Twitter confirms launch of monetised system for Tweets 

  • Twitter today confirmed earlier reports that it is testing a new Tip Jar feature.  
  • The new addition utilises a number of different payment platforms, including PayPal, Venmo, Patreon, Cash App and Bandcamp (all region-dependent). 
  • “Tip Jar is an easy way to support the incredible voices that make up the conversation on Twitter,” the company wrote in a blog post confirming the news.  
  • Currently available on both iOS and Android, the feature is designed to give users a way to quickly tip creators with a few taps.  
  • Tip Jar is beginning to roll out to select groups of users, including non-profits, journalists, experts and creators.  
  • The company has further plans to roll it out to additional groups and languages.
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    Teenagers spending over 35 hours a week online in UK 

    • Teenagers in the UK and other developed countries are spending the equivalent of an average adult working week online, research has found.  
    • Analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that the total online consumption of 15-year-olds living in OECD countries rose from an average of 21 hours a week in 2012 to 35 hours per week in 2018.  
    • The UK was slightly above the OECD average, with 15-year-olds spending 36 hours a week online.   
    • Denmark topped the table, with teenagers spending 47 hours a week online, while in the US they spent 41 hours a week on the internet.  
    • The data was harvested from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) study – a detailed global education survey which takes place every three years.  
    • For the full story, select here.
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      Oldham man jailed after grooming and exploiting teenage school child 

      • A man who groomed and sexually exploited a young schoolgirl has been jailed. 
      • The offender, aged 23, from Oldham, first began talking to his young victim online in March 2020, Manchester Crown Court heard. 
      • The conversations were sexual in nature from the very beginning, police learnt after seizing the offender’s phone.  
      • The offender arranged to meet the child on multiple occasions, during which time he engaged in sexual activity.  
      • On Tuesday (May 4), he was sentenced to 28-months imprisonment and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order
      • For the full story, select here. 

        Smart cities prepared to deal with multiple hacking attempts 

        • Smart cities will be a target for hackers, and councils need to be prepared, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned. 
        • Sensors and internet-connected devices may improve urban services, but could also be used by hackers and foreign states to disrupt or spy. 
        • The NCSC – an arm of GCHQ – has published guidance for local authorities on how to secure what they call “connected places”.
        • They warn that critical public services will need to be protected from disruption. 
        • Sensitive data also needs to be secured from being stolen in large volumes.
        • For the full story, select here.