COVID-19


Finance

Public Opinion Shifts on Big Tech and Privacy During Pandemic

In good news for contact tracing, attitudes to big tech companies are softening. But the shift may not be good for "privacy tech."

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Policy

COVID-19 Tracing Apps Have to Go Viral to Work. That’s a Big Ask

How do you make it so people actually want to download a contact tracing app?

VIRALITY: How do you make it so people actually want to download a contact tracing app? (Credit: Brandon Erlinger-Ford / Unsplash)

Markets

We Don’t Need Big Brother to Beat This Virus

Is there a way to reopen the economy that doesn’t involve draconian surveillance measures?

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Markets

Road to Consensus: Harry Halpin Talks Holistic Privacy, Mixnets and COVID-19 (of Course)

Harry Halpin, a speaker at Consensus: Distributed, talks about his lockdown, and how Crypto Twitter was right, for once.

Harry Halpin, Nym Technologies (Christine Kim/CoinDesk)

Tech

Immunity Passes Explained: Should We Worry About Privacy?

Immunity passes could allow people who have had the virus to return to normal life. Here's how they work, and why we might worry.

Immunity passes may feature a QR code, or PDF, that could be scanned or reviewed on your smartphone. (Credit: Unsplash)

Markets

How a Crypto Guru Shaped Harvard’s Roadmap for Reopening the US Economy

Glen Weyl, an intellectual firebrand of the Ethereum community, played a key role in crafting a pandemic-fighting blueprint just published by Harvard.

EXCEPTION: Glen Weyl favors “emergent cooperation,” but says the COVID-19 pandemic calls for concentrating power over “a very narrow part of the economy.” (Credit: Christine Kim for CoinDesk)

Markets

UK’s Tech Bailout Could Help Blockchain Devs Weather COVID-19 Shutdown

Britain’s new “Future Fund” relief package will help tech firms, including blockchain companies like Chainvine.

Chainvine CEO Oliver Oram said COVID has thrashed his budget. "Everything has to be slashed at the moment because you don't even know where normality will come back.” (Credit: Loveandrock / Shutterstock)

Markets

How Crypto Professionals Are Staying Sane During Quarantine (Video)

Days of lockdown have turned into weeks. Here's how crypto is handling the COVID-19 crisis from home.

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Policy

European Contact Tracing Consortium Faces Wave of Defections Over Centralization Concerns

Contact tracing researchers fear Europe could choose a centralized system that puts personal privacy at risk.

Image via Unsplash/Taylor Vick

Policy

Decentralized Protocol Removed From EU Contact Tracing Website Without Notice

EU researchers are concerned after their proposal for a decentralized contact tracing system was rejected without explanation.

Litecoin sees privacy as a selling point.