you. It also absolves the risk of getting your store deactivated, which should be a stringent procedure for a serious eCommerce website.
    (3) ensure your delivery system is top-notch, especially if you do same day delivery. Or else, enlist the services of trusted delivery & logistics companies.
    (4) use the right product image and description. If your product only functions at night, add it in the description. Don’t lure customers into thinking they are buying a Ferrari when in reality, you’re selling them a Mercedes-Benz. Let the product image you upload on the website be the same as the product you’re going to deliver. Specify and update what colours you have in stock at all times. Say no to misleading & deceitful product descriptions.
    Best Time for Thrift Shopping
    Shoppers remain the biggest beneficiaries of Black Friday. Those looking to save money while shopping heavy will take advantage of the special deals and discount vouchers that will be available for shoppers during this period. What is that product you’ve been saving up for months or weeks to buy? Is it an electronic gadget? iPhone XS, XS Max or iPhone XR? Kitchen gadget? Groceries? This is the best time to fill your shopping carts with all the products you’ve always wanted, but couldn’t afford at once. You buy more and spend less.
    Typically, when navigating an eCommerce website don’t buy the first product that seems affordable to you. Compare the product price and quality with other sellers on the same platform. Look out for the sellers ratings and comments of previous buyers of similar products. Spend some time browsing through the website to find excellent deals. The goal is to spend less to get more.
    Black Friday in Remote Areas With No Internet Access
    Interestingly, urban dwellers are not the only beneficiaries of the eCommerce explosion. Most rural dwellers and those in the remotest areas — with or without the internet — also participate actively in shopping online, especially during Black Friday period when most items are sold at almost half the price, sometimes at 70 — 80% off.
    Black Friday will be upon us in the next couple of weeks. Everybody is excited: the entrepreneurs, the customers, the eCommerce platforms, and the Nigerian economy.
    As a reminder, for this year’s Black Friday shopping festival to be successful, here are a few pointer for eCommerce websites: ensure you provide customers with a wide assortment of genuine products at the best prices; beef up your logistics capacity to deliver orders on time; equip your customer service unit to handle complaints and returns in a timely manner.
    And here’s a reminder too for the customers: don’t spend that money now. Save the last for the best. Take advantage of the free shopping vouchers, participate in the various treasure hunts and keep your focus on social media to stay abreast of other opportunities to buy your favourite items for less.
     
    Olukayode Kolawole
     

  • Impact Challenge: Google to select 12 finalists from over 5,500 entries

    Impact Challenge: Google to select 12 finalists from over 5,500 entries

    Google on Monday said application process of the ongoing Google Impact Challenge in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa closed with over 5,500 entries.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the Internet Search giant, at Google for Nigeria in July 2017, announced that Google.org would be investing $20m in non-profits working across the African continent over the next five years.
    May this year, Google took the announcement a step farther in making the Google.org $20m investment in Africa a reality through the launch of the Google Impact Challenge 2018, the first the firm would be running the Impact Challenge in Africa.
    “Many African innovators are doing great work with real impact and we’re keen to shine a light on them, and give a financial boost to their projects and ideas. The process of selecting the 12 finalists has begun and the winners will be unveiled on November 28 in Lagos, Nairobi and South Africa,” Google said on Monday.
    The Internet Search giant is going to rely on the public to help in selecting the best ideas presented by nonprofits and social enterprises in the Impact Challenge.
    The public will vote for the idea they believe has the most potential, and judges will select 3 more winners after hearing in-person pitches from a set of finalists.
    The winning nonprofits and social enterprises will receive cash as well as access to guidance, technical assistance and mentorship from Google, which they are free to take up should they so choose.
    “Many African non-profit organisations are using technology in innovative ways. However, access to funding and technological know-how is often a barrier to other, equally-ambitious projects getting off the ground. We want the Google Impact Challenge to change that, as well as encourage the entire non-profit sector to think big,” said Mzamo Masito, Google Head of Marketing, Africa.
    Meanwhile, the Search giant said its Grow with Google Initiatives, aimed at getting people in Africa the right skills and tools to make the digital world work for them, their businesses and their communities, have trained more than 2.5 million Africans.
    “We’ve also trained more than 9,000 Africans developers who are on their way to becoming Google certified. And together with our partners Udacity and Andela, we’ve provided 15,000 two-month “single course” scholarships and 500 six-month nanodegree scholarships to aspiring and professional developers across Africa,” Google stated.
    TNG reports each country involved in the Google Impact Challenge 2018 has $2m to be awarded to 4 winners and 8 runners up.
     

  • ICANN warns of global Internet outage in next 48 hours

    Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) says key domain servers are slated to undergo routine maintenance over the next 48 hours, meaning Internet users across the globe may experience widespread network failures.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports ICANN, during the 48-hour time period, will carry out maintenance work by changing the cryptographic key that helps protect the Internet’s address book or the Domain Name System (DNS).
    Global Internet users might experience network connection failures as the main domain servers and its related network infrastructure will be down for some time.
    This has been necessitated to counter the rising incidents of cyber attacks, the ICANN said in a statement obtained by TNG.
    In a statement, a communications regulatory authority said the global internet shutdown is necessary for ensuring a secure, stable and resilient DNS.
    “To further clarify, some internet users might be affected if their network operators or Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have not prepared for this change.
    “However, this impact can be avoided by enabling the appropriate system security extensions,” the statement read.
    Internet users could face difficulties in accessing web pages or making any transactions in the next 48 hours. Also, users could face inconvenience accessing the global network if they use an outdated ISP.
    Meanwhile, ICANN had noted only a handful cases where Net services might have been affected adversely since the upgrade started on Friday.
    “It is now about 20 hours since the rollover and based on all information we have, everything is going smoothly.
    “There have been only a small handful of reports of issues suspected to be caused by the rollover. In all cases it appears the impact was minor and the issues were quickly resolved,” an ICANN spokesperson said.
    ICANN has announced in July 2016 to upgrade the cryptographic keys that are required to access security system of website names, called Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC).
    When an internet user types a website on his browser, the broadband or Internet modem transmits that name to a system called resolver– which converts the website name in to numeric form containing code and server address of the website.
    ICANN has asked all internet service providers to upgrade their software that resolves the website name in to digital code and directs the traffic to right server.
    DNSSEC is an additional layer which validates the website name has been converted correctly.
    The keys required to accesses the DNSSEC central server system called root zone were implemented in 2010 and hence were required to be upgraded for protection.
    The transition was planned for October 11, 2017 but was deferred by a year due to unclear data received just before the rollover.
    Before running the system upgrade, ICANN had estimated that more than 99 per cent of users whose system are validating DNSSSEC will be unaffected by the rollover.
    The ICANN spokesperson said no one can know definitively which operators have enabled DNSSEC validation on their resolvers, and because no one but the operator can tell if a resolver with DNSSEC validation enabled was ready for the rollover.
    “…no one could know exactly which users might be affected by the KSK rollover and where they would be,” the spokesperson said.
    However, Internet service providers whose system did not perform DNSSEC validation function will not be impacted by the transition at all.
    According to ICANN estimates are that about two thirds of users are behind resolvers that do not yet perform DNSSEC validation.
     

  • EFCC clampdown on 33-years old internet fraudster

    EFCC clampdown on 33-years old internet fraudster

    The Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested one Oke Omoniyi Benjamin, 33-years old from Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State, for internet fraud.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Benjamin was arrested sequel to an intelligent report received by the EFCC on 27th August, 2018, alleging that he is into internet fraud and has also defrauded a number of foreigners of their money through fraudulent schemes.
    The report stated that Benjamin used the proceeds of his fraud to buy two cars, and also own a unisex salon known as Signatures Unisex Salon located at No. 238, Ilawe Road, opposite Baptist School, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
    At the point of arrest, operatives of the Commission recovered an Acura TL, 2010 with Registration Number BDG 969FH and a Lexus ES 300, 2002 with Registration Number EPE 829FJ, two Laptops, two Phones, forged documents and several counterfeit cheques of various foreign Banks.
    Benjamin, however, admitted to the allegations against him and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.