- "...several internet experts said Microsoft's motivation
was more financial than a genuine concern about the types of conversation
taking place in chatrooms... 'Because the chatrooms were free, the more
popular they became, the more it cost Microsoft to run them.'"
-
-
- Microsoft announced the closure yesterday of all its
internet chatrooms, to protect its customers, some of whom are teenagers,
from paedophiles and unsolicited pornographic spam emails.
-
- More than 10,000 chatrooms, for fans of such diverse
hobbies and pastimes as beekeeping, Arsenal Football Club, Harry Potter
and Motorhead, the heavy metal band, will be cut off on Oct 14.
-
- Gillian Kent, director of MSN UK, Microsoft's online
service, said it was "necessary to make these changes because on-line
chat services are increasingly being misused for spam and inappropriate
communication".
-
- Although the move was welcomed by some child protection
charities, several internet experts said Microsoft's motivation was more
financial than a genuine concern about the types of conversation taking
place in chatrooms.
-
- Ian Angell, professor of information systems at the London
School of Economics, said the measure was "rather draconian"
and unlikely to make any immediate change to the risk of paedophiles "grooming"
children online.
-
- According to National Children's Home and Charities'
Coalition for Internet Safety, at least 26 cases in Britain of children
being raped or abducted by paedophiles had been linked to chatroom contact.
-
- But Prof Angell said Microsoft's decision to close its
chatrooms would simply result in children seeking other internet meeting
rooms in which it may be even more difficult to trace paedophiles.
-
- "You have to look at Microsoft's decision as financial.
Because the chatrooms were free, the more popular they became, the more
it cost Microsoft to run them."
-
- Prof Angell said there were "some very sound financial
decisions" behind Microsoft's decision to close its chatrooms.
-
- "They do not want to get sued if an abduction or
rape of a child is linked to contact made in their chatrooms and they have
to demonstrate they are taking proper care," he said. "They will
need to monitor chatrooms properly and that costs money."
-
- Microsoft will still allow access to its chatrooms to
American customers prepared to pay a subscription.
-
- John Carr, internet safety coalition chairman, said Microsoft's
decision was "a momentous announcement" because it would prompt
other chatroom companies to reassess their position.
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.
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