TikTok is bringing back a function to show you who has viewed your profile  

  • TikTok is reportedly working on bringing back the option to see who viewed your profile in the app over 30 days, creating more transparency over user interest.
  • TikTok removed this feature early last year, amid various investigations into its data sharing processes.
  • If this feature is introduced to the platform again, users will have to opt in to use it.
  • To learn more, check out Social Media Today’s website.

Reddit experimenting with NFT Profile Pictures  

  • Reddit is looking to tap into the rising popularity of NFTs or ‘Non-Fungible Tokens’ with the platform experimenting with connected NFT profile images.
  • This path for the platform makes sense, as cryptocurrency was the most discussed topic on Reddit in 2021.
  • This has been met by a mixed response, with some praising the step and others expressing concern that the cryptocurrency and NFT digital space is manipulative.
  • To learn more about NFTs, visit our online safety article entitled A Beginner’s Guide to NFTs, here.
  • To read more about this story, check out Social Media Today’s website.

 

New campaign ends to stop more encrypted apps   

  • A new government backed campaign is calling on tech giants to stop rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
  • The No Place to Hide campaign says that E2EE makes it harder to detect child abuse, as only the sender and receiver can read E2EE messages, not law enforcement or the app owners.
  • This campaign is being steered by a leading group of charities including Barnardo’s, the Marie Collins Foundation, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and SafeToNet.
  • Read more on the BBC News website in the ‘Technology’ section.


More support for schools and students as plan B comes to an end  

  • New multi-million-pound funding from NHS England will enable all schools to fully support the in-school vaccination programme.
  • Alongside this, air cleaning units will be provided in all classrooms and teaching spaces that need them.
  • This follows as over 50% of 12–15-year-olds have now had at least one dose of the vaccine.
  • Special schools and Alternative Provision have already received the air cleaning units they applied for, while all other settings with valid applications will receive them from the start of February.
  • Read more on from the Department of Education on the GOV.UK website.

Scotland’s child abuse referrals up 60%  

  • It has emerged that there has been a 60% rise in online child sex abuse and exploitation referrals over three years in Scotland.
  • In 2018/2019, there were 1961 online child sex abuse referrals, with 3,111 being received in 2020/2021.
  • Child protection campaigners have called for social media company executives to be made criminally liable for putting children at risk online.
  • Furthermore, Police Scotland have admitted it needs to improve its approaches to violence against women and girls, with the recorded number of sex crimes soaring by 13.4% and reported rapes increasing by 12%.
  • To read more, visit the Herald Scotland website.