The app is designed to provide a more intimate and streamlined experience for staying connected with your closest contacts on Instagram

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 13, 2023--

Half of adults who have conversations with strangers online do not check how old they are, research suggests. A survey of 2,558 people over the age of 16 for child protection charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation found that a quarter of adults in the UK chat to people they do not know, with 55% not checking their age. The poll also suggested that one in 10 men (11%) over the age of 25 would not immediately stop the conversation if they discovered that they were talking to a child under the age of 16. Our message to all adults having online conversations with anyone under 16 is to be crystal clear about your boundaries and the law. These are your responsibility. Online sexual conversations with under-16s are illegal – no ifs, no buts, no excuses Donald Findlater, Stop It Now! The charity has warned that while it is not illegal for an adult to speak to a child online, any sexual communications are against the law and come with a potential two-year prison sentence. It runs a helpline Stop It Now! aimed at stopping offenders or potential offenders from abusing children. Director of Stop It Now! Donald Findlater said: “Our message to all adults having online conversations with anyone under 16 is to be crystal clear about your boundaries and the law. “These are your responsibility. Online sexual conversations with under-16s are illegal – no ifs, no buts, no excuses.” There can be many different reasons why people offend online, but there are no excuses. To prevent harmful and illegal behaviour and protect children, we must recognise these reasons and help people to stop the behaviour and ensure it stays stopped Dr Alexandra Bailey, Lucy Faithfull Foundation More than two-in-five (44%) of those surveyed said it could be difficult to determine what constituted online grooming, while more than a third (37%) said they would not know what to do if they caught someone having a sexual conversation with a child online. In the past two years, Stop It Now! has seen a 64% rise in the number of people getting in touch with concerns about their own or a loved one’s behaviour. Dr Alexandra Bailey, a psychologist for the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, said: “There can be many different reasons why people offend online, but there are no excuses. “To prevent harmful and illegal behaviour and protect children, we must recognise these reasons and help people to stop the behaviour and ensure it stays stopped.” Stopping online offending taking place in the first place is of course the ideal, and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation carries out an extremely important service in preventing this criminality Wendy Hart, National Crime Agency Wendy Hart, deputy director for child sexual abuse at the National Crime Agency, said: “We see first-hand the life-shattering effect these online interactions can have on victims, as well as the devastation this brings to the family of the perpetrator. “Stopping online offending taking place in the first place is of course the ideal, and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation carries out an extremely important service in preventing this criminality. “However, if you do go on to commit abuse, we will work relentlessly to ensure you are arrested and brought to justice. “You and only you will be responsible for the life-changing impact your offending has on the victim and your family.” The Stop It Now! helpline is available by calling 0808 100 0900 or online. – 2,558 adults over the age of 16 were surveyed online by Kantar between September 26 and October 2. Read More Businesses embracing generative AI but fear cyberattacks, survey finds Young Britons turning to AI chatbots for help with school and work – survey Police to trial use of drones as first responders to emergencies Apple to adopt system to improve texting between iPhones and Android devices ICO seeks permission to appeal against Clearview AI tribunal ruling Users of iPhones can now check bank balance from Wallet app

Stig Asmussen is leaving EA to focus on new projects.

Nowadays, the internet has developed to play a key part in modern-day life but many will remember the early days when the unforgettable dial-up tone sound rang each time you logged on. With apps such as MSN and MySpace being the popular social media apps at the time. Looking back at this era, it also caused the earliest existence of memes - talk about historic. And in case you didn’t already feel old today, infamous video meme Badger Badger Badger will be celebrating its 20th birthday on September 1st this year. If you look back on these frolicking mammals with fondness, domain and hosting provider, Fasthosts, takes a trip down memory lane at the era of long-lost memes. Badger Badger Badger Age: 20 years old On its 20th birthday, Badger Badger Badger is an internet video meme that consists of badgers dancing to an electronic dance song. After three loops of multiple badgers and mushrooms, a snake slithers through a desert and the animation starts again. A ridiculous notion perhaps, but it captured the attention of kids and tweens in the early internet days. The original cartoon continues indefinitely, whereas the YouTube iterations sometimes only last a few minutes. Over the years, Badger Badger Badger has spawned numerous remixes and parodies and remains a fond favourite of early 90s kids. Badgers : animated music video : MrWeebl www.youtube.com Surprised owl Age: 20 years old If you enjoyed calling someone “Captain Obvious”, or have ever used the phrase “No s**t, Sherlock” – and you’re in your 30th decade – then chances are you’ve sent this meme over MSN. The greatness of this meme comes from its simplicity, its ease of use, and its ability to be used in a multitude of circumstances, the O RLY owl was the sickest burn of its time. SpongeGar Age: 19 years old There have been many Spongebob memes over the years, including his many beloved iterations. In episode SB-129, Squidward heads back in time to the prehistoric era and discovers that his annoying neighbour is exactly the same, just a little more caveman. SpongeGar – with his long canines, square loincloth and surprised expression – there was no more fitting response to the strange situations you can find online. Rickroll Age: 16 years old A meme familiar with millennials and one that has stood the test of time, so much so that Gen Z may even recognise what it means to be "Rickrolled." For the uninitiated, Rickroll is a good old bait-and-switch meme where an unsuspecting URL instead takes you to the music video for Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”. After more than 15 years of tricking people around the world, the official YouTube video has garnered before than 1.5 billion views. In 2008, the meme reached its peak, by being tweeted by the White House’s official account, and when YouTube turned every link on their homepage into a Rickroll in honour of April Fools Day. RickRoll'D youtu.be Trollface Age: 15 years old Drawn on Microsoft Paint back in 2008, if you can believe it, to mock trolls. Unfortunately, the image itself was hijacked by trolls and became very widely used, often alongside the phrase “U mad, bro?”. Originating on 4chan, Trollface quickly jumped to Reddit and Urban Dictionary, before making its way to Imgur and Facebook. Doge Age: 13 years old Many people have pondered what man’s best friend might be thinking, and this unassuming Shiba Inu dog allowed our imagination to come to life. The Doge meme was overlaid with Comic Sans to relay the dog’s inner thoughts, often utilising poor grammar and spelling. Whether you Photoshopped Kabosu – the pooch’s name – used as a response or a standalone meme, Doge certainly made his mark on the world. After all, what other meme do you know that inspired its own cryptocurrency? Nyan Cat Age: 12 years old The internet is a wonderful place. And it’s the only place an 8-bit rainbow cat travelling through space would be watched by more than 150 million people. Not only was Nyan Cat a YouTube sensation, but it crossed mediums easily with live recreations, video games, classical music covers, and fan art. Certainly one of the most popular of early MySpace and Bebo days. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 31, 2023--

Save $49.01: The upgraded second-generation AirPods Pro come with a new USB-C charging port, and

By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON Lina Khan, the progressive head of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, goes before a

YouTube has suspended the monetisation of Russell Brand’s channel for “violating” its “creator responsibility policy”. In a statement to the PA news agency, a spokesperson for the Google-owned company said: “If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.” The news comes after the remaining shows of Brand’s Bipolarisation tour were postponed and the Metropolitan Police said it had received a report of an alleged sexual assault in the wake of media allegations about the comedian and actor. Brand’s YouTube account, which has 6.6 million subscribers, has been suspended from YouTube’s partner account “following serious allegations against the creator”, meaning the channel is no longer able to make money from advertising on the platform. The statement added: “This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand.” The 48-year-old actor has been accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame and working for the BBC, Channel 4 and starring in Hollywood films, following a joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches. He has strongly denied the allegations, which also include claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

In a recent livestream, Kai Cenat targeted Fortnite streamers, including Clix and Agent, calling them streamers rather than gamers

By Valerie Volcovici, Kate Abnett and Maha El Dahan WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS/DUBAI (Reuters) -Delegates from nearly 200 countries will convene this week

Paige Spiranac said, 'Delete it all and ride off into the sunset. I love what I do because it’s so ridiculous. I want to make people happy'