MySpace To Turn Over Sex Offender Data
Mon May 21, 2007 5:25PM EDT
See Comments (4)
MySpace has agreed to turn over data to state attorneys general on registered sex offenders who use the social networking site. The move reverses the company's previous stance that handing over information conflicts with federal privacy laws, but company reps say they have always intended to cooperate with law enforcement to rid the social network of sex offenders.
MySpace hired Sentinel Tech to build a database on sex offenders registered on the site. The News Corp.-owned site has already removed 7,000 sex offenders from the site, out of 180 million identified, before turning over the data to law enforcement. The attorneys general from North Carolina, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania asked for the Sentinel info last week. And while all the reasons MySpace reversed its policy are not immediately clear, Mike Angus, the company executive vice president and general counsel, said MySpace had always planned to share the data. The company also is allowing law enforcement to use the Sentinel software directly. Sentinel also has created photo-matching software to help authorities check photos or descriptions of predators against MySpace's database.
Clearly, MySpace is working to avoid future lawsuits and more bad press. Parents worried about the presence of sex offenders on MySpace can take some comfort in knowing that technology is in place to weed out sexual predators from the popular online hangout for kids. But don't let it stop you from talking to your kids about being on guard about whom they talk to online.
Does this move make you feel better about your kids or you spending time on MySpace, or does it worry you that the wrong people may be singled out as sex offenders?
LINK: MySpace will turn over names of sex offenders [CNN]
Related: MySpace Faces More Lawsuits
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2 Posted by velvet_smooth24 on Tue May 22, 2007 11:51PM EDT Report Abuse
i understand we all need to protect our children from online sex offenders , there are ways to block online activity under parental control, also for myspace my child has my space and has it on private which only she has only family members, for parents always keep a close eye on your child when he/she is on the internet
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3 Posted by ib_taylor3 on Thu May 24, 2007 11:52AM EDT Report Abuse
i wish myspace could go back to how it was 4 years ago. it was very nice then!
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4 Posted by nicoleg421 on Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:29PM EDT Report Abuse
The problem myspace is truly having is that parents don't want to be responsible enough to check their child's account. I don't have kids but I do work with them and when I see some of the kids pages all I think is, "Are parent's really looking at this?" The answer is no or 11 year olds wouldn't have their age set as 15 or pictures they shouldn't even have on there. Parents really need to step up and be parents. They rely to much on the internet and tv to be babysitters!
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1 Posted by dmac_run on Tue May 22, 2007 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse
Great post