Latest news with #eGovernment
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
Your new best friend is your ultimate betrayer
In the summer of 1999 — at the dawn of the digital age — world leaders gathered at the Millennium Assembly on IT and Knowledge with a bold vision: governments must go digital, and wealthy nations would help the rest achieve it. As a member of Oman's delegation, I watched as the idealism of 'global cooperation' overshadowed a darker reality. 'Once we embrace e-government, privacy disappears,' I warned our delegation head. 'Our data won't belong to us anymore.' He dismissed it as paranoia. Two decades later, that warning has become prophecy — and Israel, with its deep ties to Western tech and intelligence, sits at the heart of this surveillance empire. The Backdoor Revolution The post-9/11 era erased any illusions. The U.S. government compelled American tech giants to embed surveillance backdoors in their exports — officially for 'national security,' but effectively a global license to spy. Israel, America's closest intelligence-sharing ally, gained indirect access to this data through agreements like ECHELON and joint cyber units. 'Israel doesn't just benefit from U.S. surveillance — it actively shapes it,' says Avi Meyer, a former Israeli cybersecurity official who spoke on condition of anonymity. 'When the NSA or FBI demand backdoors from Apple or Google, Israel's intelligence agencies are rarely far behind in accessing the same pipelines.' From Pegasus to Exploding Pagers Israel's cyber warfare capabilities reached terrifying new heights in September 2024, when dozens of pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives simultaneously exploded across Lebanon. This unprecedented attack proved that modern surveillance doesn't just monitor — it can physically eliminate targets using their own devices. The pager explosions demonstrated Israel's ability to: * Weaponise ordinary electronics by remotely triggering battery explosions * Compromise supply chains by implanting lethal capabilities during manufacturing * Escalate cyber warfare into the physical realm with deniable precision strikes Combined with Israel's Pegasus spyware — used against journalists and activists worldwide — and AI-powered tracking in conflict zones, this marks a complete evolution of warfare. 'First they read your messages through Pegasus. Then they detonate your devices,' says Avi Cohen (pseudonym), a former cyber defence official. 'The Hezbollah pager attack was Israel showing the world there are no limits anymore.' Hypocrisy in the Tech Cold War While Israel and the West weaponise technology, they wage a relentless campaign against Chinese tech firms, branding Huawei a 'spying tool' and TikTok a 'data pipeline to Beijing.' Yet Western-made operating systems (Windows, iOS, Android) and platforms (Facebook, X, Google, WhatsApp) dominate global infrastructure — with no scrutiny of how Israel exploits them. The 5G rollout exposed the double standard: 2019: Huawei pioneers affordable 5G. Western media floods with warnings of 'radiation risks' and 'Chinese brainwashing.' The U.S. pressures allies to ban it. 2024: Western firms like Ericsson and Nokia deploy 5G. The health warnings vanish. The Stakes: Digital Colonialism or Sovereignty? The 1999 dream of e-government has metastasised into a global surveillance grid controlled by a U.S.-Israel tech-intelligence axis. The Hezbollah pager attacks proved that even basic electronics can be turned against their users. Three steps to reclaim control: 1. Build Sovereign Tech – Develop domestic alternatives to foreign operating systems and hardware. 2. Secure Supply Chains – Create national standards for critical tech components. 3. Assume Compromise – Treat all foreign tech as potentially weaponised until proven otherwise. The Ultimate Spy — and Assassin We stand at a crossroads: Continue to depend on hostile technologies, or follow China's lead in building sovereign digital infrastructure. The pager attacks weren't just a warning—they were a preview of our vulnerable future. But the most dangerous spy isn't a pager. It's the smartphone in your pocket. Your phone, smartwatch, smart ring, or band knows everything about you: * Your habits, routines, and movements * What you eat, when you sleep, and when you wake * Who you meet and what you discuss (via microphone access) * Your health data, financial activity, and biometrics This, I believe, is how Israel assassinated Iran's top officials last week. No human spies — just the targets' phones betraying them. Every foreign-made device in your home isn't just spying — it's a sleeper agent awaiting activation. The pager explosions were merely the opening scene. Tomorrow's assassinations won't be delivered by human hands — but through the glowing rectangle that never leaves your side. Your phone doesn't love you. It's just biding its time.
Biz Bahrain
31-05-2025
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
iGA invites public to experience Bahrain's latest digital services at Marassi Galleria stand
The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) invites citizens and residents in Bahrain to visit its awareness stand at Marassi Galleria, starting this week until Tuesday, June 3, to learn about its latest digital projects. Lulwa Sami, Director of Communications and Marketing at the iGA, confirmed that the awareness stand is part of the Authority's ongoing efforts to enhance communication with citizens and residents, raise awareness about integrated digital services and channels, and provide necessary support. It also aims to open direct channels for feedback to help improve the Authority's digital services and projects. The stand will introduce visitors to several digital projects, including the MyGov app and the updated eKey 2.0, both available on the eGovernment app store ( and the 13th eGovernment Excellence Award 2025. Sami added that the stand coincides with the launch of the 13th eGovernment Excellence Award 2025, where visitors will learn about the award's categories, participation requirements, and evaluation criteria, especially the Citizen Award. She renewed her invitation to citizens and residents to visit the iGA's awareness stand at Marassi Galleria until Tuesday, June 3, and to follow the Authority's official social media accounts @igabahrain for updates. BNA(R)
Trade Arabia
29-05-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
iGA sets up interactive stand at Marassi Galleria
iGA Director of Communications & Marketing Lulwa Sami emphasized that the awareness stand is a communications platform that aligns with iGA's efforts to engage citizens and residents, promoting integrated eServices and channels, and any support on how to use the services. It also aims to foster direct communication and gather feedback for improving digital services, projects, and the overall user experience, she stated. According to Lulwa, the awareness stand highlights the MyGov app and the revamped eKey 2.0, which are both available through the eGovernment app store at and also provides an introduction to the recently launched 13th eGovernment Excellence Award 2025. It is aimed at familiarising visitors with the award's categories, participation requirements, and evaluation criteria, placing special focus on the Citizen Awards sub-categories. Lulwa called upon the citizens and residents to visit the iGA's awareness stand at Marassi Galleria and to follow its official social media channels @igabahrain for the latest updates.- TradeArabia News Service
LBCI
27-05-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Following meeting with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, PM Salam tells LBCI Lebanon is advancing toward e-government with UAE support
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with Grand Imam of el-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates. In a statement to LBCI, Salam said, 'We are working on providing the necessary facilities to ensure the return of our people in the Gulf to Lebanon,' adding that 'they are used to visiting Lebanon, but recent circumstances have hindered their travel.' He also highlighted the government's commitment to modernization and digital transformation. 'We are working on building an e-government and integrating artificial intelligence into state institutions. Our ministerial statement emphasized the importance of transformation in Lebanon. We already have a Ministry of Administrative Development that oversees digital governance, and we are in the process of establishing a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence,' Salam stated. He further added, 'We are benefiting from the UAE's experience in artificial intelligence, and the country has expressed full readiness to cooperate with Lebanon in this leap forward, which will simplify administrative procedures and help reduce corruption.'
Times of Oman
26-05-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Oman participates in GCC E-Government Executive Committee meeting
Kuwait: The Sultanate of Oman participated on Monday in the 27th meeting of the GCC E-Government Executive Committee, hosted by the State of Kuwait. Oman's delegation was headed by Eng. Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al Kharousi, Director General of Digital Transformation and Sector Enablement at the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology. During the meeting, the committee discussed several agenda items, including reviewing the General Secretariat's report on the implementation of decisions from the 26th meeting, initiatives under the GCC's guiding strategy for e-government, topics related to shared e-services among GCC states, the unified software procurement for GCC countries and initiatives related to artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. The committee also reviewed the general framework for supporting AI applications in public services across GCC countries, as well as the general framework for the climate prediction and disaster management initiative using AI—both of which were prepared by Oman. Additionally, the meeting discussed the criteria for the GCC Digital Government Award.
