PIX instant payment limits to reduce kidnappings

PIX instant payment limits to reduce kidnappings

Author: BBC World Service December 1, 2021 Duration: 42:44

PIX instant payment limits to reduce kidnappings Last year the PIX instant payment system was introduced in Brazil. It currently has 112 million registered users – that’s 62% of the population. It’s proving incredibly popular and is allowing the 40 million unbanked people in the country access to electronic payments. Unfortunately its popularity has also led to significant issues – namely ransom demands by kidnappers that can be paid immediately. By lowering the payment limit and stopping night payments, it’s hoped this will curb the problem. Silvia Bassi, who runs the tech website The Shift in Brazil, is on the show.

Bitcoin mining in Navajo Nation – crypto-colonialism In the past traditional mining often took advantage of local people living near the mine, now something similar may be happening with cryptocurrencies. A bitcoin mine in the Four Corners region of New Mexico which belongs to the Navajo nation is causing controversy. It consumes enough to power 19,600 homes, yet many local residents lack water and electricity. The scheme was originally set up with the Navajo’s support but there is opposition from some local people. Mining companies argue though that investing in their schemes will ultimately reap financial rewards for the local people. Reporter Luke Ottenhof is on the show to discuss this story and the rise of crypto-colonialism globally.

AI training for top flight football Our gaming correspondent Chris Berrow reports on the latest tech to train footballers. Norwich City are the first UK Premiership club to use the Soccerbot360 simulator which claims to replicate real-life match scenarios - enabling players to work on their decision-making. We will soon see if it improves the Canaries’ game.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Angelica Mari.

Studio Manager: Bob Nettles Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

(Image: Pix logo on smartphone with Brazilian currency Credit: Cris Faga/NurPhoto via Getty Images)


Every week, the team at Digital Planet from the BBC World Service takes you beyond the headlines to explore how technology is reshaping lives, cultures, and economies across the globe. This isn't just a rundown of gadget releases or corporate earnings; it's a grounded conversation about the real-world impact of our digital choices. You'll hear from engineers in Nairobi, policymakers in Brussels, and coders in São Paulo, offering a genuinely international perspective that challenges the usual Silicon Valley narrative. Each episode digs into the human stories behind the innovations, examining both the promise and the peril of our connected age. We tackle questions about ethics, accessibility, and the unintended consequences of progress, making sense of complex issues with clear, thoughtful reporting. Tune in for a nuanced and curious exploration of our technological moment, where the focus is always on the people designing, using, and living with these tools every day. This podcast provides the context you need to understand not just what's new, but what it actually means.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Digital Planet
Podcast Episodes
What happens when the Bitcoin miners leave? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:57
In the summer of 2021 Kazakhstan was the second biggest producer of Bitcoin in the world, but what has happened since the crypto currency crash? Tech reporter Peter Guest is on the show to tell us about his trip to the c…
Self-driving cars could be a massive source of global carbon emissions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:41
MIT researchers have concluded in a new study that computers that power self-driving cars could generate as many greenhouse gas emissions as the total of the world’s data centres do today. We’ve reported many times on th…
Getting online in Ukraine’s blackouts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:46
One of our listeners in Ukraine contacted us to tell us how he stays online during power outages following bombing in Ukraine. Volodymyr Bielikov is on the show to explain the issues he’s regularly facing with internet c…
Agritech Special Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:38
This week and to start the New Year we take a look at the use of technology in agriculture around the world. Agriculture as an industry is keen to clean up its act on emissions, so what could be better than an electric t…
The Tech of 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:10
We’re looking back on the technology year that was 2022. We go firstly to Ukraine to look at the booming tech industry before the war and discuss how that is doing now. Also how the cybersecurity declaration signed in Af…
Eight million SIMs blocked in Ghana [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:42
More than 8 million unregistered SIM cards have been blocked in Ghana. The Ministry of Communications and Digitisation set a final deadline for mobile phone users to link their SIM card to their identification cards and…
Shopee in Thailand – is it safe? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:12
One of the biggest platforms in South East Asia, which is as popular as Google, YouTube and Facebook, has stopped bank transfer payments. Users have reported money missing from their accounts – the transactions should ha…
Predicting cyclones with mobiles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:17
Due to climate change cyclones are increasing in frequency and intensity. Data available to study these weather phenomena though is quite scare, so a new project at Imperial College in London, hopes to harness the comput…
Robots that can assemble almost anything. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:56
Researchers at MIT have made significant steps toward creating robots that could practically and economically assemble nearly anything, including things much larger than themselves, from vehicles to buildings to larger r…
Twitter – what next? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:14
What is happening with Twitter and what can we expect? Bill Thompson give us his assessment while Angelica Mari discusses the how the new direction of the platform Pix payments two years on PIX payments have revolutionis…