MySpace to Share Data With States on Offenders
SAN FRANCISCO, May 21 — MySpace and the 50 state attorneys general appear to have made peace.
In a statement released Monday, MySpace, the popular social networking site, said it had agreed to hand over to the states the names, addresses and online profiles of thousands of known convicted sex offenders who have opened up accounts on the service.
The company also said it had deleted the online profiles of 7,000 convicted sexual predators, whose names were flagged through the cross-matching of its membership rolls with a database of registered sex offenders maintained by Sentinel Tech Holding.
MySpace to turn over sex-offender data after all
The Complying Game
The use of MySpace by registered sex offenders is only one of a litany of abuses critics have heaped on the social networking site. Other complaints include MySpace's liberal rules for the use of javascript, which in the past has allowed users to infect visitors' machines with malware. Also an issue is the growing prevalence of spam in MySpace Groups, much of which redirects users to scatological porn sites so shocking and vile they aren't fit for adult viewing let alone viewing by children.
The state AGs have been calling on MySpace to do more to protect children from such threats. Among other things, they have urged MySpace to raise the age requirement for members from 14 years old to 16 and to verify both the age and identify of its users. ®
Discussion Questions:1. Is there a privacy issue here?
2. Can this be extended to other categories of users to be reported on?
3. What obligation has MySpace for the protection of underage users?
4. What ethical issues does this raise for marketing on the internet?
5 comments:
Myspace could be seen as a sex offenders playground, I think we should do anything we can to stop them using the site to target youth!
Vanessa,
This is a real challenge to any internet service for young people. Because of the internet's open and free nature, it is very difficult to control. This also extends to any business operating on the internet, who are targeting youth. For example the controversy of 'corporate paedophiles' sexualisation of children in advertising. And of course there is Dolly
Dolly drops its knickers:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/19/1176696967549.html?from=top5
I believe MySpace has a moral obligation to ensure it's site is protecting the youth. Great to know they are complying.
I think it contravenes the user's privacy. Isn't the whole point of the internet that you be whoever you want, whenever you want? Why should you not be allowed to access some parts of the internet due to your personal predielctions (regardless of how repulsive they are)? If I have been convicted of fraud or internet theft should I be able to access retail sites? If you start 'cleaning up' one area of the internet don;t you have a duty of care to clean it all up?
I believe that this action reflects positively for Myspace, as is line with their effort to keep this site safe for children. According to the Myspace terms of service there is a minimum age to register of 14 yrs old.Profiles with ages 14 - 15 are automatically private. Users whose ages are set at 16 or over have the option to restrict their profiles and the option of allowing certain personal data to be restricted to people other than those on their friends list. Accessing the full profile of, or messaging someone when their account is set to "private" (or if under sixteen) is restricted to a MySpace user's direct friends.
MySpace will delete these profiles if the victim verifies their identity and points out the profile via e-mail.[29]
Recently, MySpace has been the focus of a number of news reports stating that teenagers have found ways around the restrictions set by MySpace, and have been the target of online predators.[30] In response, MySpace has given assurances to parents that the website is safe for people of all ages. Beginning in late June 2006, MySpace users whose ages are set over 18 could no longer be able to add users whose ages are set from 14 to 15 years as friends unless they already know the user's full name or email address.Some third party Internet safety companies like Social Shield have launched online communities for parents concerned about their child's safety on MySpace.
Post a Comment