Social networking sites including MySpace and Facebook are leaving leave children vulnerable to abuse from paedophiles by refusing to embed a free online safety button on their sites allowing users to report abuse, according to the senior policeman responsible for child protection online.
Jim Gamble, head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) which devised the “report button”, has launched an unprecedented attack on the sites saying that it is time for them to stop hiding behind excuses and put their money where their mouth issign up to its free abuse button.
After years of trying to get them to use CEOP’s free abuse button, which links children and teenagers to advice sites for bullying or abuse, as well as directing them to counsellors and law enforcement staff, Mr Gamble said that he had had enough of their “red herrings”.
Yesterday Bebo announced that it would be using the CEOP button. In the past three years 5,000 investigations have been initiated because of information received from someone using the button and 800 arrests made.
