Time for a Digital Detox?

How to Unplug Your Home for the Ultimate Digital Detox

Technology is a wonderful thing. It’s given us Netflix, online shopping, video games, and social media –– but sometimes you need to take a break from the cat memes and give yourself a digital detox (writes TERESA SIQUEIRA).

With infinite knowledge and endless distraction just a click away, it’s more important than ever to create healthy boundaries with technology. So tune in, turn off, and drop out because we’ve got all the info you need to find that sweet spot between staying connected and getting unplugged.

What is a Digital Detox?

A digital detox is when you disconnect from your TV, smartphone, video games, and social media so you can focus on real-life without the distraction of a screen. Don’t worry—a digital detox isn’t forever! Take a mini-detox after work, read a book on your morning commute instead of scrolling through the latest news, or make Sundays a tech-free day –– do whatever works for you! What matters the most is that you create time for your brain to reset.

The Consequences of Always Being Connected

These days, we’re more connected than ever. When it feels impossible to step away from the tweets, and you can’t stop doom-scrolling the news, you know it’s time for a digital detox. Being connected 24/7 might have you staying up late to play video games, feeling like you’re missing out on the experiences all your friends post about, or getting behind at work because the refresh button isn’t going to hit itself. Disconnecting is an integral part of any self-care routine for anyone who wants to optimize their creativity, productivity and have more energy.

The Negative Effects of Technology on Your Brain

You might not realize it, but too much technology harms your brain. From having a lower stress threshold to disrupting your beauty sleep, our screens are silently altering the way our brains work –– and it doesn’t stop there. Here are some of the negative effects technology has on that wrinkly pink thing between our ears.

Reduces creativity: Technology encourages instant gratification and prevents us from having the patience needed for the more profound thinking skills associated with creativity.
Negatively affects relationships: More time spent on devices means less time spent with the people you love and makes us feel less satisfaction and connection.
Impaired social intelligence: Spending too much time in front of a screen interferes with our ability to learn from successes, failures, and the people around us.
Trouble concentrating: Technology is constantly pulling us in multiple directions at once, making it hard to focus on what’s in front of us. By disconnecting you will also see an increase in your productivity at work.
Disrupts sleeping habits: The blue light screens emit has been proven to disrupt the circadian rhythms that help us sleep at night.

The Benefits of Doing a Digital Detox

Banish the digital distractions and reap the benefits of a techno-free life. Cutting out technology has massive mental health benefits, and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you aren’t constantly connected. Benefits of a digital detox include:

Enhanced sleep: Without blue light and the temptation to keep scrolling, you’ll get better z’s and have more energy in the morning.
Increased productivity: Less tech means more time to get things done. When you’re not staring at a screen, you’ll have more time to do the things that matter.
Better posture: “Tech neck” is a real thing, and improved posture is a significant benefit to ditching your devices.
Improved relationships: Having more time for your loved ones can only be a good thing. Notice how much closer you feel to the people around you after going tech-free.
More time for hobbies: Going on a digital detox gives you ample time to explore all those hobbies you’d long forgotten.

How to Do a Digital Detox

Give your brain a break! Read up on how to do a digital detox –– we’ve got tips on what to do instead of scrolling, how to get your friends involved, and how to stick to your new detox routine.

Do other activities instead

Harken back to the days of yore and try some tech-free activities. Getting a vacation from technology will offer you a fresh start. Go for a walk, get the family together for a game night, or read a book instead of staring at your phone. Staying active will be a key factor in reducing your screen time. Take up knitting or learn how to bake gourmet desserts.

Establish limits and goals

Each week, make a goal of spending less and less time using technology. Start with a half-hour of tech-free time each day, then increase it to an hour the next week and keep going.

Get your loved ones involved

Get your family involved to make going tech-free into a fun challenge. Check everyone’s smartphone at the end of the week to see who spent the least time looking at their screen –– whoever wins gets to choose their favorite takeout for dinner or pick what to watch on movie night. You can also contact friends and get them involved on the challenge.

Reward yourself

Whenever you’ve accomplished offline time, give yourself an award. Go out for a tech-free date night to your favorite restaurant, or get yourself that thing that’s been on your wishlist for ages. Set up a special ritual for your digital detox, like a spa night.

Types of Digital Detoxes

There are a ton of ways to take a tech break. Pick a couple of methods that work for you and give them a go for at least a week –– feel free to tweak times or alternate days to fit your schedule. Some days you might need to be on your phone or take a video call during a detox period, so roll with the punches and stay flexible.

Disconnect for a period of time

Designate a period of time each day that you’ll go tech-free. During lunch, after work, or before bedtime are all great places to start. Make it part of your routine, then see how you’re feeling after a week. Many people end up expanding their tech-free time because they love how it makes them feel.

Have technology-free meals

Ditching your devices during meals encourages you to not only appreciate the food you’re eating but to enjoy the company you’re in. Unplugging as a family will make meals much more special. Make it a rule that no phones are allowed at the dinner table, turn the TV off, and notice how much fuller your heart and belly feel.

Find a Balance with Technology

Digital burnout is real, and finding a happy medium is integral for living life in the age of the computer. Establishing a healthy relationship with the digital world will help you avoid any risk of suffering from technology addiction. We’ve got a few analog remedies to soothe your digital aches.

Prioritize human connection

We’ve all had that experience where we’re trying to hold a conversation with someone who’s more interested in what’s on their phone than are in the person right in front of them. Always prioritize the people in your life over the content on your phone.

Limit tech time for children

Technology can have a negative impact on children. Give your kids time limits on their digital devices. Use video games as a reward for doing homework and chores. Make sure your kids have a healthy relationship with social media by setting an age limit and making sure they don’t get caught up in comparing their life to the lives of others. To give you further insights, you can find plenty of ways that will guide you on preventing phone addiction for your child.

Find work-life balance

Finding a work/life balance when you work from home is a real struggle. Creating an equilibrium by letting your coworkers know you won’t be available after the workday is done and turn off all your work-related notifications.

Unplugging Your Home

If you find yourself struggling to take a digital detox, try setting up your home to help you succeed. We’ve got some easy-to-implement tips that make disconnecting a cinch.

Use tech to disconnect

Fight technology with technology by turning off your notifications so your digital detox won’t be disturbed by dings and beeps. There are tons of time-limiting apps nowadays that turn off your tech for you or timed cellphone jails that keep your phone locked away for a set amount of time.

Park your devices

Set up a tech station at the front door with a table or drawer with all your chargers. When you walk in the door, plug in your devices so you aren’t tempted to use them. This encourages you and your family to focus on hobbies, books and spending more time with each other.

Go outdoors

Take a walk, go to the lake, or just hang out in your backyard and enjoy the outdoors. Getting outside is one of the best ways to detox from your devices, and it’s an easy activity to get the whole family involved in.

Create a home that helps you disconnect

Set your home up for success. Start by putting up a table in your entryway where you can park your devices, then designate a room where no devices are allowed. Instead of having TVs in the kitchen, living room, and every bedroom, just have one in your entertainment room and call it good.

Create No-tech Zones at Home

Creating no-tech zones is one of the easiest ways to take a digital detox every day. It might sound intimidating to have an area in your home where devices aren’t allowed, but we promise you’ll love the difference it makes in your life.

Create an ‘unplugged’ room

Designate one room in your house that’s free of any digital devices. No TV’s, computers, iPads, or phones allowed. Make it super cozy with couches, pillows, plants, and blankets then bring in anything and everything you love that doesn’t involve a screen. Think books, crossword puzzles, board games, that hobby airplane you’ve been building, or set up a music nook so you can finally learn how to play the guitar.

Leave technology out of your bedroom

Park your phone in the living room overnight to create a quiet bedroom environment. Use an alarm clock instead of relying on your phone to wake you up in the morning and replace your nighttime TV show with a book instead.

Enjoy a techno-free kitchen

Sometimes it’s necessary to open up your phone while you’re cooking to reference a recipe. All the other times, unplug the kitchen and practice mindfulness while making breakfast or enjoying a mid-afternoon snack.

Unplug Your Home While You’re Away

The hidden energy costs of plugged-in appliances could be adding to your electricity bill. Try out these tips to save money while you’re away.

Unplug your devices to improve safety

Keeping all your devices plugged in while you’re away can potentially be a fire hazard. Older electronics, in particular, run the risk of overheating and causing electrical fires, and unplugging them when you go on vacation will not only save you money but give you peace of mind.

Save energy

Save energy by enabling sleep mode on your devices to keep their batteries going for longer. Older appliances are less energy-efficient than newer models, so replace any outdated electronics with modern energy-wise models. You can try to use smart devices that will give you more control and allow you to save energy at home, like smart bulbs or remote thermostats.

Electronics You Should (and Shouldn’t) Unplug

Do: Unplug small kitchen appliances like your coffee maker, microwave, and food processor. If you’re going to be gone for a while, unplug your chargers and entertainment system, too, since they use a lot of energy.

Don’t: Don’t unplug large kitchen appliances like the fridge or dishwasher. Keep powerstrips, carbon monoxide detectors, and the fire alarm plugged in. You can keep your high-efficiency electronics plugged in, since they’re unlikely to zap a ton of energy while not in use.

A daily, weekly, or monthly digital detox helps you stay connected to your physical surroundings, reduces stress and anxiety, and gives you time to enjoy your family, nature, or a hobby. These tips will help you find just the right balance for you.

Olympics 2020: Tom Daley makes a splash as Team GB’s biggest Instagram influencer

Analysis of Team GB athletes’ Instagram accounts reveals that Tom Daley is the biggest influencer, with Andy Murray coming close second
Sky Brown, the youngest athlete to ever compete in Team GB at just 13 years old, has 825,000 Instagram followers – the third most
Players on women’s football team boast 16 spots in the Top 50

Team GB star Tom Daley has won gold before the Olympics have even started, topping the podium as Britain’s most influential athlete at the games.

New research by CasinoScores.com has revealed that Daley can earn up to £6,845 per sponsored Instagram post.

The study analysed the Instagram profile of each Team GB member and used social media market data to discover who are the most influential athletes representing Britain in Tokyo.

Tom Daley, who will compete as part of the diving team, boasts two million Instagram followers, giving him the highest earning potential in Team GB. He tops list, beating out other big names such as Andy Murray, Dina Asher-Smith and Adam Peaty.

The diver, who won bronze at the London 2012 Olympics, has garnered followers not only from his diving success but his knitting account which went viral during lockdown.

Andy Murray earns the silver medal when it comes to the most influential athletes on Team GB with two million followers and the potential to earn up to £5,887.50 per sponsored post.

Surprisingly, the third most influential athlete is Sky Brown, the youngest ever athlete on Team GB at just 13. The skateboarder has potential earnings of £4,102.50 per post thanks to 823,000 Instagram followers.

Most Influential Athletes in Team GB on Instagram and what they could earn
Athlete	Instagram Handle	Potential Earnings per sponsored post	Number of Instagram followers
Tom Daley	tomdaley	£6,845	2,000,000
Andy Murray	andymurray	£5,887.50	2,000,000
Sky Brown	skybrown	£4,102.50	823,000
Geraint Thomas	geraintthomas86	£2,400	481,736
Adam Peaty	adam_peaty	£2,290	459,683
Shauna Coxsey	shaunacoxsey	£2,113.75	424,000
Tommy Fleetwood	officialtommyfleetwood	£1,696.25	340,000
Dina Asher-Smith	dinaashersmith	£1,521.25	304,220
Lucy Bronze	lucybronze	£1,325	265,000
Leah Williamson	leahwilliamson	£1,306.25	260,000
Fran Kirby	frankirby	£1,241.25	248,000
Jack Laugher	jacklaugher	£1,138.75	227,324
Steph Houghton	stephhoughton2	£1,096.25	221,000
Katarina Johnson-Thompson	johnsonthompson	£1,087.50	217,000
Tom Pidcock	tompidcock	£1,077.50	219,000

Olympians that have won gold have gone on to make significant earnings from their sporting success. Eight time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has amassed 10.2 million Instagram followers and can now charge up to £25,000 per sponsored post.

The analysis showed that women’s football is the most influential sport according to Instagram with 16 of the top 50 spots being occupied by the Women’s football players.

A spokesperson for CasinoScores.com commented: “The competition for medals at the Games will be fierce, but these figures show that there is plenty of opportunity for athletes to strike gold through their social profiles.

“On average, a Team GB athlete in our top 50 can earn more than £1,000 for a sponsored Instagram post. And as the UK cheers them on this summer, they can expect their followings to grow even more.”

The research was carried out by CasinoScores.com, which is dedicated to providing players with live casino statistics, live scores and more.

https://www.casinoscores.com

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival goes online this weekend

Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival 2021 goes online!

We are very pleased to announce that the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival 2021 will be hitting your screens again this weekend.

With Covid restrictions still uncertain for large events, together with our unions and sponsors, we are organising yet another packed agenda online.

From Friday 16th – Sunday 18th July 2021, we will be bringing you discussions, debates, radical history lessons, lots of music and all the best of the Festival straight into your living room.

Fans of the Festival will be able to watch freeon our Facebook group, Youtube channel, or right here on our website.

Want to be the first to hear the latest? – make sure to join our vibrant Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival Facebook group!

Heart of Newhaven: Past, Present and Future

Welcome to your July Newsletter. This is a newsletter about past, present and future.

First: the past.

We have been receiving plenty of positive feedback from the Pots of Kindness project. If you remember, this involved pupils from Victoria Primary School potting up edible flowers, herbs and vegetables and distributing them to some of the isolated or elderly members of the community, whose details were supplied by the Pilmeny Development Project (PDP). Recipients have been responding.

“What a lovely idea. It is so nice to be part of this initiative. As you know I am housebound, so it is great that I can still be part of the community while being at home. I loved the beautiful letter I received from the pupil – what a fantastic idea. Thank you,” said one.

Mary from PDP received a phone call once one pack was delivered

“Thank you so much for the plant and letter – I absolutely love it. I am delighted with the wee package and the letter from the pupil was adorable. And the man who delivered the package was really friendly – thank you”.

A few weeks later, the same recipient rang Mary to say “My plant has started sprouting – I have it on my window sill and I check it everyday. It was great getting the instructions on how to help the plant grow. I really am delighted to be part of this project – thank you”.

“My spinach has started to grow – I love Spinach and I think I might be like Popeye after this. The letter from the pupil was so sweet – thank you,” said another.

We’re glad it has proved so welcome.

The Present

Our partners at the PDP are organising more volunteer induction sessions so if you would like to get involved, make a note of this date: Saturday 7th August at 11am on Zoom, when you can find out about the different volunteering opportunities available within PDP. Expectations, boundaries and confidentiality will be among the topics for discussion.

Similarly, you can join in the HoNC/ PDP Newhaven Virtual Coffee Group for those living in or around Newhaven on either Mon 19th July at 4pm or Mon 16th Aug at 4pm, both on Zoom.

If you are interested in these events then please contact Norma by Email

Still in the present:

We’re thrilled to tell you that the University of Edinburgh student social media team has included HoNC in the most recent episode of their popular podcast’s third series

The Broadcast is The Broad Online’s podcast and aims to bring local community initiatives to its listeners’ attention. HoNC trustee Judy Crabb and Head of Victoria Primary School Laura Thomson were engaged in discussion on the creation of our intergenerational community centre in the old school in the latest recording.

Lauren Galligan and Jack Liddall were the co-hosts and interviewers. She is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Broad Online. Jack is the Secretary of The Broad and a volunteer with HoNC.

The podcast will shortly be available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean. We will share a link to the podcast on the Heart’s social media and website as soon as it is available.

Future

Now on to the future. The Men’s Shed members have been busy at work on our Friendship Benches, which we aim to have ready for Mental Health Day in October. We will be organising painting and decorating days with local artist Johnathan Elders over the summer holidays, so watch this space.

In the immediate future, we await the decision from the Scottish Land Fund on our application for the funds required to make good our promise to buy the school site.

We will pass on the news as soon as we can.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Oliver Dowden: Protecting journalism in a healthy democracy

DCMS Secretary of State writes about the importance of a free and diverse media

What makes a healthy democracy? The strongest and most progressive countries share lots of qualities, but they have two vital things in common: a free and diverse media and the right to dissent. This week, a vocal Twitter minority went after both (writes Department of Culture Media and Sport Secretary of State OLIVER DOWDEN) .

GB News had barely begun broadcasting when pressure group “Stop Funding Hate” tried to stifle it, piling the pressure on advertisers to boycott Britain’s newest current affairs channel for spreading “hate and division”. It came in a week when we had already witnessed free journalism under assault with the despicable harassment of BBC journalist Nick Watt.

It seems GB News’ biggest crime – or rather “pre-crime”, as it’s called in the dystopian Minority Report when people are proactively punished for wrongs they haven’t committed yet – was to signal that it might not always agree with the media consensus. When he launched the channel, veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil vowed that GB News would not be “an echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset”, and that it would “empower those who feel their concerns have been unheard”.

Rightly so. A free media is one that has a diverse range of opinions and voices – and as I said earlier this week, GB News is a welcome addition to that diversity. We need outlets and commentators who cover the range of the political spectrum; who can speak truth to power; and who are willing to challenge dogma or orthodoxy.

I’ve no doubt plenty of people will disagree with some of the things GB News commentators have to say – just as plenty of people disagree with the things they see and hear on the BBC, Sky News or any other media outlet. But if you don’t like those ideas, switch over – don’t silence. We shouldn’t be blocking people from the conversation simply because we disagree with them.

That is exactly why, when we were developing legislation to boost online safety and tackle social media abuse, I was determined to make sure it couldn’t be used to stifle debate. Every country is grappling with this – but I believe the UK has struck the right balance and carved a path for the rest of the world to follow with our Online Safety bill, which we published in draft form last month.

That bill will protect children online and help stamp out the vile social media abuse, including racism and misogyny. Crucially, though, it also includes strong safeguards for free speech and the freedom of the media.

There will be a new requirement for social media companies to protect freedom of expression. The largest social media platforms will need to be clear to users about what they allow on their sites, and enforce it consistently.

That means they won’t be able to arbitrarily remove content – and if a user feels they have, they’ll have a new right to appeal. Right now if content is removed there is no recourse to review or in many cases even get an explanation as to why material has been taken down. Our bill will enhance the protections in place.

We’ve also got special safeguards for journalistic and “democratically important” content. News publishers’ content won’t be in scope – whether it’s on their own sites or on other online services. Journalists will also benefit from increased protections when they post on social media. The largest platforms will also have to protect political opinions on their sites, even if certain activists or campaign groups don’t agree with them.

Those are the grounds of a functioning democracy. Sadly we can no longer take them for granted. Across the West, our values of tolerance and freedom of expression, for which previous generations have fought and died, increasingly risk being undermined by a small but vocal minority. For them, these are not absolute, but relative, concepts, ready to be bent to silence dissent from their world view.

We will not stand by and allow that to happen.

Occupy the Internet: 200 media experts publish wake up call

Demand for Public Service Internet

“The Internet and the media landscape are broken. The dominant commercial Internet platforms endanger democracy. Despite all the great opportunities the Internet has offered to society and individuals, the digital giants have acquired unparalleled economic, political and cultural power.

“As currently organised, the Internet separates and divides instead of creating common spaces for negotiating difference and disagreement” (The Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto).

An international group of media experts has created a media and Internet manifesto. Released yesterday, the “Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto” demands the safeguarding of the existence, independence, and funding of Public Service Media such as the BBC as well as the creation of a Public Service Internet.

Prof Christian Fuchs, who is the Director of the Communication and Media Research Institute at the University of Westminster and co-initiated the Manifesto, commented: “Democracy requires Public Service Media and a Public Service Internet.

“The digital giants such as Facebook, YouTube/Google, Netflix, and Amazon dominate the Internet. The results have been monopolies, dataveillance, algorithmic politics, digital populism, the Internet as huge shopping mall, filter bubbles, fake news, post-truth culture, and a lack of debate.

“Our Manifesto demands the creation of a Public Service Internet so that Public Service Media are enabled and properly resourced to be able to provide online platforms that have a not-for-profit imperative and the digital remit to advance information, news, debate, democracy, education, entertainment, participation, and creativity with the help of the Internet”.

The Manifesto was created by a group of international media experts who engaged over several months in an online discussion and collaboration process utilising the ecomitee.com platform.

The Manifesto initiative is part of the research network InnoPSM: Innovation in Public Service Media Policies that was funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Council and is led by Dr Alessandro D’Arma from the University of Westminster and Dr Minna Horowitz from the University of Helsinki.

Dr Klaus Unterberger, who is Head of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation’s Public Value Department and the Manifesto’s co-initiator, said: “Public communication is more than business. It is a public purpose. The global pandemic, accelerating climate change and increasing social inequalities have demonstrated the urgency of accountable and reliable news beyond fake news and polarization.

“We need a new Internet that provides a public sphere for citizens, not just for consumers. The existing infrastructure of Public Service Media must play a vital role in creating an alternative to the dominance of data companies. There are new opportunities for strengthening the public sphere and democracy. This is why we call for action”.

In the following months, the Manifesto will go global and ask supporters to sign it.

There will be several activities and events addressing media and communications policy makers, Public Service Media, civil society, and the public in order to create a broad coalition for the creation of a Public Service Internet.

The Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto:

http://bit.ly/psmmanifesto

The Manifesto can be signed here:

http://bit.ly/signPSManifesto

St James Quarter is almost here, but first … let me take a selfie!

With just three weeks to go until the much-anticipated St James Quarter phase one opening, the new fashion district celebrates launching its official social channels – by framing the perfect selfie spots to capture the city’s brand-new skyline!

Four giant picture frames can be found at some of Edinburgh’s most Instagrammable locations including Calton Hill, St Andrews Square, The Mound and Neighbourgood Market in Stockbridge, for followers to capture their own selfies and win £150 vouchers, #nofilter needed.

To enter, step into the frame, share your pic and tag and follow St JamesQuarter on Instagram and Facebook. The competition will run until Sunday 6^th of June, with entries officially closing on Monday the 7^th of June at 9pm.

St James Quarter Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/stjamesquarter/

St James Quarter Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/St-James-Quarter-105737954246444

TikTok star in new film promoting responsible wild camping

Irreverent video with TikTok creator Jarad Rowan launches ahead of busy camping season

Ramblers Scotland has today launched a new short film featuring Scottish TikTok star Jarad Rowan, aimed at encouraging responsible wild camping in Scotland.

Jarad, known as @LittlestChicken to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers, discovers five ‘Rules of Wild Camping’ during a trip to Borders Forest Trust’s scenic Corehead estate near Moffat.

The light-hearted video – supported by NatureScot and John Muir Trust – shows Jarad learning where to camp, what to pack, where to go to the toilet outdoors, how to leave no trace and the importance of using stoves rather than lighting fires.

Jarad, aged 21 from Stranraer, said: “This was such a great project to be involved in and I had the best time filming! It was also really cool to be shooting in Dumfries & Galloway. There are some lovely spots here in Scotland. I’m wondering does this make me an icon in the world of wild camping now?!”

The film has been planned by Ramblers Scotland alongside a team of young adults – the target audience – who have completed Ramblers Scotland’s Out There Award, which helps 18 to 26-year-olds kick-start their journeys into the outdoors.

Ramblers Scotland director Brendan Paddy said: “Scotland has world-class landscapes for everyone to explore. Getting more people active outdoors more often will help make Scotland a happier and healthier nation.

“It can also provide valuable income for rural communities and help more people feel inspired to protect the places where we all love to walk.

“The challenge we now face is making sure that the welcome increase in people getting outdoors is backed by the support needed to ensure people have the knowledge and opportunities to enjoy the experience responsibly.

“I hope our new film will support people – especially beginners – to plan fun, responsible nights out under the stars.”

Ramblers Scotland and partners have launched the video ahead of what is expected to be a hugely busy summer for Scotland’s outdoors, particularly as many festivals, indoor parties and overseas travel remain off limits.

In fact, a recent study by the David Hume Institute (DHI) showed 36% of people in Scotland spent more time outside in nature last year than before – with 58% intending to spend more time outside in future.

It will be shown across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter and TikTok throughout the summer.

Viewers are linked to a detailed new webpage at ramblers.org.uk/wildcamp that helps beginners plan safe and fun wild camps in Scotland.

The video campaign is part of a wider programme of visitor management activities led by VisitScotland and Scottish Government with public, charity and private partners.

Together the partnership aims to deliver not just communication and education activities about enjoying the outdoors responsibly but also to address issues related to infrastructure and to co-ordinate direct engagement with visitors to prevent problems arising.

Last year, antisocial and irresponsible behaviour by a small minority of visitors in some popular locations caused real issues for the environment, local people, and other visitors. This summer is expected to be even busier, so it is vital that people act responsibly.

The film was produced by Edinburgh-based video agency Heehaw.

Online giants failing to remove online scam adverts, says Which?

Google and Facebook are failing to take action to remove online scam adverts even after fraud victims report them, raising concerns that the reactive approach to fraudulent content taken by online platforms is not fit for purpose, Which? research has revealed.

The consumer champion’s survey found that a third (34%) of victims who reported an advert that led to a scam on Google said the advert was not taken down by the search engine, while a quarter (26%) of victims who reported an advert on Facebook that resulted in them being scammed said the advert was not removed by the social media site.

Which? believes that the significant flaws with the current reactive approaches taken to tackling online scams makes a clear case for online platforms to be given legal responsibility for preventing fake and fraudulent adverts from appearing on their sites.

Which? is calling for the government to take the opportunity to include content that leads to online scams in the scope of its proposed Online Safety Bill.

Of those who said they had fallen victim to a scam as a result of an advert on a search engine or social media, a quarter (27%) said they’d fallen for a fraudulent advert they saw on Facebook and one in five (19%) said a scam targeted them through Google adverts. Three per cent said they’d been tricked by an advert on Twitter.

The survey also highlighted low levels of engagement with the scam reporting processes on online platforms. Two in five (43%) scam victims conned by an advert they saw online, via a search engine or social media ad, said they did not report the scam to the platform hosting it.

The biggest reason for not reporting adverts that caused a scam to Facebook was that victims didn’t think the platform would do anything about it or take it down – this was the response from nearly a third (31%) of victims.

For Google, the main reason for not reporting the scam ad was that the victim didn’t know how to do so – this applied to a third (32%) of victims. This backs up the experience of Which?’s researchers who similarly found it was not immediately clear how to report fraudulent content to Google, and when they did it involved navigating five complex pages of information.

Worryingly, over half (51%) of 1,800 search engine users Which? surveyed said they did not know how to report suspicious ads that appear in their search listings, while over a third (35%) of 1,600 social media users said they didn’t know how to report a suspicious advert seen on social media channels

Another issue identified by victims that Which? has spoken to is that even if fake and fraudulent adverts are successfully taken down they often pop up again under different names.

One scam victim, Stefan Johansson, who lost £30.50, told Which? he had repeatedly reported a scam retailer operating under the names ‘Swanbrooch’ and ‘Omerga’ to Facebook.

He believes the social media site has a ‘scattergun’ approach to removing the ads and says that a week rarely goes by when he doesn’t spot dodgy ads in his newsfeed, posted by what he suspects are unscrupulous companies.

Another victim, Mandy, told Which? she was tricked by a fake Clarks ‘clearance sale’ advert she saw on Facebook. She paid £85 for two pairs of boots, but instead she received a large box containing a pair of cheap sunglasses.

‘I’ve had a lot of back and forth with my bank over the past six months, trying to prove that I didn’t receive what I ordered,’ Mandy said. Facebook has since removed this advert and the advertiser’s account.

The tech giants make significant profits from adverts, including ones that lead to scams. These companies have some of the most sophisticated technology in the world but the evidence suggests they are failing to use it to prevent scammers from abusing the platforms by using fake and fraudulent content on an industrial scale to target victims.

The combination of inaction from online platforms when scam ads are reported, low reporting levels by scam victims, and the ease with which advertisers can post new fraudulent adverts even after the original ad has been removed, suggests that online platforms need to take a far more proactive approach to prevent fraudulent content from reaching potential victims in the first place.

Consumers should also sign up to Which?’s scam alert service in order to familiarise themselves with some of the latest tactics used by fraudsters, particularly given the explosion of scams since the coronavirus crisis.

The consumer champion has also launched a Scam Sharing tool to help it gather evidence in its work to protect consumers from fraud. The tool has received more than 2,500 reports since it went live three weeks ago.

Adam French, Consumer Rights Expert at Which?, said: “Our latest research has exposed significant flaws with the reactive approach taken by tech giants including Google and Facebook in response to the reporting of fraudulent content – leaving victims worryingly exposed to scams.

“Which? has launched a free scam alert service to help consumers familiarise themselves with the latest tactics used by fraudsters, but there is no doubt that tech giants, regulators and the government need to go to greater lengths to prevent scams from flourishing.

“Online platforms must be given a legal responsibility to identify, remove and prevent fake and fraudulent content on their sites. The case for including scams in the Online Safety Bill is overwhelming and the government needs to act now.”

Google responded: “We’re constantly reviewing ads, sites and accounts to ensure they comply with our policies. As a result of our enforcement actions (proactive and reactive), our team blocked or removed over 3.1 billion ads for violating our policies.

“As part of the various ways we are tackling bad ads, we also encourage people to flag bad actors they’re seeing via our support tool where you can report bad ads directly. It can easily be found on Search when looking for “How to report bad ads on Google” and filling out the necessary information. It is simple for consumers to provide the required information for the Google ads team to act accordingly.

“We take action on potentially bad ads reported to us and these complaints are always manually reviewed.”

“We have strict policies that govern the kinds of ads that we allow to run on our platform. We enforce those policies vigorously, and if we find ads that are in violation we remove them. We utilize a mix of automated systems and human review to enforce our policies.”

A spokesperson for Facebook responded: “Fraudulent activity is not allowed on Facebook and we have taken action on a number of pages reported to us by Which?.

“Our 35,000 strong team of safety and security experts work alongside sophisticated AI to proactively identify and remove this content, and we urge people to report any suspicious activity to us. Our teams disable billions of fake accounts every year and we have donated £3 million to Citizens Advice to deliver a UK Scam Action Programme.”

A Twitter spokesperson said: “Where we identify violations of our rules, we take robust enforcement action.

“We’re constantly adapting to bad actors’ evolving methods, and we will continue to iterate and improve upon our policies as the industry evolves.”

To sign up to Which?’s scam alert service visit: www.which.co.uk/scamalerts

NSPCC aims to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption

Polling shows majority of adults in Scotland would back end-to-end encryption in private messaging if children’s safety is not compromised
NSPCC chief calls for a reset of the debate to protect the safety and privacy rights of children
Home Secretary to address NSPCC event on end-to-end encryption

The NSPCC is warning that private messaging is the frontline of child sexual abuse online and is calling for an urgent re-set of debates on end-to-end encryption.

The call comes as polling shows the Scottish public support for end-to-end encryption of private messages would double if platforms could demonstrate children’s safety would not be compromised.

An NSPCC/YouGov survey found 29% of adults in Scotland support using end-to-end encryption on social media and messaging services, but this jumps to 59% if it was rolled out only if and when tech firms can ensure children’s safety is protected.

A total of 183 adults in Scotland were surveyed between 31^st December 2020 and 4^th January 2021.

Major tech firms currently use a range of technology to identify child abuse images and detect grooming and sexual abuse in private messages.

But there are fears that Facebook’s proposals to end-to-end encrypt Facebook Messenger and Instagram would render these tools useless, with estimates that 70% of global child abuse reports could be lost.

In 2018 these reports resulted in 2,500 arrests and 3,000 children being safeguarded in the UK.

A major NSPCC roundtable attended by the UK Government Home Secretary, Priti Patel, will today (Monday) bring together child protection, civil society and law enforcement experts from the UK, US, Canada, Ireland and Australia.

The charity will call for an urgent reset of the debate around end-to-end encryption which they say has increasingly become an ‘either or’ argument skewed in favour of adult privacy over the safety and privacy rights of children.

However, latest polling suggests public support for a balanced settlement that protects the safety of children while maximising the privacy of all users – including children who have been sexually abused.

More than half (52%) of adults in Scotland believe the ability to detect child abuse images is more important than the right to privacy and more than a third (39%) think they are equally important. Only 3% say privacy should be prioritised over safety.
94% support social networks and messaging services having the technical ability to detect child abuse images on their sites.
95% support a technical ability to detect adults sending sexual images to children on their services.

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “Private messaging is the frontline of child sexual abuse but the current debate around end-to-end encryption risks leaving children unprotected where there is most harm.

“The public want an end to rhetoric that heats up the issue but shines little light on a solution, so it’s in firms’ interests to find a fix that allows them to continue to use tech to disrupt abuse in an end-to-end encrypted world.

“We need a coordinated response across society, but ultimately the UK Government must be the guardrail that protects child users if tech companies choose to put them at risk with dangerous design choices.”

A re-set debate should focus on demonstrating the impact that end-to-end encryption will have on engineering away platforms’ ability to find abuse in private messaging, and how this can be avoided.

The current debate predominantly focuses on the impact of end-to-end encryption for law enforcement, which emphasises the investigation of abuse after it has already taken place – rather than focussing on the loss of platforms’ ability to detect and disrupt abuse much earlier.

At the roundtable, the NSPCC will share new research and analysis about the implications of end-to-end encryption for child protection and call for tech firms to refocus their approach through safer design features and investment in technology.

It says tech firms should strive to achieve a new settlement that balances properly the benefits and risks of end-to-end encryption, underpinned by legal safeguards through regulation.

The NSPCC is calling for a reset of the debate that allows parties to reach a balanced settlement on both safety and privacy by:

Considering the needs of all users, including children
Avoiding characterising children’s safety as a simplistic trade off against adult’s privacy
Reflecting children’s digital rights under international law
Tech firms respecting the full range of fundamental rights at stake, rather than privileging some over others
Considering how particular design features can exacerbate the risk of end-to-end encryption to children – e.g. Facebook algorithms that suggest children as friends to adults and plans to auto delete messages on WhatsApp

The UK Government Home Secretary will address the meeting a year after the NSPCC brought together 130 children’s organisations to call on Facebook not to proceed with end-to-end encryption until they can guarantee children’s safety won’t be compromised.

The NSPCC’s report End-to-End Encryption: Understanding the Impacts for Child Safety Online compiled research and interviews with experts from 17 organisations in the UK, US and Australia, including industry, government, law enforcement, civil society and academics.

Its policy briefing Private messaging and the rollout of end-to-end encryption – the implications for child protectionsets out the importance of a range of responses to ensure child protection can be maintained in end-to-end encrypted environments, through technological, civil society and legislative and regulatory action.