Child Defence App to protect Children in Chatrooms

Next week a mobile phone app called Child Defence which claims to identify adults posing as children is expected to be released.

The Isis Forensics team from Lancaster University behind Child Defence says the app can analyse language to generate an age profile, which can then identify potential paedophiles.

Isis Forensics developed the tool after parental concerns over children accessing sites on their mobiles.

But child protection experts warned against such technology lulling people into thinking they are safe.

Child Defence project leader James Walkerdine, based at Lancaster University, said: “This software improves children’s chances of working out that something isn’t right. Source: BBC

Similar work has been done by the computer forensic team at Middlesex University (when I attended a speech there a year ago) which analyzes speech patterns to determine the age.

The Child Defence App will be available to download from next week but it’s not sure whether it will be available in the UK App store only or available worldwide