WhatsApp could disappear from UK over privacy concerns, ministers told
- The Online Safety Bill will give Ofcom the power to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover for social networks who fail to use technology to tackle terrorism or child sexual abuse content.
- WhatsApp use end-to-end encryption and have said it is ‘technologically impossible’ to read user’s messages without breaking their promise of privacy to users.
- WhatsApp stated that if necessary, they would protect the security of their 98% non-UK users and refrain from lowering the security of their product.
- The Home Office has reassured that the Bill does not represent a ban to end-end encryption nor weaken it but instead tech companies should develop accredited technology to identify harmful content and enable a path to removal.
- For more on this story, please visit the Guardian website.
Scammers are using verified accounts on Facebook and Instagram to dupe users
- Hackers have gained access to a selection of verified accounts and are using them to pose as Meta officials and promote Facebook specific scams.
- One assumption as to how scammers are gaining access to these pages is simply paying for verification through the new Meta Verified program.
- Mashable investigated the increase of ad scammers and highlighted that most of the pages belonged to established verified accounts which have had their names changed in the last week.
- The introduction of purchasing blue checkmarks potentially expands the risk of scams.
- Twitter introduced strict anti-impersonation measures following users being able to purchase blue checkmarks after the first release of Twitter Blue.
- Meta have confirmed they have removed all identified imposter accounts they are aware of.
- It is important to be aware that if URL’s do not contain ‘facebook.com’, ‘fb.com’ or ‘meta.com’ they should be avoided.
- For more on this story please visit the Social Media Today website.
Sex Education guidance expanded for schools
- New guidance has been issued to schools by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE).
- The guidance will cover topics like pornography, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), consent, LGBTQ+ matters, periods, online safety and more.
- Each school in Northern Ireland is required by the Department of Education to teach RSE in schools, however this age-appropriate guidance is not mandatory for schools.
- The guidance aims to provide teachers with information and lesson plans for teaching.
- For more please visit the BBC News website.
Girl gamers recognised for challenging stereotypes
- An all-girls team of gamers from a Derry/Londonderry secondary school are using their experience in video games to challenge stereotypes in the world of esports which is typically male dominated.
- The girls won the journalism prize at Digital Schoolhouse’s event in London earlier this month.
- Digital Schoolhouse is a school-based initiative run by the UK games industry trade body UKIE.
- Girls and women make up 42% of the gaming population in the UK, according to UKIE.
- St Mary’s teacher Rebecca Poole said that they would “love to see more girls competing” to help “level the playing field”.
- For more please visit the BBC News website.
