INTERPOL Establishes Initiative To Battle Cybercrime In Africa

The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is launching a new cybercrime operations desk with UK funding to boost the capacity of 49 African countries to fight cybercrime. The five-year Stop Online Piracy (I-SOP) initiative project aims to tackle digital piracy following a significant increase in the number of incidences. The Africa desk will help shape a regional strategy to drive intelligence-led coordinated actions against cybercriminals and support joint operations. According to INTERPOL, digital piracy has heightened by more than 60 percent in some countries during the 12 months from April 2020 as millions of people have been confined due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. Cybercrime is among the most inexhaustible forms of international crime, with damages set to cost the global economy USD 10.5 trillion annually by 2025.

Federal Government Lifts Ban On SIM Registration

The Federal government has approved the activation of the new Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), Although this exercise can only be feasible with a compulsory valid National Identification Number (NIN).

Telcos Collect 56.18 Million NINs, FG Fixes April 6 Deadline

A total of 56.18 million National Identity Numbers have been collected by the mobile network operators and submitted for linkage with their respective Subscriber Identification Modules.

Debris From Space Rocket Lands In Maldives - China

Debris from a Chinese rocket which was is expected to plunge through the earth’s atmosphere over the weekend has landed in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives early Sunday morning, China’s space administration announced. Earlier in the month, it was reported by China’s space administration that the scattered pieces of the rocket could hit Abuja, Beijing, New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, or Rio de Janeiro.

WhatsApp To Commence Removal Of Accounts From May 15

Facebook-owned company WhatsApp has stated that commencing from May 15, users who had refused to accept the new terms and conditions of the media platform will not be able to send and read messages, and maybe eventually deleted. Following the several backlashes from its users over the revised privacy policy, WhatsApp has deferred the update to May 15, giving users time to accept the revised terms.

COVID-19: Google Launches $3M Fund To Fight Vaccine Misinformation

The Google News Initiative has launched a $3 million global open fund “COVID-19 Vaccine Counter Misinformation Open Fund” to curb misinformation of the COVID-19 vaccine.