×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Fearless, Trusted News
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download App

Father of cellphone sees dark side but also hope in new tech

Marty Cooper, the inventor of first commercial mobile phone, poses for the press with a Motorola DynaTAC 8000x, during an interview with The Associated Press at the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

The man credited with inventing the cellphone 50 years ago had only one concern then about the brick-sized device with a long antenna: Would it work?

These days Martin Cooper frets like everybody else about his invention's impacts on society - from the loss of privacy to the risk of internet addiction to the rapid spread of harmful content, especially among kids.

Premium Article

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Bold Reporting Takes Time, Courage and Investment. Stand With Us.
Continue Reading  →
What you get
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimised reading
  • Weekly newsletters & digests
Pay via
M - PESA
VISA
Airtel Money
Secure Payments Kenya's most trusted newsroom since 1902
Support Independent Journalism

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.

Journalism can't be free because the truth demands investment. At The Standard, we invest time, courage and skills to bring you accurate, factual and impactful stories. Subscribe today and stand with us in the pursuit of credible journalism.

Pay via
M - PESA
VISA
Airtel Money
Secure Payment Kenya's most trusted newsroom since 1902