This Safeguarding Alert has been published to support parents, carers and safeguarding professionals in protecting children and young people in their care from exposure to explicit sexual content online. What should I do? If your child is a Twitch, Reddit or TikTok user remain calm. They may
For Cyber Security Awareness month, we’ve put together some handy resources for you! Check out our buzzwords shareable to help you keep up to date with all the latest cyber security terms and popular phrases. For schools, we have created a cyber security audit, designed to help you understand your
Due to the popularity of two of Netflix’s most recent releases, Blonde (a Marilyn Monroe biopic) and Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, our online safety experts have released this Safeguarding Update, which highlights the main risks and concerns associated with the disturbing content in
We have previously reported on dangerous online platform called Omegle and the risks it poses to children and young people who visit it. Following a recent press release and concerns from parents, carers, and safeguarding professionals, we have decided to release further information and guidance. What is Omegle?
Have you ever sent a message, and immediately wished you could unsend it? Many messaging options on popular platforms are starting to make this wish come true by offering a ‘deleting messages’ feature. Our online safety experts have taken a look at the various options to help parents and
Many of today’s most popular platforms have begun to release more and more features and updates that claim to help parents and carers protect younger users. Instagram has been releasing updates almost monthly, with many features building on its promise to improve the impact the platform has after significant negative press.
You may have heard about a recent cyberattack on the popular school platform, Seesaw. While there was misconception over whether this applied only to the United States, we have received reports that schools across the UK have been affected by this attack. What happened?
We have recently been alerted to a new scam being circulated across the UK. This phishing scam involves a text message that links you to a fake UK government website to register for the energy bills discount scheme. Our Scam Alert will help you understand what the scam is, how to
Children and young people can spend a significant amount of their time using devices and exploring the online world. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this – it’s a place for them to socialise, to play, and to learn. However, with Ofcom reporting that 9 in 10 children in the UK will
Apple have released the latest updates for their devices, with iOS 16 live since September 12th, 2022. With features added to aid parents and carers in safeguarding their children, such as improvements to safety features and parental controls, our Online Safety Experts have
We have recently become aware of an increase in a phishing scam, often known as ‘Hi Mum’. The scam involves the impersonation of friends or family members, and can be conducted through text message or an instant messaging service, such as WhatsApp. Our Scam Alert will help you understand what the
When a viral challenge is reported in the news or on social media, it's often easier to consider the risks than establish the facts. Making the decision to issue guidance or warnings about challenges and hoaxes is often informed by the principle of ‘better safe than sorry’. While safeguarding responses to online harms are vital, the
If a young person in your care has an active suicide plan you should go with them to your nearest A&E for immediate support. #WorldSuicidePreventionDay World Suicide Prevention Day happens every year on September 10th. This year the theme is ‘Creating Hope Through Action’. The theme aims to suggest that all of our
After a consultation period that ran from January 2022 to March 2022, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2022 was released on the GOV.UK website on May 20th, 2022. This guidance came into effect on the September 1st, 2022 and will replace the previous Keeping Children
89% of the UK’s internet users know what Snapchat is. It’s one of the most popular social media platforms and is widely used by young people to send ‘disappearing’ pictures, videos, and messages. Parents and carers have been asking the platform for more parental controls for
Going back to school can be an exciting time for carers, parents and pupils alike, but it can also be a challenging period, full of uncertainties and unknowns. In this guide to the back-to-school need-to-knows, we take a look at some of those concerns from the perspective
The way children and young people use social media is changing. Ofcom reported earlier this year that younger generations are posting less on popular platforms like YouTube and Instagram because they are dominated by superficial posts from influencers and celebrities. Children and young people want to engage with
What are Esports? Esports (or electronic sports) are best understood as competitive-level online videogaming. Esports players compete against each other for prizes, money, and prestige. Any videogame with the potential for competition can become an esport – from sports games (e.g. FIFA) to first-person shooter games
For this year's International Friendship Day, we look at why young people are making friends online, what the risks are and provide top tips for you to follow to help keep the young people in your life safer with internet-based friendships. Whether
This guide to deepfakes explains not only what deepfakes are, but also outlines the risks they could pose and provides practical, helpful advice on how to help protect the children and young people in your care. We’ve all had that wow moment when something
Header Image ©yoti.com With the recent announcements that both Yubo and Instagram will be partnering with Yoti as part of their new strategy to verify users’ ages, our online safety experts took a closer look at what Yoti is, and whether photo age verification
We have received reports from parents and young people around a new feature found in popular app Snapchat. This feature allows users to obtain directions to another user’s exact location and address. Since its release, many users have expressed their outrage and have called out the platform for including it without
It’s summertime and holidays are well and truly upon us, whether that be at home, abroad, or just a change of scenery. While we can’t guarantee sun time, we can predict high levels of screentime for our children and young people during the school holiday season.
According to the latest Online Nation report by Ofcom, only 14% of young people (13-17 years old) are reporting and flagging potentially harmful content or behaviour they see online. This article investigates why our children and young people aren’t reporting online abuse and inappropriate content and
It has never been more important to stay up to date with the latest advancements in the digital world. As headlines about virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse become more commonplace, one platform is beginning to rise in global prominence. Meta have recently released their virtual