to think that Facebook could go a long way to protecting young people from grooming if they changed their default privacy settings policy?

[LadyBiscuit]

Today Facebook have told Alan Johnson that they don't think installing a Ceop panic button on every page is necessary to protect young people from grooming as they have a very robust reporting procedure.

Personally, I think this is a bit of a side issue because the real one is that the default setting for your account is public. And unless you rigorously change your privacy settings on every single thing you post on your page, any old person can see it. Most people don't realise this and it isn't that easy to change everything.

When I first joined, I had my privacy set so that no one could ask me to be their friend. Now they have removed that option. And every single time they do an upgrade, you have to check that your privacy settings haven't reverted back to standard because they often do.

So AIBU to think that if Facebook's default setting was private rather than public, a lot fewer grooming opportunities would present themselves?

Yanbu,I dont do Facebook,
all though all my ds,s do{youngest is 15},and I think this refusal to install a panic button is a disgrace.The moderation of that site seems to be sadly lacking as last weekends situation with the disgraceful James Bulger posters showed.I cannot understand their reasons for what seems to me a reasonable request.
I know that they have a minimum age but from what I hear seem unable to enforce this.
I have had a letter fromm dd,s school today warning about the dangers they feel some girls are placing themselves in,when using these social network sites.

Facebook do not have a "robust" reporting procedure. The report button is tiny and misleading, the reporting procedure is vague and offers a few "multiple choice" options - which might not suit all situations.

The privacy options are also vague and hidden away at the top, and then you have to go to the "customize" option to get any type of privacy other than the one or two they want you to have.

FB doesn't give me the impression that it cares two hoots about Security or Privacy...and why would it? They just want more people signed up. The lower age limit 13 but of course there is no way they can check this. My dd(12) just put in the appropriate birthday that made her 13.

I don't know what the answer is, but I do worry that the internet is basically Uncontrolled and Uncontrollable

YANBU. Lots of teenagers think someone who knows all about them, must be 'safe' and know them. It doesn't take great genius to make up some 'I'm a friend of Emma's and I was at that party with her, did you like her new hairstyle blah blah'.

I think its up to parents surely to teach their teenagers about internet safety though ..

It makes me cross when my 14, 12, 10 and 9 year old relatives try to add me as a friend. I swear, I rant and I rave on FB. I wouldn't do it in real life in front of them so why would I do it on FB? Then SIL ranted at me because I refused to add them!!

I have relatives of DH I don't speak to but they have their profiles set to public. I know, for instance, that the 'mental issues' our nephew has, which the whole family are struggling to understand, are because of his split from his girlfriend. He's 14!!! Neither is normal

sibling - you can always put them on a limitied profile so they can't see your status updates.

Can I?! How do you do that?

I think if you learn how to use fb ..then you can keep your children safer online

you can create "lists" in edit friends (or if it's only a handful of people just go straight to privacy settings)and click on customise.

You can also hide posts you make from particular people using the padlock

Well it should be usualsuspect but as some of the posts here demonstrate, not everyone does know how to do it. And the fact that you have to set each and every album you put online to 'friends only' as the default setting is everyone can see them is appalling IMO.

Well my point is if your teenagers are gonna use fb at least sit down and show them the pitfalls etc..its not hard to be open and chat about online safety really

BUT, the pitfall is that teenagers don't think they'll be sucked in. They think they'll just 'know' if a paedophile is really paedophile rather than a teenager interested in them who wants to meet them....

I allow ds to have an account so he can keep in touch with his family, there's no details on it, he doesn't even have a picture yet he still has random people he doesn't even know sending him friend requests. He is responsible and he deletes them, I thought his privacy settings were on maximum so I don't know where these people are getting his delatils from, it's worrying for other children, I'm just pleased he's really responsible.

My ds will not add just randoms though, hes very internet savvy because we talk about these things ..

Agree with usualsuspect. My dd is only 6, so nowhere near being on fb yet. But she does use the computer & she sees websites on TV that she would like to look at.

I sign her up & have a good look at the website & it's contents to see if it is suitable & I will be doing it for some time to come.

I don't think this constantly passing the buck helps anyone. They are our kids, so first & foremost our responsibility!

I agree different, if we don't teach them then what will happen to them when they are older and we are not around to supervise? We can't assume that they will be safe because there's a panic button on the screen, parents should educate their children and monitor them very closely. Ds uses the laptop in the living room so I know exactly what he's doing. I'm on his friend list so I know who is on his to ensure it's just family.

Of course it's a parent's responsibility and I'm not saying it isn't. But why is the default setting 'everyone'? Who the hell wants every single person on facebook to be able to read their page, browse their photos and see who all their mates are?

There are 23 separate areas you have to set to private to stop random people being able to get in touch with you. And that doesn't include the subset of your pictures.

I think that's shocking

"Who the hell wants every single person on facebook to be able to read their page, browse their photos and see who all their mates are? "

probably quite a lot actually if they use is as social networking site......

It is shocking but it's a social networking site, it's to get people together!! They should have a different setting for children so parents can choose IMO.

yes maybe fb could do more ..but ultimately its the kids that set up accounts that their parents no nothing about that maybe get into trouble ... I just would rather know what my teenagers are doing

Maybe I'm just peculiar but I can't imagine ever wanting someone I don't know who doesn't know any of my friends to be my 'friend'

I have people on here on my friends list, I don't really know you lot. There's not alot that can identify me on there though.

I so agree - I'm an English teacher and have done several speaking and listening exercises on this. Most 13/ 14/ 15 year olds have NO idea about privacy/ security etc, so you're absolutely right - the default option should be the highest security, and people can "opt out" of that if and when they choose.