MySpace agrees to take measures against sexual predators

Filed under: Internet, Security, Social Software

MySpace agrees to take measures against sexual predators

by Romeo Wahed Jan 14th 2008

MySpace to implement measures to block sexual predators

The Associated Press reports MySpace is looking to implement structural changes as well as independent monitoring in the hope of blocking sexual predators from preying upon its innocent user base. MySpace supposedly has made the agreement with 49 states, and is going to make the announcement official later today.

Considering that last year Internet safety ranked as one of the top 10 children's health concerns, this is hardly surprising. It is however a classic example of the old freedom vs. security debate, and whether what a child does online is the responsibility of the parents to monitor or a third party. Hopefully, the change will be a positive one, providing tools to parents instead of limiting usability to the average user of MySpace who is neither a child nor a sexual predator.

Or maybe it's just a cover-up for MySpace to model itself a little more after Facebook and having a good excuse for it - who knows. As MySpace has implemented a number of features that are eerily similar to Facebook, not excluding the MySpace platform, it wouldn't exactly be beyond them. But then again, MySpace might just be sincerely concerned about sexual predators on social networks.

[via AP]

Tags: myspace, security, socialsoftware

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