Uganda to lift ban on Facebook if it stops “playing games”

Mholweni,

You missed my newsletter, didn’t you? Aww. 😂🤗 I was lone gone for a day. 

How are you doing, though? What’d you bash connected Christmas and Boxing Day?

I cognize I said I wouldn’t ticker movies. But, well… Yeah, you tin laugh. 😂

One happening I didn’t bask was not eating enough. I lone had a small fried atom and h2o with fruit. 😭😭

So this week, I’ve decided to devour immoderate I want; I don’t attraction what happens to me. Okay, I deliberation I attraction due to the fact that I’ll endure the consequences 😂 But I basal by my decision.

Anyway, fto maine cognize however your play went and however you spent Christmas. 

Here’s what I’ve got for you today: 

• How immoderate Nigerian women successful tech dealt with 2022
• Facebook is inactive banned successful Uganda
• Twitter launches caller features for Blue subscribers

How immoderate Nigerian women successful tech dealt with 2022

It’s nary quality that 2022 has been a hard twelvemonth for the planetary tech ecosystem, with grounds layoffs and macroeconomic slowdowns.

With estimates ranging from $4.5 cardinal to $5 cardinal raised, 2021 was a record-breaking twelvemonth for African startups. 

However, dissimilar successful 2021, respective startups announced layoffs successful 2022.

The Nigerian tech ecosystem has weathered the storm. And Bolu spoke with immoderate of the women down your favourite startups astir their year.

For Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson, Co-founder of healthtech startup, Healthtracka, 2022 was a rollercoaster.

Although the institution mislaid immoderate deals and squad members, 1 of her biggest wins successful 2022 is that Healthtracka is inactive a viable business. Also, the startup raised immoderate wealth this year. 👏

Want to work from different women doing oregon gathering astonishing things successful tech? Check retired the nonfiction here: 2022 was a pugnacious year, but here’s however Nigerian women successful tech dealt with it

Alternatively, you tin ticker it here: What’s the cleanable acquisition for Nigerian tech ladies?

Facebook is inactive banned successful Uganda

Photo by Solen Feyissa connected Unsplash

Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, has said that the state volition assistance the prohibition connected 1 of Meta’s societal media platforms, Facebook, if it stops “playing games.”

I’ll springiness you the backstory: On January 11, 2021, Facebook deactivated respective accounts affiliated with Uganda’s Ministry of Information. 

The societal media level accused the authorities officials of utilizing bogus accounts to beforehand the ruling enactment and the president, who was seeking re-election for a sixth term.

On January 12, 2021, Uganda blocked access to societal media platforms, including Facebook, 2 days earlier the statesmanlike and parliamentary elections connected January 14, 2021.

Nearly a period later, the authorities began to “partially reconstruct Internet connectivity” successful the country. While different societal media platforms, including WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram, were restored, Facebook wasn’t. 

That’s 715 days without Facebook. 😳

Now, Museveni has said, “I anticipation Facebook knows who is successful complaint of Uganda. If they halt playing games, we shall unfastened up.”

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) stated that the authorities is waiting for Facebook to resoluteness outstanding issues earlier reopening it fully.

According to Irene Kagwa, the UCC Executive Director, “On our side, we are waiting for Facebook. We talked [and] we concluded. So, the outstanding issues are connected their side. As a government, we are acceptable to person it travel backmost arsenic soon arsenic they present connected their promise.” 
Ugandans presently entree Facebook done Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Twitter launches caller features for Blue subscribers

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Last week, Twitter announced that Blue subscribers tin present upload 60-minute videos from the web with 1080p solution and a 2GB record size.

Before now, Blue subscribers could upload 10-minute videos with 512MB record size to the platform; these limits use if you upload from iOS oregon Android.

You’re astir apt reasoning of YouTube now, but dissimilar the former, which has nary magnitude bounds and shows aggregate ads successful longer videos, it’s unclear whether Twitter volition travel suit.

But there’s more: This diagnostic mightiness contiguous Twitter with a caller challenge. By allowing longer video uploads, the level has much enactment connected the piracy front.

Why is that a large deal? In November 2022, erstwhile Twitter’s copyright systems concisely went down, users reportedly uploaded full movies successful smaller chunks.

Meanwhile, Twitter says users volition announcement “a flimsy penchant for replies from Blue verified accounts implicit different replies.” 

Essentially, responses from paid accounts volition look earlier replies from unpaid ones. 

New inclination alert? In December 2022, TikTok announced that creators could movie longer videos without worrying astir video length.

What I’m speechmaking and watching

• How Your Sleep Position Affects Your Health
• YouTube’s investigating its Queue strategy for its iOS and Android apps
• Twitter’s caller view counts for tweets connection measurement without meaning
• How memories form and however we suffer them 
• It’s Time to Pay Attention to A.I. (ChatGPT and Beyond)
• What is trauma? The writer of “The Body Keeps the Score” explains 

Opportunities

• Misk Entrepreneurship has partnered with Plug and Play to motorboat the 4th cohort of Misk Accelerator 2023 wherever 20 startups volition enactment successful the 12-week hybrid programme. Apply here.
• The New York Times is looking for a Researcher/Reporter successful Dakar, Senegal. Apply here.
• Are you a corp subordinate successful Nigeria? Polaris Bank’s DigiCorper Programme 2023 is open. To larn information science, merchandise management, merchandise design, backend oregon frontend bundle development, oregon basal literacy skills, registry here.
•  The Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) has initiated a Girls successful ICT’ Development Program, aimed astatine young ladies who are funny successful pursuing an Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) related profession. To apply, check this out.
• The United Nations is seeking an Associate Programme Management Officer. Apply here.

Have a fantastic Tuesday.

Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.