Microsoft Puts Police Link on Messenger 253
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.'"
abuse (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh yeah, I can't see this being abused at all. Especially by teenagers just screwing around.
Re:abuse (Score:4, Interesting)
Damn straight. We're going to see a story about the dossing of Britains online police services before the dupe of this story appears. (imagine a lol, I'm not a sexual predator [slashdot.org] worm)
Re:abuse (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:abuse (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think a worm (or someone prepared to make one) is going to be afraid of the consequences, regardless of the jurisdiction.
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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 ... >
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Re:abuse (Score:5, Informative)
Eg:
"Headline news: Alleged pedophile Joe Sixpack arrested and detained after revolutionary new feature in MSN allows users to report for soliciting sex from underaged kids."
Two months later, page 38, buried somewhere beneath an ad for preperation H: "Joe Sixpack acquitted of all charges. Fanny Jones arrested for filing a false police report."
Once you're accused of being a pedophile, the damage is already done.
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I do realize that a lot of abuse comes from trusted people - but isn't this feature's target Joe "AC" Sixpack hence breaking down the thin veil of anonymity?
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That's a really good point, one exacerbated by the profession of the accused; anyone with a youth related career (teacher, youth minister, psychologist, coach, &c.) would still receive a forcible and early retirement without condolences or concern.
However, i think about it and i realize that "Headline news: Alleged pedophile Joe Sixpack arrested and detained after revolutionary new feature in MSN allows users to report for soliciting sex from underaged kids." will be on the front page no matter what,
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Probably not as scary as the consequences for online gambling in Washington State!
I know, offtopic... I still get a kick out of some stupid laws like that sometimes.
Re:abuse (Score:5, Informative)
"
Wasting police time - section 5(2) Criminal Law Act 1967
(Archbold 28-224)
The offence of wasting police time is committed when a person
* causes any wasteful employment of the police by
* knowingly making to any person a false report orally or in writing tending to:
* show that an offence has been committed; or,
* give rise to apprehension for the safety of any persons or property; or,
* show that he has information material to any police inquiry.
It is a summary only offence carrying a maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment and/or a level 4 fine.
The public interest will favour a prosecution in any one of the following circumstances:-
* police resources have been diverted for a significant period (for example 10 hours);
* a substantial cost is incurred, for example a police helicopter is used or an expensive scientific examination undertaken;
* when the false report is particularly grave or malicious;
* considerable distress is caused to a person by the report;
* the accused knew, or ought to have known, that police resources were under particular strain or diverted from a particularly serious inquiry;
* there is significant premeditation in the making of the report;
* the report is persisted in, particularly in the face of challenge.
"
Just in case you were wondering a level 4 fine is £2500.
That's from the Crown Prosecution Service's website. [cps.gov.uk]
Tried as an adult or juvenile? (Score:2)
In the US, there are differences in how we handle crimes committed by adults and those same crimes committed by juveniles.
Re:Tried as an adult or juvenile? (Score:4, Funny)
Oh, wouldn't that be deliciously ironic - being tried as an adult for using a feature that implies you are a child...
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When there is a worm causing false reports?
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Re:abuse (Score:4, Interesting)
E-cuse (Score:2)
Do you have encyclopedic knowledge of all laws in all jursidictions and the details of all precedent-setting cases under every one?
Are you certain you have nothing to hide?
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Section
Sub-Section
Act
Subject
It is an offence to waste Police Time or to give a false report.
Fixed Penalty Amount
Method of Trial
http://www.police-law.co.uk/law/policelaw.nsf/1649 e8496940e5e380256ba8006061d3/b14a0b225311b86e80256 db300697bbc!OpenDocument [police-law.co.uk]
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Can they prove it was you rather than malware?
In Britain, would you have to prove it was malware?
Re:abuse (Score:4, Interesting)
And its best if you're using wifi, and you've covered yourself (and your IP address) by turning off security. As the recent case showed, with an open access point, you can simply say "It wasn't me; it could have been any neighbor using my wireless" and the prosecution won't have much an argument, because you'll be telling the literal truth.
At least here in the US, almost everyone has just a single IP address for everything past their modem, so everything using your wifi will have the same address, and there's no way at all to prove which of the many computers in the neighborhood may have clicked that button.
If you're on an open wireless AP, you can accuse as many people you want of as many crimes as you want, and nobody can prove it was you.
Scary! (Score:2)
That's a scary thought. I certainly wouldn't use any software in which accidentally clicking the wrong button calls the police!
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And I'm not just calling because he beacause he fragged me...
Simpsons? What? (Score:3, Funny)
Bless The Simpsons [i-bless.com]
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Well, that is the problem, isn't it? (Can't you sickos stop thinking of the children for a bit? :)
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I'm sure the users name address and info will be submitted to the enforcement agency and will pop up when the officer responds and given most law i'm sure anyone who plays with the option will find them self on the sticky side of the law.
Re:abuse - protected by AI (Score:2)
No we can't trust the teenagers to do this properly. The will screw around with it, either out of ignorance, or just for kicks. Protecting the children is too important to be left up to them, so expect to see new software that scans incoming and outgoing streams for certain words, then makes the online report itself.
Initially, such software will be optional.
[/sarcasm]
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http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/17/2
Hmm (Score:3, Interesting)
Besides, we all know how kids like clicking everywhere.
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In any case, there might be a threshold (e.g. N complaints against a particular user, where N = 5, 10, or whatever) that must be reached before an investigation is actually commenced.
direct to police?! (Score:5, Insightful)
One of the most convenient ways of destroying someone's life forever is to hint that they're a pedd-o to the police. One of the least credible sources of information is through chat and blog and instant message internet services. This sounds like a great way to completely twist the whole of society tightly around the axle for years to come.
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Works for me. As far as I can tell, the whole of society is long overdue for a proper sorting-out.
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Re:direct to police?! (Score:4, Insightful)
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awesome.
predator detection (Score:3, Insightful)
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Protecting your children isn't Microsoft's fucking business.
Great, then you won't mind paying for all of the false alarms, right? Thinking about the children is great, but parents doing their job would
I Foresee Great Uselessness (Score:3, Insightful)
I can imagine it... (Score:5, Funny)
__OMG LIEK TEHER IS SUM RILLY CREPY CHAP TAH WANTS ME TO
Constable Nigel says:
__4 ril?
LilJen1992 says:
__Yeh he is so grss!!!1
Constable Nigel says:
__kk jess gimme his s/n
Re:I can imagine it... (Score:5, Funny)
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.
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We're talking about IM, all girls claim to be 14.
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i think
Good idea - and tough to abuse (Score:3, Insightful)
Good idea, and well done Microsoft.
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The way I'd work it would be to have the aforementioned info sent, then have the police quickly follow up with a quick e-mail message to the accusing party with something like "If you really meant to send this, c
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Except that emails aren't traceable. At all. Especially the throwaway ones on things like dodgeit.com. You should be concerned about the abuse.
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Well, if MS has half a brain, they'll send the email from Microsoft's servers, and digitally sign it. So at least the police will know it came from Micrsoft's servers. This is not foolproof and won't prevent silly kids / stray cats / malicious worms from clicking the "Report Abuse" icon. Actually, TFA says nothing about the delivery mechanism: could be email, SOAP requests, snail mail, or a fax machine, for all we now.
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Sorry, dashed off that reply - should've made it clearer. I wasn't worried about the d
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BTW, I believe this isn't a great idea, but could you try to be a little less black and white? Microsoft isn't The Great Satan.
And This Works How? (Score:5, Interesting)
Only one of them contains any personal information about me. The other two, which are in use most often, are full of completely bogus information.
Hypothetically speaking, where exactly would any online 'police service' get in such a situation? I think this has the potential to be a good idea, but I'm curious to see how many resources are going to be thrown behind this, given how easy it is to enter completely false data from the word go.
Re:And This Works How? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Hell, with wi-fi spreading around in an unsecured state (I get 4 networks in my bedroom), it is entirely possible to have an online life without ever getting connected using your own phone line / cable.
I'm a techy, and I tend to think of technical
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The IP addess identifies the machine, not the user.
I have a bunch of machines here but only one is used by people directly. I use it to work on and my two kids play on it from time to time. For some reason *cough* none of that IM shit seems to work on this machine (sorry darlings, it just won't load right. Life's a mystery).
My ex wife is more liberal with her machine and the kids IM like mad there. She has tons of bestialit
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They only need your name on an IM network. Then they can set traps for you. They don't need to identity you right away. Just pretend they are kid and wait for the creep to pounce on you. From there you can show him some pictures on your website which will of course capture the IP address of his machine at the time. Being still in the conversation that leaves ample time to get personal information from the ISP of the predator in question.
At first I thought this was a terrible idea because of possible abuse
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Certainly an interesting way of dealing with the situation, but wouldn't this be covered by entrapment? Not that I'm meaning to sound dismissive, but baiting a trap is normally frowned upon.
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Case in point: A few years ago, there was a local case (San Diego, CA) where a man went online looking for an older, single woman for romance. He met someone online claiming to be a female lonelyheart, and correspondance ensued. After a time, the "woman" asked him what he wanted to do to her sexually. He wrote a raunchy e-mail to her, detailing various sex acts. The "woman" then said, sounds nice, now, tell me
The irony of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
Thank goodness ! (Score:5, Funny)
At last someone is thinking of the children.
Re:Thank goodness ! (Score:5, Funny)
I thought that was the problem...
Wonderful waste of resources (Score:5, Insightful)
What you need to do is increase confidence in the police by making sure they always respond appropriately to legitimate complaints. Adding a "report a pedo" form is just plain silly.
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While I agree with you in general, the above isn't a problem with the police. It's a problem of idiots reporting "vague suspicions" to the police. If it is possible for the police to overreact, then you shouldn't be reporting it.
But that still makes this current idiocy a bad idea.
Building a case (Score:3, Insightful)
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God forbid the police should actually have to do some work before charging someone with an offence! Any information that could be collected at that point should be easy to collect later. To say we have "nothing" to do this now is just plain incorrect. The question is whether the records should be kept. You don't think there will be many fake reports? Are you serious. A bunch of kids who still think the net is anonymous are going to have the maturity to only report pedos and not t
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As for your faith in juries I find that laughable. Anyone so much as being accussed of pedophelia publicly becomes a social outcast with zero job prospects, particularly if it receives any media attention. You're naive if you think the police wi
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This is why I wish all public conversations were recorded, and not just those on the internet. What ha
"Honestly officer, I didn't know it's illegal..." (Score:5, Funny)
Re:"Honestly officer, I didn't know it's illegal.. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:"Honestly officer, I didn't know it's illegal.. (Score:4, Insightful)
By who's defnition? (Score:4, Insightful)
Bring down the man on them.. Good way to scare away users.
Add to /. (Score:5, Funny)
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Natalie Portman
Hot Grits
Goat.cx
GNAA
Cowboy Neil
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They need more than this (Score:5, Funny)
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It could send logs, screen grabs, etc as desired to any/all of a menu of law enforcement agencies.
I'm not serious of course, but it's probably a matter of time until someone who is devises Stasi-at-home software.
Monty Python version (Score:5, Funny)
...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.")
Based on abuse of AIM "warn" button.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Hello Officer? This is Skynet (Score:4, Funny)
Yet Another Reason... (Score:5, Insightful)
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And for the vast majority of users, so does Jabber. It obsoleted the commercial IM systems when that open standard was ratified last summer. The user@host format for referring to specific users isn't going away any time soon.
Likewise, you have to give someone your email address to ever receive email, and if you do that, any and all munging is rendered permanently and irrevokably useless [interhack.net]. Get over yourself. Email addresses aren't private, ple
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Well, it's a damn shame this predator-reporting feature wasn't already in place. The guy should be in prison, or at a minimum have his life effectively ruined, for his deplorable behavior. Blocking and deleting isn't good enough! We need long jail terms fo
bad idea (Score:3, Insightful)
I think that everyone who has said that this will be abused by idiots and kids is right, for the most part - but my real problem is that this is a first step to eroding anonymity (or semi-anonymity) online, because once that button has been there for a little while, then the authorities can say - "Well, we now need every IP to be verifiably tied to an ID because online police buttons might be pushed and we can't go throught trying to figure out who all of these sceennames are."
Next Slashdot Article On This (Score:2)
"Abuse of "Report Abuse" Leads to Feature Removal"
Unless the "Report Abuse" also submits details as the submitter as well (Username and IP/hostname in particular). Still, I can see trolls mass-reporting people to the police because they visit a forum the trolls hate because they were banned quite fairly... as an example.
single click? (Score:2)
I hope there's a confirmation dialog box and not just a single click. I mean, who hasn't made honest accidental clicks?
And assuming that this does involve a few steps, do the police investigate you if you stop at any point? Like w
Rescue 404'd! (Score:2, Funny)
What do I do?
Report "abuse" good name (Score:2)
In the meanwhile, perverts will continue to get away from it because no one realizes what they are doing is "abuse".
Personally my plan is thus.
1. Create worm.
2. Send worm out to get messengers to send reports about "creepy old guy who says he has lots of money named Billy gates"
3. Get article on Slashdot
4. Laugh because police have already ignored the report abuse button during the 12 hours it too
Delation (Score:2)
It'll be extended to 'terrorism' (Score:3, Insightful)
Ah sex crimes.. (Score:4, Funny)
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.
Screw the damn kids (Score:3, Interesting)
It's the damn parents that are responsible for their kids. Don't have time to watch them? Don't have kids!