NSPCC reports sharp rise in children being blackmailed over sexual images in UK Source: The Guardian

 

 

This report regarding evidence collected by the NSPCC should be of greate concern to any parent. The reports suggests that there has been a  rise in online blackmail attempts involving sexual images in the UK last year(2025). The charity also reported thay contacts with its Childline service relating to online sexual abuse and exploitation rose by 36% last year, driven by an increase in cases related to online blackmail.

Sextorsion occurs when somone pursuades a child to release sexualised images of themselves and then blackmails the child by saying they will publish the images online and demanding payment from the child or its parents to remove them. The 36% rise is alarming and there are groeing demands from some to bring in social media bans for children under 16. The charity warns that such a ban might result in children who are not well prepared to protect themselves when they reach 16.

Read the full article here. 

 

 

WhatsApp launches totally private 'incognito' conversations with its AI chatbot Source: BBC News

 One way of dealing with individuals and law enforcement asking for access to online communications as part of an investigation is to make access to that information impossible. This is what Meta have done regarding communications within Whatsapp. 

Incognito mode is set to off by default but when switched on all interactions with their AI chat bot vanish once the session is concluded and they cannot be reviewed or recovered. In incognito mode noone will be able to view or review the interactions.

Meta do offer a Parental Control option for Whatsapp so parents will need to switch that on in order help. monitor Whatsapp activity.

Configuring individual apps is time consuming but the monitoring tools we have reviewed do provide an efficient way to manage their child's screen time, app activity and location, some provide monitoring of communications. 

Read the fully story here. 

 

 

AI chatbots giving misleading voting advice in run-up to election Source: BBC News

 

Concern regarding AI are being raised almost every day.  Misinformation generated from some AI chatbots range from the creation of sexual images of children for distribution online to providing misleading or even dangerous information which may cause children to do things they normally would not do or believe. We have seen such things in news items across the world.

This story illustrates one way errors in AI algorithms can threaten democracy. We know that the use of personal data had major impacts on the outcomes of Brexit in the UK and US presidential elections. AI can deal with huge amounts of data and tailor messages and information to shape thinking. This is potentially very dangerous.

As AI becomes ever more powerful and pursuasive the level of threat increases and we need to do everything we can to encourage children to question what they hear and what they read. 

Read the full story here. 

 

 

About 70% of babies exposed to screens, study finds Source: BBC News

 

Many of us that are involved in the cyber world may not be surprised at this report published on the BBC website.

The report refers to research commissioned by a charity called 1001 Critical Days Foundation which was founded by a former UK cabinet member and MP and aims to support the early stages of a child's life in order to give them a good start.

The study, which took place between February and April 2026, found links between higher screen use and poorer developmental outcomes, such as sleep disruption, delayed language development and behavioural issues. This is an alarming find which backs up other research undertaken around the world.

A key message is that children under two years old should not ahev any screen time and if they do it should be part of an interaction with a parent. 

Read the full story here. 

 

 

Police Cyber team recently secured its first Stalking Prevention Order involving a juvenile Source: Bedfordshire Police

 

 

Bedforshire Police have reported that they secured their first Stalking Prevention Order involving a teenage boy. 

The boy (unnamed) had created multiple social media accounts using the names of three girls from the same school. He then took images from the victims’ personal social media profiles and used AI technology to manipulate them into explicit images and published them online.

 

This sort of behaviour is a growing concern and in this case it isn't the sort of activity that Tech companies could easily monitor. In this case monitoring the boys device's might well have prevented him having to be subject to police investigation and sanction. Hopefully it is a lesson learnt.

 

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