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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>

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Digital inequality: why can I enter your building – but your website shows me the door?

<p>When people hear the term “accessibility” in the context of disability, most will see images of ramps, automatic doors, elevators, or tactile paving (textured ground which helps vision impaired people navigate public spaces). These are physical examples of inclusive practice that most people understand.</p> <p>You may even use these features yourself, for convenience, as you go about your day. However, such efforts to create an inclusive physical world aren’t being translated into designing the digital world.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463211/original/file-20220516-25-nl8hd8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A large wheelchair sign is visible to the left of a wheelchair ramp." /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">New buildings are required to comply with a range of physical access requirements, which may include tactile paving (seen in yellow).</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Accessibility fails</strong></p> <p>Digital accessibility refers to the way people with a lived experience of disability interact with the cyber world.</p> <p>One example comes from an author of this article, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-13/dark-patterns-online-captcha-accessibility-disability-community/11301054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott</a>, who is legally blind. Scott is unable to purchase football tickets online because the ticketing website uses an image-based “CAPTCHA” test. It’s a seemingly simple task, but fraught with challenges when considering accessibility issues.</p> <p>Despite Scott having an IT-related PhD, and two decades of digital accessibility experience in academic and commercial arenas, it falls on his teenage son to complete the online ticket purchase.</p> <p>Screen readers, high-contrast colour schemes and text magnifiers are all assistive technology tools that enable legally blind users to interact with websites. Unfortunately, they are useless if a website has not been designed with an inclusive approach.</p> <p>The other author of this article, Justin, uses a wheelchair for mobility and can’t even purchase wheelchair seating tickets over the web. He has to phone a special access number to do so.</p> <p>Both of these are examples of digital accessibility fails. And they’re more common than most people realise.</p> <p><strong>We can clearly do better</strong></p> <p>The term “disability” covers a spectrum of <a href="https://www.apsc.gov.au/working-aps/diversity-and-inclusion/disability/definition-disability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">physical and cognitive conditions</a>. It can can range from short-term conditions to lifelong ones.</p> <p>“Digital accessibility” applies to a broad range of users <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with varying abilities</a>.</p> <p>At last count, nearly <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one in five Australians (17.7%)</a> lived with some form of disability. This figure increases significantly when you consider the physical and cognitive impacts of ageing.</p> <p>At the same time, Australians are becoming increasingly reliant on digital services. According to a <a href="https://www.pwc.com.au/consulting/connected-government/potential-of-digital-inclusion.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 survey</a> by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, 45% of respondents in New South Wales and Victoria increased their use of digital channels during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>In contrast, research undertaken by <a href="https://www.infosys.com/australia/digital-accessibility-journey/executive-summary.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Infosys in December 2021</a> found only 3% of leading companies in Australia and New Zealand had effective digital accessibility processes.</p> <p><strong>But have we improved?</strong></p> <p>Areas that <em>have</em> shown accessibility improvement include <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/inclusive-design-social-media/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media platforms</a> such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, food ordering services such as <a href="https://www.afb.org/aw/20/4/16411" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uber Eats</a>, and media platforms such as the ABC News app.</p> <p>Challenges still persist in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognizant/2022/03/03/how-to-make-online-banking-disabled-people-friendly/?sh=21a3d5dda4a5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online banking</a>, <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Websites-critiqued-on-accessibility-to-disabled-customers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">travel booking sites</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahkim/2020/12/30/accessibility-of-online-shopping/?sh=66a9d883e49e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shopping sites</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10209-021-00792-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">educational websites and content</a>.</p> <p>Data from the United States indicates lawsuits relating to accessibility <a href="https://www.essentialaccessibility.com/blog/web-accessibility-lawsuits">are on the rise</a>, with outcomes including financial penalties and requirements for business owners to remedy the accessibility of their website/s.</p> <p>In Australia, however, it’s often hard to obtain exact figures for the scale of accessibility complaints lodged with site owners. <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/publications/overlooked-consumers-20-australian-population-disabilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This 1997 article</a> from the Australian Human Right Commission suggests the conversation hasn’t shifted much in 25 years.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><em><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=257&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=257&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=257&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=323&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=323&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463213/original/file-20220516-19-vjfht8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=323&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A rendered illustration of a disabled man in a wheelchair and woman with a hearing aid lifting weights." /></a></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">It’s a human right to have fair and equal access to the web and all its services.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>There are solutions at hand</strong></p> <p>There’s a clear solution to the digital divide. The World Wide Web Consortium’s <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines</a> (WCAG) standard has been widely adopted across the globe. It’s universally available, and is a requirement for all Australian public-facing government websites.</p> <p>It guides website and app developers on how to use web languages (such as HTML and CSS) in ways that enable end users who rely on assistive technologies. There are no specialist technologies or techniques required to make websites or apps accessible. All that’s needed is an adherence to good practice.</p> <p>Unfortunately, WCAG is rarely treated as an <a href="https://www.rev.com/blog/web-accessibility-laws-australia-new-zealand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enforceable standard</a>. All too often, adherence to WCAG requirements in Australia is reduced to a box-ticking exercise.</p> <p>Our academic work and experience liaising with a range of vendors has revealed that even where specific accessibility requirements are stated, many vendors will tick “yes” regardless of their knowledge of accessibility principles, or their ability to deliver against the standards.</p> <p>In cases where vendors do genuinely work towards WCAG compliance, they often rely on automated testing (via online tools), rather than human <a href="https://zoonou.com/resources/blog/why-automated-accessibility-testing-tools-are-not-enough/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testing</a>. As a result, genuine accessibility and usability issues can go <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262352732_Benchmarking_web_accessibility_evaluation_tools_Measuring_the_harm_of_sole_reliance_on_automated_tests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unreported</a>. While the coding of each element of a website might be WCAG compliant, the sum of all the parts may not be.</p> <p>In 2016, the Australian government adopted <a href="https://www.accessibility.org.au/policy-and-research/australian-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">standard EN 301549</a> (a direct implementation of an existing European standard). It’s aimed at preventing inaccessible products (hardware, software, websites and services) entering the government’s digital ecosystem. Yet the new standard seems to have achieved little. Few, if any, references to it appear in academic literature or the public web.</p> <p>It seems to have met a similar fate to the government’s <a href="https://www.governmentnews.com.au/national-transition-strategy-web-accessibility-in-transition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Transition Strategy</a> for digital accessibility, which quietly disappeared in 2015.</p> <p><strong>The carrot, not the stick</strong></p> <p>Accessibility advocates take different approaches to advancing the accessibility agenda with reticent organisations. Some instil the fear of legal action, often citing the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1RbzjUBT1s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maguire v SOCOG case</a>, where the 2000 Olympic website was found to be inaccessible.</p> <p>In a more recent example, the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-05/blind-woman-launches-court-action-against-coles-over-its-website/5869874?nw=0&amp;r=HtmlFragment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manage v Coles settlement</a> saw Coles agree to make improvements to their website’s accessibility after being sued by a legally blind woman.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=448&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=448&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=448&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=563&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=563&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/463210/original/file-20220516-21-7tu89a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=563&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Screenshot of the top of Coles's 'accessibility' section on the company's website, with a red Coles logo on the top-left." /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">After getting sued by a legally blind customer in 2014, Coles made improvements to its website’s accessibility features.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screenshot/Coles</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>In the Coles case, the stick became the carrot; Coles went on to win a <a href="https://www.accessibility.org.au/award-winners-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national website accessibility award</a> after the original complainant nominated them following their remediation efforts.</p> <p>But while the financial impact of being sued might spur an organisation into action, it’s more likely to commit to genuine effort if this will generate a <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/business-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">positive return on investment</a>.</p> <p><strong>Accessible by default</strong></p> <p>We can attest to the common misconception that disability implies a need for help and support. Most people living with disability are seeking to live independently and with self-determination.</p> <p>To break the cycle of financial and social dependence frequently associated with the equity space, governments, corporations and educational institutions need to become accessible by default.</p> <p>The technologies and policies are all in place, ready to go. What is needed is leadership from government and non-government sectors to define digital accessibility as a right, and not a privilege. <!-- 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/182432/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/scott-hollier-1337594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Hollier</a>, Adjunct Senior Lecturer - Science and Mathematics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-brown-1344442" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Brown</a>, Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning), School of Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edith Cowan 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/digital-inequality-why-can-i-enter-your-building-but-your-website-shows-me-the-door-182432" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Software engineer EASILY hacks airline website to find lost luggage

<p dir="ltr">A software engineer has shared just how easy it was – scarily so – for him to hack an airline’s system.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nandan Kumar was on a domestic flight on Indian airline IndiGo and revealed that he and a passenger had mistakenly taken each other’s bags. </p> <p dir="ltr">He tried calling IndiGo multiple times and was unsuccessful, so decided to put his skills to use and find whoever took his bag.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nandan shared the entire ordeal on Twitter, showing how easy it was to hack IndiGo’s website and find other passengers’ details. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I reached home when my wife pointed out that the bag seems to be different from ours as we don’t use key based locks in our bags,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So right after reaching home I called your customer care. After multiple calls and navigating through @IndiGo6Eand of course a lot of waiting I was able to connect to one of your customer care agents and they tried to connect me with the co-passenger. But all in vain. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Long story short, I couldn't get any resolution on the issue. And neither your customer care team was not ready to provide me with the contact details of the person citing privacy and data protection.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Nandan said customer service assured him they would call back in the morning but when they didn’t he knew it was time to “take the matter in my own hands”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“After all the failed attempts, my dev instinct kicked in and I pressed the F12 button on my computer keyboard and opened the developer console on the @IndiGo6E  website and started the whole checkin flow with network log record on.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And there in one of the network responses was the phone number and email of my co-passenger. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I made note of the details and decided to call the person and try to get the bags swapped.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily the pair were not far from each other and agreed to meet at a central place to exchange the bags.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nandan, however, went one step further and urged IndiGo to update their website – as it was way too easy to hack! </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Fake Banksy print sold on the artist’s website for over $450,000

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A hacker has been forced to return over $450,000AUD to a British art collector after he tricked him into purchasing a fake Banksy print. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The NFT (non-fungible token) print was posted on Banksy’s official website, fooling many fans of the elusive street artist. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The auction of the print ended early after the art collector offered 90% of rival bidders. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Banksy’s team spoke to the </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58399338"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and assured art fans that, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"any Banksy NFT auctions are not affiliated with the artist in any shape or form."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFT’s are a relatively new phenomenon in the art world, which show artworks that can be “tokenised” to create a digital certificate of ownership that can be bought and sold. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They often don’t give the buyer the actual artwork of copyright, but are seen as more of an investment. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The man who got duped by the site believed he was buying Banksy’s first ever NFT. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The man, who wished to remain anonymous, explained over Twitter that he suspected Banksy’s official site was hacked and that he was the victim of an elaborate scam. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The hacker returned all the money, with the exception of $9,000AUD transaction fee once he was caught out. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The prominent NFT collector used the online name Pranksy, and said the whole experience was bizarre but that the hacker may have got scared.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The refund was totally unexpected, I think the press coverage of the hack plus the fact that I had found the hacker and followed him on Twitter may have pushed him into a refund. “</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I feel very lucky when a lot of others in a similar situation with less reach would not have had the same outcome," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The NFT was called Great Distribution of the Climate Change Disaster, and is not linked to the famous street artist.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Banksy</span></em></p>

Art

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How can you find out what your car is worth?

<p>When it’s time to upgrade our car, we need to find out what our current vehicle is worth. But what’s the best way to do that?</p> <p>Whether we like it or not, our cars are always depreciating. From the moment we sign the papers and hand over our money for a new car, the dollar value of that vehicle goes down with time.</p> <p>So, if you feel it’s time to upgrade your car, how do you find out its market value?</p> <p><strong>The easiest way to do a car market value check is through car websites with a car market value calculator. You could also browse car sales listings to see how much other people are selling or willing to buy the same model for. </strong></p> <p>Whatever method you use, it’s essential to understand that your <strong>car’s market value</strong> is only a rough indicator. Your car has its own amount of damage – you may have a slight ding here or there – and it also depends how old your car is and how well you’ve serviced it over the years.</p> <p>So, if you’re planning to sell your car online, there’s no guarantee you’ll get the same dollar amount that other cars of the same model and year have been advertised for.</p> <p>Here’s a bit more information on how to get as close as possible to what is the value of your car and what price you should advertise it for.</p> <p><strong>Using Google is a useful method</strong></p> <p>These days, all you have to do is Google the term ‘What is my car market value?’ to find a long list of helpful websites. From there, find one that has a <strong>car market value calculator</strong>. These calculators are databases which help you find the information you need based on the car brand, model, and manufacturing year.</p> <p>One well-known website which has been around for a long time is Redbook and they do car valuations for a small amount. They ask for a lot of detail including if you’ve had any accidents, how many kilometres the car’s done etc.</p> <p>Again, remember when you get these valuations, they are still mainly indicators. But these give you a good idea of the price range your car should be in.</p> <p><strong>Also check your car sales listings</strong></p> <p>Another way to get an understanding of your car's market value is to check car sales listings. As you might already know, there are plenty of websites in Australia and beyond which allow people to put their cars up for sale.</p> <p>Using this method, you will need to do some 'detective work' to check your car market value. So, browse these car sales websites and look for any cars which match your vehicle’s brand, model, and manufacturing year. See if you can find one that’s close to the same condition as yours as well.</p> <p>From there, find out how much the sellers are putting their cars up for. Firstly, those prices act as valuable indicators of your car’s market value. But more importantly, it’ll also show you how much the market is willing to pay for a vehicle like yours.</p> <p>With this kind of approach, your <strong>car market value check</strong> isn’t just about finding out indicators. It’s also helpful because it gives you a clear sense of how much money you could realistically get from potential buyers.</p> <p><strong>Finally, good luck!</strong></p> <p>Working out what your car is worth is not easy and it is always open to different opinions. For example, in one state of Australia a certain car could be worth more than in another state.</p> <p>But if you follow the steps we've talked about, you'll get a very good idea of what you can expect to sell your car for. The next step is to list it on an online car sales site and see if you can sell it for as close as possible to the price you've valued it at.</p> <p>There's always and element of luck to this part because it depends if you find a buyer who really wants your car - the brand, the model etc. So, good luck!</p> <p><em>Photo: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p> </p>

Money & Banking

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Clever website helps Aussies book vaccinations

<p>A helpful new website helps Aussies avoid the queues by letting you know when a Pfizer vaccine appointment becomes available and helping you book the spot – all for free.</p> <p>The genius website is called <a rel="noopener" href="https://covidqueue.com/" target="_blank">CovidQueue </a>and because it’s a free service and it’s needed right now, it’s proving to be incredibly popular among people in Sydney.</p> <p>The service works by continuously checking booking portals for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Westmead Hospital, St Vincent Hospital and Sydney Olympic Hub.</p> <p>To use the site, you only need to click “Get in Line” and once a time and date becomes available, the site will make a ping sound.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://covidqueue.com/" target="_blank">CovidQueue</a> was created by 28-year-old Sydney software engineer, Fraser Hemphill. He said he could see we needed something like this when a “nurse friend” was having trouble booking a jab.</p> <p>Hemphill told the Sunrise program: “I thought, ‘geez that could probably be easier,’ so I just whipped up a script that could check all of the government sites for her and she was able to book in about two minutes.”</p> <p>Since launching only last week, CovidQueue has had more than 200,000 visits from Sydneysiders who are desperate to get a vaccination during the city’s outbreak.</p> <p>Hemphill says he built it over a weekend and his “nurse friend” sent it to her friends and they gave him a lot of positive feedback so he launched it on the Internet and “…it kind of blew up from there,” he explained.</p> <p>The site currently only helps eligible people from Sydney book Pfizer jabs but Hemphill says he’s looking to include AstraZeneca and make the service available for other areas soon.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Royal Fab Four’s new video sends mental health website into a crash

<p>A new video narrated by the Royal Family’s ‘Fab Four’ has sent a UK government website into a crash as more than ten million people rushed to view it online.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have joined forces to voice a short film for the Public Health England’s new platform, Every Mind Matters.</p> <p>Written by <em>Love Actually</em> screenwriter Richard Curtis and directed by British photographer Rankin, the clip also featured celebrities such as Gillian Anderson, Glenn Close, Sir Bradley Wiggins and more.</p> <p>The three-minute ad, which was broadcast across multiple British TV channels, is aimed at encouraging people to take simple steps to look after their mental health and boost their wellbeing.</p> <p>“Everyone knows that feeling, when life gets on top of us,” Prince William could be heard saying in the ad.</p> <p>Prince Harry added: “We feel stressed, low, anxious or have trouble sleeping. Me, you, your brother, your mother, your friend, colleague, or your neighbour…</p> <p>“We think there’s nothing to be done, nothing we can do about it.”</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ThvogdoC-q4"></iframe></div> <p>“There’s a new way to help turn things around,” Duchess Meghan said. “Every Mind Matters will show you simple ways to look after your mental health.”</p> <p>Duchess Kate concluded, “It will get you started with a free online plan designed to help you deal with stress, boost your mood, improve your sleep and make you feel more in control.”</p> <p>According to <em><a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2019100778657/prince-william-kate-middleton-meghan-markle-harry-reunite-nhs/">HELLO!</a></em>, the launch of the initiative follows 18 months of planning and piloting with the help of clinical and academic experts, national mental health charities and input from people with experience of poor mental health.</p> <p>The Every Mind Matters website crashed following the broadcast, with users being shown an error page that read: “Something went wrong. Please refresh the page or try again later.”</p> <p>A Public Health England spokeswoman said: “We’re back up and running now. We think it was due to high [traffic]. We had technicians working on it immediately and we’re back up and running now.”</p> <p>A Public Health England survey of more than 3,000 adults found that 83 per cent of people had experienced early signs of poor mental health in the last 12 months, including feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping.</p> <p><a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/every-mind-matters-advert-demand-to-view-royal-couples-mental-health-campaign-ad-crashes-website-a4256311.html">More than a quarter of these</a> waited longer than six months before addressing the issue, with more than half reporting coping mechanisms such as smoking, drinking, unhealthy eating and avoiding social situations.</p>

News

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The Voice grand final under fire over voting glitch: "Website crashed"

<p>Viewers of <em>The Voice</em> were unhappy as they tried to cast their votes for the winner, only to be met with a broken website.</p> <p>There was a technical glitch that impacted the site, which left viewers unable to cast their votes, and many believe that this is why Diana Rouvas was announced as the winner.</p> <p>She was ecstatic when she heard she was the winner and as a part of her prize, won $100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Music or EMI.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzoXP5uF8a_/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzoXP5uF8a_/" target="_blank">Our All Star shines brightest of all ⭐@DianaRouvas is The Voice of Australia 🙌 #TheVoiceAU</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thevoiceau/" target="_blank"> The Voice Australia</a> (@thevoiceau) on Jul 7, 2019 at 2:30pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>A Nine representative confirmed the glitch in a statement during last night’s show. It read:</p> <p>"Hundreds of thousands of votes have been coming through during tonight’s show which has caused some technical problems for a small number of viewers, however, votes are continuing to flow through," they said, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/the-voice-australia-winner/?utm_source=Mamamia.com.au%20-%20All%20Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=95a1552958-Monday%208%20July%20-%20Daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_9dc62997a2-95a1552958-211561537&amp;mc_cid=95a1552958&amp;mc_eid=c10f87c072" target="_blank"><em>Mamamia</em></a>.</p> <p>"The technical problem has now been solved. We appreciate everybody’s support for the artists and the show."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Can’t vote. Website crashed??? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheVoiceAU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheVoiceAU</a></p> — KBR (@Kylie_Roden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kylie_Roden/status/1147813559075627014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">7 July 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">I’ve never heard of these two remaining contestants on The Voice... Who do I vote for? Well Known, or CGI Bin? <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVoiceAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheVoiceAU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheVoiceAU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheVoiceAU</a> <a href="https://t.co/U0vfKRs0k8">pic.twitter.com/U0vfKRs0k8</a></p> — Mick (@mikjcal) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikjcal/status/1147822526468251650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">7 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Host of<span> </span><em>The Voice</em> Sonia Kruger announced that more than 600,000 people had already cast their votes and that it was going to be a tight competition.</p> <p>When Rouvas was announced as the winner, her coach Boy George was “shocked”.</p> <p>"I'm shocked, I'm shocked. In a good way. I think it was really close."</p> <p>Rouvas competed on<span> </span><em>T</em><em>he Voice</em><span> </span>previously in its first season back in 2012 and she placed fifth.</p>

Music

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Duchess of Sussex’s bio undergoes sneaky update on official royal website

<p>When the new Duchess of Sussex’s profile was added to the royals’ official website, fans were not happy that the former <em>Suits</em> star’s 15-year acting career wasn’t given any credit or mentioned.</p> <p>Her new bio on <a href="https://www.royal.uk/">www.royal.uk</a> went live the day after her wedding to Prince Harry, and happily highlighted in great detail Meghan’s activism and humanitarian work with UN Women, World Vision and One Young World.</p> <p>However, it downplayed her successful acting career with merely a passing mention to “filming in Toronto”. </p> <p>“While filming in Toronto, The Duchess actively volunteered at a Canadian soup kitchen from 2011-2013,” the official royals’ website noted.</p> <p>“She also established the program at her place of work to ensure that leftover meals from the set were donated to local homeless shelters.”</p> <p>Many fans were quick to point out the lack of detail regarding the former actress’s acting career, including appearing on seven seasons of <em>Suits</em> as Rachel Zane.</p> <p>“I’m so very much in love with Meghan Markle bio on the royal website, BUT WHERE IS HER SUITS AND DEAL OR NO DEAL CAREER,” @vodkamuffin tweeted on Twitter.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">I'm so very much in love with Meghan Markle bio on the royal website, BUT WHERE IS HER SUITS AND DEAL OR NO DEAL CAREER 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/eSAMj16wC0">https://t.co/eSAMj16wC0</a></p> — Meg (@vodkamuffin) <a href="https://twitter.com/vodkamuffin/status/998777677040373760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>“As inspirational as it is that the new #DuchessofSussex #MeghanMarkle has been given the blessing of the royal family to continue her charitable efforts and voice her feminist opinions, it is sad that her bio excludes her background as an actress. She should be celebrated,” wrote @StyleSeeLondon on Twitter.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">As inspirational as it is that the new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DuchessofSussex?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DuchessofSussex</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MeghanMarkle?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MeghanMarkle</a> has been given the blessing of the royal family to continue her charitable efforts and voice her feminist opinions, it is sad that her bio excludes her background as an actress. Should be celebrated not lost</p> — Tamir Davies (@StyleSeeLondon) <a href="https://twitter.com/StyleSeeLondon/status/998477395790385152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Since the backlash on social media, Meghan’s royal bio has undergone a sneaky update.</p> <p>It now states: “After university Her Royal Highness worked as an actress, appearing in film and television. She most notably played the role of Rachel Zane on the series <em>Suits</em> for seven seasons, completing over 100 episodes. While working on <em>Suits</em>, The Duchess moved to Toronto, Canada where the show was filmed; she feels very connected to Canada, as it became a second home to her.”</p> <p>Speaking about her retirement from acting in her first joint interview with then-fiance Prince Harry late last year, Meghan said, “I’ve ticked this box, and I feel very proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to work with [Harry] as a team.”</p>

Technology

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Kmart pulls shocking X-rated ad for kids’ DVD from website

<p>A Kmart shopper was stunned to find an X-rated product description while browsing children’s DVDs on the retail giant’s website.</p> <p>In the product details for the G-rated animated movie <em>Shopkins World Vacation</em>, the description read, “They’re jetting off and you’re invited! Shopkins travels to an assortment of international places and they discover a lot of sex and drugs on their way.”</p> <p><img width="500" height="400" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45766/shopkinsdvddescription.png" alt="Shopkins DVDDescription" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>David Newman took to Twitter to share the obscene blunder, writing “Uh oh … Kmart might need to check their website.”</p> <p>Kmart quickly edited the description and issued an apology. “Kmart Australia apologises for the incorrect Shopkins World Vacation DVD product description that was published online,” a spokesperson told <a href="https://au.be.yahoo.com/lifestyle/a/37827169/shocking-x-rated-kmart-shopkins-childrens-dvd-fail/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Yahoo7 Be</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>“Once we were made aware of the description error, immediate action was taken place to ensure the product was removed online.</p> <p>“We are currently investigating to see how this occurred and we are reviewing processes to ensure this does not occur again. We once again apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank our customers for their patience."</p>

News

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Woolies apologises after website failures

<p>Woolworths has apologised after a “major delivery system outage” left customers disgruntled when online shopping orders were cancelled at the last minute.</p> <p>A spokesman for the company confirmed the online ordering system went down on Sunday and continue to experience difficulties until Monday morning. This impacted orders scheduled for delivery on Sunday and Monday afternoon.</p> <p>Some customers took to social media to complain how Woolworths continued to take orders despite the company being notified the system was down.</p> <p>The spokesman said it was “with regret that unfortunately we were unable to process and pick customer orders and had to cancel customer deliveries due in these timeslots and are providing a full refund”.</p> <p>“We have contacted customers by email and SMS directly,” the spokesman said.</p> <p>However, some customers claim the notification came too late.</p> <p>Woolworths said orders scheduled for delivery on Monday morning were distributed to customers “with minimal impact as were orders in WA and Sydney Metro”.</p> <p>CEO &amp; MD of Woolworths Food Group Brad Banducci apologised to customers “unreservedly”.</p> <p>“Sunday and the start of the week are critical shopping days for our customers, including via online, and we are extremely disappointed to have let these customers down and apologise unreservedly,” he said.</p> <p>“As well as a full refund we will be reaching out to each of these customers personally and will be compensating them with a $100 eGift card for the major inconvenience caused.”</p>

Technology

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ATO website outages putting tax returns at risk

<p>The Australian Taxation Office should pay small business owners compensation say experts, after the agency’s online services were down for hours yesterday.</p> <p>The failure comes just days after the ATO delivered a report into the technological failing of its websites over the past year, including an outage that downed services for five days.</p> <p>Due to the ongoing problems, businesses are being unfairly hit with infringement notices, warn taxation experts.</p> <p>Co-founder Jamie Davison of the Carbon Group, a technology accounting firm, said the continuing website outages could see Australians to “lose faith in the ATO” with the possibility that many will not want to lodge a tax return online.</p> <p>“If it continues general taxpayers just won’t lodge their tax returns at all,” he said. “It it’s too hard, they just won’t do it.</p> <p>“It wasn’t so frustrating at the beginning but now it’s becoming a regular occurrence.”</p> <p>More than three million Australians lodged their tax returns online last year.</p> <p>Mr Davison said website’s failures had caused “anguish” for small businesses with accountants trying to lodge quarterly business activity statements on time.</p> <p>“They have strict deadlines and the ATO systems issue default penalties and infringements if things aren’t lodged on time,” he said.</p> <p>“They’ll eventually reverse the charges but customers are getting frustrated and they’re getting frustrated with us rather than the ATO. It’s causing a lot of anguish for clients.”</p>

Money & Banking

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Why you shouldn’t trust hotel star ratings

<p>Remember when the star rating of hotels would determine if you stayed at a place or not? Those days are long gone, thanks to travel review sites like TripAdvsor, which have changed the way we travel.</p> <p>No longer are stars the only information travellers have to judge the suitability of an accommodation facility.</p> <p>Today, there are so many resources available to travellers to help them decide their travel needs – from various official rating systems to consumer reviews.</p> <p>From modest beginnings in 2000, TripAdvisor is now the go-to website for hotel reviews with an ever-growing online community posting millions of reviews every year.</p> <p>The website’s “traveller ranking’’ – the TripAdvisor Popularity Index – can make or break a hotel.</p> <p>“The popularity ranking algorithm, which refreshes daily, is not solely on reviews but also looks at a number of features including recency as well as quality and quantity of reviews and the consistency of ratings over time,’’ TripAdvisor communications director Janice Lee Fang told news.com.au.</p> <p>“Every single review goes through our tracking system which maps how, what, where and when of each review and we use cutting-edge technology and investigation methods to ensure consumers find reviews accurate and helpful in determining the quality of the trip experience.’’</p> <p>But can you trust the reviews on these sites? Expedia managing director Michael Pearson says that while guest reviews are valuable, they need to be read with a discerning eye.</p> <p> “Make sure you read both positive and negative comments and keep an eye out for points that are most relevant to you such as location, room size, breakfast quality and Wi-Fi,’’ he says. “We recommend searching for a hotel with a large number of reviews, which help provide more accurate scoring and also just how popular the hotel is, and if you do come across a negative review see how it stacks up to the rest as one poor review is not necessarily providing a balanced overview.</p> <p>“It’s also important to note all Expedia reviews are verified, which means only travellers who stayed in the hotel are able to post a review.’’</p>

Travel Tips

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Website connects families with surrogate grandparents

<p>An ingenious website is connecting young families who have no grandparents with lonely older people looking for company.</p> <p><a href="http://www.findagrandparent.org.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Find a Grandparent</span></strong></a> was set up in 2012 by Cate Kloos, a German-born mother of two who wanted to provide extra support to her children, whose grandparents live far away. After testing out the service for herself, Kloos and her family found a surrogate grandmother, Grandma Irene, with whom they meet at least once a week to share wonderful family experiences.</p> <p>“Find a Grandparent is for whoever feels like a grandparent in their life,” Kloos told <a href="https://news.agedcareguide.com.au/2015/10/06/generations-meet-on-find-a-grandparent/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Aged Care Guide</span></strong></a>. “Older people sign up to become a surrogate grandparent because they are lonely or they miss having contact with children.”</p> <p>Given that many grandparents live far away from their grandchildren or are perhaps too sick to spend time with them, this website could be the ideal solution. “Most [older people using the service] don’t have any grandchildren themselves,” Kloos explains. “Or have some spare time to take on some more.”</p> <p>Would-be grandparents can search for surrogate grandchildren available in their area, send them a message and start bonding, similar to the way online dating works. According to Kloos, there are also measures set up to ensure every member (both grandparents and families) feel comfortable throughout the process. “We send our members guidelines to help them at their first meeting and we are always here to answer any questions they might have along the way.”</p> <p>The oldest surrogate grandparent using the site is 83, but many users sign up in their 50s. To find out more about this wonderful non-profit organisation, <a href="http://www.findagrandparent.org.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>Have you taken on the responsibility of a surrogate grandparent for a child before? Tell us about your experiences in the comment section below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/08/wheelchair-allows-terminally-ill-patients-to-go-to-beach/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Smart wheelchair enables terminally ill patients to visit beach</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/07/how-to-care-for-ageing-parents-from-far-away/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How to care for ageing parents from far away</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/07/programs-connecting-aged-care-patients-and-children/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Importance of programs connecting aged care patients and children</strong></em></span></a></p>

Caring

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The best websites to make new friends

<p>Looking to make new friends? Here are the best websites to meet new people.</p> <p><strong>Over60 Catch-ups</strong></p> <p>Over60 recently launched a <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/catch-ups/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Catch-ups section</strong></span></a> to our website. It’s a place where anyone from the Over60 community can create an event to meet up with fellow over-60s in their local area. It’s a great way to meet likeminded people over a cuppa – and you can be sure you’ll be greeted with a friendly smile and great conversation.</p> <p>Visit the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/catch-ups/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Catch-ups page here</span></strong></a> or follow our step-by-step <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/2016/07/where-you-can-meet-fellow-over-60s/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">guide to organising a Catch-up here.</span></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Meetup</strong></p> <p>Sites like <a href="http://www.meetup.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Meetup</span></strong></a> are a great way to meet new people who share your interests. You’re almost guaranteed to find a group that shares your passion, from politics to games to pets or hobbies. Simply enter your city or post code and tag the topic you’re interested in. Most of the events are always organised so all you have to do is turn up and participate.</p> <p><strong>Forums</strong></p> <p>There are forums on any and every topic on the internet. Whatever your interests, finding an online discussion site is a great way to chat with likeminded people. There are also plenty of forums and chat rooms online specifically catering for the older demographic. Why not start chatting with fellow over60s on our <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/forums/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Over60 forums</span></strong></a> today? </p> <p><strong>RSVP</strong></p> <p>It’s not just for dating, RSVP is also a great website to help you find friends. With over 5,000 over–60s joining RSVP each month, there’s no better place to meet new people. Plus, RSVP has a special offer for our Over60 community: Enjoy your first conversation for free! <a href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/301420739;128433504;u" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Click here to find out more.</strong></span></a></p> <p>Do you have any websites to add? Share with us in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/2016/06/steps-to-make-friends-after-60/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>3 steps to make friends after 60</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/2016/07/how-to-make-friends-in-a-new-place/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to make friends in a new place</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/05/why-you-should-organise-an-over60-catch-up/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Over60 Catch-ups are bringing people together</strong></em></span></a></p>

Relationships

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What 9 popular websites used to look like

<p>It was only a decade ago the internet was a different place. Facebook had just made its debut (look at them now!) and Twitter didn’t even exist. Looking back at the first iterations of what are now some of the world’s most popular sites is a reminder just how quickly things change – especially on the world wide web. Take a look at this then and now infographic, and tell us: Do you remember visiting them on the days of dial-up internet?</p> <p><img width="506" height="3461" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/17747/what-9-popular-websites-used-to-look-like-infographic_506x3461.jpg" alt="What 9 Popular Websites Used To Look Like INFOGRAPHIC (1)"/></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2016/01/computer-shortcuts/">10 computer shortcuts to save you time</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2016/01/tips-for-using-tablets/">Ingenious tips and tricks for using your tablet</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2016/01/how-to-spot-fake-facebook-profile/">How to spot a fake Facebook profile</a></span></em></strong></p>

Technology

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