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February 26, 2024

School warning as explicit images shared to pupils 

  • A school has issued a warning to parents about a WhatsApp group in which explicit images are being shared to children.
  • The group, called Add People, has members reportedly as young as nine.
  • It was reported to police on 1st February, and officers have since visited schools in the Bromsgrove area to make them aware of the group and the importance of being safe online.
  • For more, please visit the BBC News website.

Google denies Gmail is shutting down after viral hoax 

  • Google has had to publicly state Gmail is not closing after a hoax claiming it was shutting down spread widely on social media.
  • A post on X was viewed more than seven million times claiming Gmail would be closing in August.
  • Communications experts stated it was an example of misinformation.
  • For more, please visit the BBC News website.

Piers Morgan and Oprah Winfrey ‘deepfaked’ for US influencer’s ads 

  • Celebrities including Piers Morgan and Nigella Lawson have criticised a US influencer for using deepfakes of them in advertisements for his self-help course.
  • Both adverts which have appeared on YouTube have been taken down.
  • Meta reported it took action on the adverts it found to be a violation of its policies.
  • For more, please visit the BBC News website.

School summer holidays in England should be cut to four weeks, report says 

  • A report by the Nuffield Foundation published next month is to recommend cutting school holidays.
  • Pupils from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with additional learning needs find it challenging to get back to learning after long breaks, as well as teachers reporting more behavioural issues.
  • The report states that reducing holidays is to improve the lives of pupils and teachers.
  • For more, please visit The Guardian website.