Understanding Global Security: Gallup’s 2024 Index Reveals Kuwait’s Top Rank, Europe’s High Safety Scores

True safety goes beyond statistics—it’s felt in everyday life. With Gallup’s Global Safety Report 2024 as our guide, we’ve visualized the countries where law and order shape a genuine sense of security. The rankings were done after considering the feelings of people about their personal safety, how much assault or crimes they have experienced and how much confidence they have in the police in their respective countries. Even though the public safety levels have improved somewhat in the last decade, many people still do not feel secure in their country.

According to the Law and Order Index 2024, Kuwait is the safest country in the world. It has the index score of 98 out of 100. Followed by Kuwait are Singapore and Tajikistan. Singapore is ranked one of the safest countries in the world because it has low crime rates and law enforcement in the country is very strict. Norway is the fourth safest country in the world. Apart from the top three countries in the Law and Order Index 2024, the rest of the seven countries are all from Europe.

The reason why the majority of the European countries are ranked safest is because of trust in government institutions and low crime rate. Finland got the highest public trust in the police (87%). On the other hand, Liberia is the most unsafe country in 2024 because of poor economic conditions, high crime rates and poor law enforcement. Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world so it also experiences political corruption and other crimes too that are the reason why people feel unsafe in the country.

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Country	Law and Order Index Score 2024
Kuwait	98
Singapore	95
Tajikistan	95
Norway	93
Estonia	91
Finland	91
Iceland	91
Kosovo	91
Luxembourg	91
Switzerland	91
Denmark	90
UAE	90
Vietnam	90
Bahrain	89
El Salvador	89
Indonesia	89
Portugal	89
Saudi Arabia	89
Slovenia	89
Uzbekistan	89
China	88
Egypt	88
Montenegro	88
Netherlands	88
Sweden	88
Taiwan	88
Austria	87
Azerbaijan	87
Jordan	87
Malaysia	87
Spain	87
Georgia	86
Germany	86
Hong Kong, S.A.R.	86
Ireland	86
Japan	86
Lithuania	86
Armenia	85
Czech Republic	85
South Korea	85
Albania	84
France	84
Iraq	84
Israel	84
Malta	84
Philippines	84
Belgium	83
Canada	83
Hungary	83
India	83
Serbia	83
Bosnia and Herzegovina	82
Kyrgyzstan	82
Latvia	82
Northern Cyprus	82
Slovakia	82
Somalia	82
Türkiye	82
United Kingdom	82
Australia	81
Bangladesh	81
Croatia	81
Iran	81
Italy	81
Poland	81
Russian Federation	81
United States	81
Cambodia	80
Kazakhstan	80
Mauritius	80
Moldova	80
North Macedonia	79
Tanzania	79
Thailand	79
Bulgaria	78
Burkina Faso	78
Morocco	78
Pakistan	78
Romania	78
Cyprus	77
Greece	77
Lao	77
Mali	77
Nepal	77
Panama	77
Sri Lanka	77
Libya	76
New Zealand	76
Tunisia	76
State of Palestine	75
Uruguay	75
Brazil	74
Côte d'Ivoire	74
Guatemala	74
Costa Rica	73
Honduras	73
Lebanon	73
Ukraine	73
Benin	72
Paraguay	72
Senegal	72
Ghana	71
Mongolia	71
Mozambique	71
Togo	71
Yemen	71
Ethiopia	70
Comoros	69
Dominican Republic	69
Zimbabwe	69
Chile	68
Madagascar	68
Niger	68
Mexico	66
Venezuela	66
Argentina	65
Colombia	65
Mauritania	65
Nigeria	65
Zambia	65
Cameroon	64
Myanmar	64
Namibia	64
Guinea	63
Kenya	63
Malawi	63
Peru	63
Republic of the Congo	63
Bolivia	62
Eswatini	62
Gabon	62
Uganda	62
Botswana	60
Chad	60
The Gambia	59
DRC	58
South Africa	58
Sierra Leone	57
Ecuador	55
Liberia	50

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Meta Hit With $15 Million Fine After Being Accused Of Illegal Data Collection On Facebook

South Korea is slapping tech giant Meta with a mega fine worth $15 million. The country’s top privacy watchdog says Meta illegally collected Facebook users’ data including sensitive information, political views, and details about gender.

Meta was also accused of sharing personal information with thousands of other advertisers, raising eyebrows about the company’s real intentions behind the act.

This is just another addition to the long list of penalties against the firm by South Korea’s government which has targeted Facebook’s parent firm for several years now. For this reason, the company continues to build up scrutiny against Meta who is also the owner of popular platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. The country knows how a lot of personal data is also shared through these apps and therefore guards cannot be left down.

The news comes after the country wrapped up a four-year-long investigation against the company which says they found a lot of evidence speaking about sensitive data collection. The total figure of users outlined is 980k on Facebook where religion and politics were mostly targeted as well as those linked to similar gender unions.

The firm was found to share data with over 4000 advertisers which is strictly prohibited and goes against South Korean laws that bars collection and processing of this material. The commission similarly spoke about how Meta collected so much sensitive data by simple analysis of users’ pages on the app and also by gauging which ads they engaged most with.

It then categorized those ads to better highlight the users that were interested in topics like same gender, politics, and religion including trans matters. Other controversial topics included North Korea.

The report also shared how Meta silently collected the information and used it for its personal gains with only vague mentions of the usage through its data policy. There was a clear lack of consent taken from the users’ end.

Facebook clearly broke users’ trust and failed to provide them with necessary security protection like removing inactive pages or blocking them altogether. As a result of this behavior, it became an easy target for hackers to use the domains and forge identities while requesting resets for passwords.

This is a major hit for Meta who was already fined by the EU regulators in September for security lapse which arose in 2019. The fine there went above the $100M mark and showed the company’s lapse in encryption.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Google’s Featured Snippets Are Displaying Conflicting Information From The Same Source
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google’s Featured Snippets Are Displaying Conflicting Information From The Same Source

A new investigation is digging down deep into Google’s Featured Snippets.

According to the revelations, the snippets include contradictory data from similar sources, all depending on how the user phrases the search question. It’s concerning because it just goes to show how poorly the search engine can interpret data correctly.

The head of Dragon Metrics, Sarah Presch was the first to highlight how the replies are poles apart when the user puts out questions in a different manner, even if they’re asking the same thing.

For instance, looking for a link between things like coffee and hypertension could give rise to a snippet talking about the potential to raise blood pressure.

Looking for a link between coffee and hypertension gives rise to contradictory snippets from a similar article that spoke about coffee having zero long-term impacts. Similar oppositions arose when issues like politics, health, and current affairs were the topic of discussion.

The study also proved how questioning political candidates with lines including what is good and what is bad might produce very drastically different responses, despite the main leading query being the same.

This has led to some calling Google a bias machine while others spoke about how the company’s algorithms seem to prioritize material that matches what the user’s intentions might be, instead of giving rise to comprehensive and balanced data.

The results align with Google’s internal material from a few years back where engineers at the firm confirmed that some documents they could not comprehend and therefore the reply is false.

As per Google’s latest stance on this, it says those documents are really outdated so it’s better to avoid them at all costs. This does not seem too convincing as what Google ended up doing is pulling out small amounts of text depending on what people look for and then feeding them with replies that sound convincing.

Another expert who also happens to be the founder of AlsoAsked mentioned more regarding these findings. He says the company creates models to try and guess what users might appreciate but this gives rise to a feedback loop.

The results have serious implications for SEO professionals and others creating content. They mean featured snippets don’t clearly represent what the content is about. User intent also impacts how material gets interpreted and shown. Lastly, the content strategy might need changes to ensure accuracy through different question formats.

Google’s rep defended their moves by adding how users can also look for differnet viewpoints when they scroll deeper into the material. They also highlighted how features such as ‘about this result’ might assist users gauge the real data source.

So depending on the study’s findings, publishers might need to take a few actions. For starters, they should create comprehensive material that is correct, no matter how the question is phrased by the user. Secondly, they need to track how a certain Feature Snippet shows up for various search phrases. Only then can they attain success.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: WhatsApp Beta Update Introduces Quick Gallery Shortcut for Easier Media Sharing
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

WhatsApp Beta Update Introduces Quick Gallery Shortcut for Easier Media Sharing

WhatsApp is a great app to keep in touch with your family and friends through messaging, calling and sharing media. Many WhatsApp users regularly share images and videos to people in their contacts through the app. Although the process to do so is easy and smooth, it takes two to three steps. However, things are going to change soon, according to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on a new update which will save users’ time and will make sending images and videos easier.

In the new WhatsApp for Android v2.24.23.11 update, there will be a new shortcut in the chat bar of WhatsApp chats which will instantly direct you to your phone gallery. Right now, if users want to share images or videos, they need to click on the camera icon next to the text bar or click on attachments icon to go to the gallery.

Now that the gallery icon will be there in the text bar, it will be easier and quicker for users to share something from their device gallery. That will be a good thing for users who do not use the camera in WhatsApp. But for users who do use it, they will have to click on the attachments icon to open the camera. There is still no news when this feature will be added for all users on WhatsApp.

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• Which Nations Excel and Struggle in the AI Preparedness?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Which Nations Excel and Struggle in the IMF's AI Preparedness Index?

Artificial Intelligence has taken over the world and now many industries are implementing AI in their workplaces. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports reports that AI has impacted 40% of the world’s employment, with some industries being more affected by AI than others. The IMF put forward a report named AI Preparedness Index to rank top countries which are prepared for AI. 174 countries are ranked in the report according to how prepared they are for AI.

According to the rankings, Singapore is the top country which is fully prepared for AI and can adopt AI in its industries smoothly. Singapore has already invested billions of dollars on AI and for making national strategies for AI adoption. According to LinkedIn, the workers in Singapore are also fully prepared to adopt AI and the Singapore government has also developed AI tools for public service officers. Followed by Singapore is Denmark while the United States ranks third in AI preparedness.

Other European countries in the top ten rankings for AI preparedness are Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Switzerland, Germany and Sweden. It is to be noted that the countries which are most prepared for AI adoption are mostly from Europe. It is because these countries have advanced infrastructure, great government policies and skilled workforce which can smoothly go with AI adoption.

IMF made its AI Preparedness Index report by taking into account four important metrics. Those metrics were digital infrastructure, human capital, legal frameworks and technological innovations in the countries. After looking at all these metrics in 174 countries, the IMF put forward the top ten countries that are fully prepared for AI adoption.

Rank	Country	AI Preparedness Index Score (0-1)
1	Singapore	0.80
2	Denmark	0.78
3	United States	0.77
4	Netherlands	0.77
5	Estonia	0.76
6	Finland	0.76
7	Switzerland	0.76
8	New Zealand	0.75
9	Germany	0.75
10	Sweden	0.75
11	Luxembourg	0.74
12	Japan	0.73
13	United Kingdom	0.73
14	Australia	0.73
15	South Korea	0.73
16	Israel	0.73
17	Austria	0.72
18	Canada	0.71
19	Norway	0.71
20	Hong Kong	0.70
21	Iceland	0.70
22	France	0.70
23	Ireland	0.69
24	Belgium	0.67
25	Taiwan	0.67
26	Lithuania	0.66
27	Malta	0.66
28	Spain	0.65
29	Czech Republic	0.65
30	Portugal	0.65
31	China	0.64
32	Slovenia	0.63
33	Latvia	0.63
34	Cyprus	0.63
35	Malaysia	0.63
36	United Arab Emirates	0.63
37	Italy	0.62
38	Poland	0.60
39	Slovak Republic	0.59
40	Chile	0.59
41	Romania	0.58
42	Greece	0.58
43	Croatia	0.58
44	Bulgaria	0.58
45	Saudi Arabia	0.58
46	Hungary	0.56
47	Russia	0.56
48	Kazakhstan	0.55
49	Uruguay	0.55
50	Türkiye	0.54
51	Costa Rica	0.54
52	Serbia	0.54
53	Thailand	0.54
54	Qatar	0.53
55	Oman	0.53
56	Mexico	0.53
57	Seychelles	0.53
58	Georgia	0.53
59	Albania	0.53
60	Mauritius	0.53
61	Indonesia	0.52
62	Bahrain	0.52
63	Ukraine	0.51
64	Barbados	0.50
65	Montenegro	0.50
66	Brazil	0.50
67	Panama	0.50
68	Philippines	0.50
69	South Africa	0.50
70	Brunei Darussalam	0.50
71	Armenia	0.49
72	India	0.49
73	Peru	0.49
74	Colombia	0.49
75	Mongolia	0.48
76	Jordan	0.48
77	North Macedonia	0.48
78	Vietnam	0.48
79	Moldova	0.48
80	Argentina	0.47
81	Azerbaijan	0.47
82	Belarus	0.47
83	Dominican Republic	0.47
84	Tunisia	0.47
85	Kuwait	0.46
86	The Bahamas	0.46
87	Fiji	0.45
88	Kenya	0.45
89	Ecuador	0.44
90	Bhutan	0.44
91	Rwanda	0.44
92	Sri Lanka	0.44
93	Trinidad and Tobago	0.44
94	Jamaica	0.43
95	Cabo Verde	0.43
96	Morocco	0.43
97	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.43
98	Timor-Leste	0.43
99	Kyrgyz Republic	0.43
100	Ghana	0.43
101	Guyana	0.42
102	Belize	0.42
103	Namibia	0.42
104	Suriname	0.42
105	Lebanon	0.42
106	Botswana	0.41
107	Paraguay	0.41
108	Macao	0.41
109	Senegal	0.40
110	Egypt	0.39
111	Guatemala	0.39
112	El Salvador	0.39
113	Bangladesh	0.38
114	Puerto Rico	0.38
115	Iran	0.38
116	Bolivia	0.38
117	Saint Lucia	0.37
118	Zambia	0.37
119	Algeria	0.37
120	Liberia	0.37
121	Cambodia	0.37
122	Pakistan	0.37
123	Tajikistan	0.37
124	Côte d'Ivoire	0.37
125	Benin	0.36
126	The Gambia	0.36
127	Lesotho	0.36
128	Uganda	0.35
129	Tanzania	0.35
130	Nepal	0.35
131	Uzbekistan	0.35
132	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	0.34
133	Honduras	0.34
134	Cameroon	0.34
135	Malawi	0.34
136	Nigeria	0.34
137	Nicaragua	0.33
138	Laos	0.33
139	Myanmar	0.33
140	Niger	0.33
141	Maldives	0.32
142	Guinea	0.32
143	Gabon	0.32
144	Djibouti	0.32
145	Togo	0.32
146	Burkina Faso	0.31
147	Eswatini	0.31
148	Madagascar	0.31
149	Zimbabwe	0.30
150	Syria	0.30
151	Sierra Leone	0.30
152	Mali	0.30
153	Burundi	0.29
154	Papua New Guinea	0.29
155	Republic of Congo	0.28
156	Venezuela	0.27
157	Iraq	0.27
158	Haiti	0.27
159	Guinea-Bissau	0.26
160	Angola	0.26
161	Mozambique	0.26
162	Comoros	0.25
163	Ethiopia	0.25
164	Yemen	0.25
165	São Tomé and Príncipe	0.25
166	Democratic Republic of the Congo	0.25
167	Libya	0.24
168	Chad	0.23
169	Sudan	0.23
170	Mauritania	0.23
171	Somalia	0.20
172	Central African Republic	0.18
173	Afghanistan	0.13
174	South Sudan	0.11

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

X Rolls Out Controversial Update For Block Feature Amid Growing Protests From Users

X just rolled out a very controversial update to its block feature. This update allows others to view public posts, even when they’ve been blocked.

It’s shocking that the change arose amid the growing anger from those on the app. They argue that if someone is blocked, there is a reason behind it. Hence, allowing them access to content despite the restriction is mind-boggling to some in terms of safety.

The feature does not mean that anyone on the block list cannot follow that user, engage with their account’s content, or send direct messages.

In the past, the app’s older support page also shared how anyone blocked cannot see that user’s content. This is now getting updated to exclude this reference. Anyone blocked can also see their followers and following list which again was not possible in the past, thanks to the restrictions.

The app’s logic was also revealed when there was going outcry from some who failed to understand why this change arose in the first place. The Block feature is used for sharing and disguising anything harmful or private about an individual. X feels that this would give greater transparency but again, some feel it falls flat on its claims. The fact that users can just make accounts private and share data there is always an option so this doesn’t really make sense.

Many critics argued that the change to block is against how the company first implemented it through conventional means. Revamping it in this way adds greater security risks as it encourages others to stalk and harass the masses.

One tech advocate says they’ve designed an app that enables users to block through automated means. Even if the user does circumvent the block, the friction that arises does matter.

This change by X is clearly not welcomed as many feel it just adds to the growing problem of creeps lurking around in this industry. What do you think?

Image: DIW-Aigen

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• How to Use Technology And New Media to Expand Your Audience - 7 Strategies
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

How to Use Technology And New Media to Expand Your Audience - 7 Strategies

The media landscape is more fragmented than ever. A few decades ago, many people in a given geographical area consumed the same handful of sources, such as local morning TV and radio newscasts, nightly national newscasts, and their regional daily newspaper.

Those same information sources exist today, of course, but they’re fewer in number and their audiences are smaller. They’ve been joined by a vast set of newer information sources, both “official” and crowdsourced: social media apps, niche blogs, YouTube channels, and interest groups on platforms like Reddit and Discord, to name just a few.

In this environment, leaders must work harder — and more creatively — to achieve the same audience reach. This requires an open-minded approach leveraging new technologies and platforms, including many we might not be personally familiar with. If deployed effectively, these seven strategies can help.

1. Consider a TV Network or Video Channel

Launching a new television network is no small feat, but it’s certainly feasible for larger organizations willing to make the investment. For example, David Miscavige, leader of the Scientology religion, launched a television network that shares his organization’s message with its vast membership while reaching new audiences.

If a TV network is too daunting for your team at the moment, consider instead a video channel on YouTube or TikTok (or both). These platforms have lower barriers to entry while enabling impressive scale; the world’s top YouTube and TikTok influencers have tens of millions of followers and receive hundreds of millions of unique monthly impressions.

2. Develop a Strong Social Media Presence Across the Major Platforms

Image: DIW-Aigen

A strong and diverse social media presence can complement and draw more attention to your TV or video presence. Create accounts on major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and other platforms as appropriate, guided by a data-driven understanding of where your audience spends its time online. Then, hire a professional social media manager — perhaps an entire team, depending on your organization’s capacity and content-development plans — to professionalize and scale each one.

3. Cultivate an Audience on Niche Social Platforms and Communities

Don’t ignore smaller or lesser-known social platforms and communities. Some have surprisingly large and loyal followings. Additionally, some communities’ most active users may spend little, if any, time on “mainstream” platforms.

The need to “follow the audience” compels major media outlets like Bloomberg to branch out into more niche social communities like Discord and draw in new audience members they might otherwise miss. If your organization has limited resources, survey the landscape to see which communities its direct competitors are targeting, and prioritize accordingly.

4. Develop a Feature-Rich Mobile App (If It Adds Value)

The average smartphone has more than 80 apps installed on it, according to BuildFire. But the average user uses few of these regularly. In other words, the value of having an app for its own sake is questionable at best.

However, many seldom-used smartphone apps are “junk apps” that add little value for the user. A compelling, feature-rich app, in contrast, can enhance your audience members’ relationship with your organization, with potential benefits on both sides. For your organization, these include more time spent within your electronic ecosystem and thus more opportunities to engage productively; for audience members, these include more useful information and experiences with attendant improvements in sentiment.

5. Drive Email Signups (But Don’t Bother Them Too Much)

“Email has an ability many channels don’t [which is] creating valuable, personal touches at scale,” says bestselling author and marketing expert David Newman.

Many organizations take Newman’s advice seriously and place email outreach at the heart of their audience-building efforts. However, given the incredible volume of email most people receive, it’s important to take a light touch with your email list. Your emails should be relatively infrequent — no more than once a week — and emphasize informational value over marketing appeals. If an email isn’t likely to teach your audience something new, don’t bother sending it.

6. Create a Newsletter or Regular Magazine

Email is the ideal vector for an informational newsletter or digital magazine, either of which can enhance your credibility with new and existing audiences when executed effectively. You can use your newsletter or magazine to provide:

• Updates about your organization and the wider ecosystem in which it operates
• Inspiring stories from your employees, audience members or other stakeholders
• Informative content about problems your organization is well-placed to solve (or the solutions it’s working on)

7. Embrace New Social Environments, Like the Metaverse

Dynamic organizations tend to be open to new platforms and communities. They recognize the potential long-term value of these places’ growing audiences and are willing to put up with a bit of a learning curve to reach them.

One example of an emerging social environment that may become very important in the future is the metaverse. Despite slower-than-expected adoption, improvements in virtual and augmented reality technology will nudge users toward the metaverse over time. Like popular niche communities such as Discord, the metaverse may eventually become too big to ignore.

Broaden Your Outreach

If done consistently and executed effectively, these seven innovative strategies can broaden your organization’s audience reach and improve engagement.

Some, such as launching a TV network or video channel of your own, may require expertise that your organization doesn’t yet have in-house. To pursue them, you may need to hire new staff or partner with trusted outside vendors.

What’s more, you may find that your organization’s culture or competencies fit better with some of these strategies more than others. For example, if you run a software or technology company, developing a compelling mobile app likely aligns well with your team’s skill set. Likewise, media or information technology firms tend to be adept at producing insightful and helpful content that reinforces their messaging and nudges audiences toward the solutions they offer.

This being the case, don’t feel as if you have to do too much, too soon, or that you absolutely must try out all 10 of these ideas. A narrower approach that meets or exceeds your objectives is better than a broader one that doesn’t do any single thing well.

by Asim BN via Digital Information World