The biggest name in social networking, Facebook has agreed to the requests made by the United Kingdom to install a “Panic Button” on its website for the kids. This all new feature will enable kids and their parents to immediately access the ‘Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’, an agency that is dedicated towards the protection to children from online menaces, such as pedophiles etc.

The issue of the CEOP not being quite visible on Facebook was widely debated after the death of a 17 year old teenager, Ashleigh Hall who was lured by a known sex offender, Peter Chapman by using Facebook. After a high level meeting between Facebook representatives and U.K Home Secretary Alan Johnson, it was decided that, the best course of action that would help avoid further tragedies would be the installation of a Panic Button. Another social networking service, Bebo is already known to provide CEOP Report link on every profile in its database. With the CEOP in place, the users will be able to access instant support from the CEOP services along with other valuable tools, such as links to Childline and Beatbullying.

Furthermore, the CEOP link will allow enable users to get updated advice on the latest series of viruses, hacking and can even access contact information for their local police centers, where they can file a cyber bullying complaint.

According to Alan Johnson,

“I emphasized 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.”

Via PC World