Microsoft Puts Police Link on Messenger

SirClicksalot writes "Microsoft is working together with the UK Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre to help protect Windows Live Messenger Users. UK users will be able to report suspected sexual predators directly to the police. From the article: 'Microsoft will add a "report abuse" icon to Messenger that will link any users worried about their anonymous internet buddies directly to online police services. Set up earlier this year to provide a single point of contact for the public, law enforcers and the communications industry to report the targeting of children online, CEOP offers advice and information to parents and potential victims of abuse and works with police forces around the world to protect children.'"

I can imagine it...

[UbuntuDupe]

LilJen1992 says:
__OMG LIEK TEHER IS SUM RILLY CREPY CHAP TAH WANTS ME TO ... UGHGHGHGH!!!!11
Constable Nigel says:
__4 ril?
LilJen1992 says:
__Yeh he is so grss!!!1
Constable Nigel says:
__kk jess gimme his s/n

Simpsons? What?

[Lord Prox]

I think someone has watched too many episodes of the Simpsons and thought the Springfield Online Police Report was a good idea.

Bless The Simpsons [i-bless.com]

Thank goodness !

[TractorBarry]

Well thank goodness for that.

At last someone is thinking of the children.

"Honestly officer, I didn't know it's illegal..."

[Nereus]

From TFA:

In June, a 21-year-old media student from Surrey became the first person to be convicted of child grooming offences...

Caught in possession of a child with perfectly styled hair and dapper clothing?

Add to /.

[fahrbot-bot]

Perhaps /. can add this kind of "feature" as a moderation?

• +3 Funny
• -2 Predator

They need more than this

[ScooterBill]

How about a button that alerts the IRS? or the SEC when someone on a stock chat room brags about something not quite legal? or the private investigator that's checking up on the housewife who seems to be having a bit too much fun online...

Re:Hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

there will be a lot of wasted time

No investigation is a waste of time, Citizen. Not when we want to know everything we can know about everyone. For the Future of course. Now open up for the swab. No, the anal swab.

Monty Python version

[Megane]

...you click on the button, then John Cleese appears in a London bobby's uniform. "Wot's all this, then?"

(not to be confused with the Young Ones version where Neil appears in a London bobby's uniform saying "Woah, like chill out, man.")

Hello Officer? This is Skynet

[Foofoobar]

Can't wait for the first messenger worm to start reporting everyone on your buddies list as sexual predators.

Re:Thank goodness !

[spun]

At last someone is thinking of the children.

I thought that was the problem...

Re:I can imagine it...

[Anonymous Coward]

/me wonders why a 24 year old can't take care of herself... :-/

Re:abuse

[Tackhead]

> Oh yeah, I can't see this being abused at all. Especially by teenagers just screwing around.

Well, that is the problem, isn't it? (Can't you sickos stop thinking of the children for a bit? :)

Re:I can imagine it...

[UbuntuDupe]

/me wonders why a 24 year old can't take care of herself
 
/me wonders why 2006 minus 1992 is 24 rather than 14

Re:I can imagine it...

[format1337]

2006 - 1992 = 14
i think

Re:I can imagine it...

[Tackhead]

LilJen1992 says:
__OMG LIEK TEHER IS SUM RILLY CREPY CHAP TAH WANTS ME TO ... UGHGHGHGH!!!!11
Constable Nigel says:
__4 ril?
LilJen1992 says:
__Yeh he is so grss!!!1
Constable Nigel says:
__kk jess gimme his s/n

LilJen1992 says:
__kk its 111-111-111 plz kick hiz ass 4 me.

Constable Nigel says:
__aight i put on my uniform and bobby hat.

LilJen1992 says:
__What the f*ck, again?

Constable Nigel says:
__damn I still gotta write down your names or something.

Re:abuse

[bwthomas]

Yeay, that comment was supposed to be in response to this comment [slashdot.org], rather than the one it's parented by currently; i probably clicked on the wrong link, but i choose to blame the slashdot moderators.

stupid moderators <grumble, grumble, grumble ... >

Re:abuse

[evil_Tak]

Does this mean you can report the policemen for wasting police time? Sounds like a golden opportunity to me.

Rescue 404'd!

[Bushido Hacks]

On the positive side, it is good to know that I can contact the police in case of an emergency. On the other hand, what if this service is NOT available in my area? What if I get a 404 message when a creepy axe murder/peophile breaks into my house?

What do I do?

Re:Wonderful waste of resources

[QCompson]

Yeah, but those methods can't automatically flag conversation logs in Microsoft's servers. Something like this will make it much easier for police to gather necessary evidence. Additionally, there's the good chance that would-be predators will think twice before approaching anyone with ill-motivated conversation, since they *know* their conversations can easily be brought to the attention of authorities.

This is why I wish all public conversations were recorded, and not just those on the internet. What happens if little Sally walks outside of her fiercely protected home? Someone may just approach her and strike up some ill-motivated conversation. If we started to record every conversation everywhere, then the evil scary predators will think twice before they prey on our children.

Ah sex crimes..

[crossmr]

They stick like shit. They're honestly the worst policed, and worst handled crime out there. Societies reaction to them only compounds the issue.

Given the stigma attached to them in just about any society going, they should be handled like a black ops. There should be an immediate gag order on the proceedings from the time of the complaint until a verdict is reached unlesss an extreme need can be proven for otherwise.

I lost count but I was keeping track of all the false rape and other claims being made from the beginning of the year. www.dailyrotten.com is great for that. All the stories where "Woman cries rape..oh wait..video evidence provided shows she was shooting a porn film" kind of stories, and other stuff.

I've now required that any woman I'm to have sex with have a form filled out in triplicate, with 4 witnesses and then notorized. I usually require this being taped by a neutral third party. Usually I just arrange to have sex at the police station with at least 2 officers watching so that all is legit.

Back to the black ops. Any reporter found releasing information about an arrest or trial about a sex crime before its concluded should be shot as an example. If the claim is found to be outright false, the complainant should be subject to no less than 5 years in jail. If its not guilty, everyone gets a cookie and goes home.

The amount of stories I've read about teenagers who've accused a teacher of a sex crime then x amount of years later turned around and said "Oh.. we uh..made it up" is ridiculous. This tool serves no purpose other than to further this type of behaviour.

Re:Tried as an adult or juvenile?

[Achromatic1978]

Trial as an adult

Oh, wouldn't that be deliciously ironic - being tried as an adult for using a feature that implies you are a child...