UK News 24-09-2003 Microsoft Shut Down Chatrooms who: Microsoft what: Closes down chat rooms following abuse when: Yesterday snippet: "One of Britain`s biggest internet services, MSN UK, is closing its chatrooms to protect children from perverts prowling the net," says The Mirror. "Last night`s announcement affects 11.6million chatroom users. They will be unable to log on from October 14." "The chatrooms are being misused by one per cent of those who log in and as a responsible company we are putting a stop to it," says MSN`s UK director Gillian Kent, quoted in The Sun. "There have been cases where young people were `groomed` through chat." "We welcome any development which increases the safety of children who use the internet," says Paul Goggins, a Home Office minister who chairs the taskforce on child protection on the internet, quoted in The Guardian. "We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with Microsoft and other service providers as part of the taskforce on child protection on the internet." But while the move is welcomed by children`s charities, the ban effectively penalises legitimate chatroom hobbyists while failing to tackle the root of the problem, argues The Telegraph. Chatrooms are no more culpable for paedophilia than "the telephone system, the Royal Mail, the Church of England, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Guides, the Youth Hostels Association, the Duke of Edinburgh`s Award Scheme, all schools, the NHS, the railway network, the seaside holiday... indeed, any institution that allows adults contact with children," says the paper`s leader today. "It is plain bonkers". [... more]

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