The Internet Industry Association (IIA) has called a crisis meeting with a number of social networkers to push for tighter controls on offensive user content.

Facebook, MySpace and YouTube representatives attended the meeting following the defacing of memorial pages set up in tribute to two children who were murdered.

It was also revealed that while Facebook had a number of advertising staff in its Australian office, it had no cyber security employees.

According to a report in The Australian, internet safety on social networking platforms such as Facebook has been looked at by government and industry groups, including the issue that the Australia Communications and Media Authority and police are unable to do anything about cyber security on the platforms.

“The social networking members are very committed to child safety. The overwhelming conclusion is we need to engage as an industry to help the users of social networking sites,” explained IIA chief executive Peter Coroneos.