If you are a Bing user in UK and are using the search terms related to child abuse content, you will get a pop-up warning indicating that you are looking for illegal child abuse content.
Microsoft’s search engine Bing is the first search engine to introduce such warning feature against illegal child abuse content, using the Bing Notification Platform. This pop-up warning message will be triggered by a few blacklisted search terms compiled by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop). The warning message will also include a link to a special counseling service Stopitnow.org.
Andy Baker, deputy chief executive of Ceop said: “This is a positive step in the right direction to deterring potential offenders from accessing indecent images of children on the internet. But it is a small, initial part of the solution to prevent child sexual abuse, protect children and pursue offenders.
Microsoft has always been against the technology facilitated child exploitation and this is yet another step of the Software Giant to tackle the menace of online child abuse content. Microsoft already has been following a policy of removing links to illegal content from its search results.
A Microsoft spokesman said: “If someone in the UK tries to use search terms on Bing which can only indicate they are looking for illegal child abuse content, they will activate the Bing Notification Platform which will produce an on-screen notification telling them that child abuse content is illegal.
Microsoft decided to introduce this warning message after the intimidation announced by Prime Minister David Cameroon to impose tough new laws on the internet companies not blocking the blacklisted search terms and horrifying images. Cameroon has also urged all the search engines to block access to all child abuse search results.
PM David Cameroon is also pressurizing the leading search engine Google to block the child abusing images from its search results. Microsoft’s move to introduce the warning message has placed Google under pressure to follow the suit and include some preemptive anti-child abuse measures soon.
Yahoo which uses Bing’s technology to drive its searches is also said to be planning on the same warnings too. Twitter is also working on implementing image filters, based on Microsoft’s PhotoDNA technology, to run images against a blacklist. I suppose it will not be long before Google too decides to do the same!
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