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Facebook's new "panic button"
The tech world has been buzzing in the last couple of days due to Facebook's new stand against cyber abuse. Facebook will provide an app linking to Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) - the UK's online child protection watchdog. The move comes after mounting pressure from authorities and child protection groups, that Facebook doesn't do enough to protect children from online predators. In March, Ceop and senior police accused Facebook of ignoring cries that it creates a haven for predatory paedophiles, by refusing to add a "panic button" for young people and children. Rival social networking services MSN Messenger and Bebo already had the feature, however Richard Allan, head of Facebook's European public policy operation, maintained that Facebook already had effective reporting mechanisms, despite confessing that the system can "never be 100% effective".
Now, Facebook has finally added the ClickCeop button, backed by a Ceop Facebook page which aims to raise awareness of online safety by being 'liked'. The button will allow teenagers and children to report suspicious behavior and get support and advice about staying safe online. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg remarked that it was the first time in the UK that all users, especially in the 13- to 18-year-old age bracket, would have direct access to Ceop's services. Facebook will run an online awareness campaign, to help spread awareness of the button to its members.
However, there are concerns that the "panic button" might do just that - create panic. Facebook holds the position that all these buttons on everyone's pages will attract large numbers of false reports and result in too much work for Ceop. The move doesn't dispel Facebook's prior resistance to adding a panic button, it's simply a chance to use Facebook's virality and huge marketing capacity to increase awareness of Ceop's online safety services. The only downside, according to The Guardian's Jemima Kiss, is that people will have to proactively add the Ceop app to their profiles to use it.
Brand awareness is one thing, but having an attractive brand to begin with is something entirely separate (and perhaps more important). While the ongoing tussles between Facebook and Ceop have gained plenty of press, the new Ceop app will be competing against other Facebook apps like FarmVille, Quizzes and Mafia Wars. How readily it gets picked up and spread will depend on how attractive it is to young people. Nonetheless, Facebook's united front with Ceop to protect young people online is a great move towards making the internet a safe place for all.
