ISPCC welcomes Microsoft chatroom plan

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has welcomed a statement from the computer giant Microsoft promising to shut down most of the internet chat rooms under its control.

Microsoft said the move was prompted by fears that these chat rooms were being used by paedophiles.

The facilities are due to be shut down on October 14.

Microsoft plans to shut almost all the chatrooms it operates through its MSN web sites in 34 countries.

The only chatrooms which will continue either have their content monitored for inappropriate messages or will be run on a subscription basis, allowing users to be easily traced.

A service will continue for free in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Japan but the contents of the chatrooms will be monitored.

The US will run a subscription-only service which requires users to disclose their credit card details.