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18 June 2005  Chatmag News.

Yahoo! User-created chat rooms are no longer available.  According to Yahoo's chat log in page:

"The ability to publish user-created chat rooms in the public Yahoo! Chat directory is currently unavailable. We are working on improvements to this service to enhance the user experience and compliance with our Terms of Service"

Yahoo! chat users can view this notice by logging in to Yahoo! Chat via your web browser, and navigating to the chat listings. Once in the listings, click on the "user rooms" link. A screen shot of this notice is available, click here.

In recent years, the Yahoo! chat rooms have been inundated by "ad bots", automated programs that deluge users with private messages containing links to commercial web sites. Online predators have also utilized the Yahoo! chat rooms, seeking children for real or online encounters.

Petitions to Yahoo! to create moderators, or chat room operators have been submitted to Yahoo!,  with no positive results from the Yahoo! staff.

Several online vigilante groups, most notably Perverted-Justice.com have also used the Yahoo! chat rooms seeking "wannabe" online predators, and in most cases, publishing transcripts of private conversations conducted within Yahoo! chat. The closure of the user created chat rooms will in effect stop Perverted-Justice.com from operating within Yahoo! chat.

This closure of the user created chat rooms is system wide, in all Yahoo! chat categories. No further information is available at this time.

--Chatmag News Staff--

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Update: 15 October 2005  Investigative Report and Loss of Advertisers, Not Spitzer Agreement, Closes Yahoo! User Chat Rooms.

External Links:

Chatmag's Discussion Forum.

Editorial. Changes Necessary at Yahoo! Chat.

Yahoo! Chat.

Yahoo Messenger Statement.

KPRC-TV: Investigation Shows Big Business Funding Sex Chat Rooms.

Irate Yahoo! Chatters Complain.

Slashdot Article.

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