Twitter's child protection policies are lagging behind other social networking websites, a watchdog has warned.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) has urged Twitter to address its fears that some paedophiles use the site to discuss abuse and link to pornographic images.

Twitter said safety was a high priority and it acted immediately on complaints of inappropriate behaviour.

Twitter users can report accounts in breach of its child protection policy.

But former detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who works as a child protection expert, claims some users have still been active on the site days or even weeks after they have been reported to the firm.

"There is always going to be a problem with social networking sites, because where there is an opportunity offenders will seek that out," says Mr Williams-Thomas.

"Clearly what Twitter needs to do is to take responsibility for its users. And when they identify there is somebody promoting child abuse material, swapping it or even discussing it the site must come down straight away."

In a statement, Twitter insisted it dealt with complaints as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

"When we receive a report and identify it as valid, we take action immediately," said Del Harvey, Twitter's Director of Trust and Safety.


Read more at: BBC News
By Chris Buckler BBC News

2012/01/12