Last Updated: 23rd June, 2021 We have previously raised concerns about the dangers of self-generated sexual imagery created by children and young people. It can be scary and confusing for children and young people, especially if they lose control of any images. Here, we help define this issue and give you some top tips on supporting children and young people by keeping control of images.
Date Published: 21st May, 2021 If you have a gamer in your household, chances are you’ve heard the word “Twitch” being used. The name sounds fun, age-appropriate, and harmless and it would be easy to assume it is a type of game or a new slang word. In reality, Twitch is a far more
Date Published: 14th May,2021 Among Us is an online multiplayer game with over 300 million monthly active users which has become hugely popular among children and young people. Although the game has been around since 2018, its popularity skyrocketed during the summer of 2020 due to lockdown restrictions and after several famous gaming live streamers played it on their channels. But what is it? How
At INEQE Safeguarding Group, our online safety experts constantly monitor the development of new apps, platforms and the emerging trends and safeguarding risks they present. We know that standing still can mean falling behind. In recent weeks, our team have been alerted to a new image-based app called Dispo. This app is currently in the testing phase, but several large-scale media outlets have already commented on the app’s appealing features and bright future. In
This new feature is currently being rolled out, as it becomes available our online safety experts will provide updates on the new function. What's Happening? Instagram is rolling out a new feature called ‘Live Rooms’, which will allow users to ‘go live’ and broadcast with up to 3 other people to their audience. This new feature
What is this alert about? This safeguarding blog contains a TikTok alert for your immediate attention. We have been alerted to reports of the tragic death of a 10-year-old girl in Italy. It has been reported that she died after taking part in the so-called ‘blackout’ or ‘choke challenge’ on the video-sharing platform TikTok.
Many of us, including young people, use WhatsApp daily. It’s established itself as a messaging giant in the world of social media. But there are more names arriving on the scene which could put more pressure on WhatsApp as it battles to defend its privacy policy due to a recent backlash. It concerns how
TikTok has released privacy default changes to its platform. In this article, we explain what the new changes are and discuss their effectiveness. We also share our most recent TikTok safety resources. TikTok has announced a series of changes to protect children’s privacy and safety on the
Following continued coverage of the risks the platform can pose to children and young people, TikTok has announced changes to its parental control settings. This article details the changes to the parental control settings and provides an overview of existing settings you can use to protect the children in your care.
WhatsApp has now launched its disappearing messages feature and our team of online safety experts are busy testing this function. Sign up to our Safeguarding Hub Newsletter to keep up to date with alerts and changes like this one. WhatsApp has announced that they are releasing a Disappearing Messages function, which will
With over 1.5 billion downloads across 155 different countries, TikTok has soared in popularity. Some of you have recently got in touch to ask for more information about TikTok and its safety settings. To help you support the children and young people in your care, we have made a short video overview of
What is it? Facebook have officially rolled out their gaming platform as a brand new App. Facebook Gaming is a separate App to Facebook and is designed for users to stream their gameplay, whilst also watching their favourite streamers play the most popular video games. Although it is a seperate App, it can
What is it? Instagram, which is very popular with young people, has officially launched their latest function ‘Reels’ in the UK. It’s the latest feature to be added to the platform and lets users create short 15 second videos with popular music, different filters and effects. It is largely considered to be Instagram’s
Our digital safeguarding team continually review and test social media platforms In the past week, they focused on TikTok, testing its safety features and the effectiveness of the platform’s ability to monitor and remove explicit content The team used a login of a 14 year old to see what content they
Instagram is set to release a new feature called Reels in the UK, potentially by August 2020. We have been keeping track of the release and here is what we know so far. Reels is Instagram’s attempt to match TikTok’s dominance of short form video sharing. The feature is aimed at Instagram’s
“We live in a data-driven world. Almost every transaction and interaction you have with most organisations involves you sharing personal data, such as your name, address and birth date. You share data online too, every time you visit a website, search for or buy something, use social media or send an email.” (ICO,
How young people tell their ‘story’ through Social Media From a young age, children become immersed in a world of stories, which aid children’s development as it heightens their imagination and exposes them to new language and emotions. These narratives are then used to shape their sense of reality as they grow
Today TikTok bans under 16s from using its private messaging function. This means anyone under 16 will see the function disappear from their app. But will this ban work, and will it help keep children and young people safer on the platform?
UNICO LIVE is the latest app to come onto our radar, which poses significant risks to children and young people. We’ve put together the features, risks and what you can do to protect children and young people in your care. WHAT IS UNICO LIVE? Released in April this year, UNICO LIVE is a