Facebook launches new Safety Center in child protection push

Facebook has announced that it’s relaunched its Safety Center, a section of the site devoted to its users’ security online.

The company says it’s quadrupled the safety information available while setting it in cleaner, easier to navigate layout. Facebook has partnered with third parties who specialise in safety and security online to provide extra information aimed at protecting children from threats such as cyberbullying and sexual abuse.

It’s important for Facebook to continue to improve its safety education initiative. As top dog in social networking in many markets, it is not only likely to attract more wrongdoers than its rivals but it attracts more bad publicity too. Too many knocks like this could be catastrophic for its reputation, hence being seen to be doing “the right thing” is essential.

Some feel Facebook hasn’t gone far enough. The UK’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre has been pressing the company to add a “panic button” for children under threat to every page for some time.