Online Safety Steps Preclude Need for ‘Panic Button,’ Says Facebook
Facebook is committed to the online safety of minors but stopped short of committing to a “panic button” for U.S. users, the company said Thursday in response to a Wednesday letter by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Klobuchar’s letter asked about the feasibility of a “panic button” on U.S. Facebook pages similar to one provided to U.K. users (WID July 16 p6).
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"We share Sen. Klobuchar’s concern for Internet safety and believe we have been leaders through the creation of our Safety Advisory Board, the expansion of our Safety Center, and the establishment of a partnership with the National PTA to educate parents, teachers and students about online safety,” said Facebook. “Facebook offers reporting links throughout the site and we believe the ‘Help’ links on every page provide an effective mechanism for people to reach our Safety Center, which is featured prominently on the landing page. We continue to concentrate our efforts on expanding safety information on the site and partnering with other experts to create opportunities to educate people about online safety.”
Helpful, but not enough, Klobuchar said Thursday. “I appreciate Facebook’s focus on child safety and the company’s quick response to the issues I raised in my letter,” she said in a press statement. “While Facebook does provide users with a ‘Help’ page that includes links to safety resources, the safety information unfortunately requires clicking through multiple pages to arrive at Facebook’s safety center.” Kids won’t use a reporting mechanism if it isn’t easy to find, she said, citing child protection experts: “I look forward to working with Facebook to achieve our common goal of protecting our children online.”
A “panic button” is not necessary because Facebook already provides many online safety measures, the company responded. “We offer prominent ‘report’ buttons on every single piece of content on Facebook -- from Web links, videos, and photos to Facebook Pages and Profiles. The Safety Center is also prominently placed on our Help Page, which is one click away from any other page on Facebook,” it replied Thursday. The U.K. application is not a “panic button,” the company added. It provides links to educational resources and reporting pages and is run by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center. Facebook works with groups such as Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, WiredSafely Childhood International and the Family Online Safety Institute, the company said. Klobuchar’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes circulated a statement from WiredSafety Director Parry Aftab in support of the company’s position. “Keeping teens safe online isn’t about panic, it’s about education and empowerment,” said Aftab, who advises Facebook on its safety practices and is on its Safety Advisory Board. “While I certainly share Senator Klobuchar’s concern for teens’ online safety, I know firsthand the lengths that Facebook goes to promote a trusted online environment.”
A “panic button” wouldn’t work on Facebook, because millions of people would jam public safety lines whenever they saw something objectionable, Aftab said. If a sexual predator is hunting on Facebook a user should call 911 and report the incident to Facebook, so the company can freeze any information needed for a criminal investigation, she said.