Facebook unveils panic button for kids

Facebook, ever growing social network platform, has finally unveiled its much-anticipated ‘panic button’ on its site, as it looks to increase protection of its young users, reports Nomensa.com.

The ‘ClickCEOP’ button lets Facebook users, especially those aged between 13 and 17 to report suspicious online behaviour and access internet safety advice with the launch of the new application.

They can report any abuse to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and Facebook.

Access to the ClickCEOP button will be provided via an application that users could add or bookmark so that it appears on their homepage as not only a constant source of help and reassurance for them but also as a strong visual signal to their friends, family and others that they are in control online.

The application would be backed by a new CEOP page that, when ‘liked’, will look to engage with young people to help raise the profile of online safety.

The move is also being supported by extensive wide spread advertising on Facebook that will encourage take up of the application.

This will include an automatic advert-message appearing on every homepage of users aged between 13-18 years inviting them to add the application.

Meanwhile, collaboration between parent, teachers association and Facebook would strengthen commitment to educating kids, parents and teachers about responsible and safe Internet use.

Announcing a formal collaboration, they said it would promote responsible and safe Internet use to kids, parents and teachers.

Together, National PTA and Facebook said they would establish a comprehensive programme that would provide information, support and news to encourage citizenship online, reduce cyber bullying and advance Internet safety and security.

The partnership is founded on the belief that awareness is essential to supporting safe and responsible Internet use. Thus, in addition to creating comprehensive and engaging resources, PTA and Facebook are committing to aggressively promoting Internet safety information to their respective audiences.

National PTA will use its Website (www.pta.org), and actively reach out to the 24,000 local PTAs across the country with a goal of reaching every American public school. Facebook will raise awareness of the resources among the hundreds of millions of parents, teachers and children using its service through an in-kind
Facebook commitment equivalent to $1 million and promotion on other parts of the site, including the safety center.


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