Bebo recently implemented a new site button which let’s its users report priority issues:
The button is called the CEOP Report button, (CEOP stands for UK’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre), if you click on it, you’ll get advice and help about issues such as child abuse (but also viruses and hacking), as well as details on how to inform the police and CEOP.
It’s a smart move that signals to law enforcement just how serious Bebo takes child safety. The fact that it is user-driven is another plus, as it does not require Bebo to do anything other than react in a timely manner to reports coming in. Of course, there will always be users who see a predator behind every tree, but wading through the false positives is hopefully something that Bebo bore in mind prior to releasing this feature.
Will MySpace and Facebook release a similar feature? Don’t count on it. MySpace appears to be in a kind of cozy equilibrium with law enforcement, and has little reason to take a proactive measure like this unless compelled to do so. Due to its walled garden approach, Facebook also does not seem to require such a feature. Its users already seem capable of reporting such issues to the mothership without the need for additional mechanisms.
Of course, all of these sites are one ambitious politician’s press conference away from implementing significant new controls to keep their users safe.
via Bebo’s Abuse Button: Should Facebook and MySpace Follow Suit?.
