To Catch a Predator

(Whitney Forster) - As those of us who have watched too many episodes of Dateline and Law and Order SVU can tell you, it’s a dangerous world out there, but the threat posed by online predators is more than just the stuff of TV drama.  Today Facebook took a bite out of crime with a revamped “Safety Center” featuring tools to better help its 400 million users protect themselves. It includes advice for specific groups including parents, teens, teachers and law enforcement.

 

New features of the safety center include more content on staying safe, such as dealing with bullying online, an interactive portal and a simpler design. "There's no single answer to making the Internet or Facebook safer," Elliot Schrage, vice president of Global Communications and Public Policy at Facebook, said. "That's why we're introducing new tools and advice for parents, educators and teens. We want our approach for improving safety to be as simple, easy and effective as our approach to improving Facebook's user experience."

 

The site sets the right precedent and hopefully other social media sites will follow Facebook’s lead.   To develop the new site, Facebook assembled a global safety advisory board is composed of Internet safety groups Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, WiredSafety, Childnet International and The Family Online Safety Institute.

 

This isn’t the first time Facebook has taken a leadership position on safety. In the past the site has helped identify, and has disabled accounts of, registered sex offenders. In 2008, Facebook said it agreed to assist 49 Attorneys General to protect kids against Internet predators.

 

Safe surfing…

Comments

[Longevity Explored]

This is a great feature to protect out children.

[MBT Shoes]

It's so nice to have you do all of the research for us. It makes our decision making so much easier!! Thanks.