Exclusive: Microsoft Bing’s censorship in China is even “more extreme” than Chinese companies’

New Citizen Lab study comes as U.S. lawmakers scrutinize Microsoft’s willingness to comply with demands from Beijing. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Kathmandu is making taxi drivers switch to EVs. Not all drivers can afford one

The Xpres-T, made by Indian carmaker Tata, is the only EV approved for use as a taxi in Nepal. It costs $27,000 — several years’ income. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Indonesia is trying to block LGBTQIA content from the internet

A new broadcast bill imposes curbs on LGBTQIA content and other “negative” material, potentially hurting content creators and broadcasters in Indonesia. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

In photos: How delivery riders are coping with India’s extreme heat wave

Brutal temperatures in New Delhi, reaching as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit, have claimed over 100 lives. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

What global investors need to know about funding Pakistani startups

Hasib Malik is the co-founder and CEO of Tiger Global-backed financial services startup CreditBook. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Argentina’s OnlyFans stars are becoming coaches for a new generation of performers

Lessons include tips to attract customers with provocative poses and seductive words, and how to withdraw money from the platform. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

As Zimbabwe’s economy collapses, traditional healers are selling wealth advice on TikTok

Locally known as sangomas, spiritual guides are gaining fame online, but they face criticism from their peers. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

How Tesla’s Mexico plans stalled out

When the Monterrey factory finally arrives, will Elon still want it? | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Singapore doubles down on lab-grown meat as Silicon Valley backs off

Global funding in the cultured meat industry dropped by 75% in the last year. Singapore sees its chance to become a world leader, backing local and international firms. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Using AI to build the “definitive” Spanish writing tool

Abraham López is the CEO of Correcto, an AI-powered grammar tool. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

The design-obsessed Indian scooter company with global ambitions

Ather Energy has earned a place in India’s crowded EV market by designing to meet local needs. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Rest of World’s 2024 global playlist

What's that sound? It's your perfect soundtrack to just about everything. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

The most important news from Apple isn’t about AI

Reuniting the world’s text messages — one app at a time. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

A little-known AI startup is behind Nigeria’s first government-backed LLM

Awarri has been tapped to help increase the representation of Nigerian languages in AI. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Vietnam’s made-to-measure fashion brands are thriving in the TikTok era

As shoppers sour on Chinese fast fashion, more sustainable Vietnamese brands — loved by K-pop artists and Western celebrities alike — are booming online. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

A new AI tool that accurately measures crowd sizes sheds light on protests roiling Brazil

Former president Bolsonaro claimed 600,000 attended a rally for him, but researchers used the tool to prove it was less than a third of that. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Using automation to fight misinformation, starting with a menstrual health chatbot

Swapneel Mehta is the founder of the Simppl research collective, a group of students and professional programmers working on automated social media tools. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

The rise and fall of Koo, India’s once-thriving Twitter alternative

The microblogging platform — India’s first in over 10 languages — went from booming international expansion to near closure in just four years. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Ultra-cheap meals from China’s delivery giant are hugely popular. Drivers are bearing the costs

Meituan’s group order program boomed amid China’s post-Covid-19 thrift economy, but delivery drivers say they’re working longer for less pay. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Why China still runs on Windows

And what it means for Microsoft. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Bolt’s drive-to-win insurance scheme is putting drivers’ lives at risk

Many drivers in Nigeria who attempted to win health care said they’ve become ill while doing so — and still can’t afford treatment. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Scan to donate: Brazil’s instant digital payment system brings relief to flood victims

As flooding battered the country, Pix became the most popular way to send and receive aid — and a target for scammers. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

The church of Roblox: How young Filipino Catholics are building more inclusive spaces

Though not officially sanctioned, the role-playing clergy encourage young people to go deeper into their faith while providing a safe space for queer Catholics. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

How Careem went from Pakistan’s ride-hailing leader to stuck on the sidelines

After falling from dominance, Careem is experimenting — from corporate rides to price bidding — to maintain its presence in Pakistan. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

How this mental health care app is using generative AI to improve its chatbot

Andrea Campos is the founder and CEO of Yana, a mental health care app and chatbot for Spanish and English speakers. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

What the AI boom is getting wrong (and right), according to Hugging Face’s head of global policy

Irene Solaiman on tackling racial bias, language equity, consent, and why there are so many AI girlfriends. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

U.S tech giants are building dozens of huge data centers in Chile. Locals are fighting back

Multiple groups are working to keep Amazon, Google, and Microsoft from doubling the number of centers in the country, fearing environmental devastation. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

India’s election wasn’t the deepfake doomsday many feared

So far, AI-generated content has been more about trolling than information warfare. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Influencers are using TikTok to encourage voting in South Africa

South Africa is one of TikTok’s biggest markets in Africa. Creators are using it to drive political engagement among young people. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

What’s trending on Spotify in Africa?

Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy talks about the most surprising user behavior on the music streaming app. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Indonesia rushed out a vote-counting app for this year’s election. It did not go well

Tabulation discrepancies were blamed on technical issues within the app, which many say was launched without enough testing. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Rest of World’s 2024 reading guide

Global tech leaders share 12 books to add to your must-read pile. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Who’s actually using Threads? Young protesters in Taiwan

Despite Meta’s promise to crack down on political content in the app, Taiwanese activists are using it to organize. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Fake news verification tools fail the test during elections in India

Rest of World tested 11 leading WhatsApp-based chatbots that promise to help Indian voters identify misinformation. There were long delays and inconsistencies in responses even for content that can easily be identified as AI-generated and fake. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

This Instagram star might soon be mayor of one of Mexico’s wealthiest cities

As Mariana Rodríguez campaigns around the clock on Instagram, electoral authorities are wondering how to regulate influencers-turned-politicians. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Brazil’s flood disaster set off a torrent of AI misinformation

Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are failing an early test of misinformation safeguards. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Glovo promised Nigerian delivery riders health insurance, then refused to pay up

More than 100 Glovo delivery riders took to the streets of Lagos to protest the company’s unreliable insurance policy. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

The entrepreneur trying to make thrifting truly eco-friendly with AI

Nofal Khan is the co-founder and CEO of Swag Kicks, one of Pakistan’s largest online thrift platforms. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Indonesia has more than 700 languages. Can AI save them?

Most LLMs such as GPT, Llama, and Gemini are trained largely in English, but several Southeast Asian firms are focusing on Bahasa Indonesia and other regional languages. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Aches, pains, and no health insurance for aging gig workers

Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in the world, which means older gig workers are seldom the focus of platform policies. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Rideshare work attracts older drivers. Older drivers attract criminals

With crime statistics already high in South Africa, older gig workers find themselves easy targets for theft, hijackings, and attacks. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

When you’re a clickworker, no one knows you’re old

Venezuelans who have struggled against age discrimination and hyperinflation have found a lifeline in online gig work. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

They need jobs. Gig work apps say they’re too old

For some older workers, gig platforms are a lifeline. But at a certain age, they get the boot. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

The graying gig economy

Rest of World spoke to 50 older workers around the world who see gig work as a lifeline — or a last resort. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

What we learned in a year of reporting on labor and technology

Rest of World’s four Labor x Tech fellows reflect on their year reporting about the global tech industry’s impact on its workers. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

The company making Mexico’s EV charging stations compatible with Chinese cars

Vemo is investing in charging infrastructure for BYD and other Chinese EV companies. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

Meet the “digital parents” giving millions in China a vision of family love they never had

Creators Jiang Xiuping and Pan Huqian, a viral Douyin duo, act as fictional parents, providing solace to young adults and adolescents amidst economic inequalities and a scarcity of mental health support in China. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago

OpenAI is making a risky bet on live translation

The company has a stunning demo — but can the product live up to the hype? | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 years ago