Facebook boss: Let children under 13 use my website'

The founder of Facebook says he will ‘fight’ to allow under-13s to use the social networking website – despite warnings it would put the most vulnerable children at risk. At present, those under 13 are banned from Mark  Zuckerberg’s site in Britain under a voluntary ‘good practice’ code. In America the age limit, also of 13, is dictated by laws designed to protect young children, but Facebook’s 27-year-old billionaire creator believes the educational benefits of using the site mean the restrictions should be lifted. Her grandfather, Mike Hall, said: ‘What do they want, another tragedy before they do anything? They do not take any notice. ‘It is scandalous really. If they had gone through what we have gone through they would understand. They say they have all these safety features, but to allow under-13s on the site is ridiculous. It just beggars belief.’ Facebook has been repeatedly attacked for its poor online security in the face of appalling cases involving bullies, criminals and sexual predators turning it to their advantage. Last year the site refused to install a ‘panic button’ for children to alert police to paedophiles, before eventually relenting, while Mr Zuckerberg was branded ‘a disgrace’ after saying concerns over online privacy were blown out of proportion. The site, which has more than 600 million users worldwide, says it actively polices profiles to ensure under-13s are unable to register. However, last month a report claimed one in five British children aged between nine and 12 has a Facebook page, while more than seven million under-13s use the site worldwide. Mr Zuckerberg revealed his plans at a summit on innovation in California schools. When asked if he wanted under-13s to be allowed to use the site, he said: ‘That will be a fight we  take on at some point. ‘My philosophy is that for education you need to start at a really, really young age. ‘Because of the restrictions we haven’t even begun this learning process. If they’re lifted then we’d start to learn what works.’ Claude Knights, director of child protection charity Kidscape, said allowing under-13s into ‘the more adult world of Facebook’ would lead to a greater number ‘being at risk of cyber-bullying and other online dangers’. Facebook says it provides ‘extensive safety and privacy controls’ that are tailored to whether children or adults are using the website. A spokesman said parents must take responsibility for teaching their children about safety, as they do when it comes to crossing roads. A vast virtual generation gap has emerged between younger and older users of social websites, a study has found. An average 22-year-old has more than 1,000 online friends on sites such as Facebook while those in their fifties typically have fewer than 20, according to consumer researchers Intersperience.