Daily roundup 13 April: Amazon, apprenticeships, and contactless payments
Neil Puffett
Friday, April 13, 2018
Children's commissioner criticises Amazon over sale of child sex dolls; study highlights concerns over low-skilled apprenticeships; and children found to be using parents' contactless cards to buy items without permission, all in the news today.
England's children's commissioner says Amazon should ensure "disgusting" child sex dolls are not restored for sale on its website, after a BBC investigation found them for sale on its platform. About a dozen child sex dolls were found for sale on Amazon Marketplace. After the BBC contacted Amazon about one doll it was removed, but three days later it was back on the website. Longfield said the dolls represent a clear danger to the safety of real children.
Fast food giants, coffee shops and retailers are re-labelling low-skilled jobs as apprenticeships and gaining subsidies for training, a report has claimed. The BBC reports that a study by centre-right think-tank Reform says many firms have rebranded existing roles after being obliged to contribute cash to on-the-job training. It adds that 40 per cent of government-approved apprenticeship standards do not meet a traditional definition of them.
A third of children under the age of 11 have used their parents' contactless bank cards or phone payment apps a study has found. The Daily Mail reports that a poll of 1,000 parents found that 34 per cent confessed that their children had used their bank cards in shops or phone payment apps, such as Android Pay and Apple Pay, to buy things online in the past year. Of that 34 per cent, 37 per cent revealed that their children had bought things without their permission - either by taking their bank cards and spending up to £30 in shops or using "wallets" on payment apps.
Rochdale's recently resigned council leader is facing a possible police investigation after an official inquiry concluded that he lied under oath about child sexual abuse allegations. The Guardian reports that the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse said the evidence given by Richard Farnell about his knowledge of abuse in the town defied belief. Greater Manchester police has said it was considering launching a perjury investigation. Farnell has been suspended by the Labour Party but claimed in a statement that he had told the truth.
A popular online game used by children is being hijacked by paedophiles, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has revealed. The Metro reports that the NCA said it has been informed of "numerous reports" of people attempting to groom youngsters through the Fortnite game.
