Pedophiles are using Facebook to lure children, and the authorities are not happy about it.
Under governmental pressure, Facebook has stated that it has “no objection in principle” to adding a ‘panic button’ to the website for kids who feel that they may be in danger.
What function the button would actually have has not been released in great detail, or if there is a time schedule in mind. Renewed calls for a panic feature comes after a high-profile murder involving a child and a Facebook stalker, pretending to be someone who he was not.
Facebook, like any other social network, has privacy issues. You cannot let everyone join, without letting everyone join. Some people are just not out to make new friends and connections.
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Of course, even a new function on the website allowing children to alert the authorities of possible misconduct (if the feature is not blatantly abused, which it most likely will be), will not stop the problem. Posting information and communicating online has risks, and nothing except careful parental oversight will help kids navigate those waters successfully.
While a ‘panic button’ does not address the roots of the problem, it may help in a percentage of the cases, making it of endless use and value. Facebook has its own systems currently in place, but like anything else they can be improved on.
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