Technology

Android’s Under-5s Apps Have ‘Unfair and Deceptive’ Ads

Under-fives are being blitzed with app-based ads which are often manipulative, inappropriate or deceptive, according to a coalition of campaign groups. Examples given include a character crying if the child does not pay to unlock part of a game, and an app promoting another title that showed a cartoon of the US president trying to [...]

By |2021-02-22T18:15:31+11:00November 5th, 2018|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

What to do When Teens and Tweens’ Online Habits Blow the Family Budget

Glancing through her bank statement made Brisbane mother-of-two Belinda* realise there was a problem. What had started with a few small amounts, as little as $1.60, for video game purchases, a song or an app “add on”, racked up almost unknowingly by her teenagers, was now totalling almost $300. Neither Belinda nor her children, aged [...]

Tim Cook Blasts ‘Weaponisation’ of Personal Data and Praises GDPR

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has demanded a tough new US data protection law, in an unusual speech in Europe. Referring to the misuse of "deeply personal" data, he said it was being "weaponised against us with military efficiency". "We shouldn't sugar-coat the consequences," he added. "This is surveillance." The strongly-worded speech presented a striking [...]

By |2021-02-22T18:14:27+11:00October 29th, 2018|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

An Open Letter on the Dangers of Normalising Sex Dolls & Sex Robots

We are a coalition of humanists, parents, women’s groups, survivors, academics, and activists campaigning against commercial objectification of human beings who are concerned with the normalisation of “sex robots”. These technologies are developed and backed by academic and business robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) communities who have to date, the loudest voices shaping the policy [...]

‘I Was Having Panic Attacks’: Online Gaming Addiction is Real

Like most teenage boys, Cam Adair played computer games. He would play the games – Starcraft: Brood War, World of Warcraft –with his cousin, or to unwind after school or hockey practice. "Then I started to experience a lot of bullying," the Canadian recalls. "And that bullying meant the gaming went from something that I [...]

Survey Raises Worries About how Screen Time Affects Kids’ Brains

Nearly two out of three U.S. kids spend more than two hours a day looking at screens, a new analysis of activity levels finds. And those children perform worse on memory, language and thinking tests than kids who spend less time in front of a device, the study of over 4,500 8- to 11-year-olds shows. [...]

Twitter Asks Users for Help to Crack Down on Hate Speech

Twitter on Tuesday reached out to users for help crafting a ban on comments that dehumanize people and set the stage for real-world violence. A policy change that Twitter has been working on for several months is intended to broaden hateful content restrictions at the service to include barring tweets dehumanizing people based on race, [...]

By |2021-02-22T18:08:18+11:00September 28th, 2018|Categories: Cybersafety, Technology|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

‘You Coming to Papa?’ US Man Grooms Sydney Girl for Sex

A 40-year-old man from the US has been sentenced to 35 years in prison, after he groomed a 16-year-old girl from Sydney on social media to travel to New York for sex. Price was found guilty of four charges in December last year, including interstate and foreign enticement to engage in sexual activity, and attempted [...]

Are ‘Swipe Left’ Dating Apps Bad for Our Mental Health?

Dating apps have taken the world by storm, but has the trend for swiping right or left to like or reject potential matches contributed to many people's unhappiness and low self-esteem? Following the end of her last relationship, Kirsty Finlayson, 28, did what many people do - she turned to dating apps to find love. [...]

By |2021-03-03T15:35:03+11:00September 17th, 2018|Categories: Anxiety, Technology|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Should You Be Worried about Gaming Supplements?

Just when you thought that the Fortnite video game was worrying enough, think again. Supplement companies are now making caffeine-loaded gaming stimulants and drinks. The most worrying thing? These companies are using popular Instagrammers to target young people. Using hashtags such as #gamersupplements #reactiontime #insomnia and #fortnite, Instagrammers are promoting the products, which claim to [...]

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