DUBLIN, Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ask.fm, the world's largest Q&A social network, today announced the launch of its Safety Center, designed to empower everyone who uses Ask.fm with the information, guidance and tools they need to safely navigate and enjoy the service. The launch coincides with Safer Internet Day 2015, a global event held February 10 dedicated to making the Internet better for everyone.

In line with Ask.fm's view that creating a safer product experience, especially for teens and young people, is made possible only through collaboration, the new Ask.fm Safety Center features a growing roster of expert researchers and contributors in the areas of teen development, cyberbullying prevention, digital citizenship and literacy, and youth safety online. Contributors include Ask.fm Advisory Board member Dr. Justin Patchin of the CyberBullying Research Center in the US, and ConnectSafely.org, a leading research-based resource for helping Internet users make safer choices, co-founded by Ask.fm Advisory Board member Anne Collier.

"We wanted to go beyond status quo with our Safety Center, and create a reliable resource for teens, their families, educators and law enforcement," said Catherine Teitelbaum, head of safety and trust at Ask.fm. "Our goal is to offer both easy-to-read actionable information and research-based perspective on the complex issues digitally native teens face today. The new Safety Center is a meaningful step in creating the collaborative environment necessary for achieving Ask.fm's safety vision."

The Safety Center offers granular detail on product safety tools, including how to turn off anonymous questions, blocking and reporting other users, and how to control public profiles. The Safety Center will also include a Safety Blog featuring insight from Ask.fm safety leadership, including Chief Trust and Safety Officer Catherine Teitelbaum; Annie Mullins OBE, head of digital safety operations in the EU; and Kathy Ciari, the team's newly-appointed head of Ask.fm customer advocacy.

"Ask.fm's collaborative approach to safety is echoed throughout the Safety Center with contributed content from a team of external digital safety experts," said Marsali Hancock, Ask.fm Safety Board member and Safety Center contributor. "The variety of perspectives from contributors, specific to Ask.fm's audiences and their interests, helps ensure that Ask.fm is delivering the most useful and relevant information to users."

About Ask.fm

Ask.fm is the world's largest Q&A social network where more than 150 million members in more than 150 countries connect and engage by asking each other questions. Ask.fm is operated by Ask.com, the leading brand for online questions and answers and an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI).

US Media Contact:

Suraya Akbarzad
askcomms@ask.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/askfm-launches-new-safety-center-300032688.html

SOURCE Ask.fm