Facebook adds a child protection ‘panic button’

After months of pressure from public, media and politicians, Facebook social network has added a child protection “panic button” linking a user to the online child protection watchdog.

Founder Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged late last month that the global expansion of Facebook meant privacy controls had become too complex and that "very legitimate questions" had been raised about its failings in this area, the Guardian said.

Since now Facebook’s users will be able to access an advice centre from their home page where they will be able to report suspected grooming or inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Facebook said that it marks the first time in the UK that all users, and especially the target demographic of 13-to-18-year-olds, will be able to have direct access to CEOP's services. However, the new system is opt-in, meaning that Facebook users will have to actively choose to download, add, or bookmark the new button onto their homepage, noted Guardian.