The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned a US-funded vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau, Africa, as unethical, while Amazon and Flock Safety terminated a partnership following backlash over a Ring Super Bowl advertisement. These developments highlight ongoing ethical concerns in healthcare and the tech industry's response to public criticism.
The WHO's statement, released Friday, criticized the vaccine trial for withholding a safe and potentially life-saving hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns. According to Ars Technica, the WHO concluded the trial was "inconsistent with established ethical and scientific principles," citing a list of reasons for its harmful and low-quality nature. The trial had already drawn widespread condemnation from health experts after the US funding was announced in December, according to the same source.
Meanwhile, Amazon and Flock Safety ended their partnership, which would have given law enforcement access to a vast network of Ring cameras. The decision came after Amazon's Super Bowl ad, intended to be heartwarming, was perceived as disturbing and dystopian. The ad, which began with a girl receiving a puppy, then highlighted a new "Search Party" feature for Ring cameras to locate missing pets. This prompted significant negative reaction, as reported by Ars Technica.
In other news, the Iranian regime cut off internet access during recent anti-government uprisings, according to Wired. This included the global internet and the country's intranet, the National Information Network, which research suggests is becoming a tool for constant surveillance.
Additionally, the US deputy health secretary, Jim O'Neill, described plans to increase human healthspan through longevity-focused research supported by ARPA-H, a federal agency dedicated to biomedical breakthroughs, according to MIT Technology Review.
Finally, pressure is mounting on tech companies to protect users from unlawful government requests, according to Hacker News. Advocates claim that platforms are making it harder to share information about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) online, with some platforms allegedly caving to demands to censor content.
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