 |
For Immediate Release Contact |
 Print |
SHURTLEFF SIGNS AGREEMENT TO MAKE MYSPACE A SAFER PLACE
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says a new agreement with MySpace is a good start to help make the social networking web site a safer “place for friends.” MySpace and the Attorneys General of 49 states signed the agreement today requiring stronger measures to protect children from online predators.
“Kids face a real danger on web sites like MySpace because they never know who they are communicating with online,”says Shurtleff. “This agreement recognizes the intentions of MySpace to make improvements but it is my hope that all social networking sites will find additional ways to protect children.”
The state attorneys general have been pushing MySpace to make changes because sexual predators continue to frequently use the site to victimize children. Under the agreement, MySpace agreed to make several changes, including:
- Strengthen software identifying underage users;
- Retain a contractor to identify and eliminate inappropriate images;
- Allow parents to send their child’s e-mail address so MySpace can restrict the child from signing in or creating a profile;
- Obtain and constantly update a list of pornographic web sites and regularly sever any links between them and MySpace;
- Create a closed “high school” section for users under 18;
- Implement changes making it harder for adults to contact children;
- Dedicate resources to educating children and parents about online safety;
- Provide a way to report abuse on every content page, consider adopting a common mechanism to report abuse and respond within 72 hours to abuse reports.
Under the agreement, MySpace, with support from the attorneys general, will create and lead an Internet Safety Technical Task Force. The task force will work with other social networking sites, age and identify verification experts, child protection groups and technology companies to develop ways to protect teens. The task force will report back to the attorneys general every three months and issue a formal report with findings and recommendations at the end of 2008.
###