Weve got someone else to voice her words so we dont identify her or her child. Her daughter, whos 12, was added to this Whatsapp Group, and weve seen some of the content, which included sexual images, pictures of mutilated bodies and racist comments. Screenshots weve seen showed it had more than 900 members, and it also meant childrens Phone Numbers were in the hands of strangers. She also told me a boy had called her as a result of getting her number from the group and had invited his cousin to talk to her, too. Thankfully, she was savvy enough to end the call and replied to their Text Messages saying she was not prepared to give them her surname or tell them where she went to school. Its an incredibly disturbing case to have heard about, and the fact that Primary School age children have been added to this group and seeing such dangerous content that they dont want to see and they dont want to be exposed to is incredibly upsetting. It comes as an urgent message was sent to parents from Tyneside Schools which warned of another Whatsapp Group encouraging self harm. It said 500 children had been added and it was targeting year 6 pupils, which is ten or 11 year olds. The question of who set up the group and for what purpose is now the subject of a police investigation. Meta, which owns whatsapp, says, we give all users options to control who can add them to groups, and the first time you receive a message from an unknown number, you can block or report it. I felt sick to my stomach. Shes only 12, and now im worried about her using her phone. I find it absolutely terrifying. Martin lindsay, bbc news, tyneside. Rina, what do you think of this, did meta need to do this . figs rina, what do you think of this, did meta need to do this . Rina, what do you think of this, did meta need to do this . As a mother i must sa i meta need to do this . As a mother i must say i never meta need to do this . As a mother i must say i never really meta need to do this . As a mother i must say i never really count meta need to do this . As a mother i must say i never really count on meta need to do this . As a mother i must say i never really count on it. Must say i never really count on it meta to do the right thing, but yes meta to do the right thing, but yes meta understands what is happening here, young innocent lies are being forever changed when they are exposed to content the otherwise would not if they had not had a second micro product. In United States, i am a part of a movement of parents, i dont believe any child under the age of eight should have access to a smartphone, we have age of 18 here to access on this app, and we have Research Showing how these access is ruining your lives of young people, that access for Young Students in Primary School and secondary school, that access is changing the way they are involved in society, the contributions they are making at such young ages, but with all this comes at the dark side. When youre looking at these threads, the text and group threads, Anything Possible through exposure to dangerous content, unsavoury content, more than that, is a possibility, you cannot always come in and parents to do the right thing. In and parents to do the right thin. ,. ,. ,. , thing. How much of it has to be arental thing. How much of it has to be parental guidance thing. How much of it has to be parental guidance and thing. How much of it has to be parental guidance and parental| parental guidance and parental oversight of what their children are doing . Meta is saying you can block people from adding you to a group, how much do the parents have to step up how much do the parents have to step up and say i am going to be on the phone whenever they are using it or sitting near them when they are using it . Its perhaps unrealistic but there is a balance between how much a parent should be involved and how much people are asking these Big Companies to do the parenting for them. I companies to do the parenting for them. , � ~ � , companies to do the parenting for them. , � ~ � ,. , them. I dont think theres any balance here. Them. I dont think theres any balance here. I them. I dont think theres any balance here. I think them. I dont think theres any balance here. I think the them. I dont think theres any. Balance here. I think the situation in which parents also empower themselves with the knowledge that is there, and there are many parts of all of this technology and whether it is a simple as a Whatsapp Group or one of the apps. Instagram or tiktok or snapchat, any of that, you can know the information and how it is dangerous for your child, but theres no way in which you can really control how they are interfacing with these apps. It is too much, so you either have to make a decision, either you play or you do not, because you cannot trust the operations. Nobody� s accident to do the parenting, i believe a great many of rick and parents of a here arejust axing them many of rick and parents of a here are just axing them to do the right thing and put in more serious filters and change the algorithm and so it doesnt expose more users to more dangerous content. What so it doesnt expose more users to more dangerous content. So it doesnt expose more users to more dangerous content. What do you think andrew more dangerous content. What do you think andrew question more dangerous content. What do you think andrew Question Mark more dangerous content. What do you think andrew Question Mark some think andrew Question Mark some people argue people under it . Some people argue people under it . Some people argue people under it . Some people argue people under the age of 16 are using whatsapp anyway it is just now allowed. I 16 are using whatsapp anyway it is just now allowed. Just now allowed. I the parents of an 11yearold. Just now allowed. I the parents of an 11yearold, just just now allowed. I the parents of an 11yearold, just turned just now allowed. I the parents of. An 11yearold, just turned 11, goes an 11 year old, just turned 11, goes to and an 11 year old, just turned 11, goes to and from an 11 year old, just turned 11, goes to and from school, he has a phone, he has to and from school, he has a phone, he has whatsapp, and the fact that shes he has whatsapp, and the fact that shes 11 he has whatsapp, and the fact that shes11 amines he has whatsapp, and the fact that shes 11 amines that were pretty simple. Shes 11 amines that were pretty simple, we have access to his phone, we can simple, we have access to his phone, we can prove simple, we have access to his phone, we can prove or disapprove of any ip address we can prove or disapprove of any ip address download on his phone. We have strong address download on his phone. We have strong parental sentence on it, but you have strong parental sentence on it, but you have to be responsible as a parent but you have to be responsible as a parent the but you have to be responsible as a parent. The Mobile Phones are like having parent. The Mobile Phones are like having a parent. The Mobile Phones are like having a computer most of it chiidrens having a computer most of it childrens have computers in the room childrens have computers in the room they childrens have computers in the room they can access content, access to a television now, when i was a kid, to a television now, when i was a kid. There to a television now, when i was a kid, there are four challenges and he could kid, there are four challenges and he could only watch what was life, now you he could only watch what was life, now you can stream virtually anything now you can stream virtually anything of any age off the television with the click of a button, television with the click of a button, so we are in a different world button, so we are in a different world i button, so we are in a different world i did button, so we are in a different world i did not grow up with a mobile world i did not grow up with a mobile phone or the internet. Its a different mobile phone or the internet. Its a different world our children are growing different world our children are growing up in and as parents we have to learn growing up in and as parents we have to learn as growing up in and as parents we have to learn as we go with this because the technology is evolving so quickly, the technology is evolving so quickly, so it is difficult but parents quickly, so it is difficult but parents hesitate responsibility and Supervise Parents hesitate responsibility and supervise their children when they are at supervise their children when they are at risk supervise their children when they are at risk of being exposed to content are at risk of being exposed to content that is not appropriate. At the assume time, we should recognise the assume time, we should recognise the access the assume time, we should recognise the access to the assume time, we should recognise the access to information and contact the access to information and contact and socialising that this brings contact and socialising that this brings is contact and socialising that this brings is a contact and socialising that this brings is a positive. There are positives brings is a positive. There are positives that this is well. The ability positives that this is well. The ability for positives that this is well. The ability for children to be able to Phone Ability for children to be able to phone when theyre on the way home, going phone when theyre on the way home, going to phone when theyre on the way home, going to and phone when theyre on the way home, going to and from their friends houses, going to and from their friends houses, we didnt have that. My child houses, we didnt have that. My child is houses, we didnt have that. My child is bed houses, we didnt have that. My child is bed so i can say this, we do check child is bed so i can say this, we do check his child is bed so i can say this, we do check his phone, we know exactly where do check his phone, we know exactly where he do check his phone, we know exactly where he is do check his phone, we know exactly where he is to and from school, so it is important. So there are security it is important. So there are Security Futures and things you have to treat Security Futures and things you have to treat carefully, but Technology Like anything needs revelation, but it needs like anything needs revelation, but it needs to like anything needs revelation, but it needs to come from us and regulation that the companies, they need regulation that the companies, they need to do better to regulate these they need to do better to regulate these things as well. Ultimately, technologies there and people have it. I technologies there and people have it i know technologies there and people have it. I know people with children as children it. I know people with children as children as it. I know people with children as children as young as seven who have mobile children as young as seven who have Mobile Phones, which i think is young Mobile Phones, which i think is ounu. ,. , , Mobile Phones, which i think is ounu. ,. , young. The problem is i somewhat in the class get young. The problem is i somewhat in the class get once, young. The problem is i somewhat in the class get once, not young. The problem is i somewhat in the class get once, not necessarily. The class get once, not necessarily one, but if the friends of them, as you say, socially, they really would be missing out, when they in that everybody� s on the phone, you feel almost obliged to let them join in. Absolutely, and it is clearly difficult absolutely, and it is clearly difficult for children. You want them difficult for children. You want them to difficult for children. You want them to be part of their social group them to be part of their social group and them to be part of their social group and interact with their Friends Group and interact with their friends outside of school and they do Oniine Friends Outside Of School and they do online giving no, something we didnt do online giving no, something we didnt have do online giving no, something we didnt have an already if we wanted to play didnt have an already if we wanted to play game outside of school we had to to play game outside of school we had to meet on the streets which had its own had to meet on the streets which had its own dangerous, i got in script when its own dangerous, i got in script when i its own dangerous, i got in script when i was its own dangerous, i got in script when i was ten or 11 or 13, danger is my when i was ten or 11 or 13, danger is my son when i was ten or 11 or 13, danger is my son and daughter probably wont is my son and daughter probably wont face, but they have other ones because wont face, but they have other ones because of wont face, but they have other ones because of the technology they use day to day. You because of the technology they use daytoday because of the technology they use da toda. ,. ,. ,. Daytoday. You cannot protect them from everything. Daytoday. You cannot protect them from everything, rina, daytoday. You cannot protect them from everything, rina, you daytoday. You cannot protect them from everything, rina, you may daytoday. You cannot protect them from everything, rina, you may want| from everything, rina, you may want to, you may call on the Second Micro Companies of this world to do better, but if they have their phone in their own, they can go in the internet and find whatever they want. I internet and find whatever they want. ~ , internet and find whatever they want. ~ ,. , , want. I think my fellow panelists brinrs u want. I think my fellow panelists brings on a want. I think my fellow panelists brings on a good want. I think my fellow panelists brings up a good point, want. I think my fellow panelists brings up a good point, we want. I think my fellow panelists brings up a good point, we can l want. I think my fellow panelists. Brings up a good point, we can have left lessons from the past, an era in which we didnt have such things. When i was growing up, i did not have a tv in my bedroom for a reason, this light that there wont be a phone in the hands of my child until a certain age or a certain need is. But it also depends on the type of phone. Here, we are seeing lots ofjames the type of phone. Here, we are seeing lots of james the go back to these flip phones that are simple in nature, or dont have an ability to have smartphones on them. They are latchkey kids here in the United States that unfortunately do not have a parent at home when they return home from school or need to compute commutes or go to their own activities, so i understand the need to get the children a phone or device to keep in touch for safety reasons but there are lots of phones on the market that do not have smartphone capabilities, and so, again, its about how we choose to see the things that are of their that could be outlets through which our kids are exposed to unseen assaults, or unseen dangerous activities and that is really the core of this argument. Wheres the balance for experience because at the end of the day the corporations will do what they want to do but we can be imparted by looking at the wide range of options on the market. Parent is hard, im sure we can all agree on. Parent is hard, im sure we can all agree on that. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Your watch in the context. Glasgow could step in with a scaled back offering should no other host be found for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Last week, Singaporejoined Malaysia in ruling out a bid, after the australian state of victoria withdrew as host in july because of rising costs. Speaking earlier this week katie sadleir, the Commonwealth Games federation chief executive, said she is very confident of finding a host, but concerned by the impact of the uncertainty. I think that one of the things that is absolutely central to our boards mind is the impact for athletes. You know, they are going into the olympics, they need to know post the olympics where the Commonwealth Games is. It is a special part of their next olympics qualification and their other regional qualifications, so the sooner we make that decision the better. And stretching it out beyond may i think is very problematic for the international federations. So that is our aim. Glasgow is up for this, andrew, if nobody else is. Its a bizarre situation with just two years ago, what do you make of all this . Its a what do you make of all this . Its a shame because what do you make of all this . Its a shame because of what do you make of all this . Its a shame because of the what do you make of all this . Its a shame because of the uncertainty that would be facing the athletes involved that would be facing the athletes involved in the huge number of spores involved in the huge number of spores that take part in the Commonwealth Games. Passionate sports Commonwealth Games. Passionate Sports Lovers like me who want to watch Sports Lovers like me who want to watch the Sports Lovers like me who want to watch the Commonwealth Games as i do most major watch the Commonwealth Games as i do most major Sporting Events, but its also a most major Sporting Events, but its also a lesson for the governments, they have also a lesson for the governments, th