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Prince Philip's final phone call to King Charles revealed

Prince Philip was known for his quick wit and sense of humour, and now his family have shared their favourite moments with him in the BBC documentary Prince Philip: The Family Remembers. In the documentary, King Charles revealed the cheeky remarks the Duke made in their final phone call just hours before his passing on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99. Charles recalled discussing the Duke's upcoming 100th birthday celebrations and having to raise his voice so his father could hear him better, saying: “We’re talking about your birthday! And whether there’s going to be a reception!” The Duke quipped: “Well, I’ve got to be alive for it, haven’t I?” King Charles fondly shared what he said to his father's cheeky remark, “I told him ‘I knew you’d say that!'”. In another part of the documentary, the monarch recalled the benefits of having young parents. “He was marvellous at arranging silly games. I mean, the fun of having obviously young parents was… there were lots of chasing around and mad things," he said. Prince William also shared some of his fond memories with his late grandfather, recalling the pranks they used to pull together, and one of them being squirting mustard all over the ceiling - much to the Queen’s annoyance. “He used to take the lid off [the tube] and put it in your hands … and then he’d squish your hands together to fire the mustard onto the ceiling," William said. “He used to get in a lot of trouble from my grandmother,” he added. William’s cousins, Princess Anne’s children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, also remembered the same prank. “He gets you to hold it in your hands and I can’t remember exactly what he says — but he ends up slamming your hands together… it goes all over the ceiling,” Zara said. Her brother Peter added: “I actually think the marks are still there.” Image: Canadian Press/ Shutterstock Editorial

Family & Pets

"I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested": do driving apps help people break road rules?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a> Apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze can tell drivers when they are approaching speed cameras or random breath testing stations. Countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland have banned apps from displaying these enforcement locations. But what effect are these apps having in Australia – are they helping drivers break road rules? Our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524002972">paper</a>, published in the journal Safety Science, examined this question. We found this technology can, in some cases, contribute to people thinking they are invincible on the roads. However, we also found they can sometimes help people drive more safely. <h2>Being made aware of enforcement can help road safety</h2> We conducted focus groups and interviews with a total of 58 drivers from Queensland, to understand how the use of this technology influences perceptions of being caught for breaking road rules. One driver told us: "If I know it’s coming up, I’ll put my phone down. If I was, say, texting or checking something, but then like once a good few 100 metres away, I sort of pick it up again, depending though." Another said: "It sort of depends where I am driving, I guess. Like, if I am driving on a country road and there is a speed camera there I would probably slow down for the speed camera and then sort of speed up again once I am sort of past that; it sort of depends on the circumstances." We also found that, for some people, being made aware of enforcement locations can help drivers better regulate their speed. This helped them comply with road rules more consistently. Waze also shows the speed limit in the area, which further assisted some drivers to stick to the speed limit. One driver told us: "I’m a bit careful if I just look at the speedo and just double check that I’m on the right amount of speed." Another said: "It just gives you a warning like, ‘OK, you need to check your speed.’ Just to double-check you’re going on the right speed perhaps or when it’s a camera coming up." <h2>Concerning behaviours</h2> Concerningly, we also found some drivers who use these apps are looking at and touching their screens more than they otherwise would. This can distract drivers and increase their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524001097">risk of crashing</a>. One driver told us they post traffic updates on the app they use while driving, “which I know is wrong.” Another said: "Just hit the button on the phone. Just two steps after I go past the camera." Another driver told us: "It’s so helpful […] Especially if it’s, say, late night and I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested." One driver said: "I probably feel slightly more invincible, which is probably not a good thing." When asked why these apps are used, one driver said: "I guess the drug and the drink-driving." <h2>Apps can help and hinder road safety</h2> We know breaking road rules significantly contributes to <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/safety-and-mobility/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2023">crashes and road fatalities</a>, with deaths on Australian roads continuing to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">increase</a> over time. On the one hand, when drivers are aware of enforcement measures like cameras and police, they are more likely to stop breaking the rules in those areas. That’s particularly true for behaviours such as speeding and using a phone while driving, we found. Using apps that flag where cameras and police are located also means drivers would be more exposed to enforcement activities than they otherwise would be on a normal drive. On the other hand, our results suggest some drivers are using these applications to break road rules more often in places where they think they won’t be caught. These apps are also not always completely accurate. For instance, even though Waze can display some police operation locations such as roadside breath testing, it can’t capture all on-road police activities. Further, camera locations are not always up to date or accurate. <h2>Weighing benefits against risks</h2> While these apps do have some benefits, it’s important to weigh these against the risks. It’s also important to recognise traffic enforcement isn’t just there to make you comply with road rules at a specific point; it is meant to remind you of the constant risk of being caught and to encourage consistent rule compliance. The goal is to ensure that drivers are following the traffic rules across the entire network, not just in isolated spots. With road fatalities at some of the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">highest rates we’ve seen in recent years</a>, we need everyone to work together to stop more preventable deaths and injuries.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237664/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, A/Professor Responsible Risk Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-coming-home-from-a-party-and-i-dont-want-to-end-up-getting-arrested-do-driving-apps-help-people-break-road-rules-237664">original article</a>.

Legal

Do mobile phones cause brain cancer? Science makes definitive call

The question of whether mobile phones - specifically the electromagnetic radiation or radio waves emitted by these devices - cause cancer has been debated and researched for a long time, and now scientists have made a definitive call. A new comprehensive review commissioned by the World Health Organization has found that mobile phones are NOT linked to brain and head cancers. The systematic review, led by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (Arpansa), examined over 5,000 studies, which included 63 observational studies on humans published between 1994 and 2022 and is "the most comprehensive review to date" according to review lead author, associate prof Ken Karipidis. “We concluded the evidence does not show a link between mobile phones and brain cancer or other head and neck cancers," he said. The review, which was published on Wednesday, focused on cancers of the nervous system, salivary gland and brain tumours. They found no overall association between mobile phone use and cancer, even if people have used it for a long time (over 10 years) or spend a lot of time on their phones. “I’m quite confident with our conclusion. And what makes us quite confident is … even though mobile phone use has skyrocketed, brain tumour rates have remained stable,” Karipidis continued. Despite emitting electromagnetic radiation, also known as radio waves, the exposure is relatively low. Karipidis said people hear the word radiation and assume it is similar to nuclear radiation, “and because we use a mobile phone close to the head when we’re making calls, there is a lot of concern.” He clarified that “radiation is basically energy that travels from one point to another. There are many different types, for example, ultraviolet radiation from the sun." “We’re always exposed to low-level radio waves in the everyday environment.” While exposure from mobile phones is still low, it is much higher than exposure from any other wireless technology sources since they are used close to the head, Karipidis said. The association between mobile phones and cancers came about from early studies comparing differences between those with and without brain tumours and asking about their exposure history. According to Karipidis, who is also the vice-chair of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, the results from these kind of studies tend to be biased, as the group with the tumour tend to overreport their exposure. Based on these early studies WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) designated radio-frequency fields like those from mobile phones as a possible cancer risk, but Karipidis said "this classification doesn’t mean all that much”. This is because the IARC has different classifications of cancer risk, with some substances classified as a “definite” carcinogen (such as smoking), and others as “probable” or “possible” carcinogens. Tim Driscoll, a professor at the University of Sydney and chair of the Australian Cancer Council’s occupational and environmental cancers committee, also backed the systematic review. “I think people should feel reassured by this study … but it’s worthwhile just remembering that the studies aren’t perfect, but the weight of evidence certainly is that mobile phones should be considered safe to use in terms of any concerns about increased risk of cancer,” Driscoll said. Images: Shutterstock

Body

Readers response: What are your thoughts on online dating or dating apps for seniors?

When it comes to dating, there are many ways people find their perfect person, and for many that happens online. We asked our readers what their thoughts are on an online dating app for seniors, and the responses were overwhelming. Here's what they said. Kristeen Bon - I tried it for a bit, but found the men to be so unrealistic in their expectations. What they say they want and what they REALLY want are poles apart. Helen Smith - It works great but men really need to look in a mirror now and then. Sue Rowley - Personally, I’m happy on my own, but if you’re looking for a partner where else is there to meet someone? Pub, supermarket, dog walking? Not many options really, especially when you’re older. Jenny Gordon - Would not consider it. Would prefer to stay single than see how friends and relatives have been affected by using them. Ali Veldman - Risky at any age, in my opinion. Diane Derby - I’d never entertain one. I like being by myself, plus two much catfishing and ghosting to be able to find a decent type. Margaret Godfrey - Tried it. A dismal failure in a small population. What is the point of men interstate responding when you live a plane flight away? John Coffey - Met my late partner online, and had a great 10 years. It can be a minefield though. Image credits: Shutterstock

Relationships

Yes, blue light from your phone can harm your skin. A dermatologist explains

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-freeman-223922">Michael Freeman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> Social media is full of claims that everyday habits can harm your skin. It’s also full of recommendations or advertisements for products that can protect you. Now social media has blue light from our devices in its sights. So can scrolling on our phones really damage your skin? And will applying creams or lotions help? Here’s what the evidence says and what we should really be focusing on. <h2>Remind me, what actually is blue light?</h2> Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. Sunlight is the strongest source. But our electronic devices – such as our phones, laptops and TVs – also emit it, albeit at levels <a href="https://melasmaclinic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Melasma-LEDS.pdf">100-1,000 times</a> lower. Seeing as we spend so much time using these devices, there has been some concern about the impact of blue light on our health, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-blue-light-glasses-really-work-can-they-reduce-eye-strain-or-help-me-sleep-213145">on our eyes and sleep</a>. Now, we’re learning more about the impact of blue light on our skin. <h2>How does blue light affect the skin?</h2> The evidence for blue light’s impact on skin is still emerging. But there are some interesting findings. 1. Blue light can increase pigmentation <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ced/article-abstract/46/5/934/6598472?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">Studies</a> <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/srt.13401">suggest</a> exposure to blue light can stimulate production of melanin, the natural skin pigment that gives skin its colour. So too much blue light can potentially worsen hyperpigmentation – overproduction of melanin leading to dark spots on the skin – especially in people with darker skin. 2. Blue light can give you wrinkles Some research <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6280109/">suggests</a> blue light might damage collagen, a protein essential for skin structure, potentially accelerating the formation of wrinkles. A laboratory <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29399830/">study suggests</a> this can happen if you hold your device one centimetre from your skin for as little as an hour. However, for most people, if you hold your device more than 10cm away from your skin, that would reduce your exposure <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law">100-fold</a>. So this is much less likely to be significant. 3. Blue light can disrupt your sleep, affecting your skin If the skin around your eyes looks dull or puffy, it’s easy to blame this directly on blue light. But as we know blue light affects sleep, what you’re probably seeing are some of the visible signs of sleep deprivation. We know blue light is particularly good at <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01413.2009?rss=1">suppressing</a> production of melatonin. This natural hormone normally signals to our bodies when it’s time for sleep and helps regulate our sleep-wake cycle. By suppressing melatonin, blue light exposure before bed disrupts this natural process, making it harder to fall asleep and potentially reducing the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07420528.2023.2173606">quality of your sleep</a>. The stimulating nature of screen content further disrupts sleep. Social media feeds, news articles, video games, or even work emails can keep our brains active and alert, hindering the transition into a sleep state. Long-term sleep problems can also <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ced/article-abstract/40/1/17/6621145?login=false">worsen</a> existing skin conditions, such as acne, eczema and rosacea. Sleep deprivation can elevate cortisol levels, a stress hormone that breaks down collagen, the protein responsible for skin’s firmness. Lack of sleep can also weaken the skin’s natural barrier, making it more susceptible to environmental damage and dryness. <h2>Can skincare protect me?</h2> The beauty industry has capitalised on concerns about blue light and offers a range of protective products such as mists, serums and lip glosses. From a practical perspective, probably only those with the more troublesome hyperpigmentation known as <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/topics/melasma">melasma</a> need to be concerned about blue light from devices. This condition requires the skin to be well protected from all visible light at all times. The only products that are totally effective are those that block all light, namely mineral-based suncreens or some cosmetics. If you can’t see the skin through them they are going to be effective. But there is a lack of rigorous testing for non-opaque products outside laboratories. This makes it difficult to assess if they work and if it’s worth adding them to your skincare routine. <h2>What can I do to minimise blue light then?</h2> Here are some simple steps you can take to minimise your exposure to blue light, especially at night when it can disrupt your sleep: <ul> <li> use the “night mode” setting on your device or use a blue-light filter app to reduce your exposure to blue light in the evening </li> <li> minimise screen time before bed and create a relaxing bedtime routine to avoid the types of sleep disturbances that can affect the health of your skin </li> <li> hold your phone or device away from your skin to minimise exposure to blue light </li> <li> use sunscreen. Mineral and physical sunscreens containing titanium dioxide and iron oxides offer broad protection, including from blue light. </li> </ul> <h2>In a nutshell</h2> Blue light exposure has been linked with some skin concerns, particularly pigmentation for people with darker skin. However, research is ongoing. While skincare to protect against blue light shows promise, more testing is needed to determine if it works. For now, prioritise good sun protection with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which not only protects against UV, but also light.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233335/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-freeman-223922">Michael Freeman</a>, Associate Professor of Dermatology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-blue-light-from-your-phone-can-harm-your-skin-a-dermatologist-explains-233335">original article</a>.

Body

Why you should be wary of charging your phone in an airport

While charging stations at airports can often be life-savings before boarding a flight, it turns out these handy outlets can be leaving you vulnerable. Many people have fought over a spot to charge up your devices at the last minute before embarking on a holiday, but next time you leave home with your phone or laptop needing some more juice, think again. Emily Stallings, co-founder of tech retailer <a href="https://www.getcasely.com/">Casely</a>, says that by plugging your phone into a power outlet at a public USB charging station, you're at risk of data breaches and malware infection. "If a device gets infected, it could end up leaking sensitive information or even stop working properly," she told <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/charging-phone-at-the-airport-danger-expert/57d141df-33ba-4a50-89e5-26f6f2a0c18d">9Travel</a>. These public USB ports have often been compromised by cybercriminals, who then use these unsecured ports to steal sensitive information transmitted between devices. "From personal emails to financial data, the information intercepted through these compromised ports could lead to identity theft, financial loss, and other serious consequences," explains Stallings. The best way to get around this threat, without letting your phone run out of battery, is to pack a portable charging device in your carry-on bag every time you travel. With your own cord and power bank, it's far less likely that any sneaky hackers will be able to access your device's data. Stallings says you can also enable security features such as USB Restricted Mode on your device, for those moments when you're desperate for a charger and have to rely on public ports. "This adds an extra layer of protection against potential data breaches and malware infections when charging from public USB ports." "By activating USB Restricted Mode or similar security features, you restrict data transfer over USB connections, effectively preventing unauthorised access to your device's data while charging in public spaces." Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

Tourist slapped with $225k bill after simple mistake

An American tourist has revealed the moment he was charged with a $US143k (AU$225k) bill after a short holiday to Switzerland. Rene Remund and his wife Linda went on the trip last September. Prior to their travels, Remund made sure to inform his mobile phone provider, T-Mobile, that he was going overseas and as a customer of 30 years, he was told he was “covered”. So, with no worries at all, the tourist shared photos of his moments in the Swiss countryside with friends and family via photo messages. Imagine his surprise when he came home to a six-figure bill, after he racked up thousands and thousands of dollars in daily roaming costs. “I get this T-Mobile bill and it doesn’t bother me very much because I was reading $143,” he explained, adding it wasn’t until he went to pay the bill that he realised a few more zeros were involved. “I look at the bill and I say, ‘excuse me’,” he said. “$143,000 … are you guys crazy?” According to the bill, Remund had racked up 9.5 gigabytes of data while in Europe, which cost him thousands of dollars each day. While it wasn't a huge amount of data, not being covered by roaming fees will cause a user to run up a huge bill very quickly. “I called [T-Mobile] and the girl put me on hold for a while,” he explained. “She said let me check this out and I’ll get back to you. She gets back and says, yeah this is a good bill. “I said, ‘what do you mean it’s a good bill?’ And she says ‘well, this is what you owe’. “I said ‘you’re kidding me … you’re crazy’.” After confirming that his bill was in fact AU$225,000, Remund hired a lawyer to argue the fact that he was covered for international roaming. His lawyer issued a letter to the president of T-Mobile, and they only received a reply a few days ago. The letter from T-Mobile allegedly said that the service provider was “sorry” for the charges, and that Remund would receive a “credit” to eliminate the entire bill. In an email shared to local media Scripps News Tampa, the mobile phone provider said that customers should always “check the travel features of their plan, such as international data roaming, before departing”. “If a customer is on an older plan that doesn’t include international roaming for data and calling, they’ll need to make sure they’re using aeroplane mode and wi-fi when using data to be certain the device doesn’t connect to an international network.” <em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Images: ABC Action News

Travel Trouble

8 places you should never keep your phone

In your pocket Keeping your phone in your pocket seems logical, but you could be doing more harm than good. According to Dr Lilly Friedman, this is actually the worst place to store your phone. “When phones are on, connected to a wireless network, and placed in a pocket, the radiation is two to seven times higher than if it were placed in a purse or holster,” she says. There is a correlation between radiation from a mobile phone and tumour growth, she adds. Plus, radiation can change the structure of DNA and affect male fertility, according to Dr Friedman. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer also found that mobile phone radiation is additionally carcinogenic to humans. Merely sitting on your phone could cause health issues such as sciatica or back problems. In your bra Some research and case studies show that keeping your phone in your bra could be linked to breast cancer due to the radiations and vibrations from the phone. That said, there is not enough evidence to establish a definite relationship between the two. Still, keeping your phone in your bra, especially a sports bra, is a bad idea due to the skin-irritating bacteria it could harbour, Muscle & Fitness reports. In your bed or under your pillow Sleeping with your phone is a bad idea for a few reasons. First, keeping your phone under your pillow could build up heat and present a potential fire hazard, especially if your phone is charging or has a defect. It’s also known that the LED light from phone screens can disrupt melatonin production and circadian rhythms, hurting your sleep quality, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And, of course, there’s also radiation to consider. The amounts of radio frequency radiation mobile phones give off are the same ones emitted from microwaves. There is also concern about the safety of mobile phone use with respect to cancer and brain tumours, per the American Cancer Society. Plugged in Keeping your phone plugged in when it has a full battery causes damage to the battery itself, according to pcmag.com. It’s not that your phone ‘overloads’ with power, but heat build-ups from stacking things on top of your phone or keeping it under your pillow, making your phone hotter and damaging your battery. Close to your face Keeping your phone close to your face means bacteria transfers to and from your phone, making your skin and phone dirtier. This combination leads to more acne, skin irritation and even wrinkles, according to Allure. Try using ear pods instead to keep the surface of your phone at a distance from your face. In your glovebox Extreme temperatures are the worst conditions for your phone. So keeping your device in your car’s glovebox during the extremely hot or cold months of the year could lead to problems. According to Time, excess heat can cause everything from data loss or corruption to battery leakage. The cold weather presents just as many issues for your device. In cold temperatures, many smartphones shut off, have display problems, shortened battery life and in rare cases screen shattering. On your beach towel Notice a theme here? The extreme sun and heat at the beach is a recipe for phone disaster. Protect your device after you finish taking beautiful beach pictures. Hot and sunny conditions could, again, cause your phone to overheat – and getting sand in your phone won’t help either. Anywhere in the bathroom Although phones could arguably be the new newspaper, it’s not a good idea to take yours into the bathroom. Even if you keep your device on a counter or away from the toilet, anything within a metre of a flushing toilet could mean bacteria or viruses in the air end up on your phone, according to a study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. “The detection of bacteria and viruses falling out onto surfaces in bathrooms after flushing indicated that they remain airborne long enough to settle on surfaces throughout the bathroom,” wrote the study authors. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/8-places-you-should-never-keep-your-phone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Technology

How risky is it to give card details over the phone and how do I reduce the chance of fraud?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-haskell-dowland-382903">Paul Haskell-Dowland</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ismini-vasileiou-1031778">Ismini Vasileiou</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/de-montfort-university-1254">De Montfort University</a> Paying for things digitally is so common, most of us think nothing of swiping or tapping our card, or using mobile payments. While doing so is second nature, we may be more reluctant to provide card details over the phone. Merchants are allowed to ask us for credit card details over the phone – this is perfectly legal. But there are minimum standards they must comply with and safeguards to protect consumer data. So is giving your card details over the phone any more risky than other transactions and how can you minimise the risks? <h2>How is my card data protected?</h2> For a merchant to process card transactions, they are expected to comply with the <a href="https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0.pdf">Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard</a>. This is a set of security requirements designed to protect cardholder data and the trillions of dollars of transactions each year. Compliance involves various security measures (such as encryption and access controls) together with strong governance and regular security assessments. If the information stored by the merchant is accessed by an unauthorised party, encryption ensures it is not readable. That means stealing the data would not let the criminals use the card details. Meanwhile, access controls ensure only authorised individuals have access to cardholder data. Though all companies processing cards are expected to meet the compliance standards, only those processing large volumes are subject to mandatory regular audits. Should a subsequent data leak or misuse occur that can be attributed to a compliance failure, a <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/569591/pci-dss-explained-requirements-fines-and-steps-to-compliance.html">company can be penalised</a> at levels that can escalate into millions of dollars. These requirements apply to all card transactions, whether in person, online or over the phone. Phone transactions are likely to involve a human collecting the card details and either entering them into computer systems, or processing the payment through paper forms. The payment card Security Standards Council has <a href="https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/Guidance%20Document/Telephone-Based%20Payments/Protecting_Telephone_Based_Payment_Card_Data_v3-0_nov_2018.pdf">detailed guides for best practice</a>: <blockquote> A policy should be in place to ensure that payment card data is protected against unauthorised viewing, copying, or scanning, in particular on desks. </blockquote> Although these measures can help to protect your card data, there are still risks in case the details are misplaced or the person on the phone aren’t who they say they are. <h2>Basic tips for safe credit card use over the phone</h2> If you provide card details over the phone, there are steps you can take to minimise the chance you’ll become the victim of fraud, or get your details leaked. 1. Verify the caller If you didn’t initiate the call, hang up and call the company directly using details you’ve verified yourself. Scammers will often masquerade as a well-known company (for example, an online retailer or a courier) and convince you a payment failed or payment is needed to release a delivery. Before you provide any information, confirm the caller is legitimate and the purpose of the call is genuine. 2. Be sceptical If you are being offered a deal that’s too good to be true, have concerns about the person you’re dealing with, or just feel something is not quite right, hang up. You can always call them back later if the caller turns out to be legitimate. 3. Use secure payment methods If you’ve previously paid the company with other (more secure) methods, ask to use that same method. 4. Keep records Make sure you record details of the company, the representative you are speaking to and the amount being charged. You should also ask for an order or transaction reference. Don’t forget to ask for the receipt to be sent to you. Check the transaction against your card matches the receipt – use your banking app, don’t wait for the statement to come through. <h2>Virtual credit cards</h2> In addition to the safeguards mentioned above, a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/virtual-credit-card-numbers-guide/">virtual credit card</a> can help reduce the risk of card fraud. You probably already have a form of virtual card if you’ve added a credit card to your phone for mobile payments. Depending on the financial institution, you can create a new credit card number linked to your physical card. Some banks extend this functionality to allow you to generate unique card numbers and/or CVV numbers (the three digits at the back of your card). With this approach you can easily separate transactions and cancel a virtual card/number if you have any concerns. <h2>What to do if you think your card details have been compromised or stolen?</h2> It’s important not to panic, but quick action is essential: <ul> <li> call your bank and get the card blocked so you won’t lose any more money. Depending on your situation, you can also block/cancel the card through your banking app or website </li> <li> report the issue to the police or other relevant body </li> <li> monitor your account(s) for any unusual transactions </li> <li> explore card settings in your banking app or website – many providers allow you to limit transactions based on value, restrict transaction types or enable alerts </li> <li> you may want to consider registering for <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-credit-report-is-a-key-part-of-your-privacy-heres-how-to-find-and-check-it-116999">credit monitoring services</a> and to enable fraud alerts. </li> </ul> <h2>So, should I give my card details over the phone?</h2> If you want to minimise risk, it’s best to avoid giving card details over the phone if you can. Providing your card details via a website still has risks, but at least it removes the human element. The best solution currently available is to use virtual cards – if anything goes wrong you can cancel just that unique card identity, rather than your entire card.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216833/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-haskell-dowland-382903">Paul Haskell-Dowland</a>, Professor of Cyber Security Practice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ismini-vasileiou-1031778">Ismini Vasileiou</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/de-montfort-university-1254">De Montfort University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a style="font-style: italic;" href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="https://theconversation.com/how-risky-is-it-to-give-card-details-over-the-phone-and-how-do-i-reduce-the-chance-of-fraud-216833">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Why you need to stop charging your phone overnight

You charge your phone all night Waking up to a fully charged phone may seem like a great way to start the day, but leaving your device plugged in overnight is a bad idea. When a phone has reached 100 per cent charge, it will continue to get trickle charges to keep it topped up at 100 percent. These extra charges keep the battery working non-stop. In fact, it’s better not to fully charge lithium-ion batteries because high voltage stresses the battery and wears it out over time, according to technology company Cadex. You use vibrations for notifications Your phone, like any other tool or device, ages and loses effectiveness the more you use it, says David Steele, the Director of Business Development for EverydayPhone. So little extras, like vibrating notifications, are habits that make your phone’s job harder. “The issue with these habits essentially boils down to having your phone constantly running at full capacity when it’s unnecessary,” Steele says. “Just like us, a phone needs a break to avoid burning out.” You keep apps open that you're not using Unused apps can eat up the battery life of smartphones, according to Andrew Moore-Crispin, the Director of Content at Ting Mobile. “If you open an app once and never use it again, the app might still run in the background,” he says. Swiping out of apps you aren’t using or no longer need is an easy solution. Moore-Crispin says doing so extends the battery life of your phone while also freeing up valuable storage space, too. You allow unnecessary permissions Ride-sharing apps need your location to pick you up, but other apps might not need this permission. Moore-Crispin suggests you be picky about which apps you grant such permissions to and take away permissions you deem unnecessary. You have one of these apps The apps that drain your battery the most are Snapchat, Google Maps, Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook, according to AdWeek. The Guardian found that uninstalling the Facebook mobile app from Android phones saves people up to 20 percent of their battery life. If you also get rid of the FB Messenger app, other app load times could speed up by 15 per cent, per the Guardian. The reason Facebook particularly kills battery life is because it keeps running in the background – even when you’re not using it, Business Insider reports. Your screen is always extremely bright Gone are the days of tiny phone screens, but before you give the thumbs up emoji, understand how the bigger screens of today can be a phone battery’s worst enemy, according to Moore-Crispin. Make sure you turn on adaptive brightness in the display menu. This change means your phone will automatically adjust the screen brightness to match your environment. As a bonus, set the brightness level to the lowest possible and lower your screen’s timeout, which is what determines how long it stays lit before fading when it goes idle. You keep your phone out at the beach Extreme heat or extreme cold temperatures and other weather conditions can shorten the life of your phone. According to Time, excess heat can cause everything from data loss or corruption to battery leakage. Cold weather presents just as many issues. In cold temperatures, some smartphones shut off, have display problems, or run out of battery; in rare cases screens may shatter. You keep your phone in your bed or under your pillow Tucking your phone under your pillow when you sleep is another way to shorten its life, thanks to heat build-up. You don't keep your software up to date utting off device updates does more harm than good for your phone. iPhone and Android makers push updates to make your user experience better and so that your phone functions properly. These updates come with extra benefits, too. In fact, if your device has a weak battery or other issues, these software updates could remedy them, Popular Science reports. Make sure to keep up with app-specific updates as well. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/home-tipsscience-technology/why-you-need-to-stop-charging-your-phone-overnight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Technology

Not all mental health apps are helpful. Experts explain the risks, and how to choose one wisely

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeannie-marie-paterson-6367">Jeannie Marie Paterson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicholas-t-van-dam-389879">Nicholas T. Van Dam</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/piers-gooding-207492">Piers Gooding</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> There are thousands of mental health apps available on the app market, offering services including meditation, mood tracking and counselling, among others. You would think such “health” and “wellbeing” apps – which often present as solutions for conditions such as <a href="https://www.headspace.com/">anxiety</a> and <a href="https://www.calm.com">sleeplessness</a> – would have been rigorously tested and verified. But this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, many may be taking your money and data in return for a service that does nothing for your mental health – at least, not in a way that’s backed by scientific evidence. <h2>Bringing AI to mental health apps</h2> Although some mental health apps connect users with a <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/get-started/?go=true&utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=Search_PPC_c&utm_term=betterhelp+australia_e&utm_content=133525856790&network=g&placement=&target=&matchtype=e&utm_campaign=15228709182&ad_type=text&adposition=&kwd_id=kwd-401317619253&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoeemBhCfARIsADR2QCtfZHNw8mqpBe7cLfLtZBD-JZ5xvAmDCfol8npbAAH3ALJGYvpngtoaAtFlEALw_wcB¬_found=1&gor=start">registered therapist</a>, most provide a fully automated service that bypasses the human element. This means they’re not subject to the same standards of care and confidentiality as a registered mental health professional. Some aren’t even designed by mental health professionals. These apps also increasingly claim to be incorporating artificial intelligence into their design to make personalised recommendations (such as for meditation or mindfulness) to users. However, they give little detail about this process. It’s possible the recommendations are based on a user’s previous activities, similar to Netflix’s <a href="https://help.netflix.com/en/node/100639">recommendation algorithm</a>. Some apps such as <a href="https://legal.wysa.io/privacy-policy#aiChatbot">Wysa</a>, <a href="https://www.youper.ai/">Youper</a> and <a href="https://woebothealth.com/">Woebot</a> use AI-driven chatbots to deliver support, or even established therapeutic interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy. But these apps usually don’t reveal what kinds of algorithms they use. It’s likely most of these AI chatbots use <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-to-choose-between-a-rules-based-vs-machine-learning-system">rules-based systems</a> that respond to users in accordance with predetermined rules (rather than learning on the go as adaptive models do). These rules would ideally prevent the unexpected (and often <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkadgm/man-dies-by-suicide-after-talking-with-ai-chatbot-widow-says">harmful and inappropriate</a>) outputs AI chatbots have become known for – but there’s no guarantee. The use of AI in this context comes with risks of biased, discriminatory or completely inapplicable information being provided to users. And these risks haven’t been adequately investigated. <h2>Misleading marketing and a lack of supporting evidence</h2> Mental health apps might be able to provide certain benefits to users if they are well designed and properly vetted and deployed. But even then they can’t be considered a substitute for professional therapy targeted towards conditions such as anxiety or depression. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/pixels-are-not-people-mental-health-apps-are-increasingly-popular-but-human-connection-is-still-key-192247">clinical value</a> of automated mental health and mindfulness apps is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1077722918300233?casa_token=lwm1E6FhcG0AAAAA:saV7szbZl4DqbvmZiomLG9yMWi_4-zbmy3QCtQzVEQr957QX1E7Aiqkm5BcEntR0mVFgfDVo">still being assessed</a>. Evidence of their efficacy is generally <a href="https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0000002">lacking</a>. Some apps make ambitious claims regarding their effectiveness and refer to studies that supposedly support their benefits. In many cases these claims are based on less-than-robust findings. For instance, they may be based on: <ul> <li><a href="https://sensa.health/">user testimonials</a></li> <li>short-term studies with narrow <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mental-health-chatbots">or homogeneous cohorts</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9533203/">studies involving</a> researchers or funding from the very group <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/13/chatbots-robot-therapists-youth-mental-health-crisis">promoting the app</a></li> <li>or evidence of the benefits of a <a href="https://www.headspace.com/meditation/anxiety">practice delivered face to face</a> (rather than via an app).</li> </ul> Moreover, any claims about reducing symptoms of poor mental health aren’t carried through in contract terms. The fine print will typically state the app does not claim to provide any physical, therapeutic or medical benefit (along with a host of other disclaimers). In other words, it isn’t obliged to successfully provide the service it promotes. For some users, mental health apps may even cause harm, and lead to increases in the very <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34074221/">symptoms</a> people so often use them to address. The may happen, in part, as a result of creating more awareness of problems, without providing the tools needed to address them. In the case of most mental health apps, research on their effectiveness won’t have considered <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9505389/">individual differences</a> such as socioeconomic status, age and other factors that can influence engagement. Most apps also will not indicate whether they’re an inclusive space for marginalised people, such as those from culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQ+ or neurodiverse communities. <h2>Inadequate privacy protections</h2> Mental health apps are subject to standard consumer protection and privacy laws. While data protection and <a href="https://cybersecuritycrc.org.au/sites/default/files/2021-07/2915_cscrc_casestudies_mentalhealthapps_1.pdf">cybersecurity</a> practices vary between apps, an investigation by research foundation Mozilla <a href="https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/are-mental-health-apps-better-or-worse-at-privacy-in-2023">concluded that</a> most rank poorly. For example, the mindfulness app <a href="https://www.headspace.com/privacy-policy">Headspace</a> collects data about users from a <a href="https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/headspace/">range of sources</a>, and uses those data to advertise to users. Chatbot-based apps also commonly repurpose conversations to predict <a href="https://legal.wysa.io/privacy-policy">users’ moods</a>, and use anonymised user data to train the language models <a href="https://www.youper.ai/policy/privacy-policy">underpinning the bots</a>. Many apps share so-called <a href="https://theconversation.com/popular-fertility-apps-are-engaging-in-widespread-misuse-of-data-including-on-sex-periods-and-pregnancy-202127">anonymised</a> data with <a href="https://www.wysa.com/">third parties</a>, such as <a href="https://www.headspace.com/privacy-policy">employers</a>, that sponsor their use. Re-identification of <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2017/december/research-reveals-de-identified-patient-data-can-be-re-identified">these data</a> can be relatively easy in some cases. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) doesn’t require most mental health and wellbeing apps to go through the same testing and monitoring as other medical products. In most cases, they are lightly regulated as <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/how-we-regulate/manufacturing/medical-devices/manufacturer-guidance-specific-types-medical-devices/regulation-software-based-medical-devices">health and lifestyle</a> products or tools for <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/digital-mental-health-software-based-medical-devices.pdf">managing mental health</a> that are excluded from TGA regulations (provided they meet certain criteria). <h2>How can you choose an app?</h2> Although consumers can access third-party rankings for various mental health apps, these often focus on just a few elements, such as <a href="https://onemindpsyberguide.org/apps/">usability</a> or <a href="https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/categories/mental-health-apps/">privacy</a>. Different guides may also be inconsistent with each other. Nonetheless, there are some steps you can take to figure out whether a particular mental health or mindfulness app might be useful for you. <ol> <li> consult your doctor, as they may have a better understanding of the efficacy of particular apps and/or how they might benefit you as an individual </li> <li> check whether a mental health professional or trusted institution was involved in developing the app </li> <li> check if the app has been rated by a third party, and compare different ratings </li> <li> make use of free trials, but be careful of them shifting to paid subscriptions, and be wary about trials that require payment information upfront </li> <li> stop using the app if you experience any adverse effects. </li> </ol> Overall, and most importantly, remember that an app is never a substitute for real help from a human professional.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211513/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeannie-marie-paterson-6367">Jeannie Marie Paterson</a>, Professor of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicholas-t-van-dam-389879">Nicholas T. Van Dam</a>, Associate Professor, School of Psychological Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/piers-gooding-207492">Piers Gooding</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Disability Research Initiative, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-all-mental-health-apps-are-helpful-experts-explain-the-risks-and-how-to-choose-one-wisely-211513">original article</a>.

Mind

Why can’t I use my phone or take photos on the airport tarmac? Is it against the law?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Mobile phones are not allowed to be used while on a plane because they can interfere with the aeroplane’s navigation instruments and <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-the-real-reason-to-turn-on-aeroplane-mode-when-you-fly-188585">cause various safety and social issues</a>. As soon as the plane lands, we’re permitted to turn off flight mode, but at some airports we can’t get much of a signal. That’s because airports are known as mobile signal “<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/slow-connection-airport-tarmacs/">dead zones</a>” due to a lack of mobile towers – they can’t be placed at the airport itself due to height restrictions. Any nearby mobile towers would be located away from the airport’s runway systems to avoid interfering with the aeroplane’s flight path, especially take-off and landing direction. Most airports put up indoor repeater antennas within the airport terminal; these help increase the mobile signal strength coming from the nearest mobile tower somewhere near the airport. But you won’t be allowed to make calls while walking away from the plane, anyway. <h2>Why can’t I use my phone on the tarmac?</h2> As we are taxiing in, the <a href="https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/onboard/communication.html">cabin crew</a> remind us not to smoke outside of designated areas at the terminal and not to use our mobile phones until we are inside the terminal building. If you exit the plane down the rear stairs, why aren’t you allowed to use your phone once away from the aeroplane, if you can get a signal? Surely it won’t affect navigation. The answer is manifold, and regulations aren’t the same across the world. In Australia, a <a href="https://www.casa.gov.au/operations-safety-and-travel/travel-and-passengers/onboard-safety-and-behaviour/using-your-electronic-devices-flights">government regulation</a> prohibits the use of mobile phones on the tarmac – the aeroplane movement and parking area of the airport. You won’t be fined if you whip your phone out while walking to the terminal, but the airline may admonish you for not following the rules. However, if you decide to (<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/woman-arrested-after-running-onto-tarmac-at-melbourne-airport-20151125-gl7bkq.html">run around on the tarmac</a>, you could get arrested by federal police. The airport tarmac is very busy not just with aircraft, but also baggage carts, catering trucks, aeroplane waste removal trucks, and fuel trucks. Getting passengers off the tarmac and into the terminal building quickly and safely is a priority for the staff. If you are distracted while walking to the terminal building because you’re talking on your phone, it can be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/25/alabama-airport-worker-killed-jet-engine-safety-warnings">highly dangerous and even deadly</a> if you end up too close to an operating plane. An operating jet engine is extremely hot and has a strong exhaust. Additionally, the front of the engine has a low-pressure area called an <a href="https://www.ukfrs.com/guidance/search/aircraft-systems-and-construction">ingestion zone</a> that can suck in a person. Ground staff are trained to stay at least ten metres away from this area. However, this information is not shared with the passengers. <h2>A myth about fuel</h2> You may have heard that mobile phones are a fire hazard near fuel, and aeroplanes are, of course, refuelled on the tarmac. However, the chances of fuel catching fire during this process are extremely low, because the refuelling truck is <a href="https://safetyfirst.airbus.com/safe-aircraft-refuelling/">bonded and “grounded” to the plane</a>: the operator attaches a wire to the aircraft to move built-up static electricity to the ground to prevent any chance of a spark. <figure class="align-right zoomable"><figcaption></figcaption></figure> There have been stories in the press about mobile phones sparking <a href="https://www.verizon.com/about/news/vzw/2014/12/fact-or-fiction-using-a-cell-phone-at-the-gas-station-can-cause-a-fire">fires at petrol stations in Indonesia and Australia</a>, but these turned out to be inaccurate. There is <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/AboutTheCodes/30A/FI%20-%20NFPA%2030A-2015%20Para%208.3.1%20-%20Attachments%2014-19.2017-04-04.pdf">no evidence a phone can spark a fire at a fuel pump</a>, despite the warning labels you might see. Either way, the chances of a mobile phone causing this on the tarmac with a refuelling truck that is grounded to the aeroplane are extremely low, not least because the passenger permitted areas and refuelling areas are completely separated. <h2>Why are we told not to take photos on the tarmac?</h2> This rule varies from airport to airport depending on their <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/can-i-film-and-take-photos-security-checkpoint">security processes</a>. Such restrictions are carryovers from the changes to airport security following the <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/jlecono50&i=739">September 11 2001 terrorist attacks</a>. The now federalised security teams, TSA (Transportation Security Administration) in the United States and the Department of Home Affairs in Australia, change their processes frequently to prevent having any identifiable patterns that could be used to create a security breach. The increased security measures also mean new technologies were introduced; airport security sections do not want photos taken of how they operate. The airport security process is a major choke point in the flow of passenger movement due to the screening process. If a passenger is perceived to be slowing the process down by taking photos or talking on their phone, they will be reminded to turn off their device and/or stop taking photos of security personnel and equipment. If you refuse to follow the rules of the screening process, you will be <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/travelsecure/passenger-screening">denied entry</a> into the airport terminal gate area and miss your flight. Can you also get arrested for using your phone? Depends on the airport and country. I, for one, do not want to find out.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207926/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, Professor/Head of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-cant-i-use-my-phone-or-take-photos-on-the-airport-tarmac-is-it-against-the-law-207926">original article</a>.

Travel Tips

How to avoid mobile phone bill horror stories when travelling

"I'm sorry, calls to this number are not allowed, please try again later". This. Again. At 1am standing outside what I thought was our Galway Airbnb, but instead was a popular alley for Irish revellers to relieve themselves. Brilliant. After begging a convenience store manager, borrowing a phone and stealing some local wi-fi, we made it to bed before 3am (one-star rating for the Airbnb host, naturally). Such was the power of the phone company when you're on holiday, I still got pinged far-too-high amounts for calls and data used to attempt a check-in at the Irish abode. A reader recently contacted me wanting to avoid such a conundrum by asking for the best SIM cards available in Europe. Thankfully, EU law has recently shielded travellers from harsh cross-border roaming charges by ruling that providers cannot charge excessively for access to rival networks in fellow EU nations. You'll see the kiosks hawking pre-paid SIM packages at many major airports. If you want the dependability a SIM provides, assess your needs and shop around. Better yet, get to know your smartphone better and use the whole range of mobile apps that will soon make international call and text roaming redundant. Organising hotels, taxis, tours, dinner reservations as well as calling home and making your friends and colleagues jealous with holiday snaps can all be done with a wi-fi connections, which are readily available and far cheaper (if not free). Avoid phone bill shock when you're away <ul> <li>Contact your mobile phone company rep about your destination and length of stay to see what add-ons and spending caps may be best.</li> <li>Only purchase local SIMs if you're in the country more than a week, have an unplanned itinerary or will have no free wi-fi at your accommodation.</li> <li>If you're on a per-day bundle, choose a few days to be on-the-grid and turn off your mobile data on other days.</li> <li>Go wi-fi only, in North American, Asian and European cities it's readily available.</li> <li>Embrace apps like Uber, Gett, WhatsApp, OpenTable and TripAdvisor to book taxis, call home and book restaurants and tours using hotel wi-fi and thus limiting calls.</li> </ul> Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Josh Martin. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Travel Tips

6 amazing things you didn’t know your phone could do

Nobody ever bought a shiny brand new smartphone and then studiously read the manual! Maybe it’s just us but unfortunately it means we’ve missed out on the secret but amazing things your smartphone can do. You don't even need to download any apps to do these nifty tricks. Here are some of our favourite ones that we’re sure will impress next time you need them. Taking a screenshot A great trick if you want to share a hilarious text, picture or Facebook post with friends or family. iPhones – SImultaneously press (but not hold) the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button (top right of phone). You should hear a shutter click as well as see a white flash. The screenshot will be located on your Camera Roll in photos. Androids - Hold down the Power button and Volume -down button at the same time for a couple of seconds. Or hold down power button and home icon at the same time. If this doesn’t work, you can hold down the power button until the option to take a screen shot appears. Taking multiple photos at once A life-saver if you are taking pictures of wriggling kids or people who blink exactly when you take the picture (there’s always someone in the group isn’t there?). This little trick lets you take multiple pictures with a single click. iPhones – In the camera app, rather than tapping capture button to take photos, hold it down. Your camera will automatically take multiple picture (around 10 pictures a second) until you release the button. Androids - In the camera app, tap the gear icon and turn on “Burst Shot” settings. Return to your camera app and hold onto the capture button. Or go to camera, select mode, auto and click on burst shots. Change text size If the tiny text on the smartphone is giving you a headache, there’s an easily solution. You can change the settings so all text on your phone is large. iPhones - Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on “Larger Text.” Androids - Go to Settings > Accessibility > Vision and tap font size and set it to Large. Read to you It really seems like technology can do anything, including programming your smartphone to read to you. iPhones - Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on “Speak Selection.” You can even customise the voice that speaks to you choosing from a wide range of accent including Australian. To get your phone to speak to you, highlight text (double-tapping or tapping and holding on to it) and then tap Speak button in the pop-up menu. Turn off music automatically If you are one to listen to music or audiobooks as you drift off to sleep, you can use a timer to turn it off so it doesn’t drain your battery life. iPhones - Go to the Clock app and tap on "Timer," then "When Timer Ends." From here, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the screen and select "Stop Playing." Androids - Open the music player and go to Settings. Look for "Music auto off" and set it to however long you want the music to play. Search text messages Searching for messages is handy if you are looking for a specific text containing details like addresses, emails or dates. iPhones – When you open your Message app, scroll up and a search bar should pop up at the top of all your messages. Type in the phrase you are looking for. Androids – Open the Message app and then tap on the Menu. A few options will appear and click search. Image: Shutterstock

Technology

"I am not a monster": Disturbing reason police have seized phone of woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann

Polish woman Julia Faustyna who went viral over <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/woman-shares-evidence-that-she-is-madeleine-mccann" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims she could be Madeleine McCann </a>has had her phone seized by US police over claims it contains explicit images of children. The phone was given to authorities by a former spokesperson for Faustyna and psychic private investigator Fia Johansson. The phone was reportedly left with Johansson when she brought Faustyna, 21, to the US for <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/julia-faustyna-takes-dna-test-to-prove-wild-identity-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNA and family ancestry test results</a> over her claiming to be the missing toddler. The results confirmed that Faustyna was “absolutely, 100 per cent from Poland". Johansson handed the phone over to police during a search and seizure as part of an investigation, but the reason behind what prompted the pursuit remains unknown, according to the New York Post. Wroclaw police in Poland were contacted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and were informed that they were in possession of a phone thought to belong to Faustyna, according to a RadarOnline.com report. “Our investigation is taking a deep look into it and we’re going to let them do their investigative duties and then from that point let the judicial system take over – if it needs to,” department spokesman Sergeant Mike Woodroof said. Johansson reportedly added, “I’m told an investigator from the Sheriff’s Department is personally taking the device to Poland to make sure it doesn’t get lost or misplaced.” She also shared an image of a denied release of case information form from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on social media, including a statement regarding the investigation. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrJh_DVvl3i/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrJh_DVvl3i/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dr. Fia Johansson (@persianmedium)</a> </div> </blockquote> “There will be no comment or discussion at this time or moving forward concerning the active ongoing investigation with Orange County Sheriff’s Department and special public affairs division due to protocol and the sensitivity and nature of the intelligence that has been gathered and rendered,” she said. “It’s an active investigation and DA will not comment out of concern for the safety of the victims.” After Faustyna received her DNA test results and appeared on Dr Phil, Johannson revealed she travelled back to Poland to live with her father. The DNA results prompted <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/madeleine-mccann-s-parents-speak-out-after-dna-test-results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Madeleine McCann’s parents to break their silence</a> after months of emotional turmoil. Faustyna now denies all the allegations against her to reporters. “I didn’t have child pornography on my phone. I am not a paedo and I never tried to encourage any teenagers to do anything illegal and bad and disgusting,” she told The Sun. “Just think carefully, if someone is a paedo, I believe this person would never go by himself to a police station or this person would never talk about what I was talking in public to the whole world because it would be very dangerous for this person. “It is not logical ... I am saying the truth and I will make my name clean because I am not a monster.” She told The Sun she had purchased the phone from an unknown person, saying that if there were explicit images on her phone they were put there by someone else. Image credit: Instagram

Legal

Screwed over: how Apple and others are making it impossible to get a cheap and easy phone repair

If Apple and other tech companies have their way, it will only become harder to have our phones and other devices repaired by third-party businesses. Smartphones and many other tech devices are increasingly being designed in ways that make it challenging to repair or replace individual components. This might involve soldering the processor and flash memory to the motherboard, gluing components together unnecessarily, or using non-standard <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/News/14279/apples-diabolical-plan-to-screw-your-iphone">pentalobe screws</a> which make replacements problematic. Many submissions to an Australian “right to repair” <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/repair/submissions#initial">inquiry</a> have called on tech manufacturers to provide a fair and competitive market for repairs, and produce products that are easily repairable. The <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/repair/issues/repair-issues.pdf">right to repair</a> refers to consumers’ ability to have their products repaired at a competitive price. This includes being able to choose a repairer, rather than being forced by default to use the device manufacturer’s services. But it seems Apple doesn’t want its customers to fix their <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/evmeya/apple-iphone-right-to-repair-california">iPhones</a>or <a href="https://www.inputmag.com/culture/apples-repair-policies-are-utterly-shameful-and-shouldnt-be-allowed-e-waste-recycling-macbooks-t2">Macbooks</a> themselves. The company has <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/nz85y7/apple-is-lobbying-against-your-right-to-repair-iphones-new-york-state-records-confirm">lobbied against</a> the right to repair in the United States and has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/18/936268845/apple-agrees-to-pay-113-million-to-settle-batterygate-case-over-iphone-slowdowns">been accused of deliberately slowing down</a> iPhones with older batteries. <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2019/10/16/tech-giants-fight-digital-right-to-repair-bills">Opposition</a> against the right to repair from tech companies is to be expected. Cornering consumers into using their service centres increases their revenue and extends their market domination. In its defence, Apple has said <a href="https://time.com/4828099/farmers-and-apple-fight-over-the-toolbox/">third-party repairers</a> could use lower quality parts and also make devices vulnerable to hackers. It also defended its <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2019/08/14/apple-defends-iphone-unauthorized-battery-warning-as-a-safety-feature/">battery warning indication</a> as a “safety” feature, wherein it started to alert users if their phone’s replacement battery hadn’t come from a certified Apple repairer. In the US, Apple’s <a href="https://support.apple.com/irp-program">independent repair provider program</a> grants certain providers access to the parts and resources needed to fix its devices. Independent repair shops in <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/07/apple-expands-iphone-repair-services-to-hundreds-of-new-locations-across-the-us/">32 countries</a> can now apply, but the scheme has yet to extend outside the US. <h2>Impact on users</h2> With the iPhone 12 — the latest iPhone offering — Apple has <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/News/45921/is-this-the-end-of-the-repairable-iphone">made it even harder</a> for third-party repairers to fix the device, thereby increasing users’ reliance on its own services. Apple has hiked its <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/iphone/repair/service/screen-replacement">repair charges</a> for iPhone 12 by more than 40%, compared with the iPhone 11. It is <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/iphone/repair/service/screen-replacement">charging</a> more than A$359 to fix an iPhone 12 screen outside of warranty and A$109 to replace the battery. Historically, third-party repairers have been a cheaper option. But using a third-party repairer for an iPhone 12 could render some phone features, such as the camera, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/30/21542242/apple-iphone-12-third-party-repairs-ifixit-camera-module-replacement">almost inoperable</a>. According to reports, fixing the iPhone 12’s camera requires <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/30/iphone-12-camera-repair/">Apple’s proprietary</a> system configuration app, available only to the company’s own authorised technicians. It’s not just Apple, either. <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/samsungs-galaxy-s20-ultra-is-unsurprisingly-difficult-to-repair">Samsung’s</a> flagship phones are also quite tricky for third-party repairers to fix. <h2>Impact on environment</h2> When certain parts for repairs aren’t available, manufacturers will produce new phones instead, consuming <a href="https://www.envirotech-online.com/news/environmental-laboratory/7/breaking-news/how-do-smartphones-affect-the-environment/48339">more energy and resources</a>. In fact, manufacturing one smartphone <a href="https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/science/article/pii/S095965261733233X">consumes</a> as much energy as using it for ten years. As smartphones become harder to repair, electronic waste will grow. Apple and Samsung both cited environmental benefits when they announced they would no longer ship <a href="https://theconversation.com/apples-iphone-12-comes-without-a-charger-a-smart-waste-reduction-move-or-clever-cash-grab-148189">chargers</a> with their phones. Yet, they’ve turned a blind eye to the environmental damage that would arise from completely cornering the repair market. The average Australian home has <a href="https://thinktv.com.au/facts-and-stats/australian-homes-are-experiencing-a-screen-explosion/">6.7 devices</a>, including televisions, personal computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. With diminishing opportunities for repair, the environmental burden from disposing of these devices will increase. <h2>What is being done?</h2> Phone giants make it tough for third-party repairers to do their job in a variety of ways. This includes constantly changing designs, adding hurdles to the repair process, and restricting access to parts, diagnostic software and repair documentation. Meanwhile, consumers are left with broken phones and huge repair bills — and repairers are left with less business. The fight to remove barriers to repair is gaining momentum outside Australia, too, in countries including <a href="https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/when-will-canadians-have-right-repair">Canada</a>, the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/right-to-repair-means-spare-parts-for-household-appliances-mr5gmkjxr">United Kingdom</a> and the <a href="https://www.repair.org/legislation">United States</a>. Legislative reforms have been introduced in the <a href="https://repair.eu/news/european-parliament-calls-for-ambitious-right-to-repair/">European Union</a> and <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wy8v/newly-passed-right-to-repair-law-will-fundamentally-change-tesla-repair">Massachusetts</a>. France has introduced a <a href="https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/indice-reparabilite">Repairability Index</a> requiring electrical and electronic equipment companies to inform consumers about their products’ repairability on a scale of one to ten. This takes into account the ease of repairability, availability and price of spare parts and availability of technical repair documents. <h2>The path moving forward</h2> Until the push for right to repair legislative reform gathers pace globally, consumers will have little choice but to pay up to big companies to access their authorised repair services. If they don’t, they may risk losing their warranty, ending up with a non-functional device and even <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e449c8c3ef68d752f3e70dc/t/5ea8a6d93b485d0feb9b5d6b/1588111098207/Report_RightToRepair_HanleyKellowayVaheesan-1.pdf">infringing</a> upon the manufacturers’ software copyrights. Ideally, phone companies (and others) would assist users with the repair process by providing replacement parts, repair documentation and diagnostic tools to third-party repairers. This would also help <a href="https://www.apple.com/au/newsroom/2020/07/apple-commits-to-be-100-percent-carbon-neutral-for-its-supply-chain-and-products-by-2030/">Apple</a> and <a href="https://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/sustainability/environment/">Samsung</a> reduce their carbon footprint and achieve their environmental goals. Although the way things are going, it’s unlikely tech companies will be able to escape their self-inflicted repair obligations. In the past, Apple CEO Jeff Williams has <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/08/apple-offers-customers-even-more-options-for-safe-reliable-repairs/">said, "</a>we believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested." But with only so much workforce available even to Apple, sharing the load with smaller repairers will help. And for consumers’ benefit, the right to repair legislation must be taken seriously, with consistent repairability scores developed across the globe. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/screwed-over-how-apple-and-others-are-making-it-impossible-to-get-a-cheap-and-easy-phone-repair-156871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Technology

What the “father of the cell phone” wants you to know

The inventor of the mobile phone has shared his candid opinion about the obsession with smart devices. Martin Cooper, an American engineer dubbed the “father of the cell phone”, invented the very first mobile phone 50 years ago in 1973. Back then, the weighty block of wires and circuits were only used to make calls, a far cry from having the world at your fingertips with smartphones today. Cooper believes that despite all the good that can come from modern technology, the world has become a little obsessed with smart devices. “I am devastated when I see somebody crossing the street and looking at their cell phone. They are out of their minds,” the 94-year-old told AFP from his office in Del Mar, California. “But after a few people get run over by cars, they’ll figure it out,” he joked. Mr Cooper also indulges in the latest gadgets, as he wears an Apple Watch and uses a top-end iPhone, flicking intuitively between his email, photos, YouTube and the controls for his hearing aid. Despite keeping up with all the latest apps, updates and upgrades, he confessed that sometimes it can all seem a little overwhelming. “I will never, ever understand how to use the cell phone the way my grandchildren and great grandchildren do,” he said. “Each generation is going to be smarter … they will learn how to use the cell phone more effectively,” he said. “Humans sooner or later figure it out.” Image credits: Getty Images

Technology

3 reasons you should never view or share videos showing children being assaulted – even if you think it helps ‘raise awareness’

Australians have been shocked by an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/22/queensland-children-aged-between-12-and-14-charged-after-allegedly-assaulting-girl-over-several-hours">incident</a> on the Sunshine Coast this month in which a 13-year-old girl was imprisoned, assaulted and tortured over many hours, allegedly by three girls aged 12, 13 and 14. The alleged perpetrators also filmed the abuse, which went <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/crime/three-girls-charged-after-13yearold-allegedly-lured-to-home-and-tortured/news-story/c08af6c838e54fc0d39c449e57f9719a">viral online</a> with photos and videos being shared across news outlets and social media profiles. Some people may think they’re supporting victims by watching the videos and then expressing their outrage at their treatment. Morbid curiosity about the event might also prompt people to view the photos or videos. But there are three key reasons why you should never view, download or share photos or videos of children being assaulted. <h2>1. You may be committing a criminal offence</h2> Photos and videos showing this 13-year-old girl allegedly being assaulted and tortured are unlawful. Content such as this is called child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which has <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-a-name-online-child-abuse-material-is-not-pornography-45840">previously been called child pornography</a>. Child sexual abuse material is <a href="https://theconversation.com/virtual-child-sexual-abuse-material-depicts-fictitious-children-but-can-be-used-to-disguise-real-abuse-180248">offensive or sexual online material</a> depicting children. It’s a criminal offence to possess, view, share or create it. It isn’t just pornographic material. These laws extend to material that depicts children being assaulted and tortured, even without a sexual element. Criminal offences exist for possessing, viewing, sharing or creating such material. Each state and territory jurisdiction, and the Commonwealth, has their own legislation which may have a slightly <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Lawful_Acts_Unlawful_Images_The_Problematic_Definition_of_Child_Pornography/10064963/1">different perspective</a> on whether a person has committed an offence. Criminal offences can be committed in the following circumstances: <ol> <li> if someone <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2277239">downloads</a> a child assault photo or video, they are “possessing” child sexual abuse material </li> <li> where someone posts it to their social media page or <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/utasman40&div=14&id=&page=">sends it</a> via email to others, they are “distributing” or “disseminating” child sexual abuse material </li> <li> when someone <a href="https://www.cdpp.gov.au/crimes-we-prosecute/child-exploitation">watches</a> a child assault video online without downloading, or looks at a photo, they are still “accessing” (viewing) such material, which can be an offence. </li> </ol> It doesn’t matter if the child victim indicates their approval for the material to be promulgated. Children are <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/58-1213-FinalReport.pdf">unable to consent</a> to material depicting their own assault being shared or viewed by others. <h2>2. You are perpetuating the abuse suffered by the victim</h2> Watching and sharing child abuse photos or videos does not support the victim. Every photo and video depicting child abuse <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-is-not-child-pornography-it-is-a-crime-scene-photo-12465">shows a crime scene</a>. A victim’s abuse being captured and shared as a video is a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213419303667">regular reminder</a> of their abuse. The photos or videos can cause <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi653">ongoing harm to a child victim</a>, beyond any physical harm they may have recovered from. US researchers conducted <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213418301510?via%3Dihub">a study</a>, published in 2018, to analyse the complex experiences of survivors (adults who, as children, had material of their abuse shared online). The participants described ongoing feelings of guilt and shame, and a feeling of enduring vulnerability because their records of abuse will always be online for others to see. As one survivor, not part of this study, <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-83982-848-520211053/full/html">said</a> "I have to live with the knowledge that my abuse will never end, and that every second of every day, someone could be – almost certainly is – watching my torture and abuse. Even once I’m dead, my degradation will continue. I will never be able to escape it. This trauma is infinite. Some also described an empowering dimension because the material provided validation of the abuse they suffered, or could be used as evidence in court. While victims may all process their experiences in different ways, it’s important to be mindful of the detrimental and ongoing effects on a child victim of an assault being captured and shared online. As a community, we must do everything we can to support those children, including refusing to watch or share photos or videos of their abuse. <h2>3. You are giving undeserved notoriety to the perpetrators</h2> Some perpetrators use records of their offending to create social media content for notoriety. “Performance crimes” allow perpetrators to use their online platform <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/journals/CICrimJust/2015/21.html">for attention</a>. Terrorism is another example, where terror attacks have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-create-a-spectacle-society-that-makes-it-easier-for-terrorists-to-achieve-notoriety-113715">livestreamed</a> and media outlets have responded by refusing to name the perpetrators. Do not reward the perpetrators by giving them a platform. <h2>How should we respond?</h2> It’s important we, as a community, acknowledge that children whose assaults are captured in photos and videos have been through a traumatic experience and need support. Watching or sharing their assault only perpetuates the abuse. We must refuse to watch videos of child abuse, and delete them if they’re sent to us. We then need to trust that police will conduct thorough investigations that will result in an appropriate outcome. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/3-reasons-you-should-never-view-or-share-videos-showing-children-being-assaulted-even-if-you-think-it-helps-raise-awareness-202610" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: Shutterstock

Technology

Woman matches with brother on dating app

A woman who took the plunge and dived back into the world of dating apps, despite a series of negative experiences, has been left in shock after an unexpected match. Dani, who was using the dating app Hinge - “the app that’s designed to be deleted” - took to TikTok to share her story, telling followers she re-downloaded the app and told herself "let's get back into this.” "And I could vomit at who my most compatible was," she said before revealing a bizarre match. "So this is my brother," she explained, panning the camera back to show her brother Jordan’s profile on Hinge. "Super cute right? Yeah. It runs in the family.” Dani explained that Hinge matched her with her brother due to their “compatibility”. "I don't know if he is the one for me. I mean I guess we are compatible in the sense we share the same parents and shelter growing up and like blood and DNA and all those fun things. "Hinge was really saying to me, 'Girl, I know more for you. We're done with you. Here's your brother. Why don't you try this one out.” At the end of her video, she recommended her brother as a match to any unrelated singles. "While I go pick up my vomit that's on the floor from this, my brother's single, if any ladies out there are interested, just let me know.” The video amused fellow TikTokers, gaining a lot of traction with over 373,000 views. "Most compatible for a blood transfusion maybe," one wrote. "LMAO even Hinge was like girl there's nothing out there, have you tried your family," said another. Image credit: TikTok

Family & Pets

Prince Harry accuses royal family of conditioning

Prince Harry has revealed new detail into his experience with royal life while giving testimony in a surprise court appearance at London’s High Court. Harry was there for the second day of a preliminary hearing along with other high-profile individuals - who were alleged victims of phone hacking, privacy breaches, and the misuse of their private information - as they sought to sue Associated Newspapers Ltd [ANL]. However, ANL want to discuss the claims without trial, having described them to be “preposterous smears.” And during his witness statement, the Duke of Sussex has taken aim at the royal family over where the blame lies for taking legal action against ANL, explaining that he has had “an uneasy relationship with the press” in the years after his mother Diana’s death. He went on to add that it was policy to “never complain, [and] never explain”, and this was exactly what he’d been taught. “Following the death of my mother in 1997 when I was 12 years old and her treatment at the hands of the press, I have always had an uneasy relationship with the press,” his witness statement read. “However, as a member of the Institution the policy was to ‘never complain, never explain.’ “There was no alternative; I was conditioned to accept it. For the most part, I accepted the interest in my performing [of] my public functions.” According to Harry, the difficulties intensified when he began his relationship with now-wife Meghan Markle. The 38-year-old prince’s concerns over his family’s lack of action only grew, with Harry even telling the court he became “increasingly troubled by the approach of not taking action against the press in the wake of persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan.” He then explained that things had only gotten worse when the couple were expecting their first child, Prince Archie. And when it came to the News of the World phone hacking scandal, Harry claimed he was never so much as invited to a royal meeting. The Institution, he said, had “without a doubt [been] withholding information”, while making it “clear that we did not need to know anything about phone hacking”. He added that it had become clear to him that “the royal family did not sit in the witness box because that could open up a can of worms”, and that through pursuing his own legal advice, the “bubble had burst in terms of what I knew in 2020 when I moved out of the United Kingdom.” “There is this misconception,” he noted, “that we are all in constant communication with one another. “But that is not true.” As for why Harry was bringing his claims forward - including those that ANL even hired a private investigator to hack his friends’ phones and dig up information on his then-partner - he said that it was out of love for his country, and his mounting concerns over “the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated. “The evidence I have seen shows that Associated’s journalists are criminals with journalistic powers which should concern every single one of us. “The British public deserve to know the full extent of this cover up and I feel it is my duty to expose it.” Images: Getty

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