YouTube to remove anti-vaccine misinformation

  • YouTube has said it will remove content that spreads misinformation about all approved vaccines.
  • Among the videos to be removed are those that claim vaccines cause cancer, autism, or infertility. 
  • YouTube will also remove accounts of anti-vaccine influencers.
  • This comes at a time when Tech companies are facing criticism for not doing more to counter false health information on their sites. 
  • YouTube reported that 130,000 videos had been removed from the platform since last year to tackle COVID-19 related misinformation. 
  • The takedowns will also cover other vaccines such as hepatitis B or those used against measles. 
  • You can read the full story, here. 

 

Twitch introduces new safety tools to tackle ‘hate raids’ 

  • Streaming platform Twitch is adding new tools to fight harassment on its platform.  
  • Streamers will have greater control of who can chat, with the ability to restrict chats by followers whose accounts are less than a week old or have only followed the user for a few minutes.
  • Twitch aims to cut down on hate raid incidents by limiting chats to those who have verified their accounts. 
  • The platform will also build in ‘evasion protection’ to the new verification tools, meaning that where users have several accounts linked to a phone, all accounts will be banned if there is a violation on one account. 
  • The changes to the platform come at a time when creators are struggling to keep themselves safer following a steep increase in abuse on the platform.  
  • You can read the full story, here. 

Researchers find Apple Pay and Visa contactless hack  

  • Researchers have found that large unauthorised contactless payments can be made on a locked iPhone by exploiting Apple Pay features designed to allow commuters to pay at ticket barriers. 
  • Apple said the matter was “a concern with a Visa System”. 
  • The problem is said to be with the “Express Transit” mode that is set up when Visa Cards are in an iPhone’s wallet.  
  • The researchers have so far only demonstrated the attack in a ‘lab’, and there is currently no evidence to suggest that criminals are exploiting this hack.
  • Researchers expressed concern that the hack could be deployed on stolen iPhones.
  • Researchers also indicated that they could not replicate the hack on Android devices or using Mastercard payments.

500 million in grants to support struggling families  

  • The government has announced £500m of grants to support families on low incomes. 
  • This announcement comes amid rises in the cost of living and the removal of other financial support schemes implemented during the pandemic. 
  • Recent analysis by the Resolution Foundation think tank suggested that a typical low-income family with children are likely to see their income fall by more than £20 a week over the next six months.
  • The new fund will run over winter, and families should contact their local council for more information.
  • You can read the full story, here.