It’s not really a “Facebook panic button,” but it’s being described as such. In the U.K., Facebook is launching easy access to a mini-application for teens who believe they are being subjected to cyber-bullying. The button connects the user to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center (CEOP), a semi-governmental organization in the U.K.
At CEOP, users can report others who they believe are abusing them online, and there is advice and resources for dealing with threats made through the Internet.
Something That ‘Isn’t True, or Worse’
At its site, CEOP provides several questions to guide users trying to decide if they need help, such as “Do you sometimes struggle to find answer to things that worry you online?” and “Had a chat conversation that went sour?” Other questions ask if the user has had “bad wall posts from people you don’t know,” if the user has “seen something written about you that isn’t true, or worse,” and if the user’s account has ever been hacked.
The ClickCEOP app on Facebook has three parts: a Profile tab that provides steps for the user to protect him or herself, a “Protect your mates” virtual badge that can be sent to friends to let them know about the app, and a bookmark for easy access.
The CEOP addition to the U.K. version of Facebook comes after some resistance by the social-networking giant. The site had said that a single reporting button was not as effective as other measures it was taking, and would lead to overwork for police and other organizations. But a government official urged the adoption, and 44 police chiefs signed a petition following the murder of a 17-year-old, Ashleigh Hall, late last year.
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