by Shefali Malhotra | 3 Mar 2023 | Africa, Educators' Catalog, Government, Technology, University of Toronto Journalism Fellows
If a government agency stores the DNA and fingerprints of its residents can it serve them more efficiently or control them more effectively? (Image: News Decoder) A year after Kenya’s historic digital identity program was declared illegal, the Kenyan government is...
As more countries around the world adopt digital identification systems, concerns about the legality of such programs have come to the fore. This month, University of Toronto global journalism fellow Shefali Malhotra walks us through arguments for and against the implementation of digital IDs in Kenya.
Exercise: As students are reading the article, have them create a list of arguments for and against the implementation of digital IDs. Then, have students write a paragraph on whether or not they support adopting digital IDs in your country. The paragraph should include arguments around at least two of the following subtopics: data protection (legal), privacy (personal & commercial), internet penetration/the digital divide, potential discrimination against vulnerable groups. To extend the activity, students can engage in a structured debate with classmates after writing their paragraphs.
by Shefali Malhotra | 27 Jan 2023 | Technology, University of Toronto Journalism Fellows
New biometric systems scan your face or fingerprint as proof of ID, but many governments require an official card. For some people that’s a problem. Facial Recognition System starts its operation at JR Shinjuku Station in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo on 30 August 2021....
by Maame Afua Kome-Mensah | 8 Dec 2022 | Africa, Contest winners, Personal Reflections, SOS-HGIC, Student Posts, Youth Voices
I often wondered what it meant to be a ‘winner.’ Now I know a winner sees a problem and, with teamwork, finds solutions. The author receiving an award for placing 5th in Orator of the Year competition at her school. This article, by high school student...
by Asher Lefkoff | 7 Dec 2022 | Culture, Education, Europe, Personal Reflections, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
It’s the serenity and commotion that I love about Spain. I must seize the day because I will never again be 17 running around a Spanish city I love. Zaragoza (Photo by Asher Lefkoff) This article, by high school student Asher Lefkoff, was produced out of News...
by Aerin Atinsky | 15 Jun 2022 | Culture, Hewitt, Student Posts, Youth Voices
Drugs, self-harm and sex are its staples. Is the prize-winning U.S. TV show ‘Euphoria’ a threat to impressionable youth? If so, what to do? Cast members of the U.S. TV drama series “Euphoria,” in Los Angeles, California, 4 June 2019 (Photo by...