Facebook and Myspace need bully buttons
Popular social networking websites Facebook and Myspace have faced criticism for failure to introduce any aid for children that are bullied online on the sites.
Ceop (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) in particular have pointed out that other networking sites such as Bebo had adopted a button that children can click on for help if they are bullied.
Ceop member Jim Gamble stated that there is no reason why the social networking websites have not taken the time to incorporate the same feature although a spokesman for Facebook stated that its users? safety is a ?top priority.?
According to Ceop, there are already a few thousand children a month that use some type of help button for bullying on other websites. Clicking on such a button allows Ceop officers to talk to users who need advice as well as links to other help sources and local police.
Gamble stated that since social networking websites make a profit by encouraging youths to join the services the websites have a responsibility to provide help and care for vulnerable youth.
He continued to say that the organization is willing to help for free so price is not an object.
Critics of the social networking sites believe that the companies have failed to incorporate the buttons because they do not want to lose advertising space and revenues, but Gamble said that the sites claim there are technical problems that block the use of a help button for youngsters.
He added however that the button is small and thus there is no real reason why it cannot be added.
