Reports are circulating today that Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) will discontinue its MSN chat service in 28 countries. Chat will remain in the U.S., but only for paid subscribers. The reason? Spam and pornography have turned many of the chat rooms into undesirable, and even dangerous, places.

I could find no official announcement from Microsoft, so I went straight to -- where else? -- the chat room help desk to find more information. This is a condensed version of my actual chat:

Guide_Stephen: Rex55201 Welcome to the MSN US CHAT HelpDesk. Thanks for waiting patiently. How may I help you today?


Rex55201: Do you have a link to the official announcement on the new chat policies?


Guide_Stephen: Rex55201, As of October 14th, MSN Chat will become a subscription-only service
Guide_Stephen: Rex55201, Chatters who do not have a subscription will be able to observe conversations in chat rooms, but will be unable to actively participate or use other MSN Chat features.
Guide_Stephen: Rex55201, These changes are intended to help protect chat users from unsolicited information such as spam, and to better protect children from inappropriate communication online.
Guide_Stephen: Rex55201, MSN Chat will also be included in MSN Internet Access (offered only in the U.S.).


Rex55201: Yes, but I'd like a link to the official press release.
Guide_Stephen: Rex55201, that link contains all the information made available.


Rex55201: That link didn't have all the info, because I've read more elsewhere.
Guide_Stephen: Rex55201, unfortunately that link contains all the official information made to us.


Rex55201: Why would they keep you in the dark? :-)
Guide_Stephen: Rex55201, We're sorry, but there are many people waiting in line right now so I have to move on. However, I will come back to you in a moment so please have your question pre-typed and ready to go :-)


8Guide_Stephen has made Rex55201 a Spectator.
Welcome_Bot whispers to Rex55201: Thanks for visiting HelpDesk. I hope that the GUIDE (Guide_Stephen) was able to help you.
You have been kicked out of the chat room by Host Guide_Stephen: Thank you for using the MSN Helpdesk :-)

Guide_Stephen, who must be having a bad day, never came back to me. But a Microsoft spokesman told Reuters that getting rid of chat in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and much of Asia and Latin America would help ditch non-paying customers and push more people toward its instant messenger service.

There apparently are no plans for other companies to follow suit. According to Reuters, AOL Time Warner (NYSE:AOL) and Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) said Microsoft's decision will have no influence on their own policies.

Though there will always be free, unmoderated chat rooms out there, Mr. Softy's decision seems the next logical step toward the monetization of popular Internet services and features. Other for-profit companies will eventually follow in its footsteps.

Rex Moore owns shares of Microsoft.