Microsoft's Bing introduces child abuse search pop-ups

[Jazzy]

Microsoft's Bing search engine has become the first to introduce pop-up warnings for people in the UK who seek out online images of child abuse.

The notification will tell them the content is illegal and provide details of a counselling service.

It comes after the prime minister said internet companies needed to do more to block access to such images.

Yahoo, which uses Bing's technology on its search page, said it was considering a similar move.

Google is not planning to use pop-ups but said it would continue to report material and help experts combat the problem.

The debate about online images showing the sexual abuse of children has come to prominence after two high-profile murder trials heard how the killers searched for them.

Bing's pop-up warning, which applies to searches conducted in the UK, is triggered when people enter words on a "blacklist" compiled by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).

Microsoft said the notifications aimed "to stop those who may be drifting towards trying to find illegal child abuse content on the web via search engines".

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I highly doubt these pop-ups are going to make any difference at all.

What do you think?

 

[The Dragon Master]

It might make some people think twice, but it's not going to help this go away properly. It's a start, not much of one, but it's a start.

 

[Evil Eye]

Interestingly, a search for "child abuse material" didn't yield a popup

 

[Success]

If people have deliberately searched for it, it probably won't stop them. But if someone was to stumble on it accidentally through a trick link or something then it's a good warning. Google should do something similar.

 

[DrLeftover]

So, let's see.

You search for something that MS "thinks" is related to exploitation of children, whether or not it is is irrelevant, and that message pops up, and they flag your IP address as a predator and relay everything they can about you to the authorities.

Nothing to worry about there.