A painful reminder
As HEXUS readers are no doubt already aware, social networking sites - of which Facebook is the biggest - have come under intense media scrutiny this week after Peter Chapman was convicted of murdering teenager Ashleigh Hall, having reportedly used a fake profile on Facebook to befriend and arrange a meeting with her.
Following his Chapman's conviction, Facebook issued the following statement:
We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ashleigh Hall.
While it is not clear how these two met; what is clear is that Peter Chapman was a twisted, determined individual with an evil agenda who used every online and offline opportunity to meet people.
This case serves as a painful reminder that all Internet users must use extreme caution when contacted over the Internet by people they do not know. We echo the advice of the Police, who urge people not to meet anyone they have been contacted by online unless they know for certain who they are, as there are unscrupulous people in the world with malevolent agendas.
Nothing is more important to Facebook than the safety of the people who use our site. On Facebook there are a variety of measures people can use to protect themselves from unwanted contact and we strongly encourage their use.
One of the main measures referred to is a link enabling users to report and/or block people or groups, which appears on the bottom left of their pages. Many people, including politicians, are now saying that's not enough and, specifically, Facebook should also adopt a CEOP (Child exploitation and protection centre) ‘panic button' that links to a page offering a range of help and advice for young people online.
