Netflix to make games available via the App Store on iOS

  • Following Netflix’s rollout of mobile games for Android users earlier this month, Netflix says it is working on an iOS version of the service.
  • Apple’s current App Store policies will prevent Netflix games from becoming available as they ban third-party apps from functioning as a hub for games.
  • Netflix may bypass Apple’s rules by making its games available directly via the App Store.
  • Netflix’s games service currently functions in this way on Android, with games available in a dedicated tab on the Netflix app, but available for individual download on Google Play Store.
  • A specific date for iOS launch hasn’t been announced.
  • The games are available for current subscribers on Android devices and feature no in-app payments or advertisements.
  • Full story, here.

Missing girl found after using viral TikTok call for help signal

  • A 16-year-old girl who went missing from North Carolina in the US has been found after using a hand signal that previously went viral on TikTok.
  • The girl was found two days after she had been reported missing by her parents on Tuesday in a car in Kentucky.
  • She used the hand signal which was originally designed to help people affected by domestic violence, to alert a passing driver.
  • The signal involves holding a hand up with palm facing out, then tucking a thumb into the hand before closing fingers on top of the thumb.
  • The signal circulated around social media during pandemic lockdowns in 2020, with a view to addressing rises in domestic violence.
  • Full story, here.

‘Need to improve’ treatment of female offenders in NI

  • A Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland report has showed that improvements are needed in the treatment of women and girls when suspected or convicted of an offence.
  • Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice of Northern Ireland, Jacqui Dirkin, says that while women and girls are more likely to get shorter sentences “their impact is far reaching”.
  • In 2019, women accounted for one fifth of court convictions for theft, but proportionately more were sent to prison than men.
  • The report calls for the development of gender-responsive practices that meet the needs of women and girls and recommends that the report should be actioned as part of the Department of Justice (DoJ) strategy and action plan.
  • The inspectors also recommend that the DoJ should work in partnership with police prosecution, courts, prison, probation, and youth justice services.
  • This partnership should seek to develop and deliver a framework to safeguard children affected by parental involvement in the criminal justice system.
  • The full report can be found, here.
  • Full story, here.