I’m all for safety on-line and Facebook have done the right thing here, for which they have to be applauded.

However my key concern is that vulnerable teenagers are looking for friends on line; for people who “understand them”. Groomers know this and prey on it. Unfortunatley they are clever and devious and as such know what to say and what not to say.

So will vulnerable children know they’re being groomed? And therfore will they even think they need to press a panic button?

This is my concern. I don’t have the answer, but if the CEOP button stops just one child from being harmed then it is worthwhile and thus it is important that we encourage such steps and that it is promoted and that children become educated.

Here’s the full article from www.marketingmagazine.co.uk

Facebook has today (12 July) made a ClickCeop app available that allows users to install a panic button on their homepages to report instances of suspected grooming or inappropriate sexual behaviour.

CEOP enhances its presence on Facebook
CEOP enhances its presence on Facebook
 

The app, which has been jointly launched by the UK’s national centre for child protection – the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre – and Facebook, gives users direct access to Ceop’s advice and reporting centre and targets teenagers between 13- to 18-years-old.

Access to the ClickCeop button is obtained via the app which users can add or bookmark so that it appears on their homepage.

Ceop has set up a page to support the app that, when “liked”, aims to engage with young people to help raise the profile of online safety.

The Facebook page also contains polls, news alerts and status updates and will look at topics of interest, such as celebrities, music and exams.

The activity is being supported by advertising on the social networking site, including an automatic advert-message appearing on every homepage of users aged within the target group.

Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Ceop Centre, said: “By adding this application, Facebook users will have direct access to all the services that sit behind our ClickCeop button which should provide reassurance to every parent with teenagers on the site.

“We know from speaking to offenders that a visible deterrent could protect young people online.”

Joanna Shields, Facebook’s vice president for EMEA, said: “There is no single silver bullet to making the Internet safer but by joining forces with Ceop we have developed a comprehensive solution which marries our expertise in technology with Ceop’s expertise in online safety.

“Together we have developed a new way of helping young people stay safe online and backed this with an awareness campaign to publicise it to young users.

“It is only through the constant and concerted effort of the industry, police, parents and young people themselves that we can all keep safe online – whether on Facebook or elsewhere.”