Should Cyberspace Chat Rooms be closed to protect Children?

Abstract

The explosion of people networking in cyberspace, disseminating terabytes of information, is being promoted through the use of broadband, bluetooth technology, and wireless mobile computing facilities. New communities within such venues as virtual chat rooms discussion groups, newsgroups etc are being created daily and even hourly. This is raising issues of cyberethics concerning privacy,security, crime, human needs, e-business, e-healthcare, e-government and intellectual property among others that need to be evaluated and reflected upon. With this new freedom come new moral and ethical responsibilities, which raise questions as to whether anything can be published or whether there should be restrictions. This paper addresses one specific area, that has come into the public eye, the closure by Microsoft of all of its free chat rooms.