Depuis sa création, Digitalent accélère la transformation des entreprises et grandes administrations, en combinant une approche conseil et une expertise technologique. Nous connaissons l’importance de la donnée et considérons qu’elle est un véritable levier de performance des entreprises. Au quotidien, nous démocratisons l’utilisation de l’intelligence artificielle et décloisonnons les données dans un objectif de vous faire gagner 5 fois plus de temps dans vos tâches. Nous sommes experts dans le traitement de la data, dès lors qu’elle joue un rôle dans la productivité, l'efficacité opérationnelle et la performance de votre entreprise. Chaque jour, nous vous accompagnons sur vos enjeux digitaux et d'IA afin de booster votre croissance et votre activité. Nous sommes des entrepreneurs, des leaders dans l’âme, des passionnés, des guerriers, des artificiers de la donnée. Bref, enchantés. Nous sommes Digitalent.

Digitalent

From X to the Online World As I landed on X December last year, I encountered a dynamic community of entrepreneurs sharing content, exchanging insights, narrating their experiences, and marketing their products. The sheer volume of activities made it challenging to stay abreast of everyone's endeavors and the content they shared. Unlocking X’s Potential Viewed through the lens of an independent entrepreneur, the platform offers the distinct advantage of a rich learning environment. Despite the varying degrees of relevance in the shared content, a noteworthy aspect is the "Give vs. Ask" ethos, expounded upon in the insightful piece titled "Promoting on Reddit (or Anywhere) By Giving Before Asking," penned by Bill Prin. Here, the act of entrepreneurs sharing their learnings, data, or product statistics represents a 'Give,’ while the promotion of their product is an 'Ask'’ The true value of time spent on X hinges on the prevalence of 'Give' content. But, the reality is that the recurrence of similar ideas dilutes the impact of the platform. The Double-Edged Sword of X If this is the benefit of X, the downside is that you become one among many entrepreneurs. If you want people to notice your stuff, you have to do a lot of giving and always be honest. I don't mind being honest and giving, but the thing is, it takes up a lot of time. Marc Louvion said in one of the promotional videos that he spends 5 hours a day on X. I’m pretty sure this can be a valid approximation, and I don’t want to spend that much time on X. I decided to add a website tracker extension on Google Chrome and Firefox. This tool aims to provide insights into my time spent on browsers, helping me make informed decisions to maximize my productivity. Strategic Spots for Startup Promotion In this X journey, I stumbled upon this tweet: Guess what? Some entrepreneurs out there are selling lists of places to promote your startup. I did some detective work on Google and found a bunch of websites sharing these lists. Check out the ones I looked into: 500+ Places to Promote Your Startup


75+ Places to Promote Your Startup for Free


Top 20 Sites to Submit Your Startup to Promote It in 2024


Top 14 Sites to Promote Your Startup


89 Places to Promote Your Startup My goal throughout this journey was to amplify the reach of my projects without breaking the bank. While paid promotion options exist, I decided to steer clear, considering my budget constraints. These lists I found have a mix of everything—some duplicates, some websites that aren't around anymore, and some with dark patterns like making you fill out a bunch of info and then springing a surprise payment on you. I spent quite a few hours sorting through all of this to figure out which websites let you submit your startup. I hope that I can save some time for folks who want to get their app out there. I've even included the ones that want you to pay for a speedy listing or make you wait for months before they showcase your startup. Here's the list: https://alternativeto.net/ https://apprater.net/ https://appsumo.com/ https://awesomeindie.com/ https://betalist.com/ https://crazyaboutstartups.com/ https://ctrlalt.cc/ https://fazier.com/ https://feedmystartup.com/ https://financesonline.com/ https://launched.io/ https://lazyhunt.com/ https://microlaunch.net/ https://owwly.com/ https://peerlist.io/ https://pitchwall.co/ https://portal.10words.io/ https://sell.g2.com/create-a-profile https://startupbase.io/ https://startupbuffer.com/ https://startupinspire.com/ https://startupstash.com/ https://wellfound.com/ https://www.affordhunt.com/ https://www.allstartups.info/ https://www.betabound.com/ https://www.betafy.co/ https://www.crunchbase.com/ https://www.f6s.com/ https://www.feedough.com/ https://www.gartner.com/en/digital-markets/basic-listing https://www.indiehackers.com/ https://www.insanelycooltools.com/ https://www.launchingnext.com/ https://www.producthunt.com/ https://www.saasprojects.com/ https://www.sideprojectors.com/#/ https://www.slant.co/ https://www.startupranking.com/ https://www.startups.fyi/ https://www.trustpilot.com/ https://www.uneed.best/ Those lists also include Reddits, but heads up, all links posted on Reddit are "no follow" (here is a perfect article on why this is important). But since Bill Prin had a good experience starting to promote on Reddit, I'm thinking of giving it a shot sometime soon. Here's the list of reddits: r/advancedentrepreneur r/advertising r/alphaandbetausers r/announcements r/AskMarketing r/Business_Ideas r/Businessideas r/coupons r/CrazyIdeas r/digitalnomad r/Emailmarketing r/Entrepreneur r/EntrepreneurRideAlong r/growinpublic r/growmybusiness r/GrowthHacking r/ideas r/indiebiz r/indiehackers r/InternetIsBeautiful r/Lightbulb r/MadeThis r/marketing r/microsaas r/NicheWebsites r/Plugyourproduct r/ProductHunters r/programming r/projects r/roastmystartup r/SaaS r/sales r/SideProject r/smallbusiness r/socialmedia r/startup r/startups r/startups_promotion r/sweatystartup r/webmarketing There are also Facebook groups and communities, but for now, as I decided to stay away from Facebook, there's no plan to check those out for now. Tracking Success with Bonetflix Implementing this strategy, I've promoted my project, Bonetflix, on all these platforms. In a past issue, I shared some metrics about it, and I expect these numbers to evolve in the following weeks. Stay tuned to witness positive transformations in this journey. Thanks for reading David's Indie Hacker Journey! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Also published here. From X to the Online World As I landed on X December last year, I encountered a dynamic community of entrepreneurs sharing content, exchanging insights, narrating their experiences, and marketing their products. The sheer volume of activities made it challenging to stay abreast of everyone's endeavors and the content they shared. Unlocking X’s Potential Viewed through the lens of an independent entrepreneur, the platform offers the distinct advantage of a rich learning environment. Despite the varying degrees of relevance in the shared content, a noteworthy aspect is the "Give vs. Ask" ethos, expounded upon in the insightful piece titled "Promoting on Reddit (or Anywhere) By Giving Before Asking," penned by Bill Prin . Here, the act of entrepreneurs sharing their learnings, data, or product statistics represents a 'Give,’ while the promotion of their product is an 'Ask'’ The true value of time spent on X hinges on the prevalence of 'Give' content. But, the reality is that the recurrence of similar ideas dilutes the impact of the platform. "Promoting on Reddit (or Anywhere) By Giving Before Asking," Bill Prin The Double-Edged Sword of X If this is the benefit of X, the downside is that you become one among many entrepreneurs. If you want people to notice your stuff, you have to do a lot of giving and always be honest. I don't mind being honest and giving, but the thing is, it takes up a lot of time. Marc Louvion said in one of the promotional videos that he spends 5 hours a day on X. Marc Louvion I’m pretty sure this can be a valid approximation, and I don’t want to spend that much time on X. I decided to add a website tracker extension on Google Chrome and Firefox. This tool aims to provide insights into my time spent on browsers, helping me make informed decisions to maximize my productivity. Strategic Spots for Startup Promotion In this X journey, I stumbled upon this tweet: Guess what? Some entrepreneurs out there are selling lists of places to promote your startup. I did some detective work on Google and found a bunch of websites sharing these lists. Check out the ones I looked into: 500+ Places to Promote Your Startup 75+ Places to Promote Your Startup for Free Top 20 Sites to Submit Your Startup to Promote It in 2024 Top 14 Sites to Promote Your Startup 89 Places to Promote Your Startup 500+ Places to Promote Your Startup 500+ Places to Promote Your Startup 500+ Places to Promote Your Startup 75+ Places to Promote Your Startup for Free 75+ Places to Promote Your Startup for Free 75+ Places to Promote Your Startup for Free Top 20 Sites to Submit Your Startup to Promote It in 2024 Top 20 Sites to Submit Your Startup to Promote It in 2024 Top 20 Sites to Submit Your Startup to Promote It in 2024 Top 14 Sites to Promote Your Startup Top 14 Sites to Promote Your Startup Top 14 Sites to Promote Your Startup 89 Places to Promote Your Startup 89 Places to Promote Your Startup 89 Places to Promote Your Startup My goal throughout this journey was to amplify the reach of my projects without breaking the bank. While paid promotion options exist, I decided to steer clear, considering my budget constraints. These lists I found have a mix of everything—some duplicates, some websites that aren't around anymore, and some with dark patterns like making you fill out a bunch of info and then springing a surprise payment on you. I spent quite a few hours sorting through all of this to figure out which websites let you submit your startup. I hope that I can save some time for folks who want to get their app out there. I've even included the ones that want you to pay for a speedy listing or make you wait for months before they showcase your startup. Here's the list: https://alternativeto.net/ https://alternativeto.net/ https://apprater.net/ https://apprater.net/ https://appsumo.com/ https://appsumo.com/ https://awesomeindie.com/ https://awesomeindie.com/ https://betalist.com/ https://betalist.com/ https://crazyaboutstartups.com/ https://crazyaboutstartups.com/ https://ctrlalt.cc/ https://ctrlalt.cc/ https://fazier.com/ https://fazier.com/ https://feedmystartup.com/ https://feedmystartup.com/ https://financesonline.com/ https://financesonline.com/ https://launched.io/ https://launched.io/ https://lazyhunt.com/ https://lazyhunt.com/ https://microlaunch.net/ https://microlaunch.net/ https://owwly.com/ https://owwly.com/ https://peerlist.io/ https://peerlist.io/ https://pitchwall.co/ https://pitchwall.co/ https://portal.10words.io/ https://portal.10words.io/ https://sell.g2.com/create-a-profile https://sell.g2.com/create-a-profile https://startupbase.io/ https://startupbase.io/ https://startupbuffer.com/ https://startupbuffer.com/ https://startupinspire.com/ https://startupinspire.com/ https://startupstash.com/ https://startupstash.com/ https://wellfound.com/ https://wellfound.com/ https://www.affordhunt.com/ https://www.affordhunt.com/ https://www.allstartups.info/ https://www.allstartups.info/ https://www.betabound.com/ https://www.betabound.com/ https://www.betafy.co/ https://www.betafy.co/ https://www.crunchbase.com/ https://www.crunchbase.com/ https://www.f6s.com/ https://www.f6s.com/ https://www.feedough.com/ https://www.feedough.com/ https://www.gartner.com/en/digital-markets/basic-listing https://www.gartner.com/en/digital-markets/basic-listing https://www.indiehackers.com/ https://www.indiehackers.com/ https://www.insanelycooltools.com/ https://www.insanelycooltools.com/ https://www.launchingnext.com/ https://www.launchingnext.com/ https://www.producthunt.com/ https://www.producthunt.com/ https://www.saasprojects.com/ https://www.saasprojects.com/ https://www.sideprojectors.com/#/ https://www.sideprojectors.com/#/ https://www.slant.co/ https://www.slant.co/ https://www.startupranking.com/ https://www.startupranking.com/ https://www.startups.fyi/ https://www.startups.fyi/ https://www.trustpilot.com/ https://www.trustpilot.com/ https://www.uneed.best/ https://www.uneed.best/ Those lists also include Reddits, but heads up, all links posted on Reddit are "no follow" ( here is a perfect article on why this is important). But since Bill Prin had a good experience starting to promote on Reddit, I'm thinking of giving it a shot sometime soon. Here's the list of reddits: here Bill Prin r/advancedentrepreneur r/advancedentrepreneur r/advertising r/advertising r/alphaandbetausers r/alphaandbetausers r/announcements r/announcements r/AskMarketing r/AskMarketing r/Business_Ideas r/Business_Ideas r/Businessideas r/Businessideas r/coupons r/coupons r/CrazyIdeas r/CrazyIdeas r/digitalnomad r/digitalnomad r/Emailmarketing r/Emailmarketing r/Entrepreneur r/Entrepreneur r/EntrepreneurRideAlong r/EntrepreneurRideAlong r/growinpublic r/growinpublic r/growmybusiness r/growmybusiness r/GrowthHacking r/GrowthHacking r/ideas r/ideas r/indiebiz r/indiebiz r/indiehackers r/indiehackers r/InternetIsBeautiful r/InternetIsBeautiful r/Lightbulb r/Lightbulb r/MadeThis r/MadeThis r/marketing r/marketing r/microsaas r/microsaas r/NicheWebsites r/NicheWebsites r/Plugyourproduct r/Plugyourproduct r/ProductHunters r/ProductHunters r/programming r/programming r/projects r/projects r/roastmystartup r/roastmystartup r/SaaS r/SaaS r/sales r/sales r/SideProject r/SideProject r/smallbusiness r/smallbusiness r/socialmedia r/socialmedia r/startup r/startup r/startups r/startups r/startups_promotion r/startups_promotion r/sweatystartup r/sweatystartup r/webmarketing r/webmarketing There are also Facebook groups and communities, but for now, as I decided to stay away from Facebook, there's no plan to check those out for now. Tracking Success with Bonetflix Implementing this strategy, I've promoted my project, Bonetflix, on all these platforms. In a past issue , I shared some metrics about it, and I expect these numbers to evolve in the following weeks. Stay tuned to witness positive transformations in this journey. In a past issue Thanks for reading David's Indie Hacker Journey! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Also published here. Also published here . here

Online Spaces Where Your Startup Could Thrive

NFTs on the Solana blockchain have been gaining significant traction recently, leading to a surge in popularity and adoption. This growth can be attributed to several key factors that have contributed to the rise of NFTs on Solana, making them increasingly convenient and appealing to users. Let's delve into the reasons behind the current boom of NFTs on Solana, explore some main use cases, highlight their convenience, and discuss the volumes involved in this burgeoning market. If you’re running an NFT/Web3 project (including the ones that on SOL), and you need advice on marketing and community building, you can directly. message me NFTs on Solana: A Rising Trend The emergence of Solana (SOL) NFTs and the innovative platform Blast have been making significant waves in the crypto space. Solana NFTs have seen explosive growth, with sales surpassing $5 billion in just a few months. This surge in activity highlights the increasing popularity and value of NFTs on the Solana blockchain. Additionally, Blast, a layer-2 solution, has attracted developers due to its deep liquidity and successful founder background. Protocols built on Blast have quickly amassed a total value locked (TVL) of nearly $1 billion within two weeks of its mainnet launch. The success of Solana NFTs and Blast can be attributed to various factors, including the pragmatic approach of building user-friendly products that drive adoption. The founder of Blast, Roquerre, who previously co-founded Blur, a prominent NFT marketplace, has demonstrated a keen understanding of the market dynamics and user preferences. The strategic use of incentives like points systems to encourage user engagement and participation has been instrumental in driving growth on platforms like Blur and Blast.Moreover, the involvement of reputable entities like Paradigm, a well-known crypto venture capital firm, has further bolstered confidence in Blast. Paradigm's participation in Blast's seed round and subsequent collaboration to enhance the project's upgrade system underscore the industry's recognition of Blast's potential despite initial criticisms Main Use Cases of NFTs on Solana Art and Collectibles NFTs on Solana have become a popular medium for artists and creators to tokenize their work, providing a secure and transparent way to buy, sell, and collect digital art pieces. This has led to the emergence of various NFT marketplaces on Solana, such as Solanart and DigitalEyes, which offer a diverse range of digital artworks and collectibles. 2.Gaming The gaming industry has embraced NFTs on Solana, integrating them into games to offer unique in-game assets, characters, and experiences that players can own and trade. This has opened up new possibilities for gamers and developers alike, creating new revenue streams and enhancing the gaming experience. 3. Digital Real Estate NFTs on Solana are also being used to represent ownership of virtual real estate, enabling users to buy, sell, and trade virtual land and properties in decentralized virtual worlds. This has led to the creation of new digital economies and communities, such as Portals and Solana Monkey Business. 4. Music and Entertainment Musicians and entertainers are leveraging NFTs on Solana to release exclusive content, concert tickets, and merchandise, creating new revenue streams and engaging directly with their fans. This has the potential to revolutionize the music and entertainment industries, providing artists with more control over their content and creating new opportunities for fan engagement. Volumes and Market Dynamics The Solana blockchain has witnessed a significant increase in NFT trading volumes, with various collections and projects gaining traction in the market. Platforms like Solanart and SolSea have emerged as prominent marketplaces for buying, selling, and trading NFTs on Solana, offering a diverse range of collections and artworks to users. The total market capitalization of NFTs on Solana has surpassed $1 billion, reflecting the growing interest and investment in digital assets on the Solana blockchain. All these metrics indicate a strong growing interest and investment in this space, reflecting the increasing popularity and demand for digital assets on the Solana blockchain. Convenience and Benefits of NFTs on Solana 1. Solana's low transaction fees make it cost-effective for users to buy, sell, and trade NFTs, reducing barriers to entry and enabling broader participation in the market. Low Transaction Costs: 2. Solana's high throughput and low latency ensure that NFT transactions are processed quickly, providing users with a seamless and efficient trading experience. Fast Transactions: 3. NFTs on Solana can be easily integrated with other blockchain platforms, allowing for cross-chain compatibility and expanding the reach and utility of these digital assets. Interoperability: 4. : Solana NFT platforms like SolSea offer embedded copyright licenses, providing creators with legal protection and ensuring the authenticity and ownership of their digital creations. Embedded Licenses How To Create Your Own NFT On Solana? To create your own NFT on Solana, you can follow these steps based on the information from the provided sources: 1. Setting Up Tools: - You will need tools like NodeJS, Git, "yarn" (a package manager), and TS-node for creating NFTs on Solana. - NodeJS serves as a JavaScript runtime, Git for cloning repositories, and "yarn" to install dependencies. 2. Using Metaplex's NFT Candy Machine: - Metaplex is a popular NFT ecosystem that offers an easy way to create NFTs on Solana. - Metaplex provides tools like NFT Candy Machine, which simplifies the NFT creation process on the Solana blockchain. 3. Initial Setup: - Start by setting up Candy Machine v2 by installing the necessary tools and dependencies. - Clone the repository, install required dependencies, and set up the execution environment using TS-node. 4. Uploading NFT Files and Metadata: - Utilize the 'upload' command to upload NFT images and JSON files to decentralized storage of your choice. - Follow the command lines in the Metaplex documentation, making relevant modifications to paths. 5. Creating NFT Collection: - Use specific command lines from the Metaplex docs to create your NFT collection. - Deploy an instance of Candy Machine on the Solana devnet and upload all assets to prepare your NFT collection. 6. Minting the NFTs: - Copy the required command from Metaplex docs and adjust it according to your file paths for minting NFTs. - Choose between individual minting or batch minting for creating multiple NFTs in a single transaction. 7. Exploring Compressed NFTs: - Solana offers the unique feature of creating compressed NFTs using Merkle trees and state compression to reduce storage costs. - Compressed NFTs store metadata on the ledger instead of in a Solana account, enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. To wrap up, the current boom of NFTs on Solana can be attributed to the platform's technical capabilities, user-friendly features, and the diverse range of use cases that appeal to creators and collectors alike. With low transaction costs, fastz processing speeds, and innovative applications across various industries, NFTs on Solana have established themselves as a vibrant and dynamic market with significant growth potential in the digital economy. P.S. Check out some of my previous articles at HackerNoon: NFT Marketing Guide - The Most Complete and Detailed Playbook Bitcoin NFTs: Trends and How to Create It Autoglyphs: The $14.6 mln NFT Phenomenon Explained Cracking the NFT Code: The Psychology Behind Buying Digital Assets Breaking Down the Next Big Thing in NFTs: ERC-404 Spotlight Nobody Buys an NFT Just for Art DeFi Community Building: A Step-by-Step Guide for Crypto Startups

NFTs on Solana: A Rapidly Expanding Market with Unique Advantages


This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Ayei E. Ibor, Trustworthy Digital Infrastructure for Identity Systems, The Alan Turing Institute, United Kingdom; (2) Mark Hooper, Trustworthy Digital Infrastructure for Identity Systems, The Alan Turing Institute, United Kingdom; (3) Carsten Maple, Trustworthy Digital Infrastructure for Identity Systems, The Alan Turing Institute, United Kingdom; (4) Gregory Epiphaniou, WMG, University of Warwick, United Kingdom. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Background Review of Literature Methodology Discussion of Findings Conclusion and Future Work & References 6. Conclusion and Future Work Trustworthy interoperability is a key enabler for identity management and widens the dimensions of e-government in developing countries. This research provided insights into the challenges, opportunities, and requirements of interoperability and highlighted the limitations of current interoperability solutions such as the Estonian X-Road and the eIDAS of the European Union. We found that each existing interoperability solution has its benefits and drawbacks, although both are targeted at a common goal. To achieve seamless communication of identification data, we proposed an approach for scoping requirements by first identifying the key processes to identity management in an interoperability context. Furthermore, we addressed the limitations of the current solutions using an architecture that considers the flexibility of identity verification and validation through an interoperable layer that is based on four interacting layers of data representation, semantics, binding, and security and privacy. For future work, an analysis of country-specific use cases for achieving interoperability in the African identity ecosystem will be performed. References African Union, 2020. The Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020-30), Available at https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/278587/1/GhaEcon_24.pdf, Accessed 20 May 2023. Alamillo, I., Mouille, S., Rock, A., Soumelidis, N., Tabor, M., Gorniak, S., 2023. Digital identity standards: Analysis of standardisation requirements in support of cybersecurity policy, Available at file:///C:/Users/aIbor/Downloads/Digital_Identity_Standards%20(1).pdf, Accessed 30 July 2023. Aldosary, M. and Alqahtani, N., 2021. A Survey on Federated Identity Management Systems Limitation and Solutions. International Journal of Network Security & Its Applications (IJNSA) Vol, 13. ANSSI, 2023. The EIDAS Regulation, Available at https://www.ssi.gouv.fr/en/regulation/digital-confidence/the-eidas-regulation/, Accessed 09 April 2023. Atick, J., 2016. Digital identity: the essential guide. In ID4Africa Identity Forum (Vol. 2016, pp. 1-3). Backhouse, J. and Halperin, R., 2009. Approaching interoperability for identity management systems. In The Future of Identity in the Information Society (pp. 245-268). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Bakhtina, M., Matulevičius, R., Awad, A. and Kivimäki, P., 2022. Rebooting Trust Management in X-Road, Public Report. Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS). Bhattarai, R., Pappel, I., Vainsalu, H., Yahia, S.B. and Draheim, D., 2019. The impact of the single digital gateway regulation from the citizens’ perspective. Procedia Computer Science, 164, pp.159-167. Bandura, R. and Ramanujam, S.R., 2021. Developing inclusive digital payment systems. Center for Strategic and International Studies, 21. Benaddi, H., Laaz, N., Bouhlal, A. and El Kettani, E., 2023. Data storage architecture for egovernment interoperability: Morocco case. Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 29(3), pp.1678-1686. Catuogno, L. and Galdi, C., 2014. Achieving interoperability between federated identity management systems: A case of study. Journal of High Speed Networks, 20(4), pp.209-221. Colbern, A. and Ramakrishnan, S.K., 2020. Citizenship reimagined: A new framework for state rights in the United States. Cambridge University Press. Cuijpers, C.M.K.C. and Schroers, J., 2014. eIDAS as guideline for the development of a pan European eID framework in FutureID. Domingo, E. and Teevan, C., 2022. Africa’s journey towards an integrated digital payments landscape and how the EU can support it. ECDPM brief, 23. European Commission, 2023a. X-Road Data Exchange Layer, Available at https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/ict-security/solution/x-road-data-exchange-layer/about, Accessed 10 April 2023. European Commission, 2023b. Shaping Europe’s digital future, Available at https://digitalstrategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/discover-eidas, Accessed 20 April 2023. Fathalla, E.S., Azab, M., Xin, C. and Wu, H., 2023. PT-SSIM: A Proactive, Trustworthy SelfSovereign Identity Management System. IEEE Internet of Things Journal. Grassi, P.A., Garcia, M.E. and Fenton, J.L., 2017. Digital identity guidelines. NIST special publication, 800, pp.63-3. Gelb, A. and Metz, A.D., 2018. Identification revolution: Can digital ID be harnessed for development?. Brookings Institution Press. Halili, F. and Ramadani, E., 2018. Web services: a comparison of soap and rest services. Modern Applied Science, 12(3), p.175. Hoffmann, T. and Solarte-Vasquez, M.C., 2022. The estonian e-residency programme and its role beyond the country’s digital public sector ecosystem. Revista CES Derecho, 13(2), pp.184-204. Hölbl, M., Kežmah, B. and Kompara, M., 2023. eIDAS Interoperability and Cross-Border Compliance Issues. Mathematics, 11(2), p.430. Hummer, D. and Rebovich, D.J., 2023. Identity theft and financial loss. In Handbook on Crime and Technology (pp. 38-53). Edward Elgar Publishing. Irvin-Erickson, Y., 2023. How Does Immigration Status and Citizenship Affect Identity Theft Victimization Risk in the US? Insights from the 2018 National Crime Victimization Survey Identity Theft Supplement. Victims & Offenders, pp.1-24. Kaaniche, N., Laurent, M. and Belguith, S., 2020. Privacy enhancing technologies for solving the privacy-personalization paradox: Taxonomy and survey. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 171, p.102807. Kanagwa, B., Nakatumba-Nabende, J., Mugwanya, R., Kigozi Kahiigi, E. and Ngabirano, S., 2018. Towards an interoperability e-government framework for Uganda. In e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries: 9th International Conference, AFRICOMM 2017, Lagos, Nigeria, December 11-12, 2017, Proceedings 9 (pp. 16-28). Springer International Publishing. Kiourtis, A., Giannetsos, T., Menesidou, S.A., Mavrogiorgou, A., Symvoulidis, C., GRAZİANİ, A., KLEFTAKİS, S., MAVROGİORGOS, K., ZAFEİROPOULOS, N., GKOLİAS, C.A. and KYRİAZİS, D., 2023. Identity management standards: A literature review. Computers and Informatics, 3(1), pp.35-46. Krimmer, R., Dedovic, S., Schmidt, C. and Corici, A.A., 2021, August. Developing crossborder e-Governance: Exploring interoperability and cross-border integration. In International Conference on Electronic Participation (pp. 107-124). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Kotzé, P. and Alberts, R., 2017. Towards a Conceptual Model for an e-Government Interoperability Framework for South Africa. In ICEIS (3) (pp. 493-506). Lips, S., Bharosa, N. and Draheim, D., 2020. eIDAS implementation challenges: the case of Estonia and the Netherlands. In Electronic Governance and Open Society: Challenges in Eurasia: 7th International Conference, EGOSE 2020, St. Petersburg, Russia, November 18– 19, 2020, Proceedings 7 (pp. 75-89). Springer International Publishing. Luong, D.A. and Park, J.H., 2023. Privacy-Preserving Identity Management System on Blockchain Using Zk-SNARK. IEEE Access, 11, pp.1840-1853. Manda, M. I. and Backhouse, J., "Addressing trust, security and privacy concerns in egovernment integration, interoperability and information sharing through policy: a case of South Africa" (2016). CONF-IRM 2016 Proceedings. Paper 67. http://aisel.aisnet.org/confirm2016/6 Masiero, S., 2023. Digital identity as platform-mediated surveillance. Big Data & Society, 10(1), p.20539517221135176. McBride, K., Kütt, A., Ben Yahia, S. and Draheim, D., 2019, November. On positive feedback loops in digital government architecture. In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Management of Digital EcoSystems (pp. 174-180). Mocanu, S., Chiriac, A.M., Popa, C., Dobrescu, R. and Saru, D., 2019. Identification and trust techniques compatible with eIDAS regulation. In Security and Privacy in New Computing Environments: Second EAI International Conference, SPNCE 2019, Tianjin, China, April 13– 14, 2019, Proceedings 2 (pp. 656-665). Springer International Publishing. Pöhn, D. and Hommel, W., 2023. Towards an Improved Taxonomy of Attacks Related to Digital Identities and Identity Management Systems. Security and Communication Networks, 2023. Priisalu, J. and Ottis, R., 2017. Personal control of privacy and data: Estonian experience. Health and technology, 7(4), pp.441-451. Saputro, R., Pappel, I., Vainsalu, H., Lips, S. and Draheim, D., 2020, April. Prerequisites for the adoption of the X-Road interoperability and data exchange framework: a comparative study. In 2020 Seventh International Conference on eDemocracy & eGovernment (ICEDEG) (pp. 216-222). IEEE. Schmidt, C. and Krimmer, R., 2022. 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Trustworthy Interoperability and Identity Management Systems: What Comes Next

The healthcare industry is experiencing rapid change thanks to the rise of big data. Big data refers to the massive amounts of information generated from electronic health records, wearable devices, genetic testing, social media, and more. This data has tremendous potential to improve diagnosis, enable predictive analytics, allow for personalized medicine, and further medical research. However, along with these benefits come significant risks, especially regarding patient privacy and data security. How can we harness big data to advance healthcare while protecting sensitive patient information? This article explores and answers that question. Understanding Big Data in Healthcare Big data in healthcare is characterized by the four V’s: volume, variety, velocity, and veracity. Volume refers to the vast quantities of data created. The global healthcare data market size was valued at USD 32.9 billion in 2021 and is predicted to reach USD 105.73 billion by 2030. Variety encompasses the many forms data takes, including numbers, text, images, and more. Velocity describes how quickly new data is generated and processed. For example, wearable devices produce continuous real-time data streams. Finally, veracity refers to the accuracy and reliability of the data. Noise, errors, and inconsistencies can affect healthcare data quality. Big data enables several key applications in healthcare: Diagnostics. By integrating information from symptoms, history, tests, and more, systems like can help clinicians diagnose diseases more accurately and efficiently. Merative Predictive analytics. Statistical models and AI can identify patients at high risk for complications or readmissions, and likely treatment responders. Personalized medicine. Genomic data can inform individually tailored therapies based on a patient’s genetic makeup and other factors. Research. Large datasets, like the collecting samples and health data from 500,000 people over 30 years, can uncover new disease insights and treatments. UK Biobank Potential benefits from big data analytics in healthcare abound: Improved patient outcomes through data-driven, timely, personalized care Reduced costs by optimizing resource allocation and minimizing waste Accelerated medical research and increased scientific productivity The Need for Data Privacy and Security While promising, big data also raises serious privacy concerns. Medical data is highly sensitive, revealing intimate details about a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health. If compromised, it can inflict significant harm through: Privacy violations from unauthorized data sharing, like with insurers or employers, prompt discrimination Potential data misuse like identity theft, fraud, or cyberattacks Several high-profile breaches have exposed these dangers: In 2021, Florida Healthy Kids Corporation suffered a breach exposing 3.5 million customer and employee records containing personal information and medical IDs. The same year, Eskenazi Health was attacked by ransomware that affected 1.5 million patient records with data like addresses, birth dates, and clinical info. Also in 2021, CaptureRx was hacked by cybercriminals who accessed 1.6 million patient records containing first name, last name, date of birth, and prescription information. These incidents reveal the need for robust security measures to safeguard patient data. Existing Regulations In response to the risks posed to patient privacy, numerous regulations have been established to set standards for protecting patient health information. In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a key legislation. HIPAA sets forth two primary rules - the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule. The Privacy Rule outlines how personally identifiable health information should be used and disclosed, whereas the Security Rule specifies the administrative, physical, and technical safeguards necessary to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronically protected health information. To comply with HIPAA, companies must ensure their software solutions and procedures are aligned with these rules, incorporating features like strong user authentication, encryption, audit trails, automatic logoff, and secure data transmission. Regular risk assessments and staff training on HIPAA rules also form an integral part of a HIPAA compliance strategy. Across the Atlantic, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) harmonizes rules for personal data protection in the European Union (E.U.), giving individuals control over their information. Other nations have enacted similar laws, including Canada’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), and India’s Information Technology Act. While these regulations represent significant progress, there are still gaps when it comes to addressing big data: Jurisdictional conflicts can arise from countries having different standards. Stricter E.U. policies may inhibit data sharing with the U.S. Some nations lack adequate protections. Innovative technologies like AI and blockchain may outpace regulations not designed for them. Ethical dilemmas around informed consent, privacy, and fair data use require guidance. These challenges highlight the need for more adaptive laws and standards that can keep pace with the complex and rapidly evolving big data landscape. Best Practices for Data Security Data security is crucial for protecting sensitive patient information. Healthcare organizations should implement robust security controls following industry best practices: Encrypt data in transit and at rest using strong standards like AES-256 to prevent unauthorized access. Enforce multi-factor authentication and single sign-on to authenticate users and prevent account takeovers. Conduct routine security audits, penetration testing, and vulnerability scans to identify risks proactively. Implement access controls and least privilege principles to restrict data access on a need-to-know basis. Deploy data loss prevention tools to monitor and control sensitive data flows. Back up data regularly and test restores to enable quick recovery from outages or incidents. Provide comprehensive security awareness training to employees to promote best practices. Establish an incident response plan with defined procedures to contain, eradicate, and recover from breaches. Monitor systems and networks extensively using SIEM solutions to detect threats early. Ensure third-party security with vendor risk assessments and contractual protections. Following standards like NIST CSF or ISO 27001 also provides frameworks to build comprehensive security programs. With robust controls and vigilance, healthcare entities can significantly reduce data breach risks. Emerging Privacy-Enhancing Technologies Innovative privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) can help healthcare organizations process and share data securely: Homomorphic encryption allows computations on encrypted data without decrypting it first. This enables analytics while preserving confidentiality. Differential privacy injects controlled noise into data to mask individual identities while still extracting useful insights from populations. Federated learning trains AI models across institutions without exposing raw patient data, only sharing model updates. Synthetic data generation produces artificial patient datasets with the statistical properties of real data but without being traceable to actual people. Zero-knowledge proofs let parties validate information without revealing the underlying data. Adopting PETs facilitates responsible data use for research and innovation while protecting sensitive health information. However, PETs have limitations like computational overhead, lack of standards, and re-identification risks from auxiliary data. Thoughtful implementation is key. The Patient’s Role in Data Privacy Patients have an important role in managing their health data privacy. They should: Review privacy policies to understand how providers handle sensitive information. Carefully read consent forms before permitting health data use and sharing. Request copies of medical records to review for accuracy and completeness. Ask providers about opt-out choices for data sharing like research or marketing. Enable access restrictions and notifications in patient portals to control access. Consider using personal health record apps to consolidate health data securely. Report any suspected privacy violations or breaches to providers immediately. Educating themselves on data privacy rights and options allows patients to make informed choices about their sensitive medical information. However, complex privacy policies and a lack of transparency can disempower patients. Providers should clearly communicate data practices and respect patient preferences. A Balancing Act for the Future Balancing innovation and privacy around health data requires trade-offs and diligence: Regulations must evolve to address new data sources like genomics, wearables, and social media with clear ethics-based standards. Providers should implement robust security programs while enabling controlled data use for care improvements and research. New techniques like data minimization, anonymization, abstraction, and encryption can facilitate privacy-preserving data sharing. Transparency and consent mechanisms should give patients granular controls over health data use. Cross-sector collaboration can develop best practices and governance models for secure, ethical data use. Ongoing reassessments of policies and technologies are needed as practices and risks evolve over time. With responsible data stewardship, healthcare can harness data-driven innovation to improve care and outcomes while respecting patients’ rights. Conclusion Navigating the promises and perils of big data in healthcare requires diligence and responsibility from all involved. Patients must ensure that their most sensitive information is handled with care. To be trusted by patients, healthcare providers need to be transparent, accountable, and responsible with data. Policymakers need to develop clear, adaptive guidelines for fair information use. Researchers and innovators must consider ethics alongside progress. By embracing this shared duty of care, we can unlock big data’s immense potential to understand diseases, develop treatments, and save lives - without compromising core patient rights. The following several key principles should guide us: Progress and privacy can go hand-in-hand with responsible innovation. Modern technologies can enable breakthroughs while boosting security. Listening to patient voices and concerns is crucial when shaping data practices. Policies should empower patients with control. Cross-sector and global collaboration is needed to solve a complex, international challenge. Alignment of standards serves all parties. Regular reassessment of policies, practices, and technology is necessary as the landscape evolves. What protects data today may not tomorrow. Balance, nuance, and wisdom are required around data trade-offs. Benefits and risks must be weighed carefully and holistically. The opportunities from healthcare’s digital data revolution are too great to ignore, but they must be pursued thoughtfully. With patient wellbeing at the core, a collaborative spirit, and a vision to match ambition with ethics, we can build a brighter data-driven future for human health. The potential rewards - preventing disease, expanding access, democratizing medicine - make it essential that we get big data right. By upholding both innovation and privacy, the healthcare community can earn the trust and partnership needed to transform lives with data responsibly. References The use of Big Data Analytics in healthcare | Journal of Big Data | Full Text (springeropen.com) Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Technology Acceptance and Its Applications - PMC (nih.gov) The digital transformation of healthcare organizations | Wolters Kluwer How Digital Transformation Can Improve Hospitals’ Operational Decisions (hbr.org) Digital transformation in healthcare | Deloitte Insights Digital Transformation in Healthcare in 2023: 7 Key Trends | DAP (digitalauthority.me) Frontiers | Digital transformation of health quality services in the healthcare industry during disruption and society 5.0 era (frontiersin.org) Healthcare Cybersecurity: 8 Data Protection Best Practices | CSA (cloudsecurityalliance.org) Emerging privacy-enhancing technologies: Current regulatory and policy approaches | en | OECD What is Data Privacy in Healthcare? | Box, Inc. The Balancing Act: Juggling EHRs and New Digital Health Applications | LinkedIn Five Best Practices for Securing Health Data | Persona (withpersona.com) Using Algorithmic Privacy-Enhancing Technologies in Healthcare Analytics (healthitanalytics.com)

Navigating Big Data's Potential and Privacy in Modern Medicine

In the digital age, where artificial intelligence (AI) shapes many aspects of our lives, the emergence of advanced tools like ChatGPT by OpenAI marks a transformative era. However, beneath the surface of this innovative technology lies a disturbing trend: the intentional misuse of ChatGPT. This article explores the dark facets of how individuals and groups are exploiting this language model, highlighting the urgent need for ethical guidelines and robust security measures. Scams and Deceptive Content: A New Playground for Fraudsters The versatility of ChatGPT, while impressive, has opened doors to nefarious activities. As detailed in , ChatGPT's ability to generate convincing and contextually relevant content makes it a powerful tool in the hands of scammers. From crafting believable phishing emails to creating fake news, the misuse extends to various forms of deception and fraud. Digital Trends Unleashing Chaos: The Propaganda Machine The societal impact of ChatGPT's misuse is far-reaching, particularly in the realm of misinformation and propaganda. According to , the language model's proficiency in mimicking human-like text enables the mass production of misleading information, fueling propaganda, and potentially inciting unrest. Europol Workplace Ethics: Crossing the Line The professional environment is not immune to ChatGPT's exploitation. An insightful piece from discusses the ethical dilemmas posed by ChatGPT in the workplace. The model's use for generating work-related content, while efficient, raises questions about authenticity, intellectual honesty, and the devaluation of human effort. SHRM Security Threats: A New Frontier for Cybercrime The security implications of ChatGPT misuse are alarming. highlights how ChatGPT can be weaponized to bypass security protocols, aiding in sophisticated cyber-attacks. This capability not only threatens individual data security but also poses significant risks at the institutional level. IANS Research In conclusion The misuse of ChatGPT is a stark reminder of the ethical and security challenges that come with advanced AI. While ChatGPT serves as a revolutionary tool for legitimate purposes, its exploitation underscores the critical need for stringent regulations, user awareness, and the development of AI for positive, constructive use. As we tread into this new era of technology, prioritizing the ethical use of AI like ChatGPT becomes not just advisable, but imperative. References: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/bad-things-chatgpt-has-been-used-for/ https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/criminal-use-of-chatgpt-cautionary-tale-about-large-language-models https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/europe-chatgpt-workplace-use-misuse.aspx https://www.iansresearch.com/resources/all-blogs/post/security-blog/2023/05/11/chatgpt-uncovering-misuse-scenarios-and-ai-security-challenges

The Dark Reality: People Misusing ChatGPT

Companies around the world are embracing the miracle of AI and the many forms in which it is now manifesting. When OpenAI announced its introduction of ChatGPT, it took the world by storm. Now, it has already upgraded to ChatGPT-4 with its new and improved capabilities, and it is exciting to think what the next version of the AI bot will be able to achieve. Many experts believe it will achieve artificial generative intelligence or AGI. What Is AGI and Why Are People Scared? The idea behind AGI is that machines will achieve a level of understanding and expression on par with humans. AGI output is expected to be indistinguishable from human output. Some view this as exciting; others view this as dangerous. Either way you view it, the fact that we are even so close to such an achievement, where computers will now have eyes and ears so to speak and gain the ability to control a certain aspect of the internet is by far the greatest groundbreaking technology since the internet itself was invented. However, this technological advancement is setting off nerves and creating jitters. Privacy regulators in Europe are starting to investigate OpenAI’s practices. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI before members of a Senate subcommittee and largely agreed with them on the need to regulate the powerful AI technology being created inside his company and others like Google and Microsoft. testified However, speaking at a recent MIT event before his testimony to the Senate, Altman said there is no ChatGPT-5 to worry about...yet. But people are indeed worried. AI is already being forecast to replace five million jobs, and concerns abound that AI in general, especially AGI, will completely eradicate the need for human workers in a multitude of industries. Users today would like to see some significant changes that are not necessarily related to AGI. For instance, users want to eliminate the cap of 25 messages every 3 hours and want to see an improvement in the handling of math queries. There are also memory issues that need to be fixed. As in DigitalTrends points out, “the development of GPT-5 is already underway, but there’s already been a move to halt its progress. A petition signed by over a thousand public figures and , requesting a pause in development on anything beyond GPT-4. Significant people involved in the petition include Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, Andrew Yang, and many more.” this article tech leaders has been published Even Altman agreed that there is substance to the worries and concerns people have about AI and AGI. But it appears the company has already begun planning the publication of ChatGPT-5 later this year perhaps. It is likely that it will have significant improvements and will be able to achieve far more than its predecessors. If the technology is truly as advanced as some believe it is, it will truly be able to change the landscape of the internet and the ability of millions of people to produce remarkable work with it. The technology will directly impact the creative world, whether it’s artists, designers, or architects. It will completely change the music world, the legal world, and even e-commerce. There really is almost no limit to what AGI will help humans achieve and what it may be capable of achieving on its own. Worries aside, it is exciting to see what this technology will bring and what new opportunities it will introduce to our universe. Without a doubt, change is on the way, and AGI will transform our world - hopefully for the better.

How ChatGPT-5 Will Change the World

While watching the Earth Week panel I tuned in to some of the thought leaders in Blockchain and it forced me to focus on the threats of our changing environments and how projects are trying to support some of the most unfairly impacted. discussions on YouTube Rene Reinsberg, President of the Celo Foundation recognises that climate and economic opportunity are linked. As a technology, money is essentially software. Blockchain can reinvent the financial system and provide positive benefits through external factors. Climate change is driven by human behavior and it is not impacting people in a fair way. Reinsberg describes Web3 as “...a toolset for mass co-ordination.” This collective approach to solving some of the world’s biggest problems is a new way to consider the potential of humans when tackling the climate crisis. What is Earth Day? Earth Day is an occasion for people around the world to assess their environmental progress and commit to sustainability. The day is designed to demonstrate the importance of protecting the environment. It began in the United States in 1970. Earth Day began as a movement to promote environmental awareness and has since expanded to include a variety of activities. Communities around the world come together on April 22 to engage in actions such as cleaning up litter or planting trees. Earth Day has become a global event with over one billion participants each year, according to the . Earth Day website Blockchain and Web3 Technologies funding climate solutions Blockchain and Web3 technologies are at the forefront of a movement towards increased transparency, which can help achieve the goals set by the Paris Climate Accord and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Blockchain projects are providing a foundation for structural changes that support cultural climate awareness, climate policy-making, and individual commitments to sustainability. Today, it is dangerous to ignore the urgency of climate change. As the only place with a continuous life cycle, Earth is being harmed by all kinds of destructive actions. We need to act now to save our home and ensure a healthy environment for both living and nonliving creatures. Imagine a world where recycling is not only easy but also profitable. With a blockchain-based recycling program, you can earn tokens in exchange for dropping off recyclables like plastic containers, cans, and bottles. It's already working in Northern Europe, and the rest of the world needs to catch up. Furthermore, conventional power networks are centralized, leading to energy delivery inefficiencies and power outages in areas devastated by natural catastrophes or poverty. A blockchain-based peer-to-peer power system can shift electricity remotely from where it's generated in excess to where it's needed, reducing the need for energy storage and fossil fuels. Incentivising organisations to be transparent The environmental footprint of products is also impossible to determine in the existing system, and its carbon emissions are not reflected in the price. But with blockchain technology, each brand's carbon emissions can be monitored, and the amount of carbon tax to be levied can be calculated at the time of sale. This will encourage purchasers to choose environmentally sustainable items and incentivize corporations to reorganize their supply chains. And finally, blockchain can make supply chains more transparent, tracing products from the factory to the store and reducing waste, inefficiencies, fraud, and unethical behaviors. Consumers will have a better understanding of how each product was created and distributed, allowing them to make more ecologically conscious decisions. We have the technology to save the earth, and we need to use it NOW. Let's act urgently and entertainingly to ensure a sustainable future for our planet! Four Organisations Connecting Blockchain Technology with Climate Solutions The Celo Foundation Celo is the carbon-negative, EVM-compatible blockchain ecosystem. Their primary goal is to enhance the capacity for refi applications on the Celo blockchain. During the Global Impact Investing Network Investor Forum in The Hague, the Celo Foundation, based in the U.S., unveiled its "2% for Web3 Impact" commitment. This initiative, developed within the Foundation's Social Impact Collective, is an industry-wide effort that aims to assist in the on-boarding of over 100 impact investors to Web3 and facilitate their first investment in the field or offer liquidity to impact lending protocols. Ethic hub A noteworthy example of a regenerative finance initiative that utilizes smart contracts for crowd-funded impact investing is Ethic Hub, a company that originated in Spain and is redefining traditional microfinance. Ethic Hub provides small-scale loans to farmers who have limited financing options and were previously subject to high interest rates of up to 100%. With a minimum investment of only around US$20, Ethic Hub uses blockchain technology to democratize impact investing and minimize investment risks through its native token, Ethix, which serves as backup for Ethic Hub's compensation pool. Since its establishment in 2018, Ethic Hub has financed 450 projects, deployed US$3 million in capital, and generated a 1.2% default rate and a 9% return to investors. Climate Collective The Climate Collection provides grant funding, community education, and collaborate with members to promote various impactful products and protocols that advance the Regenerative Finance ecosystem. Our goal is to encourage adoption of ReFi and shift perceptions about the blockchain industry by engaging with climate enthusiasts and crypto participants. Together with our members, we aim to create an all-inclusive ReFi Stack that surpasses its individual components, to foster a web3-native financial system that promotes ecological regeneration alongside economic growth. Digital Art 4 Climate DigitalArt4Climate is an initiative involving multiple stakeholders that leverages blockchain technology, specifically NFT's, to transform artwork into digital assets that can be collected and traded. They have teamed up with Unique network to help empower artists and climate creative initiatives using NFTs. By doing so, it creates a social and technological innovation space that allows for unique possibilities to mobilize resources in support of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the area of climate action empowerment. Also published here .

Earth Day 2023: How Blockchain Can Fund and Build a Greener Future

We found that AT&T, Verizon, EarthLink, and CenturyLink disproportionately offered the worst internet deals to neighborhoods that were formerly redlined, whose residents are lower income and have a higher concentration of people of color than other parts of the city. We examined actual internet offers to more than 800,000 addresses in 38 cities across the country. See our data here. GitHub People in disadvantaged neighborhoods would be offered plans as high as $100 per megabit per second, while those in more affluent areas that have more White residents and had the best historical redlining scores were offered plans for less than $1 per Mbps. The ultimate effect of these practices went beyond fairness: Those in disadvantaged neighborhoods were offered speeds so slow that they were denied the ability to participate in remote learning, jobs, and even family connection and recreation that are ubiquitous to modern life. A recent , for example, showed 90 percent of respondents saying the internet has been “essential or important for them personally during the coronavirus outbreak.” Pew survey Background The Markup collected 848,618 internet service offers made to addresses in 38 major U.S. cities. The top-line finding is that four companies—AT&T, Verizon, EarthLink, and CenturyLink—offered blazing fast internet plans (200 Mbps download speeds or above) at the same price they offered slow internet plans (under 25 Mbps, which is below the Federal Communications Commission’s floor for labeling a connection “broadband”). Some researchers have looked at broadband availability, and one, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, published a report saying some internet providers were advertising varying speeds for the same price, which it called “ .” tier flattening Our investigation is the first examination of actual offers to U.S. addresses, which were gathered from the providers’ lookup tools. Some of the pricing disparities were extreme. CenturyLink’s offers ranged from $100 per megabit per second (for 0.5 Mbps plans) all the way down to 25 cents per megabit per second (for 200 Mbps plans) in all 15 cities served by CenturyLink that The Markup examined. The federal government does not regulate internet pricing, so providers can charge whatever they want. However, the FCC is in rulemaking concerning “digital discrimination”  that could potentially govern this type of behavior. currently engaged The Data We used automated techniques to enter millions of addresses across 45 major U.S. cities into each of the four internet service providers’ websites and to save the advertised speed and price offers for each address. We collected data between April 15 and Oct. 1, 2022. Cities that offered uniform speeds (Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Providence, and Wilmington) were filtered out. The remaining offers in 38 cities were merged with socioeconomic data: median household income and race/ethnicity from the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, and historic redlining grades from the University of Richmond’s . Mapping Inequality project In 92 percent of the cities we examined, the areas offered the worst deals were lower income. In two-thirds of cities, the worst deals went to the least-White areas. In every city where there was enough data to do the analysis, the worst deals went to areas that had been historically redlined. The Markup found at least one of these disparities (income, race/ethnicity, or historical redlining grades) in every city except for Boise and Fargo. In , for each of the following cities, you’ll also find a breakdown of speeds offered to a representative sample of addresses in that city, as well as interactive, address-level maps. You will also find summaries about how internet speeds vary across socioeconomic areas, and code that can be used to reproduce our data-intensive investigation: our Github repository Albuquerque, N.M. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Atlanta, Ga. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Billings, Mont. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Boise, Idaho ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Charleston, S.C. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Charlotte, N.C. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Cheyenne, Wyo. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Chicago, Ill. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Columbus, Ohio ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Denver, Colo. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Des Moines, Iowa ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Detroit, Mich. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Fargo, N.D. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Houston, Texas ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Huntsville, Ala. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Indianapolis, Ind. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Jackson, Miss. ( ) AT&T Jacksonville, Fla. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Kansas City, Mo. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Las Vegas, Nev. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Little Rock, Ark. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Los Angeles, Calif. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Louisville, Ky. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Milwaukee, Wis. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Minneapolis, Minn. ( ) CenturyLink Nashville, Tenn. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink New Orleans, La. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Newark, N.J. ( ) Verizon Oklahoma City, Okla. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Omaha, Neb. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Phoenix, Ariz. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Portland, Ore. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Salt Lake City, Utah ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Seattle, Wash ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Sioux Falls, S.D. ( ) CenturyLink, EarthLink Virginia Beach, Va. ( ) Verizon Washington ( ) Verizon Wichita, Kan. ( ) AT&T, EarthLink Based on which company serves the city you’re investigating, look at the interactive, address-level maps we created to help journalists do further reporting: Map for AT&T Map for CenturyLink Map for EarthLink Map for Verizon You can use the search bar to quickly travel to specific addresses or cities. If you know the areas, this will be immediately useful. However, if you would like an overlay of any socioeconomic factor in our investigation (median household income, the percentage of non-Hispanic White residents in the area, or redlining grades) we can produce them by request. These maps should be viewed alongside . summaries of how speeds vary across each city and between areas For a detailed breakdown showing precisely how we conducted our analysis, along with the full results, check out our . methodology Reporting Tips and Story Ideas Where are the clusters of slow connections? Talk to people on the ground in those communities to see what challenges they’ve faced in getting internet service and how it’s affected their lives. Look at the maps of connection speeds in your city. Use this to explore the hidden dimensions of housing segregation. For example, Kansas City, Mo.’s Troost Avenue is both a historical dividing line for racial segregation and an obvious inflection point separating a big cluster of fast connections from a big cluster of slow ones. Does the geographic divide between slow and fast neighborhoods in your city fall along any historical markers of segregation? Many of them have likely seen firsthand the effects of internet providers charging high prices for slow service in marginalized communities. A good resource for finding these groups in your city is to contact any local affiliates of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, a nonprofit that works with groups across the country helping get people online. You can find their affiliates list here: . Reach out to local organizations that have been working to get people in your community online. https://www.digitalinclusion.org/affiliates/ This data can tie into conversations about the nexus of digital equity and education, especially in areas with lots of slow connections. How do local school districts and teachers’ unions view the way online connectivity in their community affects the remote learning experience? Principals of schools that serve marginalized communities and PTA leaders there may also be good sources on how the lack of access affected students during the pandemic. During the transition to remote schooling, many students and teachers experienced how slow, inconsistent internet connection made learning difficult—if not impossible. Local Stories Using Our Data If you’re interested in using our data for your own coverage but need some more help, here are a few examples of how journalists have used our data in their own stories: Sarah Alvarez, Outlier Media: “ ” Detroit is paying big money for slow internet Becky Z. Dernbach, Sahan Journal: “ ” CenturyLink offers slower internet service to Black and brown neighborhoods in Minneapolis, new report claims Lina Tran, WUWM: “ ” Poor, historically redlined neighborhoods in Milwaukee pay more for slow internet Jacob Munoz, 89.3 WFPL: “ ” Report: Internet providers offer Louisville residents unequal speeds for similar prices Zoë Jackson and Jeff Hargarten, Star Tribune: “ ” In Minneapolis, disparities in internet package speeds can depend on address Alayna Alvarez, Axios Denver: “ ” Denver's low-income areas offered slower internet for higher costs Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star: “ ” Some in KC’s least-white, lower income neighborhoods pay high prices for slower internet Kaylee Tornay, InvestigateWest: “ ” Poor and diverse areas of Seattle and Portland offered slower and more expensive internet Jacob Steimer, MLK50: Low-income Memphians receive worse internet service for the same price Updated March 16, 2023 This story has been updated to include examples of local journalism using our data. As we add new articles, we’ll update the date here. By and Leon Yin Aaron Sankin First published here Photo by on Alina Grubnyak Unsplash

DIGITALENT

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DIGITALENT

digitalent.ai

11-50 employees

Since 2015

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DIGITALENT

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