The internet is an amazing resource for children, but it can represent a worrying unknown for parents. We worry about what or whom our children may encounter online, and how we can protect them. As parents, it’s important that we don’t let our concerns and preconceptions about the internet take this valuable resource away from […]

If there’s one industry which has thrived in the internet age, it’s porn. Thanks to the fact that practically everyone now has a broadband connection and a smartphone, the sheer accessibility of porn from almost anywhere in the world has made it an almost unavoidable occurrence when online. Although it’s not to everyone’s taste, porn […]

Despite 13 being the minimum age requirement to sign up for an account on the most common social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube (18 without parental permission), most kids simply bypass it by altering their date of birth; and hey presto, they can sign in. So if you have an eight or nine […]

According to recent research by alarm and doorbell company Friedland, four out of five burglars are now using social media to track their victims and select possible targets. With one in four people using social media worldwide, it can be daunting to think that strangers may be watching your profiles. But by looking at how […]

Originating with Chatroulette (a website that randomly pairs its users to have a webcam-based chat), there is now a growing trend towards apps that bring strangers together. What is Wakie? Wakie is one of these apps.  It offers people the opportunity to get rid of their traditional alarm clocks as instead you are woken up […]

For BBC Learning, Safer Internet Day isn’t over in 24 hours, and this year we scheduled a whole week of activity across television, radio and online under the banner of ‘Be Smart’. As well as our own feature-packed website we received great coverage from The One Show, Breakfast, 5Live and Woman’s Hour – Be Smart […]

We’re not talking about your virtue. With Valentine’s Day having recently come around again the desire for romance may be running high, but if you’re searching for amour online, you need to take precautions. A survey by mobile, TV and internet specialists broadbandchoices.co.uk found that one in 10 people who ‘meet’ someone through online dating services […]

Doxing (from dox, abbreviation of documents), or doxxing, is the Internet-based practice of researching and broadcasting personally identifiable information about an individual. The methods employed in pursuit of this information include searching publicly available databases and social media websites (like Facebook), hacking, and social engineering. It is closely related to cyber-vigilantism, hacktivism and cyber-bullying. Well […]

Fraud is one of those things that you probably tell yourself won’t happen to you, however, as it cost the British public more than £600 million in 2013, it’s a serious issue that we should all be aware of. When you think of the term ‘fraud’, your mind may conjure up images of cunning criminals […]

Earlier this year, a friend of mine introduced me to Secret, an anonymous social media app.  I had heard about a few of these and as it was free to download I thought I would give it a try.   What is Whisper and SecretNumber? These platforms, including Whisper and SecretNumber, provide people with a […]