Habbo Hotel is one of the biggest multi-player games aimed at teenagers over 13. The website was put online in 2000, and has earned 250 million users collectively. The game each month earns 10 million unique visitors and users.
It may be seemingly innocent with its bright colours, giant love hearts and purple unicorns, but when you break the surface, you find children as young as nine playing this website, being sexually harassed by older people. The game allows chat (until recently when the company put chat as an unavailable service) which can allow one user to chat to another user, privately or publicly. Privately, people ask questions such as 'Do u hav IM?', 'U gotta webcam?' or even at the most intense, 'Wats ur body like?'.
Two people have been jailed over this site for sexual harassment and pornography, as well as exposure. One man aged 23 asked a woman if she had webcam and if she could pose naked for him. She answered both 'yes'. The man photographed the lady, but was then exposed and jailed for more than 6 years.
When starting Habbo Hotel, you start with an avatar that you design. You also own a hotel room, which you can earn furniture, or pay real money for 'exclusive furniture'. You walk around into different areas, or hotels (there is 11 hotels, or communities). As you walk into different rooms, other players can message you privately or publicly, as well as you messaging them. Things all start to go wrong for about 95% of users when those who swear, or do sexually inappropriate phrases and actions directed at that person.
Ever since Channel 4 News uncovered this, many complaints have been forwarded onto Habbo Hotel. I think that it should really improve on safety and security, or even be banned from the internet! What are your thoughts?
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www.channel4.com/news/habbo-hotel-the-debateIt is proposed that Habbo Hotel should be taken off the internet or improved in safety and security.