Facebook announced that it will soon unveil new services to help victims or witnesses of cyberbullying.  As part of the White House summit on bullying prevention, Facebook hosted a panel at the White House today to announce some of these new features, but also to discuss the state of bullying, showcase relevant initiatives undertaken by each of the panelists, and answer questions from viewers. 

 

As I watched the broadcast, I couldn’t help but think of how much had changed since 2010 began.  Just over a year ago, the international spotlight was right here in Massachusetts after the horrific bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide of Phoebe Prince.  It was on Facebook that she was dogged by her aggressors (in addition to other places), and also on Facebook that she was ridiculed after her death.  It is hard to imagine how things may have differed for Phoebe and for anyone bullied on Facebook before or after her if these capabilities had existed.  Would it have helped?  Or would nothing have been different? 

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To support our vision of making the world safe for exchanging digital information, Trend Micro aspires to make a difference by using our 20+ years of expertise in developing world-class security software for homes and businesses  to make the world at large a better place. One of the ways we do this is through a commitment to make the Internet a safer place for young people around the world.