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Parents and users can add comments to a Great Unmute website after damning Channel 4 news report last week found sexual chat in the teen website
People will be able to post comments directly to the operators of social-networking site Habbo Hotel tomorrow following the recent porn-chat scandal.
Sulake, the operators of the Habbo site, which has been popular with children and young teens has set up a separate website, The Great Unmute which will be live for six hours on Wednesday.
The damage-limitation exercise comes after Habbo hit the headlines last week in which a Channel 4 news report discussed inappropriate comments in the site's chat rooms. A reporter for the broadcaster posing as an 11-year-old girl was allegedly asked to strip live on webcam within minutes of logging onto the site.
Sulake chief executive, Paul LaFontaine said: "The Channel Four News report in the UK about inappropriate interaction on the site saddened me for two reasons. Not only was I deeply concerned to hear about the findings, I was also sorry that the report made no mention of the millions of responsible users who have a positive and constructive experience on our site."
The Finnish company said that the Great Unmute site, which goes live for six hours starting at 2pm UK time will give "parents [and]...loyal and legitimate users a brief chance to have their say before we finalise our plans for Habbo's future."
LaFontaine said the company had been working hard since the report was broadcast by Channel 4 to find solutions to the problems raised by the programme.
He added that visitors to the Great Unmute site will be asked to answer a few questions, such as what the Habbo community means to them and how did they feel about the recent news. Visitors to the site can post comments or add video clips and pictures to put across their views.
LaFontaine said that users under 18 must get parental consent to take part but it was users' chance to "improve the community."
After the website closes the developers will be reading what has been posted to the site, with the aim of delivering the "safest possible user experience".
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really
ok really its not our faults this happend becasue some of the users are not blocking them reporting them plus if there to stupid to say no to chat on skype well thats there fault
Posted by Josh, 19 Jun 2012