Habbo caught up in child sex scandal / Habbo Mute

[Bob1]

http://www.channel4.com/news/why-i-h...-hotel-aged-13
another report

[Samantha]

The report should be backed up with a story opposite showing the good side of habbo too.

[Xedia]

Im sure they are thinking of ways to compensate the spent VIp time. Also, im quite sure they are tryign to get over the mute as fast as possible, as its losing the customers by the second.

It is Habbo remember. I doubt they'll even give us anything..

The report should be backed up with a story opposite showing the good side of habbo too.

Same, but the media only want the bad side to stories these days, All they care about is getting the most views and being talked about

[qaxzsw]

Wow... people who DDoS a NEWS site for doing its job... that's so pathetic. Don't you have anything better to do with your time than cry about a virtual game? Grow up, get a real life.

[xxMATTGxx]

New blog post:

http://blog.habbo.com/2012/06/15/new...ul-lafontaine/

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the many concerned parents who have been following the news in recent days. Our commitment to the future of the Habbo community is also a commitment to working with the parents of our site users. We believe that a comprehensive safety programme can only be delivered by close collaboration with users and parents together.

As soon as we saw the Channel Four News report on Tuesday evening, we took the decision to mute all conversations across the site. This has had a massive business impact, but the safety of our users is non-negotiable. We must maintain our focus on the quality of interaction within the Habbo community, and not the quantity of visits we receive.

Since conversations on the site were muted, we have experienced an unprecedented online response with thousands of loyal users remaining active on the site, holding a silent candle-lit vigil to express their support for Habbo. During this time, senior management and world leading technologists are working tirelessly in our Helsinki headquarters to ensure that we deliver the best possible protection to the millions of teenagers and young people who regularly visit our site.

We want to work with our users to define and deliver a fully protected environment as well as a creative user experience. That’s why I am announcing “The Great Unmute”. It’s going to provide a chance for our users to create a conversational tidal wave, telling us what they want and showing the world that our global community contains millions of responsible and proud users who have a positive experience on our site. More details will follow in the coming days.

We would like to thank Channel Four for initiating a global debate around this incredibly serious issue. It has provided a global wake-up call for both my company and our poorly regulated industry and we fully intend to actively participate in finding a regulatory solution that will protect our users and ensure the long-term reputation and future of the social gaming community.

However, I do not condone the recent practice of journalists contacting Habbo users and offering cash to share any inappropriate interactions they may have encountered on the site. If there are individuals who have been affected by inappropriate conversations, they may well be vulnerable and certainly will not benefit from self-interested approaches and offers of cash for case studies. We want to create a comprehensive and constructive response to our current challenges and send out a call to action for improved safety standards across the online gaming community. Petty attempts to generate more bad news are distracting us from the job at hand.

Please be assured that I will come back with fresh news just as soon as I am able.

[Okeanos]

Jesus Christ, the newb and paedo bit were jokes? Are you seriously this offended by jokes - calm the **** down.
I've only got two months on you - besides I'm sure you were on HxF1 as well as this version were you not?... After all, it's only 2months from open date that you registered...

Your only valid issue with me is you don't like DDoSing, what don't you like about DDoSing? That it takes down sites? That it makes sites laggy? Mine isn't doing neither of these, mine is just making sure my message is read in hope that Channel4 make sure parents know that ALL off the internet is unsafe, not just a single site.

Pfft, I'm done talking to you. You're a self deluded narcissist yourself... look how damn righteous you are, you're honestly trying to say I'm narcissistic when your sense of stature among the community is clearly blown out of all proportion?!
You are so darn narcissistic that you try and pretend I am to hide your own narcissism... it's actually insane, you are insane... me talking to you further is insane, I know I'm insane, but... I'm not that insane... goodbye, I hope you get better soon.
- Alex (Shenk).

EDIT: And I said I'm some what against DDoSing... I'm against taking down sites, especially innocents sites, especially like what Channel4 did to Habbo...

youre trying to punish C4 for exposing very real problems with habbo? lmfao go back to runescape little boy, or better yet read a few books and learn how the real world works.

[qwertasdf]

youre trying to punish C4 for exposing very real problems with habbo? lmfao go back to runescape little boy, or better yet read a few books and learn how the real world works.

The problem was that the news site only concentrated on Habbio, while this is a GIGANTIC issue on EVERY SINGLE SITE aimed at young teenagers. They could have reached the exact same goal by making a much wider article (like this one http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/13/pat...o-controversy/) than just aiming one company and causing million of dollars in loss to them.

P.S. Its qutie funny that you are downplaying him for playing runescape, while you are on a fansite for a childrens game.

[MKR&*42]

I'm just proud that Paul actually admitted he was in charge of "a poorly regulated industry". Thanks for the post Matt, still doesn't inform us when this great unmuting will happen though. Constantly "more details soon" .

[peteyt]

http://www.channel4.com/news/why-i-h...-hotel-aged-13
another report

This is the problem - The person who wrote the post is 20 now and was 13 at the time. However Channel 4 and other news site seem to be talking about the so called Habbo Scandal like it's a brand new thing. This post shows that this is not a new thing but has in fact been going on for at leas 7 years - my point is shouldn't the news be also looking at why it took them and the people trying to protect children, all this time to realise what was going on.

The report should be backed up with a story opposite showing the good side of habbo too.

Yeah another problem. I feel when anything is mentioned these days about chat services online it's all about the perverts and the bad side. As someone who has ran for many years an online radio I've worked online with people and spoke to people from all over the globe. I used to have a Saudi Arabian presenter and through her learnt a bit about her culture that I might have never learnt. There's some people who I've spoke to for years and while we may never meet up we would class ourselves as friends. I always did think about maybe doing a documentary looking at the good sides as I think we could do with one

[Okeanos]

The problem was that the news site only concentrated on Habbio, while this is a GIGANTIC issue on EVERY SINGLE SITE aimed at young teenagers. They could have reached the exact same goal by making a much wider article (like this one http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/13/pat...o-controversy/) than just aiming one company and causing million of dollars in loss to them.

P.S. Its qutie funny that you are downplaying him for playing runescape, while you are on a fansite for a childrens game.

right, so you think C4 were wrong to focus their attention on habbo simply because it happens elsewhere too? that is nonsensical - they focused on habbo for two reasons; 1) because its the biggest game of its type and 2) because instead of combating this problem, over the past few years habbo have actually cut moderation thereby exposing more people to risk.

habbox has its faults, but a forum where one expresses the occasional opinion is by no means comparable to the cesspit that is runescape. it is common knowledge that RS users measure their quality of life not by how many friends they have, but by the number of their swords.