Steve
Inactive User
SEATTLE -- It's one way to make sure people don't use chat rooms to solicit children .... shut chat rooms down.
Microsoft has announced a move aimed at improving its profit picture and to protect kids from Internet predators.
Microsoft is shutting down Internet chat services in most of its markets around the world and limiting the service in the United States.
The changes will take effect from October 14.
The service is being shut down in European, Latin American and Asian markets. MSN will still offer chat services to users in the United States, Canada, Japan and Brazil, but users will be required to subscribe to at least one other paid MSN service.
The services will be limited in those lands to help cut down the number of adults who try to pick up kids through online discussions.
A spokeswoman says the change will help curb the inappropriate use of its sites, including pornographic spam. A business analyst says it will also will enable Microsoft to shed some free users who are a drag on profits.
Microsoft has announced a move aimed at improving its profit picture and to protect kids from Internet predators.
Microsoft is shutting down Internet chat services in most of its markets around the world and limiting the service in the United States.
The changes will take effect from October 14.
The service is being shut down in European, Latin American and Asian markets. MSN will still offer chat services to users in the United States, Canada, Japan and Brazil, but users will be required to subscribe to at least one other paid MSN service.
The services will be limited in those lands to help cut down the number of adults who try to pick up kids through online discussions.
A spokeswoman says the change will help curb the inappropriate use of its sites, including pornographic spam. A business analyst says it will also will enable Microsoft to shed some free users who are a drag on profits.
