Attorneys - Target Online Predator

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MySpace, Attorneys General Target Online Predators

 

MySpace is ramping up its online safety efforts with the Monday release of a joint statement between the social networking site and the nation's attorneys general that will focus on age verification and the protection of minors already on MySpace.

 

Technically, MySpace members must be 14 years old to create a profile, but age verification at this point basically consists of entering one's date of birth. A 12-year-old looking to sign up, for example, need only add two years to her year of birth and she's in.

 

MySpace acknowledged that "existing age verification and identity products are not an effective safety tool for social networking sites." Monday's agreement with the attorneys general pledged to create an industry-wide task force that will "explore all new technologies" to improve age verification.

 

News Corp., which owns MySpace, will select a senior executive to work with the task force and address complaints that the attorneys general receive about the site, MySpace said. MySpace will also hire an independent examiner who will oversee the social networking site's safety efforts. The task force will be required to present quarterly reports on its progress and a final report by the end of 2008.

 

At this point, the site automatically makes the profiles of its 14- and 15-year-old members private. MySpace will soon extend that to 16- and 17-year-olds in an effort to further protect them from being contacted by unknown adults, MySpace said.

 

MySpace will also explore the creation of a children's e-mail registry intended to help parents prevent their young children from having access to the site. State legislatures in Michigan and Utah actually approved plans for similar registries several years ago, but their efforts were plagued by delays and technical mishaps; including one that led to the accidental release of child e-mail addresses in Utah.

 

Other efforts to target parents include a MySpace public service announcement and free parental monitoring software, MySpace said.

 

MySpace also pledged to increase its communication with those who report inappropriate behavior or content on the site, and resolve the issue within 72 hours.

 

Last summer, MySpace announced that had deleted as many as 30,000 profiles it said belonged to sexual predators.

 

"We're joining forces to find the most effective ways to keep young children off these sites and to protect the kids who do use them," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a statement. "This agreement sets a new standard for social networking sites that have been quick to grow but slow to recognize their responsibility to keep kids safe."

 

One attorney general, however, was not convinced the agreement would yield results.

 

"The remedial measures delineated in the joint statement constitute a starting point rather than a point of conclusion," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote in a letter to MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe.

 

The steps set forth in the joint statement "fail to adequately protect child users," Abbott wrote. "We do not believe that MySpace.com - or any other social networking site - can adequately protect minors until an age verification system is effectively developed and implemented."

 

Furthermore, MySpace's promises to work with law enforcement are "too vague," Abbott said.

 

The Progress and Freedom Foundation, a D.C. think tank, praised the effort as a "giant step forward in the right direction."

 

"Other social networking sites would be wise to adopt similar policies and safeguards," said Adam Thierer, senior fellow and director of The Center for Digital Media Freedom at PFF.

 

A spokeswoman from Facebook stressed that it too was working with the states to combat sexual predators.

 

"Facebook has always created an inhospitable environment for predators by limiting access to users' personal information based on real-world social connections," according to a spokeswoman. "We have led the way in our partnership with the New York Attorney General and continue our involvement with the attorneys general of all states and other law enforcement agencies to keep children safe from those who would do them harm. We are happy to work further with the states to develop and deploy strategies to protect kids online."

 

Editor's note: This story was updated at 4:25 pm EST with comment from Facebook.

 

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2259034,00.asp

[Speedskater 167]

Well it might help that much but it wont stop it. also most people dont think it will happen to them and sometimes it does. the having to be a certain age wont help that much eather because its not hard to enter a fake birthday. but the closing info on certain age accounts is good.

 

but i have a question, has myspace ever been sued? i wouldnt be suprised if they had

[Zar 696]

It's true this is an issue. I am glad they are at-least trying to do something about it.