6 out of 10 Teachers Fear for Students Online Safety Post Lockdown 

  • Six out of 10 teachers say they are worried about their pupils’ safety online after many became dependent on the internet to continue learning amid lockdown, according to a survey.
  • Of the 1,004 teachers surveyed by Opinium for Internet Matters, two-thirds (67%) said tech is now more important than textbooks for learning while 96% think it is important children have access to a connected device.
  • The online child safety organisation is calling for parents to stay on top of their child’s internet activity as it launches a new campaign on issues young people might be facing, including cyberbullying, screentime, peer pressure, online grooming and viewing inappropriate content.
  • Matt Burton, headteacher and star of Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire series, who is part of the campaign said “we are concerned that parents may relax and think school is taking care of online safety now we’re back, but it needs a joint approach”.

Amazon Takes Down Fraud Operation in the UK 

  • Amazon’s top reviewers in the UK have allegedly engaged in fraud, leaving thousands of five-star ratings in exchange for money or free products. 
  • Amazon took down 20,000 product reviews following an investigation by the Financial Times. 
  • Justin Fryer, the number one Amazon reviewer in the UK, left a five-star rating once every four hours on average in August, according to the FT’s analysis. Many of these reviews were for products from random Chinese companies. 
  • Scams like these typically start on social networks or messaging apps such as Telegram, where companies can meet potential reviewers. Once the connection is made, the reviewer chooses a free product, then waits a few days to write a five-star review. After the review is posted, they get a full refund, and, at times, an extra payment.

Apple Halts Anti-Tracking Updates

  • Apple has delayed the implementation of new privacy measures designed to stop apps and websites tracking people online without their consent.
  • The changes also mean apps would have to ask a user’s permission to access the ad-tracking ID on an iPhone or iPad.
  • The measures were due to arrive in the latest software update, iOS 14 in the autumn.
  • Apple said the changes are  being delayed until the start of 2021 to give app developers and websites more time to adapt their services.
  • Facebook has warned that Apple’s privacy plan could make one of its advertising tools “so ineffective on iOS 14 that it may not make sense to offer it on iOS 14”.
  • The social network says it will no longer collect users’ ad-tracking IDs on iOS 14, and that Apple’s plan had forced it to make that decision.

Facebook Stops Man Broadcasting Death on Facebook 

  • Facebook has blocked the live stream of a man in France suffering from an incurable ailment who planned to broadcast his death.
  • Alain Cocq, 57, has a medical condition that causes his arteries to stick together. He has used his condition to try to bring about changes to France’s right-to-die law, and announced he would live-stream his death on Facebook.
  • Facebook spokesperson Emily Cain said “While we respect his decision to draw attention to this complex and difficult issue, based on the guidance of experts, we have taken steps to keep Alain from broadcasting live, as we do not allow the depiction of suicide attempts.”
  • Cocq had written to French President Emmanuel Macron in July, asking to be allowed to “die with dignity,” using “active medical assistance,” but Macron said he could not grant Cocq’s request.

Cardiff Students Felt Silenced After Sexual Assault Claims