Bebo takes social network crown

4 January 2008

Bebo is the best-performing social networking site, according Computing Which?.

The magazine found that the site's security features, which allow users to restrict access to their information, encouraged "responsible networking". Bebo also gained praise for providing advice on security risks, and for its general ease of use.

The site, particularly popular among teenagers, achieved an overall score of 79%, narrowly beating its rival Facebook which scored 74%.

Yahoo! Groups, launched in 1998 and not strictly a social networking site in the modern sense, scored lowest overall in the review. The magazine commented that it "lacks many of the features people often associate with social networking groups".

Flickr was judged the best site in a separate "special-interest" category, and was awarded five out of five stars.

"Social networking sites are growing in popularity," said Computing Which? editor Abigail Waraker.

"As the success of Bebo in our test shows, sites like MySpace and Facebook can't rest on their laurels if they want to stay in the game."

Category: Social media, Yahoo