A teenage girl who police say was raped during a Facebook Live broadcast is too scared to return to her Chicago home, her mother has said.
The 15-year-old, who is currently staying with relatives, has been subject to an online and in-person harassment campaign.
People on Facebook have threatened "they are going to get" her daughter, the 32-year-old woman told US media.
The BBC is not identifying the mother in order to protect the girl's privacy.
Around 40 people were said to have been watching the livestream but nobody reported the incident to police.
The girl has been afraid to return to the Lawndale neighbourhood where she lives.
Her mother says local children have been ringing her doorbell looking for the girl.
"This is just disturbing and to think the kids think it is funny," she said, adding that she now wants to leave the crime-plagued west Chicago neighbourhood.
"I can't stay here," she said on Wednesday after being reunited with her daughter.
Chicago police found the girl one day after she went missing and contacted Facebook to have the video removed.
The girl is now out of hospital, but has not yet returned home.
A relative of the girl, Reginald King, says he was the last to see her before the alleged attack, after the two attended church together on Sunday.
"Nobody deserves that. No human being deserves for that to happen to them," he told local media, adding that he suspects local "thugs" committed the attack.
Mr King said a local group of children are "holding an entire community hostage".
"I literally saw adults, 60 years old, my elders, my parents' age, cringeing in fear," he told the Chicago Tribune.
No arrests have yet been made, but a spokesman for Chicago police says they have conducted several interviews with potential suspects and they are "making good progress" identifying the assailants.
A spokeswoman for Facebook refused to comment on this specific case, but said they do not allow this kind of content.
"We take our responsibility to keep people safe on Facebook very seriously and will remove videos that depict sexual assault and are shared to glorify violence."
In January, Chicago police arrested four people following a separate incident in which a man's alleged assault was live streamed, also on Facebook Live.
Six weeks ago, a young woman called Zed (not her real name) was in a meeting at work when a message popped up on Facebook Messenger from a distant friend.
"Hey babe," it began.
The friend asked Zed to vote for her in an online modelling competition, which she agreed to do.
But then - disaster. Adding her email address to the competition register had caused a tech meltdown, her friend said. She needed to borrow her email log-in to fix it quickly and restore her votes.
Zed was unsure. The friend begged - her career was at stake, she pleaded. Still in the meeting and powerless to make a call, Zed gave in - a momentary leap of faith.
Except it was not her friend that she was talking to - someone else had got into the account and was pretending to be her.
It's a scamming technique known as spear phishing.
What is spear phishing?
"Phishing uses behavioural psychology to trick victims into trusting the attacker in order to obtain sensitive information," said Paul Bischoff of Comparitech, who also talked to Zed.
"Spear phishing is less prevalent, but far more dangerous. Spear phishing targets an individual or small group of people. The attacker can gather personal information about their target to build a more believable persona."
How do I protect myself?
Besides never sharing the credentials for your online accounts, a good way to stay safe is to enable "two-step authentication". This means that users must enter another code besides their password, received for example by their mobile phone, to log in.
This can usually be set up in the security settings for your account or during the sign-up process. Two-step authentication is offered by Gmail, Hotmail, Apple, Amazon, Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter among others.
Within minutes, Zed watched in horror as she was locked out of one account after another, as well as her Apple iCloud where she stored all her data - including a photo of her passport, bank details, and some explicit pictures. The hacker took control of all her IDs as they were all linked to the email address details she had supplied.
The scammer also activated an extra layer of security, called two-step authentication, meaning that they received all alerts about her accounts and could reset them.
Then a man called. The number had a Pakistan area code.
"He started the call by saying he didn't want any drama, he didn't want me to cry, he wanted me to talk to him like a professional," she said.
He sounded young, perhaps a college student, she thought.
Shops and retailers are taking over where street cameras left off, watching shoppers' every move.
According to a 2015 survey of 150 retail executives from IT services firm Computer Services Corporation, a quarter of all British shops and 59% of fashion retailers use facial recognition software.
Such technology is vital as offline stores attempt to keep up with online retailers, said Duncan Mann, chief operating officer at retail analysis firm Hoxton Analytics.
"Online retailers gather all kinds of information about shoppers and physical stores also want to understand how people behave in a shop," he said.
But, he admits: "A lot of these technologies are kind of invasive."
Hoxton has come up with a novel way of measuring footfall - literally by filming people's shoes.
Sherlock Holmes-like, its system can deduce a remarkable amount of information such as age, gender and social class of shoppers from their footwear.
"We have cameras at about 50cm off the ground and it points down so it is less invasive than facial recognition," he explains.
It is surprisingly accurate. It spots the correct gender 80% of the time, better than some facial recognition technologies, according to Mr Mann.
Urban efficiency
Cities are getting fuller - 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050 - but don't think for a minute that means you will be able to get lost in the crowd.
Because those cities are most likely watching you. Plugged into the network - via smart CCTV cameras that feed into central operation centres or smart street lights that turn brighter when someone walks beneath them - cities are increasingly collecting data on their inhabitants.
The purpose is to keep people safe, provide more efficient services and prevent overcrowding or other disasters but has anyone ever asked its citizens whether they want to be part of the urban efficiency experiment or offered them ways to opt out of the networked city?
"Very few of us have any real concept of what data smart cities are gathering," said Renate Samson of privacy watchdog Big Brother Watch.
"Some of it may be completely anodyne and simply a reaction to a physical movement, but with the increase of devices connected to the internet, the chances are that street lamp, CCTV camera, wi-fi connection, electronic keypad, touch and go payment device, is capturing data on you, your movements, device data and personal information."
You begin leaking data as soon as you wake up. Maybe you check Twitter before you leave the house to find out if your train is running - that tweet immediately becomes public property - or perhaps you are signed up to navigation apps such as Waze, that crowdsource real-time information about problems on the roads.
Apps collect and share lots of personal information and, in its privacy guide, Waze states that it will collect periodically "all of the phone numbers which are stored on your device's phonebook", as part of a feature to connect you to your friends.
And once you enter the transport system you are giving away even more details about yourself. The ticket gate is waiting to swallow your data, via the swipe of a smart card, mobile phone or credit card.
Transport for London (TfL) now has a bird's eye view of the estimated 4.1 million journeys taken on its network each day.
It knows where people get on and off and it can start to see patterns in the data - for instance, someone who uses the system during the day but not at peak times is likely to be a student or a retired person, someone who has one day a week when they don't use the network may work from home that day, someone who takes a brief diversion along their usual route may be dropping off a child at nursery.
"The data can be used to inform future expansion, whether we need to add a bus route or increase the frequency of trains, to alleviate capacity issues by informing people about the most crowded times and places and generally helps us to understand customers better," said Gabriel Goulet Langlois, a data scientist at TfL.
It can offer automatic refunds if people accidentally tap out with their Oyster card and could be used to alert customers when stations are closed or overcrowded.
TFL data was instrumental in solving one of the most notorious crimes of the decade - the Hatton Garden jewellery robbery - when an Oyster pass was found in one of the suspect's wallet, throwing light on how the heist was planned.
Mr Langlois is keen to point out that, while the police might want to track individual journeys, TFL does not.
"We only want to see aggregated patterns," he said.
He has been working on a project that can classify travellers, spotting commuters, visitors and even students by their travel patterns.
Big data in cities has to be handled increasingly sensitively, thinks Nick Millman, an analyst at consultancy firm Accenture.
He cites the example of Google which is currently using Google Map data to assess the traffic flow in Stockholm as part of its Better Cities programme.
"It is using what is known as differential privacy," he explained. "It is basically adding privacy controls to statistics so that you only see the data you need to know about.
In the case of Stockholm, that means sufficient data to improve traffic but not so much that it reveals individual journey patterns.
CCTV cameras are a much more obvious city spy and they now dominate the urban landscape. Numbers from security firm IHS suggest that there were 245 million professionally installed video surveillance cameras active and operational globally in 2014 as more cities turn to monitoring technology to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Security firm Thales has installed 15,000 security cameras in Mexico City since 2009, which feed into operation centres around the city, including pop-up mobile surveillance centres for big events. Thales boast that it is the world's "most ambitious urban security project " and claims that since installation, it has seen
Crime rates reduced by 48.9%
Average response times down from 12 to 2:09 minutes
Insurance premiums down by 30%
50% of stolen cars recovered within 72 hours (thanks to number plate reading technology)
But in the UK, some local authorities are scaling back on their CCTV usage, according to a recent report from Big Brother Watch.
"More and more councils are scrapping their CCTV systems due to budgetary constraints. In some cases councils have removed CCTV because the systems have no longer been necessary, crime has either moved to another area or the cameras have been of such poor quality they haven't provided any substantial benefit," said Ms Samson.
At least four major US firms have pulled millions of dollars in advertising from Google’s platform amid rows over extremist content.
The Times reported that telecoms firms AT&T and Verizon, as well as car rental company Enterprise and pharmaceutical giant GSK, have withdrawn all non-search advertising.
An investigation by the newspaper found major brands were appearing next to YouTube videos promoting extremist views - generating revenues for the creators.
The company has apologised and promised better tools for advertisers.
Despite Google’s efforts to contain the row, which began in the UK earlier this week, it appears to have now caught the attention of the US advertising industry - creating a huge problem for Google as it seeks to reassure brands their ad spend is not funding hate groups.
According to The Times, Verizon’s advertisements were appearing along side videos made by Wagdi Ghoneim, an Egyptian cleric who had been banned from the US over extremism, and Hanif Qureshi, whose teachings inspired the assassination of a Pakistani politician.
Raising the bar
“We are deeply concerned that our ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate,” AT&T said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Until Google can ensure this won’t happen again, we are removing our ads from Google’s non-search platforms.”
The UK-based investigation led more than 250 brands to pull their advertising. In a blog post published on Monday, Google’s chief business officer Philipp Schindler announced the company was expanding its policies on hate speech to include videos targeting vulnerable groups.
In response to the latest boycott from the US brands, Google said on Wednesday: “We’ve begun an extensive review of our advertising policies and have made a public commitment to put in place changes that give brands more control over where their ads appear.”
“We’re also raising the bar for our ads policies to further safeguard our advertisers’ brands.”
Google is the dominant player in online advertising, and ads are by far the company’s biggest source of money. In 2016, the firm generated $80bn in ad revenue - accounting for almost 90% of the firm’s total income for the year.
Of the boycotts announced on Wednesday, both Verizon and AT&T have major online advertising ambitions of their own. Verizon in particular recently agreed to purchase embattled web portal firm Yahoo for $4.48bn - a deal it hopes will help it compete with Google for ad sales.
A Lithuanian man has been charged with tricking two US technology firms into wiring him $100m (£80.3m) through an email phishing scam.
Posing as an Asian-based manufacturer, Evaldas Rimasauskas tricked staff into transferring money into bank accounts under his control, US officials said.
The companies were not named but were described as US-based multinationals, with one operating in social media.
Officials called it a wake-up call for even "the most sophisticated" firms.
According to the US Department of Justice, Mr Rimasauskas, 48 - who was arrested in Lithuania last week - deceived the firms from at least 2013 up until 2015.
He allegedly registered a company in Latvia which bore the same name as an Asian-based computer hardware manufacturer and opened various accounts in its name at several banks.
'Fake email accounts'
The DoJ said: "Thereafter, fraudulent phishing emails were sent to employees and agents of the victim companies, which regularly conducted multimillion-dollar transactions with [the Asian] company."
The emails, which "purported" to be from employees and agents of the Asian firm, and were sent from fake email accounts, directed money for legitimate goods and services into Mr Rimasauskas's accounts, the DoJ said.
The cash was then "wired into different bank accounts" in locations around the world - including Latvia, Cyprus, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary and Hong Kong.
He also "forged invoices, contracts and letters" to hide his fraud from the banks he used.
Officials said Mr Rimasauskas siphoned off more than $100m in total, although much of the stolen money has been recovered.
Acting US Attorney Joon H Kim said: "This case should serve as a wake-up call to all companies... that they too can be victims of phishing attacks by cybercriminals.
"And this arrest should serve as a warning to all cybercriminals that we will work to track them down, wherever they are, to hold them accountable."
The DoJ would not comment on possible extradition arrangements and said that no trial date had been set.
Uber’s relationship with its drivers has become increasingly strained, the company admitted on Tuesday, as it vowed to improve its service.
The ride-sharing firm told the media some of its policies were “unintentionally stacked against drivers”.
In particular, drivers for the company will now have more ability to defend themselves against rider complaints and refunds.
Uber also spoke about its continuing investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and “toxic” working culture.
The news follows the recent departure of the company’s president Jeff Jones, who said the “beliefs and approach” at Uber were “inconsistent” with his own views. Part of Mr Jones’s job at the company had been to manage the relationship between the company and its drivers.
Mr Jones held a Q+A session with drivers in February which provoked angry responses – one driver remarked: “The ONLY thing you made clear to the majority of us is that you don’t have ANY productive answers.”
Real-time ID
Rachel Holt, who manages Uber’s operations in the US and Canada, conceded that the firm had underinvested in the driver experience and that the firm was now “re-examining everything we do”.
Last month, Uber’s embattled chief executive Travis Kalanick was recorded arguing with a driver about falling fares. The incident prompted Mr Kalanick to admit he needed “leadership help”. The company later announced it was hiring a chief operating officer.
Central to Uber’s plan to appease its drivers is giving more weight to their own defence in the face of customer complaints.
Ms Holt cited the example of a driver in Toronto who had worked more than 8,000 trips – but after receiving just three complaints was barred from using the service (though he was later reinstated).
Ms Holt said drivers who had amassed a long history of trips would be treated differently to a newer driver.
“We need to bring more humanity to the way we interact with drivers,” Ms Holt said in a call with reporters.
“We’re updating many customer support policies that were unintentionally stacked against drivers.
“We also need to give drivers a say in fare adjustments instead of relying on what a rider tells us.”
However, the promises fell short of what many drivers have been calling for.
“If Uber truly cares about ‘growing up’ and listening to drivers, they should start by adding a tipping option,” said Ryan Price from the Independent Drivers’ Guild, an organisation that represents ride-sharing workers in New York.
“That’s the number one request from drivers.”
Rival services such as Lyft allow riders to use the app to tip drivers after a ride has completed – but Uber has so far rejected adding the option.
Sexism update
In February Uber was rocked by a former employee’s devastating assessment of her time working at the company. She detailed several instances of sexual harassment and a culture that did not welcome women.
In response, Uber announced it would launch an investigation led by Eric Holder, who served under President Barack Obama as attorney-general, the highest ranking police officer in the US.
Liane Hornsey, Uber’s new head of human resources, said more than 100 “listening sessions” had taken place across the company.
“The focus of the company has been on the business and not the employees,” she told reporters.
She said the atmosphere at the company had created a “cult of the individual”.
The company reiterated its promise to release a report on diversity at Uber by the end of this month.
The British government has announced a cabin baggage ban on laptops on direct passenger flights to the UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
The ban, which also applies to tablets and DVD players, follows a similar US move affecting eight countries.
Downing Street said it followed talks on air security and was “necessary, effective and proportionate”.
US officials said bombs could be hidden in a series of devices.
The ban applies to any device larger than 16cm long, 9.3cm wide or 1.5cm deep. It includes smart phones, but most fall inside these limits.
Any affected device, including e-readers and games consoles, will need to be placed into hold luggage.
Number 10 said it was up to individual airlines to decide when to begin enforcing the ban and passengers should contact their airline for more information.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We understand the frustration that these measures may cause and we are working with the aviation industry to minimise any impact.”
Air industry consultant John Strickland said the ban would cause “headaches for airlines and customers”, but carriers had “no choice but to put security first”.
Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, told the BBC the ban would particularly affect passengers who booked cheaper, hand luggage-only tickets, but would now have to pay to check a bag in.
He added that about 1,000 UK-bound passengers used Turkish Airlines every day to fly from long-haul destinations and would also be affected as their planes were routed via Istanbul.
While the US government cited unspecified “threats” in its announcement, the prime minister’s official spokesman declined to discuss whether the new rules were prompted by specific intelligence.
The US ban applies to flights from 10 airports in eight countries. Nine airlines are affected – Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
Asked why the US ban differed from the UK, Theresa May’s spokesman said: “We have each taken our own decisions.”
A sign of mounting concern
The UK ban goes even further than the US move which does not affect national carriers.
It is not the result of a specific, identified terrorist plot, but of mounting concern in US and British intelligence circles at the ongoing interest amongst jihadist groups in the Middle East in blowing up a passenger plane in mid-air.
There are some in Whitehall who fear this may be an over-reaction, with damaging commercial and diplomatic consequences. But others have pointed to last year’s laptop bomb smuggled onto a flight from Somalia by insurgents from Al-Shabaab.
The year before, so-called Islamic State blew up a Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula. But that bomb was hidden in the hold, where laptops and other devices will still be allowed.
The editor of Aviation Security International, Philip Baum, told the BBC that “encouraging people to check laptops, and other such items, into the luggage hold simply makes the challenge of screening even harder”.
For more than two years, the official UK threat level for international terrorism has stood at severe, meaning an attack is “highly likely”.
In July 2014, passengers at UK airports were advised to ensure electronic devices were charged so they could be switched on for security checks.
The ban on liquids over 100ml in hand luggage – introduced after a foiled 2006 plot to blow up planes using explosives hidden in drink bottles – also remains in place.
‘Evaluated intelligence’
The US has given airlines 96 hours, beginning at 07:00 GMT on Tuesday, to implement its ban, which officials said had no end date.
Passengers on some 50 flights a day from some of the busiest hubs in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa will be affected.
The Turkish government has said the US ban is wrong and should be reversed.
But the Department of Homeland Security said extremists were seeking “innovative methods” to bring down jets.
Citing the Somalia incident in February 2016, as well as the 2015 downing of a Russian airline in Egypt and attacks at airports in Brussels and Istanbul, it added: “Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.”
Which airports are affected by the US ban?
Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
Cairo International Airport, Egypt
Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
