Following months of negotiation between Facebook and Ceop (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) Facebook have now installed a new online safety application for its young users.
Children can use the facility to report abuse to both Ceop and Facebook. An advert to download the 'ClickCEOP' application will automatically appear on the homepage of every user aged between 13 and 18.
Unfortunately there are a minority of people who abuse the latest technology and there are increasing amounts of cases where sex offenders are using social networking sites to conceal their identities in order to contact children.
Facebook aren't the only social networking site under pressure to ensure the safety of its users. Bebo and Myspace had previously added a panic button to their network. Facebook initially stated that their own security was sufficient but following pressure from the police they have now agreed to the latest safety measures.
It's a sad side of the internet which has been a worry ever since the internet revolution began and web access became common place in households but it's reassuring to see that social networking sites are not taking the issue lightly and hopefully we can all look forward to a world where we can all enjoy the internet safely together whatever our age.
Source: SKY NEWS