Daily Safeguarding Update

A new report highlights the scale of disinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine

The scale of the misinformation campaign to spread distrust in a Covid-19 vaccine has been revealed in a new report
The Center for Countering Digital Hate gained access to a private anti-vaxxers’ conference, finding groups were intent on recruiting new members and undermining facts about the jab
The claims made by anti-vaccination groups are unfounded, with any potential Covid-19 vaccine undergoing rigorous testing before getting approval from regulators
leading figures in the anti-vaccination movement – based on unfounded claims – have outlined three objectives to spread to the public: that Covid “is not dangerous”, that vaccines “are dangerous” and that experts cannot be trusted
Access to the conference found anti-vax groups have seized the Covid pandemic as “a historic opportunity” to further their cause and create long-lasting distrust in vaccinations
To learn more about the spread of misinformation, read our recent article here

Nearly 21% of Shopify stores pose a risk to their customers, according to analysis by e-commerce authentication service Fakespot
Shopify provides the technology backbone for businesses to set up a store and sell their products online
The company has become valuable to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic because its services are not expensive and easy to set up
Shopify said that it routinely monitors for fraud and other violations

With roughly half a billion people reportedly playing it in November, Among Us has had the most monthly players for a mobile game ever, beating giants like Pokémon GO and Candy Crush Saga
According to Nielsen’s SuperData, the game is “by far the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players”
The success is even more remarkable because InnerSloth — the company that makes Among Us — only has four employees
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez livestreamed herself playing it to try to encourage people to vote, with an audience on Twitch that peaked at over 400 thousand viewers
If you would like to learn more about the game Among Us, read our recent article here

Scientists are urgently investigating claims that the new variant of coronavirus spreads more easily in children
If proven, this could account for “a significant proportion” of the increase in transmission, they say
The claim comes from members of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats advisory group (Nervtag)
On Monday, Boris Johnson said he wanted to open schools in January “if we possibly can”
There are no suggestions for the new form of the virus is a greater threat to children’s health