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Facebook Criticised for Inadequate Child Protection Online
Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites have been criticised by a UK online law enforcement agency for not implementing schemes which allow children to report abusive behaviour online.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) praised Bebo for being the first major social network to use the CEOP Report button, a system designed by the agency to give children access to advice on bullying and abuse from online experts.
However, CEOP’s chief executive Jim Gamble said there he was baffled that other prominent sites such as Facebook did not follow Bebo’s lead.
“I am applauding Bebo – it’s taken us three years to get here,” Mr Gamble told the BBC, “But I don’t understand – and there is more than Facebook in this – I don’t understand the logic for the others not following suit.”
The CEOP Report button is free for social media sites to embed on their homepage and provides a one-stop shop for children worried about online abuse. “Every member of the Bebo community has one-click access to a powerful tool that gives them safety help and advice as well as that ultimate reassurance, the ability to find their police or to speak to us direct via an online reporting mechanism.”
Facebook already have systems in place for reporting abuse, and made a special blog entry on How to Bullyproof Yourself on Facebook on Monday as part of National Anti-Bullying Week in the UK. Mr Gamble said that Facebook’s reporting system was not prominent enough on Facebook’s web portal and that by implementing the CEOP Report button, children were more likely to click and report abuse.
Facbook said that safety for its 300 million plus users was a top priority for the company.
Social Media news posted by Lily Townsend on 18 November 2009
