Meta moves to next stages of full messaging encryption

  • Despite concerns from various authorities, Meta is going ahead with its full messaging encryption plan.
  • This will see the expanded testing of encrypted messages on messenger.
  • Opponents say that this offers more protection for criminals, since they will have another means to hide activity from law enforcement.
  • In September, the UK Home Affairs Secretary called on Meta to reconsider its’ plans as it could impede the abilities of police to investigate and prevent child abuse, labelling full encryption as “catastrophic”.
  • This was reinforced by Meta’s own findings, which highlighted that in 2021, Meta found and reported 22 million pieces of child abuse imagery.
  • For the full story, please visit the Social Media Today’s website.

Police warn online daters of romance fraud as Valentine’s Day approaches

  • Police have issued a warning to help protect people from romance fraud.
  • Romance fraud is when a victim thinks they’ve met their ideal partner online either through an online dating app or social media platform, but the user is hiding behind a fake profile.
  • The person gains the trust of the victim and extorts money or personal information from them.
  • Some warning signs for these scams include a person starting to ask for money very early on, they avoid showing their face in pictures or using video chat, or they use stock photos that don’t match their identity.
  • For more on this story, please visit Yahoo’s website.

Fortnite on iOS is about to become even more limited

  • Fortnite was removed from the iOS and Mac app stores and Google Play in August 2020, which resulted in those versions of Fortnite missing out on many updates.
  • Starting from the 30th January, players who downloaded Fortnite from those platforms will have to be older than 18 years of age to play.
  • Users will also not be able to spend V-Bucks to buy in-game items.
  • These restrictions are an attempt from Epic to step up its safety features for younger players.
  • For more please visit the Verge website.

Schools block parents from seeing ‘harmful’ sex education materials

  • Campaigners have said schools are blocking parents from seeing sex education materials after the Government did not fulfil a pledge to make the curriculum more transparent.
  • Some have even obstructed parents from viewing by citing commercial confidentiality and copyright laws.
  • The Department for Education have been urged to intervene as Conservative MPs and peers are saying that relationship and sex education in schools is a “wild west” that is causing children harm.
  • For further information, go to the MSN website.

Scottish councils warned they could be breaching Equality Act by ‘socially transitioning’ children

  • Scottish councils have been warned that they may be breaching the Equality Act by admitting to ‘socially transitioning’ children under 18.
  • This came from the Cass review which found the policy of social transitioning was not “neutral”.
  • Social transitioning allows young people to change their name, pronoun and physical appearance in a school setting without changing their gender legally.
  • The Cass review warned that social transitioning was a form of psychological intervention and schools should not attempt to diagnose mental health problems.
  • For more, go to the Scottish Daily Express website.