EAGLE SCOUT | ISSUE NO. 24-21

NEWS | Dutch school blocks parents from accessing grades-sharing app to reduce student stress  

5 Nov 2024

NETHERLANDS – A study conducted in a secondary school near Utrecht has found that a widely used app that shares every mark with parents is increasing stress among children. To reduce the pressure to perform and to protect children’s privacy, the school’s leadership together with the parents’ council has insisted on the temporary suspension of parental access to the children’s grades. READ MORE

NEWS | Australia plans to ban children under 16 years old from using social media

7 Nov 2024

AUSTRALIA – The government is proposing a world-leading policy of banning children under 16 years old from accessing social media platforms. This is in response to the alleged risks of their excessive use on the physical and mental health of children. READ MORE

NEWS | Patients are dying due to restricted access to their medical records and information

9 Nov 2024

UK – Coroners in England and Wales have issued 36 warnings this year over inadequate sharing of patient information, with some patients dying because clinicians couldn’t access important details about their needs. There is a call to modernize the health services, including digitalization of patient records, but privacy campaigners are concerned it could threaten patient confidentiality. READ MORE

NEWS | AI chatbot led minor to commit suicide

11 Nov 2024

USA – The mother of a deceased minor has filed a complaint against Google, Character Technologies, and the creators of Character.AI, alleging that the AI chatbot led her son to commit suicide. She claims her son became instantly addicted to Character.AI, leading to drastic behavioral changes such as sleep deprivation, school-related issues, and low self-esteem. READ MORE

NEWS | Cebu City needs extra measures to combat online sexual abuse and exploitation of children

13 Nov 2024

PHILIPPINES – International Justice Mission, a non-government organization that specializes in fighting online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSEAC) has placed Cebu City as fourth in the country’s highly urbanized cities with the most number of OSEAC cases. In response, the city has initiated “Project Safe,” a program that aims to train LGU personnel on how to prevent all related crimes. READ MORE