Social Networking Sites: Should Users Be More Responsible For Their Own Safety?

2nd April, 2010 by Webmaster

Most of us make sensible decisions regarding who we befriend online and whether to meet them or not. However, there are vulnerable users out there, in particular those under 18-years-old. A recent case involved the murder of Ashleigh Hall, who met Peter Chapman, who had created a false identity on Facebook.

All social networking sites should provide services that link directly to the appropriate authorities, such as Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), that know what signs to look out for when case’s like Peter Chapman arise in the early stages. However, it is still the user who has to make the initial choice of pressing the ‘alert button’. This brings responsibility back to the user and owners of computers. Parents and other authority figures should be educating young people of the risks that social
networking can present. We are all open to falsity online and the ‘fantasy’ mentality can easily be taken too far by those who seek gratification.

Facebook use the poor argument that they currently provide their own adequate system to report alarming behaviour. It seems that Facebook does not want to provide another reporting system on their site because it will give users a choice.

Tags: social networking