Controversial cellphone chat network MXit has launched a parental-control function to stop children accessing adult chat rooms during the school holidays.<\/p>\n
But the new trial-run blocking function may not be enough to keep teens safe from predatory adults using the service.<\/p>\n
The function has been running since December 5 and will operate until the end of the school holidays, when its effectiveness will be reviewed, MXit announced.<\/p>\n
“This block function allows parents to restrict access to MXit chat rooms ,” said MXit chief executive Herman Heunis. <\/p>\n
This follows incidents in recent months involving runaway teens who met strangers on the popular cellphone service. <\/p>\n
Last month Jean-Pierre Botes, 21, was arrested for allegedly abducting two 14-year-old girls from their Pretoria home after meeting them on MXit. <\/p>\n
The father of one girl, identified only as Wikus, said: “The function can block kids talking to adults. But it can’t stop them talking to a friend of a friend [who may be an adult], they can’t block that.”<\/p>\n
MXit’s brand manager, Laura Hallam, said because registering users have to supply their age, this made it possible to restrict chat rooms: “Most of our chat rooms are age-restricted. If you access a chat room restricted to 14-year-olds and you are 25 or older, the system will restrict you from doing so,” said Hallam.<\/p>\n
Once parents enable the block function, all access to chat rooms and chat zones will be blocked and can only be reversed by typing in the correct password.<\/p>\n