MSN takes action on chat to provide a safer online experience

Bangalore: MSN () today announced changes to its chat service aimed at better protecting users from unsolicited information such as spam and to better protect children from inappropriate communication online.

Under the new measures MSN Chat services will close in EMEA, Asia and Latin American markets. Unmoderated MSN Chat will only be available to subscribing customers in the US, Canada and Japan.

But this will not affect the MSN Instant Messenger, which will continue to be an integral part of MSN's growth strategy. MSN Messenger offers many of the same benefits of MSN Chat while providing consumers with greater control over whom they communicate.

Says Judy Gibbons, corporate vice-president of MSN International: "We've made these changes because online chat services are increasingly being misused. These changes will improve protection for MSN users when it comes to spam and inappropriate communication."

Communication about the changes to Internet Chat rooms will be posted on several locations on MSN Chat from today. This initiative is the latest in a series of measures to be announced by MSN and Microsoft in the battle against inappropriate use of the Internet.

In April of this year Microsoft announced it had joined forces with Yahoo and AOL in a joint global initiative to tackle spam by a coordinated approach to technology, enforcement, education and legislation.

Globally MSN has worked with charities and government organisations on the issue of child protection online. MSN International has appointed its own child protection expert to coordinate technology and education initiatives across the world.

In the UK for example, MSN is a key member of the Home Office Task Force on Child Safety and works with the UK police, children's charities and industry watchdogs on the best long-term solutions to stamp out the industry wide issue of child abuse online.

Additionally, these changes are a reflection of the increasing popularity of MSN Messenger as the real-time communication option of choice for consumers. MSN has over 100 million unique users around the world using MSN Messenger each month.

MSN will be making extensive investments in MSN Messenger V6 and will continue to update all its services based on feedback from its customers and on smart business practices.