Latest news with #cybersafety
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Green Bay Police & School District team up with Bellin to raise awareness of online sextortion scams
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Local police and the Green Bay Area School District joined Emplify Health by Bellin to raise awareness of an online scam known as 'sextortion.' According to the release, these scams often involve people who pose as members of the opposite sex, targeting teenagers and young adults. These scammers start conversations with victims before persuading them to exchange sexual content. Neil Armstrong's watch inspires $17K donation for students across northeast Wisconsin 'Do not send any images or videos to someone you do not know,' Police Commander Rick Belanger said. 'Sextortion scammers prey on trust and will threaten/intimidate to make private content public unless specific demands are met.' Superintendent Vicki Bayer added in a release that children are encouraged to reach out to a trusted adult, no matter who it may be, if they are victims of these crimes. Some cases do not make headlines, which makes the full impact of these scams hard to know; however, a recent case reportedly led to a teenager's death in Wisconsin. Green Bay man charged with harboring a felon in relation to reckless homicide charge against his son 'Sextortion scams rely on embarrassment and isolation. Predators trick victims into thinking they are alone and cannot escape,' Pediatric Psychologist Tiffany Born said. 'But you are not alone. If you or someone you know has become a victim of sextortion, please reach out to a loved one or professional.' Anybody who is in need of mental support or the crisis lifeline is urged to either call 988 or click this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Phone Arena
23-06-2025
- Phone Arena
Parenting in the Digital Age just got a power-up: meet Bark
This story is sponsored by Bark. PhoneArena's opinions in this article have not been affected in any way! Disclaimer Let's face it—parenting in 2025 isn't just about keeping your kids fed, clothed, and vaguely moral. It's also about keeping their digital lives from turning into a trainwreck of dopamine loops, cyberbullying, and algorithmically-served is where Bark comes in. And not the kind that scares off squirrels. The Bark App, Bark Phone, and Bark Watch are three tightly integrated tools that — when used with intention — give parents just enough control to guide their kids online without becoming surveillance isn't here to scare parents into buying stuff. It's not pushing fear. It's promoting digital literacy — starting early, with the right tools. Because let's face it — the world has been turning increasingly digital over the past couple of decades, and things are only accelerating with the introduction of if you need a fighting chance to raise healthy, connected kids that don't live in a Faraday cage, maybe you want to check out the three main pieces of equipment Bark has for you: Bark App that can work on (almost) any phone Bark Phone that's a through-and-through Android device, but with guard rails pre-installed Bark Watch for the younger kids This isn't your average 'track-every-text-message' app. The Bark App takes a smarter, more nuanced approach. It uses AI to scan for potential issues — think bullying, depression, sexting, predators — and flags them discreetly. You get alerts, not transcripts. Signals, not your teen jokes 'I hate my life,' it'll flag it, but it won't send you an alert for every 'LOL I'm dead' meme. It's not about catching single words — and let's face it, we can't really keep up with all the words that are trendy nowadays. Yes, we used to laugh at people our age… we used Bark monitors for trends before sounding the app can also tap into the phone's GPS, granted you set up the permissions prior. It will simply send you notifications if the child arrives or leaves a destination. Or, if you have an TikTok-addicted young driver on your hands, the Bark app has a setting to lock the phone whenever your child is Works quietly in the background Sends alerts only when something's potentially concerning Lets your kid have privacy, until they shouldn't Cons: Still dependent on platform permissions (cough, iOS, cough) Now if your child is due for their first phone, and you're already feeling the digital dread, the Bark Phone is your answer. It's a Samsung Galaxy A36 or A16 (your choice) under the hood, but with a custom Bark OS layer that comes with all the bars pre-installed. The Bark Phone lets you control practically everything: app installs, screen time, bedtime phone shutdowns, even whether your child can delete texts (spoiler: they can't). It looks like a normal phone, feels like a normal phone, but it behaves like a digital training wheels isn't your helicopter-parent tracker — it's more of a gentle co-pilot. Bark wants your kid to graduate to a normal phone one day. But when your 11-year-old asks for Instagram, you'll probably want to 'Think about it' while disabling the Play Store No app store access until you allow it Text and image monitoring built in with default support for 30+ apps Location tracking that is enabled and guaranteed Custom screen time schedules (goodbye 3AM YouTube binges). Cons Slightly higher monthly cost than a burner phone Your kid will eventually want a 'cooler' phone The Bark Watch looks like a hybrid between a Fitbit and a Garmin — but inside, it's all about location and communication. No TikTok. No browser. No app zoo. Just: GPS tracking Step counter Messaging and calling (with contact management, parental controls, and monitoring) Emergency alerts Basically, it's the 'first phone' that isn't actually a phone. For a 7-10 year old, it's the sweet spot: they feel connected; you feel yes, it tells time.
