Facebook to Add Child Safety "Panic Button" for Underage Users

Under pressure from the British government, Facebook will add a button to the profiles of underage users in that country to enhance the user's safety from online predators. The news articles that I've seen are a bit unclear on exactly what this feature does, it appears to allow a government agency to take over your Facebook profile:

The button, aimed at children and teenagers, will report abuse to the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) and Facebook.

Once installed, the application appears on their homepage to say that "they are in control online".

The launch follows months of negotiation between Ceop and Facebook, which initially resisted the idea.

Ceop, the government law enforcement agency tasked with tracking down online sex offenders, called for a panic button to be installed on social networking sites last November.


Link via Fast Company | Photo by Flickr user Ernst Vinke used under Creative Commons license

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