Chopping the chat

MSN's instant messaging will stay because it is better monitored

Breakfast's main story this morning is the decision by the world's biggest internet provider, MSN, to close down all its chatrooms in Britain and 33 other countries.

The company, which is part of Microsoft, says it's taking the step to protect children

Children's' charities are welcoming the move - but some experts fear that youngsters may now be pushed towards less reputable websites.

To go straight to our safety tips, click here

Breakfast heard from MSN UK's director, Gillian Kent.

"There's an increasing amount of abuse of the system, which is totally inappropriate," she told Breakfast.

We need to restore trust in the net, says Kent

"It has come in the form of spammers who get children to click off onto porn sites - and perverts.

"We want people to trust the internet again."

MSN will close its chatrooms - but will keep MSN instant messenger, which is much more closely regulated.

"Instant Messenger is a very safe alternative because you choose who you want to talk to," she explained.

Chief Superintendent Kevin Morris told us that parents need to remain on their guard

"We would be naive to assume that children will not find other chatrooms instead," he told us.

"This box in the corner of the room which your children use for homework is not an innocent plaything - it's an open door to all sorts of evil.

"Parents must make sure they can track what their children are doing."

We also talked to a computer expert, Rachel O'Connell who has posed as both a young girl and a paedophile to find out how internet "grooming" takes place. A recording of this will be available shortly

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Safety

BBCi has its own website with tips on how to stay safe if you're using internet chat rooms, click on the link below for more information.

Click here for BBCi's Chatguide to keeping safe online

The Department for Education and Skills has its own brief about safe use of the internet, click on the link below for more details.

DFES Superhighway briefing

Advice from BBCi's Chat Guide Be wary - people may not be who they say they are Don't give out personal information such as your mobile phone number or your address Be cautious about meeting online people face-to face You are in control - let someone know if you feel uncomfortable online Click here for BBCi's Chat Guide to keeping safe online

Microsoft says it's closing down chatrooms because it feels that online chat services are increasingly being misused.

Chatrooms have been targeted by paedophiles - and those who log in to them have also found their e-mail addresses have been harvested by spammers.

"These changes will help protect MSN users from spam and inappropriate communication," says its UK director Gillian Kent

All MSN chatrooms in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and most of Asia will close from October 14.

The only chat service available to MSN users in the UK will be its instant messaging service, which is less open and gives people more control over who they talk to.

The move will now focus attention on other chat room providers to see if they will continue with their own open access chat services.

The case of missing Shevaun Pennington who met a former US marine via the internet led to renewed calls for parents to take greater control over their children's' online habits.

Popularity

The increasing popularity of the Net, has raised real concerns that chatrooms could leave children vulnerable to abuse.

Meanwhile a 19 year old British man, who wanted to become a primary school teacher, has been found guilty of trying to buy sex with a nine year old girl.

Luke Sadowski used an internet chatroom to find a girl, not realising that the site had been set up by detectives in America.

Although Microsoft is shutting down its chat rooms, there will be others available from alternative providers.

For more information from Microsoft, click on the link below.

Click here for advice from Microsoft

Do you think chat rooms are safe? Tell us what you think of MSN's ban