Microsoft’s decision to pull the plug on its free MSN Chat
service has received a mixed reaction from industry.From 14
October, UK users will no longer be able to access the service.
The
software giant hopes the move will combat pornographic spammers and
protect internet users, particularly children. There have been
several reported cases of paedophile rings using popular children's
chatrooms.
Simon
Moores, programme director for the e-crime congresss 2004, said the
decision to stop MSN Chat would help boost Microsoft's trustworthy
computing initiative. "Anything that cuts down spam and potential
paedophile crime is great,” he said.
The move
was also welcomed by childrens’ charities, one of which described
the decision as “momentous”.
However,
rival ISPs, such as Freeserve and Lycos, said the move was
irresponsible because it will mean children will move to
unmoderated chatrooms.
They
suggested the move may be motivated by money, because Microsoft
does not want to invest in policing the services.
Gillian
Kent, director of MSN UK, said, “Chat has been abused by a minority
of people, but to such an extent that it has ruined it for the
majority so we took the decision to close it in order to protect
the majority.”
Users in
the US and Canada will still be able to use the service for an
annual fee of $19.95, although Microsoft will have records of
subscribers’ details such as their name and address, she said.
“This reduces the anonymity element and therefore the risk and
danger.”
The
company is expected to re-evaluate how to provide a more secure
chatroom environment, possibly using some form of digital identity
to ensure users of chatrooms are who they say they are.
Despite
the opposition voiced by Freeserve and Lycos, Moores anticipated
that other major ISPs were likely to follow Microsoft's lead.
However, he was concerned that chatrooms will spring up elsewhere
until the government makes them illegal across the board.