2:57pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By Joe Willis
FACEBOOK has no objection in principle to installing an anti-paedophile panic button on its site, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said today.
Talks between Mr Johnson and the internet giant were called after the site was criticised in the wake of the murder of Darlington teenager Ashleigh Hall.
The schoolgirl was killed by convicted rapist Peter Chapman who posed as a teenager on the site and lured her to her death.
After he was convicted of murder, her mother, Andrea, attacked the site for not doing enough to protect youngsters from predatory paedophiles.
Following Ashleigh's death, The Northern Echo launched the Safety Net campaign to push for better education and legislation to protect young people on the internet.
Mr Johnson said representatives of the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) would meet Facebook representatives in Washington DC next month to discuss the issue.
Mr Johnson said he was pleased with the outcome of talks today.
In a statement he said: "We had a frank exchange of views in which I emphasised that including the CEOP abuse reporting button on their site has the potential to transform child protection - and that the company should put this above all other considerations.
"Facebook told us they have no objection to the principle of including the CEOP button on their site and that they have now agreed to a high level meeting with CEOP in Washington on April 12 to discuss this issue further.
"(Minister) Alan Campbell and I reiterated our view that Facebook must find a way to use this button. I am pleased that the meeting with CEOP is taking place and await the outcome with interest."
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