MySpace adds measures against predators
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - January 14, 2008 Several states' attorneys general said in a statement that
Myspace will add several protections and participate in a working
group to develop new technologies, including a way to verify the
ages of users. Other social networking sites will be invited to
participate.
MySpace, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., also
will accept independent monitoring and changes the structure of its
site.
The agreement was announced in Manhattan by attorneys general
from New Jersey, North Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio
and New York.
"The Internet can be a dangerous place for children and young
adults, with sexual predators surfing social networking sites in
search of potential victims and cyber bullies sending threatening
and anonymous messages," said New Jersey Attorney General Anne
Milgram.
Legal authorities have long been seeking greater controls for
networking sites to prevent predators from using them to contact
children.
"We thank the attorneys general for a thoughtful and
constructive conversation on Internet safety," MySpace Chief
Security Officer Hemanshu Nigam said in a written statement. "This
is an industrywide challenge, and we must all work together to
create a safer Internet."
He said the agreement includes measures "to provide a safer
online experience for teens, and we look forward to sharing our
ongoing safety innovations with other companies."
Among other measures, MySpace agreed to:
- Allow parents to submit children's e-mail addresses to MySpace
to prevent anyone from misusing the addresses to set up profiles.
- Make the default setting "private" for 16- and 17-year-old
users.
- Respond within 72 hours to complaints about inappropriate
content and devote more staff and resources to classify photographs
and discussion groups.
- Strengthen software to find underage users.
- Create a high school section for users under 18 years old.
Investigators have increasingly examined MySpace, Facebook.com
and other sites where people post information and images and invite
contact from other people.
New York investigators said they set up Facebook profiles last
year as 12- to 14-year olds and were quickly contacted by other
users looking for sex.
The multistate investigation of the sites - announced last year
- was aimed at putting together measures to protect minors and
remove pornographic material, but lawsuits were possible, officials
said.