By Nanistya Probosutedjo, Data Analyst at Zero One Technology, and Daniela Sugih, Summer Intern at Zero One Group
Welcome back to our newsletter!
The topic for today’s newsletter will focus on some transformative changes for the tech giants Apple and Gojek, as well as the technological problems we face in combating COVID-19. Let’s dive right in.
Gojek scores jackpot investments from Facebook and PayPal
Yes, you read it right. Great news surfaced for Gojek in the month of June as they received investments from world-renowned companies Facebook and PayPal, right after previously securing funding from Google and Tencent in 2018.
The major deal with Facebook generated excitement as Matt Idema, COO of WhatsApp stated:
“Gojek, WhatsApp, and Facebook are important services in Indonesia. Through this cooperation, we can help millions of SMEs and their customers to join the largest digital economy community in Southeast Asia.”
According to Google’s e-Conomy SEA’s 2019 report, Indonesia is considered the fastest-growing internet industry in South East Asia with a projected market value of $130B in 2025, which underscores the perfect timing for this investment.
Moreover, the investment from PayPal will also increase Indonesian individuals’ accessibility to worldwide merchants. Gojek’s financial platform, GoPay, will become a more global solution, whether it be for individuals to shop online or for manufacturers to import raw materials. The use and evolution of digital wallets have been increasingly evident in recent years, especially in Indonesia.
Despite the withdrawal of its GoLife services due to a number of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, this investment encourages many to anticipate a prosperous future for Gojek as well as the Indonesian economy. This can lead to advances in the technology industry that may create boundless opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs.
We can learn more about how the pandemic has affected tech companies and investment opportunities through multiple sources. You can start by tuning in to Reid Hoffman’s (LinkedIn Co-Founder) podcast called “Masters of Scale” where he covers a range of topics surrounding this time of crisis.
Apple’s silicon chips to seamlessly integrate iPhones and Macs through apps
During Apple’s annual WWDC keynote in June, the news of macOS Big Sur promises the smooth transition to their next big thing, their own silicon chips. Sure, Apple will obtain bigger and better returns with more cost-friendly chips asserted to have optimal quality, but the drastic impact falls on Apple users all around the world as they can now sync their devices even finer than before. With iPhone and iPad applications potentially readily available on laptops without any special adjustments, the Mac will certainly gain greater attraction from the market.
With a more highly integrated system between all of Apple’s products, the next question naturally became about touchscreen Macs. Reasonably, the iPad is evolving to become more of a laptop and competitors around the world are doing so already, so why shouldn’t Apple?
Apple’s announcement of their silicon chips, along with other new features, kept their audience at the edge of their seats. Apple launched the Universal Quick Start Program for USD$500 for those who want to experience the pre-launched multi touch technology, which includes a Developer Transition Kit. Although it is not yet available for developers and technology enthusiasts in Indonesia, this program could bloom innovative opportunities and development ideas, such as apps and software fitted to Apple silicon. Once again, the introduction of these specialised chips opens up doors to higher performing Macs, which highlights boundless possibilities for the technological industry.
You can watch videos regarding the WWDC keynote here and learn more about the new macOS and silicon chips.
Hacker sells valuable COVID-19 testing data for USD300 in Indonesia
Another data breach case emerged as a hacker by the name Database Shopping provided information on the COVID-19 test-takers in Bali on RaidForums, a platform exclusively for data-related transactions, for USD 300. Indonesia’s breaching instances have rapidly escalated; in just May this year, there were two major data breach cases, the first being details regarding the 2014 presidential election voters were allegedly leaked, and the second being Tokopedia’s huge database breach, with 91 million names, passwords, and email addresses, sold for USD 5,000.
Although this current breach is still under investigation, the Indonesian government has claimed that the COVID-19 database is safe and denied the occurrence of any breach. Nevertheless, the situation aroused speculations and uncertainty about the government’s efforts in protecting the country’s citizens and their privacy.
As of right now, the Personal Data Protection Bill has not been issued, but its draft highlighted numerous requirements. For instance, the data owner must be responsible for giving explicit consent for data processing and reporting within three days should there be a data hacking incidence. Additionally, fees ranging from IDR 20 billion to IDR 70 billion may be levied and prison time of two to seven years may be subjected to those who fail to strictly adhere to the bill.
What does this mean for us? The leaking of personal information to the public, especially for COVID-19 patients, generates adverse effects on their well-being. This not only slows down and complicates their recovery journey, but also diminishes the efforts of hospital front-liners. Due to this, a comprehensive data protection law must be implemented and prioritised in order to gain citizens’ trust and ensure that the prevention of breach cases is prioritised.
We can see or use available data of Indonesian COVID-19 cases from Badan Nasional Penanggulan Bencana (BNPB) and obtain more information from Oxford’s Our World in Data initiative. The latter also provides a link to additional sources and their source code.
That concludes our third newsletter and we hope you’ll join us in our next one! Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
As always, stay safe, well, and healthy!
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