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Biometrics and blockchain technology help Syrians access UN cash, but rights groups voice concern over consent and data use.

AZRAQ, Jordan: At a grocery store checkout in the Jordanian refugee camp of Azraq, Sameera Sabbouh stares wide-eyed into a scanner to pay for her shopping — her iris scan unlocking payment from a digital aid account with the help of block- chain technology. Many of the nearly 40,000 Syrians who live in the camp recognize the convenience of the cashless, card-free payment

Research from Business & Human Rights Resource Centre finds companies are profiting from surveillance technologies that facilitate human rights abuses against migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the Middle East and North Africa, with little to no oversight.

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre is calling for governments in the region to end use of surveillance technology on people migrating to and from their countries

  Around the world, there is ongoing debate over the extent to which speech should be regulated for the common good. On the one hand, restricting speech in certain contexts can provide key benefits, such as protecting minorities from harm and preventing extremist organizations from recruiting and spreading dangerous hate speech and misinformation. On the other hand, freedom of speech is a fundamental right of individuals to express their opinions and present meaningful political and social discourse. Facebook has been a key battleground in this debate. As Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a statement...