The founders of Club Penguin, Lane Merrifield, Lance Priebe and Dave Krysko, are possibly some of the nicest guys in the internet business. They give millions of dollars a year to children’s charities and are fierce advocates of family values.

Mr Merrifield looks more like a kindly primary school teacher than an executive, the kind of man you might trust to look after your children. This is what parents are, in effect, doing as they let their children join Club Penguin, the virtual online world for six- to 14-year-olds.