World News
China’s Smart Toilets Trade Ads for Toilet Paper
In a new effort to cut costs and curb paper waste, several public toilets across China have introduced a facial-recognition and advertisement-based system that requires users to watch short digital ads before receiving toilet paper.
The initiative, which has been rolled out in select parks and transport hubs in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai, combines smart dispensers with advertising screens. Users stand in front of the device, view a 10–15 second advertisement, and then receive a limited amount of paper , typically about 60 to 80 centimetres per scan.
The technology is part of a broader campaign to reduce resource waste and modernise public facilities. The system also serves as a new avenue for digital advertising, allowing companies to reach consumers in unconventional spaces.
A Beijing municipal official told local media that the program aims to “encourage responsible use of public resources while supporting innovation in service delivery.”
However, public reaction has been mixed. Some residents have praised the move as a “smart and eco-friendly” innovation, while others have criticised it as invasive and inconvenient, raising concerns over privacy and data collection from facial-recognition systems.
The idea is not entirely new — similar toilet paper rationing systems were first introduced in Beijing’s Temple of Heaven Park in 2017, after reports of excessive paper theft. The new generation of dispensers expands on that concept by integrating commercial advertising to help offset maintenance costs.
Technology analysts say the model could mark the start of a growing trend where public utilities double as digital ad platforms, blending civic management with corporate sponsorship.
As China continues to promote “smart city” technologies, the humble toilet paper dispenser has now become an unexpected symbol of the country’s push toward efficiency and monetization, in everyday life.
Russian authorities have moved to block Meta-owned WhatsApp across the country, citing the company’s failure to meet domestic legal requirements.
Officials say Meta did not establish a local office, declined to cooperate with data-sharing demands, and failed to remove content deemed unlawful.
The government has also linked the messaging platform to cases of fraud and alleged extremist activities.
Following the shutdown, many users in Russia are migrating to alternative platforms such as Telegram, VK Messenger, Yandex Messenger, and the government-supported MAX application.
Dalisto Lungu, the son of Zambia’s late former president Edgar Lungu, has been stripped of assets worth more than US$1.26 million after a ruling by the Economic and Financial Crimes Court.
The court found that the properties were obtained through illicit means and ordered their forfeiture to the state. The seized assets include 79 motor vehicles, over 20 pieces of land located in various parts of Zambia, as well as a fuel service station.
In its judgment, the EFCC stated that Lungu failed to provide credible evidence of a lawful income or business operations that could reasonably explain his accumulation of such wealth.
Lungu disputed the allegations, insisting that the properties were legally acquired. However, the court ruled that his explanation was insufficient to counter the state’s case, paving the way for the assets to be confiscated.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has dismissed online allegations suggesting that its founder, Bill Gates, is responsible for a surge in mosquito populations in Kenya.
Responding on X, the foundation clarified that it does not run mosquito laboratories nor release mosquitoes in Nairobi or anywhere else in the country.
It emphasized that all its health-related initiatives are carried out in support of Kenya’s own priorities and strictly follow government regulations.
The statement came after claims shared by Kenyan lawyer and politician Paul Muite gained traction on social media, sparking intense public discussion.
Some posts alleged that genetically modified mosquitoes were being produced and released on a large scale, claims the foundation described as completely untrue.
The controversy has emerged against the backdrop of continued concern over malaria, which remains a serious public health issue in the region.
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