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Singer Kamahl faces stalking charges

<p>Singer Kamahl is facing stalking charges, after a woman 50 years his junior said she was stalked and harassed by the entertainer. </p> <p>The woman who has not been named, has applied for an apprehended violence order (AVO) against the 89-year-old singer.</p> <p>The accusations include one count of stalking with intent to cause fear, with the matter set to be heard at Sutherland Court in Sydney next month.</p> <p>The accusations stem back to May 2023, when Kamahl was invited to the woman's house to discuss business funding. </p> <p>As a result of their meeting, Kamahl deposited $2,000 into her account, and the woman allegedly agreed to repay this amount in $5 weekly instalments.</p> <p>The dispute arose when the woman began labelling her online banking transactions as "to the molester", despite Kamahl denying any inappropriate misconduct. </p> <p>Following the transaction, a series of text messages were sent between the pair, where the woman claims she was threatened by Kamahl. </p> <p>In one of the texts, the woman warned Kamahl about his behaviour being unacceptable, suggesting would go to the police if it were to continue.</p> <p>“I just wanted you to know that your behaviour is unacceptable and you’re lucky I haven’t gone to the authorities,” a text from the woman to Kamahl read.</p> <p>“You are a liar, and a failure, and most of all an ungrateful b****. The best is yet to come!” Kamahl responded.</p> <p>Kamahl has denied any misconduct, blaming his furious response on not taking his medication and said his actions were a response to provocation rather than unkindness.</p> <p>“I’m an 89-year-old man... I was not being unkind I was responding to a situation without all of my faculties,” Kamahl told <em>9News</em>.</p> <p>“I’m not worried, meaning that it is what it is, any publicity is better than no publicity, I’m sure about that.”</p> <p>Despite the allegations and upcoming court date, Kamahl seemed unfazed about the public issue.</p> <p>“Any publicity is better than no publicity,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

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Instagram and Facebook are stalking you on websites accessed through their apps. What can you do about it?

<p>Social media platforms have had some bad <a href="https://theconversation.com/concerns-over-tiktok-feeding-user-data-to-beijing-are-back-and-theres-good-evidence-to-support-them-186211" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press</a> in recent times, largely prompted by the vast extent of their data collection. Now Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has upped the ante.</p> <p>Not content with following every move you make on its apps, Meta has reportedly devised a way to also know everything you do in external websites accessed <em>through</em> its apps. Why is it going to such lengths? And is there a way to avoid this surveillance?</p> <p><strong>‘Injecting’ code to follow you</strong></p> <p>Meta has a custom in-app browser that operates on Facebook, Instagram and any website you might click through to from both these apps.</p> <p>Now ex-Google engineer and privacy researcher Felix Krause has discovered this proprietary browser has additional program code inserted into it. Krause developed a tool that <a href="https://krausefx.com/blog/ios-privacy-instagram-and-facebook-can-track-anything-you-do-on-any-website-in-their-in-app-browser?utm_source=tldrnewsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> Instagram and Facebook added up to 18 lines of code to websites visited through Meta’s in-app browsers.</p> <p>This “code injection” enables user tracking and overrides tracking restrictions that browsers such as Chrome and Safari have in place. It allows Meta to collect sensitive user information, including “every button and link tapped, text selections, screenshots, as well as any form inputs, like passwords, addresses and credit card numbers”.</p> <p>Krause published his <a href="https://krausefx.com/blog/ios-privacy-instagram-and-facebook-can-track-anything-you-do-on-any-website-in-their-in-app-browser?utm_source=tldrnewsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">findings</a> online on August 10, including samples of the <a href="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/pcm.js" target="_blank" rel="noopener">actual code</a>.</p> <p>In response, Meta has said it isn’t doing anything users didn’t consent to. A Meta spokesperson said:</p> <blockquote> <p>We intentionally developed this code to honour people’s [Ask to track] choices on our platforms […] The code allows us to aggregate user data before using it for targeted advertising or measurement purposes.</p> </blockquote> <p>The “code” mentioned in the case is <a href="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/pcm.js" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pcm.js</a> – a script that acts to aggregate a user’s browsing activities. Meta says the script is inserted based on whether users have given consent – and information gained is used only for advertising purposes.</p> <p>So is it acting ethically? Well, the company has done due diligence by informing users of its intention to collect <a href="https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an expanded range</a> of data. However, it stopped short of making clear what the full implications of doing so would be.</p> <p>People might give their consent to tracking in a more general sense, but “informed” consent implies full knowledge of the possible consequences. And, in this case, users were not explicitly made aware their activities on other sites could be followed through a code injection.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Facebook reached out to me, saying the system they’ve built honours the user’s ATT choice. </p> <p>However, this doesn’t change anything about my publication: The Instagram iOS app is actively injecting JavaScript code into all third party websites rendered via their in-app browser. <a href="https://t.co/9h0PIoIOSS">pic.twitter.com/9h0PIoIOSS</a></p> <p>— Felix Krause (@KrauseFx) <a href="https://twitter.com/KrauseFx/status/1557777320546635776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Why is Meta doing this?</strong></p> <p>Data are the central commodity of Meta’s business model. There is astronomical value in the amount of data Meta can collect by injecting a tracking code into third-party websites opened through the Instagram and Facebook apps.</p> <p>At the same time, Meta’s business model is being threatened – and events from the recent past can help shed light on why it’s doing this in the first place.</p> <p>It boils down to the fact that Apple (which owns the Safari browser), Google (which owns Chrome) and the Firefox browser are all actively placing restrictions on Meta’s ability to collect data.</p> <p>Last year, Apple’s iOS 14.5 update came alongside a <a href="https://www.apple.com/au/privacy/control/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requirement</a> that all apps hosted on the Apple app store must get users’ explicit permission to track and collect their data across apps owned by other companies.</p> <p>Meta has <a href="https://krausefx.com/blog/ios-privacy-instagram-and-facebook-can-track-anything-you-do-on-any-website-in-their-in-app-browser?utm_source=tldrnewsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly</a> said this single iPhone alert is costing its Facebook business US$10 billion each year.</p> <p>Apple’s Safari browser also applies a default setting to block all third-party “cookies”. These are little chunks of <a href="https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/definition/cookies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tracking code</a> that websites deposit on your computer and which tell the website’s owner about your visit to the site.</p> <p>Google will also soon be phasing out third-party cookies. And Firefox recently announced “total cookie protection” to prevent so-called cross-page tracking.</p> <p>In other words, Meta is being flanked by browsers introducing restrictions on extensive user data tracking. Its response was to create its own browser that circumvents these restrictions.</p> <p><strong>How can I protect myself?</strong></p> <p>On the bright side, users concerned about privacy do have some options.</p> <p>The easiest way to stop Meta tracking your external activities through its in-app browser is to simply not use it; make sure you’re opening web pages in a trusted browser of choice such as Safari, Chrome or Firefox (via the screen shown below).</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478879/original/file-20220812-20-6je7m8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478879/original/file-20220812-20-6je7m8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=548&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478879/original/file-20220812-20-6je7m8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=548&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478879/original/file-20220812-20-6je7m8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=548&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478879/original/file-20220812-20-6je7m8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=689&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478879/original/file-20220812-20-6je7m8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=689&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478879/original/file-20220812-20-6je7m8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=689&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></p> <p><em><span class="caption" style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Click ‘open in browser’ to open a website in a trusted browser such as Safari.</span><span style="color: #999999; text-align: center;"> </span><span class="attribution" style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">screenshot</span></em></p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>If you can’t find this screen option, you can manually copy and paste the web address into a trusted browser.</p> <p>Another option is to access the social media platforms via a browser. So instead of using the Instagram or Facebook app, visit the sites by entering their URL into your trusted browser’s search bar. This should also solve the tracking problem.</p> <p>I’m not suggesting you ditch Facebook or Instagram altogether. But we should all be aware of how our online movements and usage patterns may be carefully recorded and used in ways we’re not told about. Remember: on the internet, if the service is free, you’re probably the product. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/188645/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-tuffley-13731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Tuffley</a>, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics &amp; CyberSecurity, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/instagram-and-facebook-are-stalking-you-on-websites-accessed-through-their-apps-what-can-you-do-about-it-188645" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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"Absolutely ridiculous": Aussie grandma charged after exposing sex offender

<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Content warning: This article includes mentions of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA).</strong></em></p> <p dir="ltr">A grandmother-of-seven has been charged and hit with a hefty fine after going to great lengths to expose a convicted paedophile who moved to her community.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maxine Davey held up signs reading, ‘Keep children safe from peodophiles (sic)’, along a busy stretch of road to warn residents of the Central Queensland neighbourhood of Calliope that the man had moved there after being released from prison.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the 59-year-old landed in hot water when she filmed the outside of the man’s home and shared the footage - which included vision of his property and vehicles that could be identified - on Facebook, prompting angry locals to comment and make threats.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Davey was found guilty of one count of unlawful stalking, which comes with a potential five-year jail term.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just wanted to hold up a sign, publicise the fact that other parents (need) to be aware, but then I stepped over the line and broke the law,” she told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/queensland-grandmother-convicted-after-outing-predator-on-facebook/2cba9761-85d3-4a4e-8c3d-ee5632a72ef1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I crossed the line by posting [the video]. I posted it and it was online for two hours and 35 minutes before I quickly removed it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was shocked, I was sorry. I didn’t know at the time I’d broken the law, but obviously [the police] told me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Davey was able to avoid prison time after the magistrate ruled that she pay a $2200 fine instead. Her phone was also confiscated and a conviction was recorded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m really devastated by it all,” Ms Davey said of the conviction. “I’ve never considered myself a criminal and I’ll have this charge against me for the rest of my life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Since the legal action, sexual assault survivors who were victims of the man Ms Davey exposed have rallied behind her, saying she should be treated as a “hero”, not a criminal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is absolutely ridiculous how the justice system works. She shouldn't be put through this. This is not fair,” one victim said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I believe she is honestly like a hero. It absolutely breaks my heart that she's trying to do the right thing (as) a human and she's absolutely being torn apart for it,” another victim said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 41-year-old was convicted of rape and multiple counts of indecent treatment of children under the age of 16 and sentenced to two years and nine months of jail time last year.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Queensland Government’s website, confidential details about a sex offender can be released by the chief executive of Corrective Services when individual community members need to know information about the offender, such as their employment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unlike in the US, where Megan’s Law requires police to release information about registered sex offenders to the public, individuals who request confidential information in Australia must sign a confidentiality agreement first.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1e633a3c-7fff-dcad-2093-78ad07e6813b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><em>If you or someone you know is in need of support as a result of sexual assault or child sexual abuse, contact the Blue Knot Helpline and Redress Support Service on 1300 657 380, or LifeLine on 13 11 14 for immediate support.</em></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

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“I tried to protect her”: Victoria and David Beckham recount terrifying stalking incident

<p dir="ltr">David and Victoria Beckham have opened up about their ordeal with a stalker who has been charged with harassing the former athlete.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Beckhams are being represented by their lawyers in a Westminster Magistrate Court where 58-year-old Sharon Bell is facing stalking charges.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bell believed she was in a relationship with Beckham and, after trying to contact him through a series of letters, claimed he and his wife were conspiring to “steal her eggs from inside her body”, as reported by <em>The Daily Mail</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the letters Bell sent to the football star read: “I do love you and have done so since we were children.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement read to the court, the father of four said he doesn’t have a relationship with Bell and had never seen her before.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I felt like the language in the letters was escalating and becoming more emotional and threatening towards me and my family and this worried me,” he said in his statement, addressing the impact the letters had on him.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court also heard of a terrifying event involving the couple’s youngest child, 11-year-old Harper.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bell reportedly appeared at Harper’s school in an attempt to abduct her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m Harper’s mother. I’m here to pick her up,” she reportedly told the school.</p> <p dir="ltr">After police were called to the school, Bell was taken away.</p> <p dir="ltr">A statement from Victoria was also read out in court by prosecutor Arizuna Asante, detailing the fashion designer’s concern for her young daughter following the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Due to the volume of attention [my husband and I receive from fans], we are rarely informed of the nature of communications from fans,” her statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I tried to protect her and I am worried about her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am very concerned and anxious about Harper going to the park or being taken on school trips.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Prosecutor Asante added: “She is now scared to go out and it has made things harder for her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She is worried, especially when Harper goes on school trips.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Bell, who is currently detained under the Mental Health Act, was deemed a risk to the couple's children because she was “obsessed with the family” by District Judge Michael Snow.</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Snow charged Bell with stalking, though she will not face a criminal trial because of her mental health.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-67a13fe3-7fff-4486-81a6-ed6c3eb84440"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“You are disgusting”: Prince William accuses man of stalking his children

<p dir="ltr">The Cambridges seem to be embroiled in a row with YouTube, after the family claim a video that breaches their privacy has been viewed thousands of times despite attempts to block it.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video, which clocked 20,000 views on Monday according to the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/you-are-disgusting-duke-of-cambridge-confronts-stalker-who-came-looking-for-his-children/G2V23LT2HCTYNTOZKGGDJBUQ44/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>, shows Prince William confronting a photographer after he was filmed on a bike ride with his family near Sandringham, Norfolk, sometime last year.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a49da7cc-7fff-6cab-c9d3-8092ba55f520"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">William is seen reproaching the man, who was videoing the prince, while Kate and their three children are off-camera nearby.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Obsessed with Prince William kicking off <a href="https://t.co/NgKgyU5eLZ">pic.twitter.com/NgKgyU5eLZ</a></p> <p>— I Don't Know Her (@l_dont_know_her) <a href="https://twitter.com/l_dont_know_her/status/1541554976689897474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“If you want to have this altercation we can have this altercation,” William says in the clip, while appearing to be calling someone on his mobile phone.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kate can be heard in the background, telling the man, “We came with our children.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know, I know, I just realised who it was and I’ve stopped,” the man said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You didn’t, you’re out here looking for us,” William replied.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You drove past us outside our house, I saw you,” Kate said, which the man denied doing. </p> <p dir="ltr">The man claimed he wasn’t following the family, to which William replies: “Yes you are, you are stalking around here looking for our children”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of Cambridge then references the incident where the man followed the family while on a bike ride, lashing out when the man denies following them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are outrageous, you are disgusting, you really are. How dare you behave like that,” William says.</p> <p dir="ltr">The short clip was uploaded over the weekend, over a year after the incident occurred.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kensington Palace has responded by claiming the clip is a breach of the family’s privacy, with William shown to be on a private bike ride with his family, who were blurred out in the video.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is understood that staff are seeking the removal of the video in line with their usual policy about privacy, which seems to have been successful as of publication.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, versions of the clip continue to circulate on other social media platforms, including TikTok and Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr">The balance between William’s family’s privacy and their roles in the public eye is something he has spent many years negotiating with the British media, in which he has authorised a small number of photographs of the children to be released each year while insisting on otherwise total privacy.</p> <p dir="ltr">Traditional British print media doesn’t publish videos or photos of the royal family in private situations, particularly when Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are involved.</p> <p dir="ltr">But images are often posted on social media and sold to European publications working under different laws.</p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for YouTube is yet to comment on the situation.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7133d0e2-7fff-91e7-880d-93501fb7d3c1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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Stalk choppers unite: Sneaky money-saving trick sparks debate

<p>With the cost of living expenses skyrocketing as the days go by, Aussie shoppers are taking matters into their own hands by finding creative ways to reduce their supermarket spend.</p> <p>However, the latest ploy to pay less for broccoli, which now costs up to $11.90 per kilo in some areas – has left customers divided, with some condemning this questionable "short-cut".</p> <p>Some shoppers have noticed legions of broccoli stalks being dumped on supermarket shelves, and have shared their observations online.</p> <p>The running theory is that some customers are snapping off the florets and leaving the stalk – or stem – behind, as that's the heaviest part. Doing this makes the vegetable lighter and therefore, cheaper at the check-out.</p> <p>By that logic, and the fact most retailers charge produce by weight, not item, people are arguably paying more for the stems that aren't often used.</p> <p>Last week, 2GB producer Jake told host Ben Fordham he recently bought four pieces of broccoli for $15 from Woolworths, but he noticed the stems were longer than usual, meaning fewer broccoli florets.</p> <p>He suggested it was a deliberate attempt by Woolworths to charge customers more for less, but that might not be the case.</p> <p>A Coles shopper in Melbourne named Jenn Shaw said she saw it too and shared a video on TikTok.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@jenn_shaw_/video/7108686164973915393" data-video-id="7108686164973915393"> <section><a title="@jenn_shaw_" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jenn_shaw_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@jenn_shaw_</a> food prices in <a title="australia" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#Australia</a> ... <a title="foodwaste" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodwaste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foodwaste</a> <a title="foodprices" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodprices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foodprices</a> <a title="kitchenhacks" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/kitchenhacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#kitchenhacks</a> <a title="♬ Taste It - Ikson" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Taste-It-6810180997917722626" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ Taste It - Ikson</a></section> </blockquote> <p>In it, she pointed out that "shoppers are leaving stalks on shelves" in a bid to make them cheaper.</p> <p>Dozens of people responded to Shaw's video and admitted to breaking off what they needed, with one person arguing: "every bit helps these days", claiming she saves about $1.50 each time she buys broccoli, just by leaving the stalk.</p> <p>"No disrespect but for that price, I would do the same," admitted another.</p> <p>The original poster argued doing this creates so much waste as the stalks can be cooked and eaten too.</p> <p>In the clip, the Melbourne woman suggested people chop them up and add them to meals the same way you would the florets, and dozens more agreed.</p> <p><strong>Coles and Woolworths speak out</strong></p> <p>After becoming aware of the practice, Coles said it's "disappointing" to see.</p> <p>"It’s disappointing to hear a small number of customers have removed the stalks from broccoli in our stores as the entire vegetable is edible and full of nutritional value”.</p> <p>"We have not changed the specifications we set for our suppliers around the length of broccoli stems," a Woolworths spokesperson said in a statement.</p> <p>They also said the stem of the broccoli plays an important role in keeping the broccoli hydrated and fresh, particularly after being cut.</p> <p>This viral video comes after Coles and Woolworths warned about more price hikes in the coming months due to increased production and manufacturing costs, fuel price hikes and supply chain blockages.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Apple to update AirTags amid claims of stalking and theft

<p dir="ltr">Apple has announced it will add <a href="https://7news.com.au/technology/apple-plans-airtag-security-updates-to-curb-unwanted-tracking-c-5654390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more safeguards</a> to AirTags, a tracking device used to find keys and other personal items, amid reports of the devices being used to stalk people and steal cars.</p><p dir="ltr">The tech giant said in a <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/02/an-update-on-airtag-and-unwanted-tracking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog post</a> that it had worked with safety groups and law enforcement agencies to identify more ways of improving its AirTag safety warnings.</p><p dir="ltr">These new measures include alerting people sooner if the tracker is suspected to be tracking someone, as current notifications that the tracker has been separated from its owner can take hours.</p><p dir="ltr">Other updates will include adjusting the tone sequence of the tracker so it is louder and easier to find and allowing someone to see the distance and direction of an AirTag, which are expected to be introduced later this year.</p><p dir="ltr">Apple will also add warnings during the setup process, informing users that tracking people without their consent is a crime.</p><p dir="ltr">Stories of people realising they are being tracked using the Apple devices have increased in recent months, including the case where a Melbourne student was notified through her iPhone that someone had been tracking her for three hours while she was out with friends.</p><p dir="ltr">Her mother Sue, who spoke to <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em> on condition of anonymity, said her daughter had found the AirTag in her handbag before destroying it in a panic.</p><p dir="ltr">Other stories have emerged online of people, especially young women, discovering the devices hidden in their vehicles.</p><p dir="ltr">“We’ve become aware that individuals can receive unwanted tracking alerts for benign reasons, such as when borrowing someone’s keys with an AirTag attached, or when travelling in a car with a family member’s AirPods left inside,” Apple said in a statement.</p><p dir="ltr">“We also have seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTags for malicious or criminal purposes.</p><p dir="ltr">“We condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” the company said.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-96a6b3a5-7fff-6b68-d02a-e5cd8f38ca1e"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Sports Illustrated model stalked with Apple AirTag

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supermodel Brooks Nader says she was stalked by a stranger using an AirTag, who followed her around New York City for five hours. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 26-year-old said she only realised she was being tracked when her iPhone alerted her to the fact that an “unknown accessory” was moving with her through the city.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The AirTag, which was first released in April 2020, is a coin-shaped device that acts as a key tracker, with users connecting the small device to their smartphone to track lost items. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the AirTag’s innovative technology, there have been numerous reports that the $45 device has been used by stalkers and thieves, to track people and their belongings without their knowing. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brooks Nader appears to be the latest victim of this tracking, as she shared her terrifying ordeal with her online following of 827,000 people. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This ‘device’ followed me for the last five hours to every location and (it belonged to) no one in my ‘network.’ It also wasn’t a phone or tablet, it was an ‘item,’” she explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The model subsequently shared a screenshot of an AirTag via Instagram Stories: “@Apple, did you take into consideration the danger and potentially fatal consequences this device has?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She added, “For those asking, it’s not my AirTag, it’s someone randoms, who must have slipped it into my belongings while out. Thank you all for checking in and sending helpful articles. I want this to be a PSA to all my ladies to please please check your belongings.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Apple, they have introduced a system to prevent stalking by notifying people if their smartphone detects an unregistered AirTag in their vicinity. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking,” the tech company states on its website. “If someone else’s AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it’s travelling with you and send you an alert.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The alert is what tipped Nader off to the fact an AirTag was in her coat pocket.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesperson for Apple told </span><a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/07/sports-illustrated-model-is-latest-victim-of-airtag-stalker/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New York Post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, “We take customer safety very seriously and are committed to AirTag’s privacy and security. AirTag is designed with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking – a first in the industry – and the Find My network includes a smart, tunable system with deterrents that applies to AirTag, as well as third-party products as part of the Find My Network accessory program.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the safety concerns of AirTags, several Aussie retailers including Big W, JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks have banned the sale of the devices. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Instagram @brooksnader</span></em></p>

Technology

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Woman awarded $24,000 after being sexually harassed and stalked by a colleague

<p>Image: Getty </p> <p>A female security guard in New Zealand has been awarded $NZ24,000 ($22,600) in compensation after she claimed a colleague sexually harassed her.</p> <p>The woman said the man physically restrained her, stalked her on social media and told her he would follow her home and watch her sleep, according to <em>The NZ Herald</em>.</p> <p>The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) upheld the woman’s personal grievance claim of unjustifiable action, agreeing her employer did not deal with her sexual harassment complaint fully.</p> <p>The ERA suppressed the names of the woman, the male security guard and the workplace to protect the woman.</p> <p>The woman started working for the security company on January 11, 2019, and for the first five weeks of her employment she worked at the same bar in central Christchurch. The sexual harassment then went on to start in February 2019, the woman said. It was verbal, consisting of unwanted and unacceptable sexual comments.</p> <p>She tried ignoring the harassment and avoiding the colleague but the harassment only got worse. It escalated to the point where she was so anxious around the man she started having panic attacks and was increasingly concerned about what he might do.</p> <p>The ERA found the man was “brazen in his behaviour and unrepentant, he did not stop the behaviour when asked”. It was found he stalked the woman on social media and told her he was doing this.</p> <p>He said he would follow her home and watch her sleep, and there had been one incident at work where the man had physically restrained her against her will. After hiding in her car one night to avoid the man, the woman approached another colleague, who encouraged her to go to their team leader.</p> <p>The team leader immediately changed the woman’s shifts so she was no longer working with the man. The business owner was also informed.</p> <p>The owner sent a message to the woman asking to meet so he could find out what was going on. She messaged back saying she was scared to say anything at first because she didn’t know how it would “be handled”.</p> <p>She said she had been sexually harassed and it had “gotten to the point where I’m scared and uncomfortable to be around him”.</p> <p>“He just turned up to [the bar] and I got the worse [sic] anxiety and had to go in my car until he had left.”</p> <p>The owner gave assurance the woman would be kept safe at work.</p> <p>The pair met in early April 2019 and the owner said he was meeting the company lawyer to discuss what steps to take.</p> <p>“I really don’t understand what’s going through his head, it’s like he’s trying to either intimidate me or something … I really don’t know what to do anymore.” In reply, the owner said he had told the colleague to leave the woman alone and that his behaviour could be considered serious misconduct.</p> <p>From April until July there were various meetings and messages and the business owner told the woman he would investigate and report back to her. He said he would speak to the lawyer about the next steps to take. </p> <p>She reiterated she felt intimidated and said, “I don’t think he should be working in this industry in the type of workplace he is because of the harassment. It’s not something that should be taken lightly because of the extent of it and how confident he was doing it.”</p> <p>The owner asked for a timeline of evidence so he could progress it to the next level and the woman provided a document outlining the harassment.</p> <p>A month later the woman received a message from another manager at the company that said the matter was still under investigation and “you need to let us deal with it”.</p> <p>The manager continued, “Personal issues don’t come to work and affect a professional environment because then it gets ugly. Just don’t let whatever kind of issue this is interfering with our business operations please, we’ve worked too hard to build a professional reputation I get on edge when it’s being damaged.”</p> <p>On May 10th, police called the woman to say her complaint was a work issue and needed to be dealt with at work.The call sparked a panic attack and the woman called her father. Her father called the owner of the business and complained about the lack of action and support.</p> <p>This prompted the owner to apologise to the woman. He also said the harassment wasn‘t happening at work so it was “a police issue now”.</p> <p>He offered to go to the police station with the woman but then never confirmed a time.The woman’s father then contacted the owner again and said nothing had been done. The father had heard the colleague accused of sexual harassment had been telling others at work everything was made up.</p> <p>The father asked, “What are your steps to getting this solved or have you lied to me and swept it under the carpet?”</p> <p>The ERA found that despite meetings and messages, the company had not completed the investigation into sexual harassment. This had come after the woman had trusted that the owner would resolve the complaint. She hadn’t received a report and no outcome had been reported to her.</p> <p>The ERA found the woman’s claim for personal grievance was not that the company had failed to protect her but that it failed to deal with the sexual harassment complaint appropriately.</p> <p>It found the woman was disadvantaged at work because she felt unsafe.</p> <p>The woman was awarded $NZ24,000 compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings.</p>

Legal

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Apple customers worried about safety of new AirTag technology

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tech giant Apple has copped global criticism after their new gadget held crucial security concerns. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The AirTag is the latest accessory from Apple, which is a button-sized electronic device that can be attached like a keychain to valuables such as a wallet or keys, and can be linked to your Apple device to help locate the items when lost. </span></p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/05/05/apple-airtags-stalking/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, among other sceptics of the new tech, pointed out the design flaw of the device after its release in early 2021, warning users it could be “frighteningly easy” for stalkers to take advantage.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A series of tests conducted by online tech reviewers pointed out how easy it could be for stalkers to place the AirTag on someone without their knowledge and then track their whereabouts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“AirTags are a new means of inexpensive, effective stalking. I know because I tested AirTags by letting a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Washington Post</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> colleague pretend to stalk me,” the review said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eva Galperin, cybersecurity director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has long advocated for more awareness on the dangers of tracking technology. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t expect products to be perfect the moment they hit the market, but I don’t think they would have made the choices that they did if they had consulted even a single expert in intimate partner abuse,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After an influx of global criticism against the AirTag, Apple’s new iOS 15.2 update has made moves to remedy the possibility of stalking, by giving users access to detect “items that can track me” from their chosen Apple devices. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Within the Find My app, there is a new “unknown items” option that can scan for rogue devices the user may be unaware of in their vicinity, alerting people to suspicious activity. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These are an industry-first, strong set of proactive deterrents,” Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of iPhone marketing, said in an interview. “It’s a smart and tuneable system, and we can continue improving the logic and timing so that we can improve the set of deterrents.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Technology

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Electronic surveillance considered for alleged stalkers

<p>In 1993, Andrea Patrick was murdered by her ex-partner after a period of severe harassment and despite a restraining order being made against him. The public outcry that followed Patrick’s death impelled the New South Wales government to follow Queensland’s lead and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Hansard/Pages/HansardResult.aspx#/docid/HANSARD-1323879322-89176" target="_blank">enact an offence of stalking</a>.</p> <p>During the 1990s, all Australian states and territories made stalking a distinct crime. Evidence of stalking can also form the basis of civil law orders known as restraining, apprehended violence or intervention orders.</p> <p>However, there are concerns that little has changed since Andrea Patrick’s death. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-09/celeste-manno-mother-calls-for-tougher-stalking-laws/12964622" target="_blank">There is a view</a> that stalking is not being treated seriously enough and intervention orders may be breached without serious ramifications for alleged offenders.</p> <p>The Victorian attorney-general has asked the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/projects/stalking/stalking-terms-reference" target="_blank">Victorian Law Reform Commission</a> to consider new measures for responding to stalking, including whether electronic monitoring could be a condition of intervention orders.</p> <p>Before considering the advantages and disadvantages of such a measure, it is worth considering how stalking is defined.</p> <p><strong>What is stalking?</strong></p> <p>While definitions differ, in general, stalking refers to a pattern of behaviour intended to cause harm or arouse fear. Stalking can include:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/ajp.156.8.1244" target="_blank">surveillance</a>: obsessive monitoring through physically following or tracking the other person via technology or by loitering at the person’s home or workplace</p> </li> <li> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bsl.966" target="_blank">repetition</a>: there may be unwanted contact that occurs multiple times – it can happen over the course of one day, a few weeks, or many years</p> </li> <li> <p>degradation: this may involve verbal abuse, posting denigrating comments or images online, or humiliating the other person in public</p> </li> <li> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4614-5690-2_535" target="_blank">intrusion</a>: this may include repeatedly approaching the other person, interfering with the person’s property, or entering the person’s home or workplace.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Stalking can involve actions that would, in another context, be legal or even welcome. For example, gift-giving is usually legal. But if someone repeatedly gives another person unwanted gifts and will not stop when asked, this may amount to stalking.</p> <p><strong>Intervention orders</strong></p> <p>Individuals can apply to a court for an intervention order that prohibits another person (the defendant) from behaving in a particular manner towards them. In addition to acting as a restraint on the defendant’s behaviour, an intervention order can direct the defendant to comply with certain conditions.</p> <p>In Victoria, for example, there are two types of intervention orders: <a rel="noopener" href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/fvpa2008283/" target="_blank">family violence intervention orders</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/vic/consol_act/psioa2010409/" target="_blank">personal safety intervention orders</a>. The first type covers situations between family members, including current or former intimate partners and some carers. The second type covers all other relationships.</p> <p>Lower courts may grant intervention orders if there is sufficient evidence of stalking.</p> <p><strong>Electronic monitoring</strong></p> <p>Electronic monitoring generally refers to “<a rel="noopener" href="http://www.antoniocasella.eu/nume/COE_electronic_16oct12.pdf" target="_blank">forms of surveillance with which to monitor the location, movement and specific behaviour of persons</a>”. It includes the use of devices such as ankle bracelets, which use radio frequency or Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to monitor the location of the person.</p> <p>While the use of such devices is usually associated with monitoring offenders after conviction, pretrial electronic monitoring is used in some places as <a rel="noopener" href="http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_act/ba198241/s50l.html" target="_blank">a condition of bail</a>. Electronic monitoring is also permitted in South Australia and Queensland for some <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ranzcp.org/news-policy/policy-and-advocacy/position-statements/electronic-monitoring-people-in-forensic-mh" target="_blank">individuals using forensic mental health services</a>.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411150/original/file-20210714-13-69trd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Electronic monitoring devices such as ankle bracelets have been used pre-trial in some cases.</span> <em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></p> <p>It appears electronic monitoring has not been used in Australia as a condition of intervention orders. However, Matt Black and Russell G. Smith <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi254" target="_blank">pointed out</a> in 2003 that “modern restriction and surveillance capabilities may raise the possibility for consideration”.</p> <p><strong>Pros and cons of electronic monitoring</strong></p> <p>Electronic monitoring may help to ensure intervention orders work to prevent alleged stalkers physically approaching particular people. It can ensure they don’t enter proscribed areas and be used to track their movements.</p> <p>However, it can be expensive. The panel that reviewed post-sentence supervision of sex offenders in Victoria <a rel="noopener" href="https://files.justice.vic.gov.au/2021-06/cavsom%20harper%20report.pdf?A_rtu8pRp1SsqKDZxF2dWoGkzLvLLcmg=" target="_blank">observed</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>[…] the costs associated with electronic monitoring were considerable, particularly in proportion to other important functions undertaken by Corrections Victoria.</p> </blockquote> <p>Due to resource allocation, it is not feasible for every alleged stalker to be monitored 24 hours a day. Analysis of the electronic monitoring data is also not necessarily immediate. If electronic monitoring were an option in relation to intervention orders, it may also lead to more contested cases, thereby taking up more court time.</p> <p>There are human rights issues in relation to curtailing the liberty of those who have not been convicted of a crime. Wearing an electronic device may also be sitgmatising. The balance here is whether public safety considerations outweigh individual rights.</p> <p><strong>A shift in focus</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Being forced to modify behaviour to avoid being stalked appears to be common for victim survivors of stalking. They may experience significant lifestyle changes such as:</p> <ul> <li>avoiding places where their stalker might be</li> <li>changing routines</li> <li>quitting school or their job</li> <li>moving house.</li> </ul> <p>A key question for the Victorian Law Reform Commission inquiry into stalking will be whether electronic monitoring can help shift the focus away from victims having to alter their own behaviour to forcing alleged offenders to alter theirs.</p> <p>Electronic monitoring may have a role to play, but it may be that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bernadette-mcsherry-2559" target="_blank">Bernadette McSherry</a>, Emeritus Professor, <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">The University of Melbourne</a></em> and <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/madeleine-ulbrick-312907" target="_blank">Madeleine Ulbrick</a>, Senior Research and Policy Officer, <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065" target="_blank">Monash University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/victoria-considers-electronic-surveillance-for-alleged-stalkers-164320" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>

Technology

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Stalk snappers beware: You could be charged double

<p>For vegetable growers, greengrocers and supermarkets alike, it’s one of the most frustrating habits of shoppers.</p> <p>They say that by doing it, it not only deprives them of income but also takes away the delicious flavour of the produce.</p> <p>Once store is so tired of it that its owners have gone beyond simply shaking their heads when customers are out of view they’ll now charge customers double if they do this dastardly deed.</p> <p>So what is this habit that has caused so much frustration?</p> <p>Snapping off the stalks of broccoli and dumping them before they head to the cash register.</p> <p>Some shoppers believe that by taking off the stalks, they save a few cents but grocers are tired of it.</p> <p>A greengrocer in Sydney’s inner west took the liberty of posting a blunt message for those who thought it was an appropriate practice.</p> <p>“Do not remove broccoli stalks,” it read. “Otherwise be charged double”.</p> <p>The sneaky habit is so common, that grocers are finding an abundance of stalks at the bottom of broccoli crates.</p> <p>“I always break it off and leave it,” one stalk snapper told news.com.au said, despite acknowledging the amount saved was not huge.</p> <p>“It’s not about the cost, it’s the principle of being forced to pay for a stalk that won’t be used. Similarly, at the butcher I always ask that any excess fat is trimmed off.”</p> <p>Another was equally unrepentant: “You get charged by weight so everyone breaks off the bits they don’t eat to get more bang for their buck.”</p> <p>But a Sydneysider on team stalk said the practice “did her head in”. “Almost all fresh produce has a certain amount of waste – peel, core, seeds – that isn’t used but you still have to pay for it,” she said.</p> <p>“You don’t go around leaving banana peels behind or the seed of an avocado. It’s just life.”</p> <p>One shopper pointed out that supermarkets used to have bins in the fresh produce section where you could dump cauliflower leaves and other unnecessary veg accessories before paying for them. And pineapples have long been sold shorn of their spiky leaves – so why not sell broccoli with its stem detached?</p>

Food & Wine

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“Nothing wrong with writing 300 poems”: Delta Goodrem stalker defends actions

<p><span>A man has been convicted of stalking after he went to Delta Goodrem’s home five times in one day and sent her 300 love poems.</span></p> <p><span>James Joseph Lafferty, 47, on Tuesday pleaded guilty in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court to three charges including stalking and intimidation, using a carriage service to harass, menace or offend, and failing to comply with a police direction.</span></p> <p><span>The Grafton man went to Goodrem’s Sydney CBD apartment on February 14 and attempted to leave a Valentine’s Day gift but was blocked by the concierge. The Grafton man returned four more times that day.</span></p> <p><span>On February 15, the <em>Voice </em>judge went down to the concierge desk to pick up a dress when Lafferty walked past and called out “Delta, Delta”.</span></p> <p><span>He then sent messages to Goodrem’s Instagram account including “I’m here”, “please come down and meet me”, and “I’m at concierge”. Police were called and Lafferty was arrested outside the building.</span></p> <p><span>He reportedly told police he had sent the singer 300 poems in the lead up to Valentine’s Day and said, “You’d think she’d at least reply”.</span></p> <p><span>Lafferty told the court that Goodrem’s “address is on Google anyway”.</span></p> <p><span>Legal Aid lawyer Richard Ikaafu said father-of-three Lafferty did not at any point threaten Goodrem’s welfare or safety.</span></p> <p><span>Magistrate Jane Mottley noted Lafferty’s previous convictions dating back to 1991 for aggravated break and enter whilst armed, drug possession, damage of property, trespass, drink driving, intimidation and, in January last year, assault occasioning actual bodily harm.</span></p> <p><span>Lafferty was placed on an 18-month community corrections order and fined $600. He was also ordered to stay away from Goodrem’s home.</span></p> <p><span>Following his sentencing, Lafferty told reporters there’s “nothing wrong with writing 300 poems to somebody” before adding, “It’s better than a sleazy one-liner in a nightclub, isn’t it?”</span></p>

News

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Blind woman “stalked” by Woolworths robot in supermarket

<p>A blind woman has lashed out at Woolworths over a “silly” robot who “stalked” her while she was shopping with her guide dog at a Melbourne supermarket.</p> <p>On Tuesday, Casey Hyde took her guide dog Bridget through a Woolworths store when she was confronted by a tall, white robot.</p> <p>Speaking to <em>Yahoo News Australia</em>, Ms Hyde, who has 10 per cent vision, said the robot kept following her down the aisle as it yelled the word “obstruction”.</p> <p>“It’s designed to find things blocking the aisle and the robot thought Bridget was an obstruction,” she said.</p> <p>“It scared the dog and also distracted her.”</p> <p>She said the robot followed her closely as she walked around the supermarket and believes that because Bridget is black and weighs about 39 kg she may have been mistaken for a bin.</p> <p>“It was confronting for me – the robot wasn’t helping me feel comfortable,” Ms Hyde said.</p> <p>She claimed that a stranger helped her complete her shopping because “she could not see if the robot was coming or not”.</p> <p>The robot, which is called “Greggles” has not been popular amongst shoppers, one of them being Ms Hyde.</p> <div id="fb-root"></div> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2555330141458134&amp;set=p.2555330141458134&amp;type=3" data-width="auto"> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>Modern technology might stop me from working. This robot in Woolworths checks on shelves for empty low...</p> Posted by <a href="#">Bridget Hyde</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2555330141458134&amp;set=p.2555330141458134&amp;type=3">Monday, January 20, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> <p>“This issue should not ever come up,” she said.</p> <p>“It shows a bit of ignorance towards people with disabilities – how are people in wheelchairs or with prams supposed to get through the aisle with this robot?”</p> <p>She added that she’s “really concerned” is the “silly robots” gets rolled out to even more stores across the country, that it may make it difficult for people to do their shopping.</p> <p>“I just want people to be able to enjoy their shopping instead of worrying about being stalked by a penis-shaped robot,” said Ms Hyde.</p> <p>A Woolworths spokesperson told<span> </span><em>Yahoo News Australia</em><span> </span>that they want all customers “to feel welcome” and regret that, on this occasion it “wasn’t the case”.</p> <p>The spokesperson revealed that someone has gotten in touch with Ms Hyde and “will look into details with the robot manufacturer as a priority”.</p> <p>“The safety robot is part of a trial designed to improve customer safety and experience in the store, and we’re closely monitoring customer feedback on it,” they said.</p> <p>“These robots operate in hundreds of stores across the world and have been subject to extensive safety testing by the manufacturer. They have sensors built in and are programmed to stop or move away from any fixed or moving objects.”</p>

News

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What is stalking in New South Wales?

<p>The SBS Insight program featured a segment some time ago about the nature and prevalence of stalking in Australia, with alleged offenders, complainants and police officers relating their experiences of such conduct and the criminal justice system’s treatment of it.</p> <p>But those on the program struggled to define the term ‘stalking’, giving varying descriptions of what they consider the term to mean.</p> <p>So what is the definition of stalking in the NSW criminal law? What types of conduct amount to stalking under the law? What is the offence of stalking in our state, what does the prosecution need to prove, what are the penalties and how seriously do courts consider domestic violence related offences?</p> <p><strong>Definition of stalking in the NSW criminal law</strong></p> <p>‘Stalking’ is defined by <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/capva2007347/s8.html">section 8</a> of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW) (the Act) as including:</p> <ul> <li>the following of a person about,</li> <li>the watching or frequenting of the vicinity of, or an approach to, a person’s place of residence, business or work or any place that a person frequents for the purposes of any social or leisure activity, and</li> <li>contacting or otherwise approaching a person using the internet or any other technologically assisted means.</li> </ul> <p>The section makes clear that for the purpose of determining whether a person’s conduct amounts to stalking, a court may have regard to any pattern of violence (especially violence constituting a domestic violence offence) in the person’s behaviour.</p> <p>Examples of situations found by the courts to amount to stalking include:</p> <ul> <li>Continuing to call or send text messages to the targeted person after he or she has made clear they do not want to receive such contact,</li> <li>Attending multiple places where the targeted person frequents, in circumstances where the defendant would not normally attend those places,</li> <li>Repeatedly posting on the targeted person’s social media pages, after that person has made clear they do not want these publications,</li> <li>Continuing to send gifts to a person after he or she has made clear they do not wish to receive them, and</li> <li>Attending the targeted person’s home or workplace and watching, or repeatedly driving past these premises, in circumstances where there is no reason to do this.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What is the offence of stalking?</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/domestic-and-personal-violence-act/stalking-or-intimidation/">Section 13 of the Act </a>prescribes a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and/or a fine of $5,500 – or 2 years in prison if the case remains in the Local Court rather than being referred to the District Court – for any person who <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-offence-of-stalking-or-intimidation-in-nsw/">stalks or intimidates another person with the intention of causing the other person to fear physical or mental harm</a>.</p> <p><strong>For the purposes of the section:</strong></p> <ul> <li>causing a person to fear physical or mental harm includes causing the person to fear physical or mental harm to another person with whom he or she has a <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/capva2007347/s5.html#domestic_relationship">domestic relationship</a>,</li> <li>a person intends to cause fear of physical or mental harm if he or she knows that the conduct is likely to cause fear in the other person,</li> <li>the prosecution is not required to prove that the person alleged to have been stalked or intimidated actually feared physical or mental harm, and</li> <li>an attempt to commit the offence is enough to establish the offence.</li> </ul> <p>‘<a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/what-is-the-meaning-of-intimidate-in-the-criminal-law/">Intimidation</a>’ is defined <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/capva2007347/s7.html">by section 7</a> of the Act as:</p> <ul> <li>conduct (including cyberbullying) amounting to harassment or molestation of the person,</li> <li>an approach made to the person by any means (including by telephone, telephone text messaging, e-mailing and other technologically assisted means) that causes the person to fear for his or her safety, or</li> <li>any conduct that causes a reasonable apprehension of injury to a person or to a person with whom he or she has a domestic relationship, or of violence or damage to any person or property.</li> </ul> <p>Again, the court can consider a course of conduct when determining whether a defendant has engaged in intimidatory conduct.</p> <p>How seriously do the courts treat stalking offences?</p> <p>The courts have <a href="https://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/publications/benchbks/sentencing/domestic_violence_offences.html">gone to great lengths to emphasise the seriousness with which they treat domestic violence offences</a>, including offences that include elements of stalking, intimidation or physical violence in the domestic context.</p> <p>In <em>Munda v Western Australia</em> (2013), the High Court of Australia made clear that:</p> <p>“the long-standing obligation of the state.. [is] to vindicate the dignity of each victim of violence, to express the community’s disapproval of that offending, and to afford such protection as can be afforded by the state to the vulnerable against repetition of violence.”</p> <p>In the context of sentencing for the offences, the court remarked:</p> <p>“A just sentence must accord due recognition to the human dignity of the victim of domestic violence and the legitimate interest of the general community in the denunciation and punishment of a brutal, alcohol-fuelled destruction of a woman by her partner. A failure on the part of the state to mete out a just punishment of violent offending may be seen as a failure by the state to vindicate the human dignity of the victim; and to impose a lesser punishment by reason of the identity of the victim is to create a group of second-class citizens, a state of affairs entirely at odds with the fundamental idea of equality before the law.”</p> <p>In <em>The Queen v Kilic</em> (2016), the High Court recognised that:</p> <p>“[C]urrent sentencing practices for offences involving domestic violence depart from past sentencing practices for this category of offence because of changes in societal attitudes to domestic relations.”</p> <p>In that case, the court treated the fact the respondent’s offence involved domestic violence as a distinguishing aggravating circumstance of significance and referred to: “… the abuse of a relationship of trust which such an offence necessarily entails and which … must be deterred”.</p> <p>The denunciation of, and punishment for, “brutal” and “alcohol-fuelled” conduct in the context of a domestic relationship was considered to be particularly apt in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal case of <em>Ngatamariki v R</em> [2016], where the court stated:</p> <p>“It is undoubtedly the case that the criminal law, in the area of domestic violence, requires rigorous and demanding consequences for perpetrators for the purpose of protecting partners, family members and the wider community.”</p> <p>The need for both general deterrence (deterring would-be offenders) and specific deterrence (deterring the particular offender) has been a theme in both judicial decisions and parliamentary inquiries.</p> <p><strong>The onus rests on the prosecution to prove stalking charges</strong></p> <p>It is important to bear in mind that the onus always rests is on the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant engaged in conduct amounting to stalking.</p> <p>This can be a difficult hurdle for them to overcome in circumstances where the defendant refutes allegations of engaging in specific conduct – such as attending or driving past the complainant’s premises – or has a lawful reason for attending the locations or engaging in the alleged conduct.</p> <p>Where there is such a dispute, it is the defence lawyer’s job to push for the withdrawal of the charges so their client is not subjected to the costs, anxiety and stress associated with a defended hearing or, if the prosecution nevertheless insists on a hearing, raising doubt as to the elements of the offences during that hearing.</p> <p><strong>Going to court for stalking?</strong></p> <p>If you are going to court for stalking, call Sydney Criminal Lawyers anytime on 9261 8881 to arrange a <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/services/free-first-appointment/">free first consultation</a> with an experienced criminal defence lawyer who will advise you of your options, the best way forward and fight to achieve the optimal outcome in the circumstances.</p> <p><em>Written by Ugur Nedim. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/what-is-stalking-in-new-south-wales/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a> </em></p>

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Colin Firth’s wife admits to affair with her alleged stalker

<p>Colin Firth’s wife Livia Giuggioli has admitted she had an affair with the man she is now accusing of stalking her.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/colin-firth-s-wife-livia-giuggioli-admits-affair-with-stalker-journalist-marco-brancaccia-0zh5cc566" target="_blank">Livia Giuggioli has accused an Italian journalist of harassing her</a></strong></span> with a campaign of “frightening” messages, The Times reports.</p> <p>The 48-year-old film producer, who married Firth, 57, in 1997, claims journalist Marco Brancaccia, 55, was stalking her.</p> <p>He denied the accusation telling the publication that she was lying to cover up their relationship which occurred between 2015 and 2016.</p> <p>In a statement, the couple confirmed Giuggioli’s past relationship with Brancaccia, explaining, “A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr. Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited.”</p> <p>The statement continued, “Subsequently, Mr. Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public.”</p> <p>“The reporting this week on this case is understood to be the consequence of a leaked court document. This is greatly to be regretted,” the statement concluded.</p> <p>Brancaccia has denied the harassment claims, saying they were “romantically involved.”</p> <p>“She wanted to leave Colin for me,” he said, adding that the marriage had “been over for years.”</p> <p>“My ‘stalking’ consisted of two messages via WhatsApp after she ended our relationship in June 2016, and an email. I wrote an email to Colin about my relationship with Livia, which I now regret sending, and she filed a complaint against me for stalking out of fear that I could go public with what she had revealed to me about her marriage and work,” he said.</p> <p>Brancaccia said, “In a year she sent me hundreds of messages of love, photos and videos, even a diary.”</p>

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