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All Chat Rooms: Microsoft Msn
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As of October 14, MSN will be shutting down all chat rooms except for those in the United States, Canada and Japan, which will be converted to a subscription-only format. When asked why they're being shut down, Microsoft cited its concern over pedophiles using both unmoderated and moderated MSN chat services to seek out new victims and a need to make users of its remaining subscription-based chat services more accountable for their conversations. It is ... believed that economic factors are also behind Microsoft's decision.
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Other internet portals, such as AOL and MSN... allow users to create their own chat rooms. These internet portals are different from Yahoo! in that they are subscription based, and only allow access to the rooms if the user is a subscriber to the service. MSN in its earliest versions of chat had monitors watch activity on its servers, but it was abandoned. Efforts to monitor chat for any effect appear to be futile. Geoff Sutton, the European general manager of Microsoft MSN, told Wired News at the time it cut free chat service in 28 countries that, "The straightforward truth of the matter is free, unmediated chat isn't safe."
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Perhaps Microsoft can convince the public that that the only reason for ending their free chat room service was child safety by levying a 1 cent charge for its paid service? The real and more serious issue is growing need for proper identification on the Internet. Perhaps now is the time for state issue voluntary electronic "ID" cards. Electronic IDs do not need to limit anonymity but can supplement it in situations where greater accountability is needed.
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