Chirp

Huge congratulations to Chirp Founder & CEO Rena Maycock who has just won the accolade for “Women In Tech - Most Disruptive Technology Award” for all of Europe at a prestigious prize-giving awards ceremony held in Brussels last night (1st Oct) Now in its 3rd year, The Women In Tech Europe Awards are held annually to celebrate and honor the trailblazers, visionaries, and leaders who have made significant contributions to the tech sector in Europe, with the winners going on to represent Europe in the prestigious Women in Tech Global Awards. Congratulations Rena. #Chirp #Chirpfamily #Protectingchildrenonline #Womenintech Chirpfamily.com

🔎🎧🌐 New Siren Investigates Podcast Alert! 💫 "The Realities of Child Protection Online" with guest Rena Maycock We’re very excited to announce the latest episode of Siren Investigates featuring Rena Maycock who is a passionate advocate for child safety online. As a parent, Rena saw firsthand the urgent need for better protections against online harms and founded her company to make the digital world safer for children and families. Rena joins John Randles for a deep dive into the challenges of tackling online harms, the evolving landscape of digital safety and how innovative technology is playing a crucial role in protecting vulnerable individuals. In this episode, we explore: 🌐 The urgent need for stronger online safety measures 🌐 How technology can help combat digital exploitation 🌐 Real-world insights from Rena’s experience in policy, advocacy and parenting 🔎 👪 A must-listen for parents, cybersecurity professionals and anyone passionate about making the internet a safer place. 🎧 Tune in for the full episode 👉 https://lnkd.in/egJZeene #SirenInvestigates #CyberSecurity #OnlineSafety #ChildProtection #Podcast #Parenting

Albania bans TikTok for 12 months amid concerns over child safety The Albanian government has officially imposed a one-year ban on TikTok, citing concerns about the platform’s influence on children, particularly in relation to cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and the promotion of violent behaviour. The country’s Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu confirmed last Thursday (6th March) that the suspension would take effect within days, describing it as a “temporary measure” aimed at protecting minors from potential risks associated with the app. The decision follows consultations with approximately 65,000 parents and teachers, many of whom supported restrictions or outright removal of the platform. The move to ban TikTok gained momentum after a tragic incident in November 2024, when a dispute that began on the platform escalated into a violent altercation, resulting in the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy. The case triggered a nationwide debate about the impact of social media on Albanian youth, with parents, educators, and psychologists voicing concerns about the potential for online conflicts to spill over into real-life violence. The Chinese-owned video platform is hugely popular in Albania, with 1.53 million users in the country over the age of 18, representing over 55% of the country’s 2.77 million total population. However, according to figures from parent company ByteDance, It likely reaches even more people given that, officially, TikTok has a minimum user age of 13. #Chirp #Chirpfamily #Protectingchildrenonline www.chirpfamily.com

📢 Panel 1: Raising in 2025, moderated by Áine Mulloy TechIreland & Amazon Web Services (AWS) International Women’s Day Breakfast event. 💡 Funding wisdom from two powerhouse female founders: 🚀 Rena Maycock, Chirp ✅ VCs not biting? Find the right funding pots! ✅ Leverage grants & self-funding to build an MVP ✅ Angel investors can de-risk early-stage growth 💡 Heidi Davis, PERI ✅ Be selective & patient—fundraising takes time ✅ A proof of concept investors can hold & feel is crucial ✅ Advisors help fill gaps & foresee challenges 💰 Funding is tough—but smart strategies make all the difference! 📥 Read more insights on Female Founders & Funders here: https://lnkd.in/ekf9Rmsg John O'Dea Brian Caulfield Ed O'Riordan Sarah Walker Sheila Harte Shauna Kenny #FFF2025 #FemaleFounders #FundingStrategy #TechIreland #Startup

The UK's online regulator (Ofcom)* has just launched an enforcement programme seeking to monitor online sites which may present particular risks to users. The Office of Communications in the UK, commonly known as Ofcom has informed providers of several online services which may present particular risks to users that they are required to submit “records of illegal harms risk assessments” to the regulator by 31st March. Sites who fail to submit their assessments on time may face enforcement action according to Ofcom. The first set of duties on sites and apps in scope of the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) came into force when Ofcom published its illegal harms codes of practice and guidance on 16 December 2024. From that point, providers had three months to carry out a ‘suitable and sufficient’ illegal content risk assessment, in line with Ofcom’s guidance. Providers must also make and keep a written record of their risk assessment, including details about how it was carried out and its findings. *Ofcom is the government approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries in the UK and has wide-ranging powers across the sectors. It has a statutory duty to represent the interests of citizens and consumers by promoting competition and protecting the public from harmful or offensive material. To learn more about Ofcom’s enforcement programme, click on the link below. #Chirp #Chirpfamily #Protectingchildrenonline https://lnkd.in/eJU2m6cD

Microsoft decides to hang up on Skype as they announce the service is to shut down on 5th May 2025. Perhaps the announcement is no great surprise to many, but after cornering the market for making calls & messages over the internet 23 years ago, Skype is about to be closed down. Microsoft, which acquired the messaging and calling app 14 years ago, said it will be closing down the service on 5th May in order to better concentrate their resources on Teams. Skype users have 10 weeks to decide what they want to do with their account. It’s not clear how many people are exactly impacted by the pending closure, but according to the most recent (2023) set of numbers shared by Microsoft, Skype has an estimated 36 million users which is a long way from its peak of 300 million users. Between now and the 5th May, users will have the option to transfer all their contacts and chat data over to Microsoft’s Teams platform. Alternatively, users can download their Skype data using the app’s built-in export tool. For more details on Skype’s pending closure, click on the link below: #Chirp #Chirpfamily #Protectingchildrenonline #Protectinggirlsonline #Skype https://lnkd.in/e-N73gVB (Picture credit: Shutterstock)

What is the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), how does it work and how does it keep children safe online ? Click on link below to learn more: #Chirp #Chirpfamily #Protectingchildrenonline https://lnkd.in/dEBYhdyQ

UK’s internet watchdog toughens approach on sites not doing enough to protect women and girls. Ofcom, The U.K.’s internet safety regulator, has just published new draft guidelines under the Online Safety Act aimed at protecting women and girls from online threats. The proposed guidance addresses issues such as online misogyny, harassment, and intimate image abuse. With enforcement set to begin in 2027, the guidelines urge companies to prioritise safety by design, ensuring safer online experiences for female users. Tech platforms who are not doing enough to protect women and girls online will have their inaction highlighted so the public can make a choice about whether or not to use them, Ofcom has said. The guideline handles problems that extend from harassment to misogyny and intimate image abuse. Approved by the U.K. parliament in September 2023, the Online Safety Act  imposes strict obligations on firms to tackle illegal content. Non-compliance could lead to penalties of up to 10% of a company’s global annual turnover. For more details on the new draft guidelines, click on the link below: #Chirp #Chirpfamily #Protectingchildrenonline #Protectinggirlsonline https://lnkd.in/djbwhZvE

Ireland House in Stockholm was filled with excitement as we gathered to celebrate the innovative spirit of Irish companies. We were inspired by cutting-edge solutions in cybersecurity, online safety, AI-powered customer support, and impact-driven software development. Special thanks to our engaging panellists: Rena Maycock, Elaine Giblin, Ciaran McNamee, Abhinava Pratap Singh. It was a pleasure to co-moderate the panel discussion with Jenny Berthling from Stockholm Business Region. This evening showcased the power of innovation and the incredible potential of collaborative efforts between Ireland and the Nordics. As Steve Jobs once said, "Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat". This perfectly sums up the event, where we viewed rapid changes as opportunities for growth and progress. In today's fast-paced world, entrepreneurs and their innovative solutions are more crucial than ever. Working together is key to seizing these opportunities and driving real progress. MAYA Data Privacy Limited | Binarii Labs | Protostars | Sonalake | ServisBOT | Chirp | Coroflo

And what a lovely and cosy (mysigt!) evening with Irish 🇮🇪 startups 🚀 and Enterprise Ireland at the Embassy of Ireland Sweden. 🤖 Exciting panel of projects in, well, tech and especially cybersecurity - thank you Elaine Giblin Ciaran McNamee and Rena Maycock you are my absolute hero, where can I cast my vote for your innovation aimed for kids safety in this very confused and abused world! Thanks for great conversations Linus Wretblad , Christine Huang , Elnaz T. , Kershini Henriksson , and my new ‘partner in crime’ Katherine Hickson !! 🇮🇪 Ireland is always a highlight on its own!