Microsoft puts police link on Messenger - GoFuckYourself.com

adrenalinedef · 08-24-2006, 07:24 AM

What do you guys think about this one?
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/new...855921,00.html

Users of Microsoft's Messenger email service will be able to report suspected sexual predators directly to the police at the click of a mouse.
In an attempt to protect the 11 million users of the service from potential abusers, the software giant has struck up a partnership with the UK government-backed Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre.

Microsoft will add a "report abuse" icon to Messenger that will link any users worried about their anonymous internet buddies directly to online police services.

Set up earlier this year to provide a single point of contact for the public, law enforcers and the communications industry to report the targeting of children online, CEOP offers advice and information to parents and potential victims of abuse and works with police forces around the world to protect children.

"This is part of our 'safer by design' plan and strategy which is designed to make predators have a lack of confidence because of what is going on behind the scenes while they are online," said Jim Gamble, the chief executive of CEOP.

"This is a landmark step by Microsoft. They could have got £20,000 in ad revenue for the space they have given up to ensure a higher level of user safety and we hope others will follow them."

The debate about online safety has heated up recently, with social networking sites such as Bebo and MySpace becoming enormously popular with teen- and pre-teenage children.

Bebo recently hired Rachel O'Connell - one of Europe's foremost experts in internet safety.

Because there are few barriers to joining social networking sites, or using a messenger service, users can operate anonymously and pretend to be any age or gender.

While most services usually issue warnings about usage - such as not revealing too much personal information - in reality it is almost impossible to police, and therefore protect, young users.

It is estimated that 61% of UK children aged 13-17 have a personal profile on a networking site and many of profiles feature risqué pictures of the user.

In June, a 21-year-old media student from Surrey became the first person to be convicted of child grooming offences after using teenspot.com.

Microsoft's service - which is being rebranded as Windows Live Messenger - is the largest instant messenger service in the UK with 11.3 million registered users, according to figures from Nielsen NetRatings.

This compares with rival AOL, which has 3.5 million, and Yahoo!'s 1.7 million messenger users.

· To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email [email protected] or phone 020 7239 9857

· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

Pete-KT · 08-24-2006, 07:51 AM

Lookin out for the kids, until someone clicks it as a joke and gets in trouble

Theo · 08-24-2006, 07:54 AM

"This is a landmark step by Microsoft. They could have got hahaha163;20,000 in ad revenue for the space they have given up to ensure a higher level of user safety and we hope others will follow them."

what a load of crap to even mention it

topshelfdesign · 08-24-2006, 08:24 AM

good idea, a slong as the function isnt abused

polish_aristocrat · 08-24-2006, 08:26 AM

it will be abused 1349 times each day

mOrrI · 08-24-2006, 08:26 AM

Not a bad idea...

but it could be used for joking.... :S

TheLegacy · 08-24-2006, 08:34 AM

joke or not - it only takes one real situation to catch a predator and it's all worthwhile. Awesome idea

SomeCreep · 08-24-2006, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polish_aristocrat

it will be abused 1349 times each day

more like 100x that

karlm · 08-24-2006, 08:42 AM

So many pranks will be made lol

u-Bob · 08-24-2006, 08:51 AM

bad idea...

MrCain · 08-24-2006, 09:05 AM

Will be abused.

08-24-2006, 07:24 AM	#1
adrenalinedef Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 518	Microsoft puts police link on Messenger What do you guys think about this one? http://technology.guardian.co.uk/new...855921,00.html Users of Microsoft's Messenger email service will be able to report suspected sexual predators directly to the police at the click of a mouse. In an attempt to protect the 11 million users of the service from potential abusers, the software giant has struck up a partnership with the UK government-backed Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre. Microsoft will add a "report abuse" icon to Messenger that will link any users worried about their anonymous internet buddies directly to online police services. Set up earlier this year to provide a single point of contact for the public, law enforcers and the communications industry to report the targeting of children online, CEOP offers advice and information to parents and potential victims of abuse and works with police forces around the world to protect children. "This is part of our 'safer by design' plan and strategy which is designed to make predators have a lack of confidence because of what is going on behind the scenes while they are online," said Jim Gamble, the chief executive of CEOP. "This is a landmark step by Microsoft. They could have got £20,000 in ad revenue for the space they have given up to ensure a higher level of user safety and we hope others will follow them." The debate about online safety has heated up recently, with social networking sites such as Bebo and MySpace becoming enormously popular with teen- and pre-teenage children. Bebo recently hired Rachel O'Connell - one of Europe's foremost experts in internet safety. Because there are few barriers to joining social networking sites, or using a messenger service, users can operate anonymously and pretend to be any age or gender. While most services usually issue warnings about usage - such as not revealing too much personal information - in reality it is almost impossible to police, and therefore protect, young users. It is estimated that 61% of UK children aged 13-17 have a personal profile on a networking site and many of profiles feature risqué pictures of the user. In June, a 21-year-old media student from Surrey became the first person to be convicted of child grooming offences after using teenspot.com. Microsoft's service - which is being rebranded as Windows Live Messenger - is the largest instant messenger service in the UK with 11.3 million registered users, according to figures from Nielsen NetRatings. This compares with rival AOL, which has 3.5 million, and Yahoo!'s 1.7 million messenger users. · To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email [email protected] or phone 020 7239 9857 · If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". __________________ what?!

08-24-2006, 08:26 AM	#5
polish_aristocrat Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 40,377	it will be abused 1349 times each day __________________ I don't use ICQ anymore.

08-24-2006, 08:26 AM	#6
mOrrI It's over there... Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 4,212	Not a bad idea... but it could be used for joking.... :S __________________ Get Your Binance Account

08-24-2006, 08:34 AM	#7
TheLegacy SEO Connoisseur Industry Role: Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Brantford, Ontario Posts: 17,119	joke or not - it only takes one real situation to catch a predator and it's all worthwhile. Awesome idea __________________ SEO Connoisseur Microsoft Teams: Robert Warren SEO Telegram: @TheLegacy54 RobertWarrenSEO.com

08-24-2006, 08:42 AM	#9
karlm Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: UK Posts: 4,194	So many pranks will be made lol __________________ ICQ 584665926

08-24-2006, 07:51 AM	#2
Pete-KT Workin With The Devil Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: West Bloomfield, MI Posts: 51,532	Lookin out for the kids, until someone clicks it as a joke and gets in trouble

08-24-2006, 07:54 AM	#3
Theo HAL 9000 Industry Role: Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 34,515	"This is a landmark step by Microsoft. They could have got hahaha163;20,000 in ad revenue for the space they have given up to ensure a higher level of user safety and we hope others will follow them." what a load of crap to even mention it

08-24-2006, 08:24 AM	#4
topshelfdesign Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 930	good idea, a slong as the function isnt abused

08-24-2006, 08:51 AM	#10
u-Bob there's no $$$ in porn Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: icq: 195./568.-230 (btw: not getting offline msgs) Posts: 33,063	bad idea...

08-24-2006, 09:05 AM	#11
MrCain Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,332	Will be abused. __________________ Sigmund