Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1115758
MATTHEW VELLA ONE of the United States' highest officials on cyber affairs has sug- gested that the use of Huawei's technology for Malta's 'Safe City' video surveillance project, could see the data used being transmit- ted back to Beijing. Robert Strayer, the US deputy assistant secretary for cyber and international affairs, told Malta- Today that data used in the kind of technology adopted for Safe City "would be a cause for con- cern because that data could end up back in places such as Beijing where it would not be used for the purposes that we want… [and be] exploited for authoritarian pur- poses." Strayer used as an example the surveillance technology employed by China within its own borders to assign social credit scores, sur- veil the movement of people, and identify who they are interacting with. Malta signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese com- pany Huawei for its testing of 5G networks in Malta, as well as to set up a 'Safe City' surveillance sys- tem modelled on similar solutions deployed in Europe and Africa. But privacy concerns so far have ruled out the use of facial recogni- tion CCTV, and according to Safe City Malta director Joe Cuschieri, Safe City will be employing an ad- vanced video surveillance tech- nology that detects changes in the visual atmosphere to signal the possibility of an act of crime or unrest. Cuschieri, who is also the ex- ecutive chairman of the Maltese financial regulator, however, dis- missed Strayer's concerns as just one of many opinions on Hua- wei, a company suspected of being connected to the Chinese government. PAGE 3 YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday €1.95 2 today L I V E E X P L O R E S H O P D I N E C L O S E TO A L L T H AT M AT T E R S The Shoreline is a premier destination with a unique blend of luxury residences and upscale retail. Contact us today for a detailed, no-obligation presentation on +356 9949 7518 / 9923 1553 or email us on sales@theshorelineresidence.com THES HO RE LINE RES IDE N CE .COM S M A R T C I T Y R I C A S O L I M A L T A In a woman's heart today today SUNDAY • 12 MAY 2019 • ISSUE 1018 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY ALFRED SANT The man who said 'No, no, no' INTERVIEW 18-19 Europe 2019 Both Labour and Nationalist voters agree that 'defending Malta's name' is main concern in MEP elections PGS 16-17 Eurovision boycott JAMES DEBONO SWATAR residents used to live in a tranquil residential area, but the extension of develop- ment zones in 2006 is about to shatter their peace. Now they are getting to terms with the loss of an open gap of farmland and rubble walls that effectively separate Swatar and Birkirkara from Msida. A zoning application will seek the green light for a veritable extension of the town, with commercial and residential development rising over seven floors, and new student-accom- modation facilities on the land by the Msida bypass. The enormous 122,900sq.m site is being earmarked for over 11,000sq.m of commer- cial development, 31,500sq.m of mixed residential and com- mercial development, and 16,000sq.m of purely residential development. US offi cial's warning on Malta's Safe City data being compromised by Huawei link to Chinese state mt survey Miriam Christine on balancing her career and family life Q&A Huawei link in Safe City carries risk PAGE 2 Assault on Swatar farmland: 60,000sq.m set to be developed "Please don't take it away from us" malta SUNDAY • ALFRED SANT The man who said 'No, no, no' INTERVIEW Eurovision boycott Is the ESC beautifying the apartheid state of Israel? PAGES 12-13 Eurovision Eurovision beautifying the apartheid state of Israel? PAGES 12-13 Eurovision state of Israel? YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday Q and A Miriam Christine This Week Percussionist Renzo Spiteri on the upcoming Now Here | Nowhere Film Happy as Lazzaro 2 The all new pull-out section INSIDE • LISTINGS • TV • LAW • CLASSIFIEDS