Daily Safeguarding News - Safer Schools

EU takes action against Elon Musk’s X over disinformation

The European Union has formally announced it suspects X of breaching its rules in areas including countering illegal content and disinformation.
Digital commissioner Thierry Breton set out the alleged infringements in a post on the platform.
He reported that X (formerly Twitter) was suspected of breaching its obligations on transparency.
X said it was “co-operating with the regulatory process.”
It reported: “X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on our platform, while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal.”
However, concerns about the nature of the content appearing on X have increased since it was bought by Elon Musk, as he laid off many of its moderators.
The European Commission previously warned that X had the biggest disinformation problem of any major platform.
For more, please visit the BBC News website.

Streaming platform Twitch has been forced to abandon its policy on sexual content, as it has led to a flood of AI-generated nudity.
They previously announced that more adult content was to be allowed, as long as it was deemed artistic.
The CEO Dan Clancy reported: “Upon reflection, we have decided that we went too far with this change.”
The decision came after an outpouring of concern online from Twitch’s art community about the volume of AI-generated nudes which increased its art category since the policy change.
The only exception remains “incidental nudity” that appears in mature-rated games.
Mr Clancy continued: “While I wish we would have predicted this outcome, part of our job is to make adjustments that serve the community,” and “I apologise for the confusion that this update has caused.”
For more, please visit the BBC News website.

According to research, teaching character, grit and resilience in schools is valuable to children, but is unlikely to play a major part in eradicating the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their wealthier peers.
The study was by academics from Cambridge, Zürich and Tübingen universities.
Researchers analysed data collected by the 2018 programme for international student assessment (Pisa) from over 240,000 15-year-olds across 74 countries.
They found the average difference in science results between the top and bottom 25% of pupils in terms of wealth was a huge 70.5 points, equivalent to almost three years of schooling.
The lead author, Dr Rob Gruijters of the University of Cambridge, said: “Educational inequality cannot be solved through social and emotional learning. The idea that children can overcome structural disadvantage by cultivating a growth mindset and a positive work ethic overlooks the real constraints many disadvantaged students face, and risks blaming them for their own misfortune.”
For more, please visit The Guardian website.

The transgender guidance for schools in England is expected to be published today.
Reports suggest that the non-statutory guidance will require schools to inform parents if their children say they wish to change their gender identity, with some narrow exemptions.
It has also been reported that the guidance will inform schools they are under no “general duty” to allow children to socially transition.
Further, the guidance will tell schools that teachers will not be compelled to address children who want to change their gender identity by their chosen pronoun if they have a “good faith” objection.
Additionally, they will also be told they have no obligation to provide gender-neutral facilities while single-sex schools will be told they do not need to accommodate transgender pupils.
A DfE spokesman said: “The upcoming guidance will help safeguard pupils and crucially ensure that parents are involved in decisions relating to their child, as the Cass Review has made clear that any degree of social transition could have significant consequences for children. It will be published in due course.”
For more, please visit the ITV News website.