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VANCOUVER — Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. “Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them,” Pare said in an interview. Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend is seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data show cases have continued to rise. The RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. “We don’t see these types of reports going away,” Pare said. “We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There’s going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online.” Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said “the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn’t slowed down.” “The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what’s going on,” she said. Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It’s been viewed millions of times. Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term “sextortion” has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. “The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward,” she said. Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. “Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence,” she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It’s not going undetected any longer, she said. “Additionally, there’s been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms.” Pare said “it’s up to each individual platform” to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. “With mandatory reporting, it’s putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported,” she said. “That being said, there are times when things don’t get located.” That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. “It’s shocking that up until now, we’ve relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we’ve just relied on them to do the right thing,” she said. “What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different.” The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. “We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill,” Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies’ digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split “makes sense,” noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. “There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online,” she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. “Canada is really behind,” she said. “The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon.” In the absence of national legislation, province’s have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don’t comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. B.C.’s Ministry of the Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it’s not enough. “A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries,” she said, noting that the online crime is borderless. “We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press
Avendra International Acquires Spanish-Based QuantumHoward Wang, Lazada Group chief technology officer —JORDEENE B. LAGARE Global e-commerce company Lazada is banking on the combination of commerce and technology as it anticipates a sustained double-digit growth in the Philippine e-commerce market. “Our goal is to help more local brands and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) adopt e-commerce, and really experience how their businesses can grow online with Lazada,” Carlos Barrera, Lazada Philippines CEO, tells the Inquirer in an email correspondence. Lazada has introduced its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual shopping assistant called Al Lazzie as it hopes to create a more seamless online shopping experience for both users and sellers. Al Lazzie is the enhanced version of LazzieChat that Lazada rolled out last year to respond to users’ shopping queries. It is the first e-commerce AI chatbot of its kind in Southeast Asia. READ: Convenient payment option for Filipino shoppers: PayMongo, Lazada PH launch QR Ph integration It has four distinct features: providing personalized recommendations based on the users’ preferences, allowing users to try on different types of clothes using virtual models, generating a tailored product listing that highlights key features and summarizing product reviews to help users make informed purchasing decisions. “Our primary goal for generative AI tools like Lazzie is to make sure we are enhancing the end-to-end user experience,” Barrera says. “Our hope is that when customers see and experience the value of personalized recommendations, personalized deals and promos and better customer support, we are helping to build trust and loyalty to the app,” he adds. Lazada Group chief technology officer Howard Wang notes “a significant increase” in the conversion rate (or the number of users or website visitors) by more than 30 percent after utilizing technological innovations such as AI in its business. Speaking at a media event in Singapore, Wang says Lazada sees two major opportunities with the rollout of GenAI features on the Lazada app in the coming years. “The first one is the shopping experience ... I think it would be totally revamped, maybe two or three years from now,” he says, adding that the new AI feature would help a user navigate a large amount of our products on the platform. Wang also says that from a merchant’s perspective, Lazada expects “a huge potential opportunity for them to reduce the overhead and also ensure profitability.” In the same event, Lazada launched a white paper jointly written with market research firm Kantar to delve into the usage and adoption of AI on e-commerce platforms. The white paper surveyed more than 6,000 shoppers across six Southeast Asian markets, including the Philippines. Findings showed that 52 percent of respondents cite convenient shopping as a reason for embracing AI in their personal lives, while 83 percent express willingness to pay more for AI-powered shopping experiences. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Furthermore, it revealed that 63 percent of respondents believe that AI is widely adopted in online shopping, with AI chatbots, translations and visual product searches recognized as key AI features in online shopping platforms.
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Defense Integrated Antenna Market Size, Share, Analysis, Growth Insight, Trends and Future Forecast - 2031Schneider National, Inc. ( NYSE:SNDR – Get Free Report ) insider Shaleen Devgun sold 10,000 shares of Schneider National stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.04, for a total value of $290,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 95,191 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,764,346.64. The trade was a 9.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Schneider National Stock Down 0.2 % NYSE:SNDR opened at $29.54 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $30.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.55. The company has a market cap of $5.17 billion, a PE ratio of 47.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.90. Schneider National, Inc. has a twelve month low of $20.50 and a twelve month high of $33.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Schneider National ( NYSE:SNDR – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.23 by ($0.05). Schneider National had a net margin of 2.10% and a return on equity of 3.92%. The firm had revenue of $1.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. Analysts anticipate that Schneider National, Inc. will post 0.7 EPS for the current year. Schneider National Dividend Announcement Institutional Investors Weigh In On Schneider National Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Schneider National during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $53,000. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in Schneider National in the third quarter valued at $73,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Schneider National during the 3rd quarter worth about $90,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Schneider National during the 3rd quarter worth about $109,000. Finally, Hills Bank & Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Schneider National in the 3rd quarter valued at about $112,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.54% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Schneider National from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on Schneider National from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Schneider National from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Schneider National from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Schneider National from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $29.08. Read Our Latest Analysis on Schneider National Schneider National Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Schneider National, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides surface transportation and logistics solutions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It operates through three segments: Truckload, Intermodal, and Logistics. The Truckload segment offers over the road freight transportation services primarily through dry van, bulk, temperature-controlled, and flat-bed trailers across either network or dedicated configurations. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Schneider National Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Schneider National and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .None
NoneThe NBA on Saturday suspended three players for their roles in an on-court clash during Friday's game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns. Dallas forward Naji Marshall was suspended for four games and Suns center Jusuf Nurkic for three while Mavericks forward P.J Washington will sit out one game. The incident came with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter when Nurkic committed on offensive foul on Dallas's Daniel Gifford. "Marshall and Nurkic then engaged in an on-court altercation. Nurkic escalated it by swinging his arm and striking Marshall on top of his head. Marshall responded by throwing a punch that connected with Nurkic's face," the NBA said in a statement. "As the officials and other players attempted to diffuse the situation, Washington further escalated the altercation by shoving Nurkic to the floor. For their roles, Marshall, Nurkic and Washington were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game," the league added. Marshall late confronted Nurkic near the locker rooms, in a "hostile manner" according to the NBA. The NBA said the players will not be paid during their suspension periods. sev/bb
Turkish troops brave cold for border protection in country’s eastNFL Week 17 Recap: New York Giants 45, Indianapolis Colts 33DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones' 21 points helped UC San Diego defeat James Madison 73-67 on Friday night. Tait-Jones also contributed six rebounds for the Tritons (4-2). Hayden Gray scored 16 points and added four steals. Nordin Kapic went 5 of 8 from the field (1 for 4 from 3-point range) to finish with 12 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.