Mastercard and Visa reconsider links to Pornhub 

  • Visa and Mastercard are investigating their business relationship with Pornhub after claims that the website shows videos of rape and underage sex
  • The allegations have existed for a number of years but have received recent attention due to a column in the New York Times by Nicholas Kristof, who wrote on Friday that the pornographic website contains rape scenes, revenge porn and other explicit videos taken without the consent of participants
  • Pornhub said the allegations that it allows images of the sexual abuse of children were “irresponsible and flagrantly untrue”
  • Pornhub said moderators are employed to assess material and that anything illegal is removed, adding: “Pornhub is unequivocally committed to combating CSAM (child sexual abuse material), and has instituted an industry-leading trust and safety policy to identify and eradicate illegal material from our community”

Games consoles being used for Home learning despite a Welsh government pledge 

  • School children are home-learning on games consoles and mobile phones, teachers have said, despite a Welsh Government pledge none would be “left behind” during the pandemic
  • It provided £3m for laptops and wifi devices in April, but some pupils still do not have equipment
  • Plaid Cymru questioned why there was no nationwide register of digitally-excluded learners
  • The Welsh Government said it had supplied thousands of devices
  • In April, Education Minister Kirsty Williams pledged an extra £3m for computers so that pupils could work from home
  • She said it was her priority that “no child or family is left behind during this crisis and all children have the opportunity to continue learning”

A man claimed to be a professional footballer to groom children online

  • A man claimed he was a League One footballer whilst attempting to groom a 14-year-old girl online, a court has heard
  • The offender, aged 44 told the 14-year-old he earned £2,000 a week as he repeatedly asked her what colour her underwear was, the court was told
  • But when the offender  travelled to Bolton to meet up with the under-age teen, who he knew only by her Facebook profile name of Mia, he was arrested by Greater Manchester Police
  • Prosecutor Rachael Woods said officers had established a fake social media profile, with details explicitly making clear the ‘girl’ associated with the page was aged 14

US Government relents on TikTok ban