Arrests in Bradford for Online Child Sexual Abuse 

  • 27 people have been arrested in connection with online child sexual abuse in Bradford.
  • Those arrested ranged in age from 16 to 57. 
  • Over 60 devices have been seized by police and safeguarding measures have been deployed for 26 children.
  • Det Ch Insp Alan Weekes said: “We urge parents and carers, particularly in the current climate where children are spending more time at home, to regularly monitor their children’s devices and report any concerns to the police or partner agencies, so these can be investigated fully.”

Google Chrome Seeks to Improve Security 

  • It has been reported that Google’s next version of Chrome for desktop will include large improvements for security, safety and privacy for users. 
  • Users will benefit from more checks to prevent visits to malicious websites and more easily restrict the permissions of extensions. 
  • Cookie settings, privacy settings, extensions, and Google sync settings are all becoming more prominent and will get better and clearer descriptive labels making it easier for users to stay safe. 
  • The new version of Chrome will include a new option called ‘Enhanced Safe Browsing’ which sends google the URL of uncommon websites to prevent phishing. 

Facebook to Address Encryption Concerns

  • Facebook shareholders will make a resolution in response to growing public concern that plans for end to end encryption will promote online child sexual exploitation.  
  • Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg announced the platform’s plans to introduce end to end encryption across Facebook Messenger and Instagram to keep its users safe.
  • An open letter led by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and signed by 129 non-profit organisations and safety advocates stated “We urge you to recognise and accept that an increased risk of child abuse being facilitated on or by Facebook is not a reasonable trade-off to make.”

Government will Publish Grooming Research 

  • Research, which investigated the characteristics of grooming gangs will now be published following a government U-turn. 
  • The ‘Independent’ newspaper issued a Freedom of Information Request to the government but was told releasing the research was not in the public’s interest. 
  • This week the British Home Office has stated that it will now “publish a paper into group-based child sexual exploitation in order to better understand the characteristics of group-based offending and help deliver justice for victims”.

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