You Meta believe it: we need to figure out how to regulate the metaverse before we’re inside it November 10, 2021 The metaverse has been on everyone’s lips after Mark Zuckerberg announced the rebranding of Facebook, now made fresh into Meta. “All of our products, including our apps, now share a new vision: to help bring the metaverse to life”, said Zuckerberg in his melodramatic Founder’s letter. Almost two weeks have gone by since the announcement, [...]
Mud slinging across the Channel Deciphering the fish wars, Made easy November 2, 2021 The latest development in the fishing row between France and the UK is a temporary truce. French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to enforce retaliatory measures Tuesday at midnight, but he didn’t. The row is all about access to the other country’s respective waters, which for France include Channel Islands’ waters. A deal was drafted [...]
London is failing to make itself more accessible for those with disabilities November 2, 2021 Children with special education needs and disabilities were given a slice of Rishi Sunak’s spending spree last week, with £2.6bn set to be spent on things like more accessible classrooms. The current disability pay gap is 19.6 per cent. So focusing our energies where the cracks begin to emerge is a no brainer. But for [...]
How TikTok accounts lure teens into fraud October 27, 2021 When he accidentally became a money mule, “Tom” was only fourteen. A friend transferred him 250£ and asked to withdraw them in cash. Days later “Tom”’s bank closed his account, and he hasn’t been able to open a new one anywhere since. He is now sixteen and believes he has a Cifas marker – meaning [...]
Tik-ing time bomb: Social media companies told to crack down on money mule ads October 27, 2021 City bigwigs have demanded social media companies clamp down on “money muling” ads on their platforms which could leave young people blacklisted from credit for life. Teenagers are being targeted on TikTok by criminals who promise quick money in exchange for participating in fraudulent activity, or so called “money muling”. An increasing number of teens [...]
Hiring ex-convicts to fill shortages could fight prejudice in the workforce October 22, 2021 Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab delighted us with some rare wisdom yesterday. To fill in the pressing labour shortages that have been dominating the news agenda recently, Raab suggested employing ex-convicts. The haulage and food factory sectors are only some of the industries affected by shortages that could welcome ex-offenders as part of their workforce. [...]
It’s time to break the social housing stalemate and build affordable homes October 12, 2021 When you’re losing in a game of chess, you try to end it with a stalemate: no one wins and no one loses. The game ends in a draw. The social housing system in the UK finds itself exactly in this position. The difference is that someone is losing: the scores of families stuck on [...]
Scantily clad CMA guidelines will do little to fend off greenwashing on our high streets and in our banks October 5, 2021 restore it. The term greenwashing wasn’t invented by the environmentally active Gen Z or even the older cohort of millenials. It dates back to 1986 when American environmentalist Jay Westerveld used it to describe hotels asking their customers to reuse towels to limit water usage while they abused neighbouring nature areas for their premises. Washing [...]
Keir Starmer’s bid for Red Wall voters will leave the young out in the cold October 4, 2021 No one wants to hear a longer speech from Keir Starmer after his first performance in front of live crowds at Labour conference last week. The ninety minute monologue on his vision for the party’s future was, in short, a lot. But even in the midst of winding journeys through his personal history, segues on [...]
Inside the raging war between abortion rights and Down’s syndrome discrimination September 24, 2021 Heidi Crowter and Maire-Lea Wilson walk out from the Royal Courts of Justice, defeated but with their heads held high. After months of campaigning, September has brought a closed on the second act of their battle to reshape abortion law. The two women are part of a network that champions the rights of people with [...]
