Technology and digitalisation woes can bring down Singapore

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Forum: Mobile Guardian glitch a reminder of how reliant we are on tech​

Aug 12, 2024

Recently, many students in Singapore faced problems with their personal learning devices (PLDs) as a result of two incidents affecting the Mobile Guardian app (Mobile Guardian app glitch affects school students using iPads, Aug 2; and MOE removing Mobile Guardian app from students’ devices after global breach, Aug 6).
These issues caused frustration and concern for those affected, including my friends, but we are grateful to the Ministry of Education (MOE) and our schools for taking the necessary measures to help students.
The IT staff were a big help in getting the devices running properly again. Unfortunately, in the process, some students lost all the notes that they had taken and saved on their PLDs.
My heart goes out to them, especially those who are about to sit their national exams. Thankfully, many students are helping their peers by willingly sharing their notes with them.
This episode serves as a reminder of how technology has become such a major part of our lives and how reliant we are on it. In school, many of our learning resources are online and many of us use our PLDs for note-taking.
When the problems hit us, teachers and students had to find alternative means to carry on with lessons.
Situations like the recent one can occur at any time. We should ensure that we are not overdependent on technology, so that we are not crippled when glitches occur.

Michela Talia See, 15
Secondary 4

 

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Some Nets terminals down; customers encouraged to pay cash or use SGQR​

The affected terminals will not be able to perform QR, contactless and PIN transactions temporarily, Nets said at 11.38am on Sept 23. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Sherlyn Sim

Sep 23, 2024

SINGAPORE – Nets customers are advised to use SGQR or cash to pay merchants following a disruption of Nets-related services on Sept 23.
In a Facebook post at 10.12am, payment services group Nets (Network for Electronic Transfers) announced that some debit and credit card transactions via Nets terminals were temporarily unavailable.
When asked how many terminals were affected, Nets would only say that those which were impacted amounted to about 5 per cent of its terminal network.
The affected terminals will not be able to perform QR, contactless and PIN (personal identification number) transactions temporarily, Nets said in an update on the post at 11.38am.
Nets said the issue was discovered in the morning on Sept 23 but did not elaborate on the cause of the disruption.
“We are working to restore the service as soon as possible and apologise for the inconvenience caused,” Nets added.
The SGQR (Singapore Quick Response Code) combines multiple payment QR codes into a single label for more efficient transactions.

DBS Bank said in a Facebook post at 1.28pm that “payment transactions such as QR, credit or debit and Nets card transactions via some Nets terminals are temporarily unavailable”.
Customers can continue to use their DBS/POSB digibank and PayLah apps to make payments via the SGQR codes, as well as PayNow, DBS added.
There were 52 reports on problems with DBS banking services at about noon on Downdetector, a site which monitors and tracks real-time outages.
In November 2023, Nets-related services were disrupted for about an hour.