A view of the Cambridge Analytica headquarters in London Officers of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)  searched the Cambridge Analytica headquarters, as the company is accused of using the personal data of 50 million Facebook members for its own campaigns during the US election and the Brexit referendum. Neil Hall/ EPA
A view of the Cambridge Analytica headquarters in London Officers of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) searched the Cambridge Analytica headquarters, as the company is accused of using the Show more

Cambridge Analytica scandal: UK tells tech giants to simplify data policies for users



The UK government will tell technology giants to simplify their data management policies for its users in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal.

Britain’s digital, culture and media secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday that companies such as Facebook and Twitter were “bewildering” consumers with lengthy terms and conditions about how their data is used. He wants tech giants’ service agreements to fit onto one page.

"People are bewildered by pages of unwieldy terms and conditions," Mr Hancock told The Times. "I want these boiled right down so people can see in one glance what they're signing up to. I want the big platforms to answer questions and demonstrate they are willing to change."

Tech firms have come under even closer scrutiny following claims last week that consultancy Cambridge Analytica working for the Trump campaign during the 2016 US election had harvested personal data from more than 50 million Facebook accounts.

The UK government have summoned executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter to discuss their data management policies.

Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg took out full page advertisements in British newspapers on Sunday vowing to “do better” for social media users.

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"We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can't, we don't deserve it," the advert read.

Facebook’s shares dropped by 14 per cent following the Cambridge Analytica revelations, published in the Observer newspaper and Channel 4 News, and advertisers left the platform.

Britain’s privacy watchdog said it was examining evidence it had gathered during a raid on Cambridge Analytica’s London offices on Saturday.

“We will now need to assess and consider the evidence before deciding the next steps and coming to any conclusions,” the Information Commissioner's Office said in a statement.

"This is one part of a larger investigation by the ICO into the use of personal data and analytics by political campaigns, parties, social media companies and other commercial actors,'' it said.

Cambridge Analytica was caught up in another election scandal on Saturday after a whistleblower claimed that a pro-Brexit campaign group had broken referendum spending rules through paying a Canadian data company with links to the embattled analytics firm.

Shahmir Sanni told the Observer that Vote Leave, the official campaign backed by foreign secretary Boris Johnson, had used a smaller campaign group Be Leave to sidestep spending limits and give money to data company AggregateIQ.

Mr Sanni, a former Be Leave volunteer, said Vote Leave signed off on donation decisions made by Be Leave, contrary to Electoral Commission rules.

Vote Leave, which separately paid AggregateIQ millions of pounds, denies linking up with Be Leave.

Former Cambridge Analytica employee Christopher Wylie said that there were multiple links with AggregateIQ and his ex-firm.

Mr Wylie claimed that during the Brexit referendum AggregateIQ worked “almost as an internal department of Cambridge Analytica”.

AggregateIQ denies entering into a contract with Cambridge Analytica.

Lawyers for the Canadian firm also said the Vote Leave and BeLeave accounts had been kept separate at all times.

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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

How to volunteer

The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs

UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv

Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium

Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

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UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised

General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.

"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.

He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.

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The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Bio

Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro

Sting & Shaggy

44/876

(Interscope)

How to report a beggar

Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)

Dubai – Call 800243

Sharjah – Call 065632222

Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372

Ajman – Call 067401616

Umm Al Quwain – Call 999

Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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if you go

The flights

Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes. 

The hotels 

The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
  • Drones
  • Animals
  • Fireworks/ flares
  • Radios or power banks
  • Laser pointers
  • Glass
  • Selfie sticks/ umbrellas
  • Sharp objects
  • Political flags or banners
  • Bikes, skateboards or scooters