Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Census 2021 Release
4 April 2023 sees the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishing the next phase of Census 2021 data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
These pre-built flexible datasets allow users to choose and change the area type and coverage of SOGI data, and combine with other variables. This information comes from two new, voluntary questions on Census 2021 for people aged 16 and over. The questions were introduced to fill an evidence gap users identified and which, they told the ONS, would help them better shape public services.
Action Fraud has received over 60 reports relating to a scam that steals access to a victim’s #whatsapp account.
The scam begins when a criminal gets access to another WhatsApp account which has you listed as a contact.
The criminal, posing as your friend or someone that’s a member of a WhatsApp group you’re in, will then send you seemingly normal messages to try and start a conversation with you. However, around the same time you will receive a text message from WhatsApp with a six-digit code.
This is because the criminal has been trying to login to WhatsApp using your mobile number.
The criminal will claim that they sent you their code by accident and ask you to help them by sending it to them. Once the criminal has this code, they can login to your WhatsApp account and lock you out.
The criminal will then use the same tactic with your WhatsApp contacts in an effort to steal more accounts and use them to perpetrate fraud.
What can you do?
Set up two-step verification (2fa) to give an extra layer of protection to your account. Tap Settings > Account >Two-step verification > Enable.
STOP. THINK. CALL. If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person to confirm their identity.
Never share your account’s activation code (that’s the 6 digit code you receive via SMS)
You can report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions
For more information about protecting yourself online Google – “National Cyber Security Centre Cyberaware” or “Take Five to Stop Fraud”
Disability – When the Numbers Alone are Simply Not Enough
The most recent estimates suggest one in five people in the UK are disabled. But to really understand the nature of those disabilities and the needs of people reporting them, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) need to do a lot more work.
In this episode of Statistically Speaking, the ONS looks at what’s being done to gain insight into the lives of disabled children and adults and provide high quality qualitative data that reflects the day-to-day lives of all people in society.
The ONS unpicks what disability means to different people; steps back and assesses the pandemic’s impact and its lasting effects; look at the ways the ONS data reflects society’s constantly changing perception of what disability is; and discusses how the younger generation is spotlighting the need to capture the experiences of neurodivergent people. The ONS also examines how this cohort fares in the labour market, comparing earnings and opportunities with their non-disabled counterparts.
