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No Space For Predators At MySpace
by Michael Martinez
Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly on Tuesday demanded that the popular social-networking site MySpace make itself safer for children.
MySpace, which boasts more than 75 million users, allows its members to post personal information, online journals and digital photographs. Reilly, who launched an investigation into the site earlier this year, ordered the company to raise its minimum age requirement from 14 to 18. He also called upon the site to implement an age and identity-verification system, and to offer free software to parents who want to block their children from using it.
"MySpace allows 14- and 15 year-olds to register as members of its 'community' and claims to be able to protect their safety," Reilly said in a letter to MySpace officials. "Our investigation revealed that these measures are not effective and do not protect children from being exposed to inappropriate content they just shouldn't see."
According to Reilly, a gubernatorial candidate, adults can easily pose as children on MySpace in order to see the profiles of underage members. He also said prosecutors discovered that any user can browse forums where they can communicate with minors, many of whom have included personal information and photos in their profiles.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal also has been active in investigating the safety of MySpace. On Tuesday, Blumenthal commended law enforcers for the arrest of a Connecticut resident who allegedly sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl he met through the site. It is the third arrest state prosecutors have linked to MySpace this year.
"This case is powerful, real-life proof that allowing children to mix with adults seeking sex is a recipe for disaster," he said. "It should sound alarms at MySpace and its parent company, underscoring the urgent need for them to take immediate steps, as I have urged, to better protect children from pornography and sexual predators."
Blumenthal said he was encouraged by MySpace's decision to hire a "security czar" last month and to launch a public-service advertising campaign to warn users about the dangers of sexual predators on the Internet. But he said a more comprehensive strategy is necessary if the site is to become safer.
"The company has a moral -- if not legal -- responsibility to make changes that better shield children from sexual predators and inappropriate content," he said.
In addition to a string of sexual-abuse arrests, MySpace last month also was linked to a school-shooting plot in Kansas. Police said they were able to foil the attack after learning of threatening messages posted by students on the site.
Suit Challenges Maine Sex-Offender List
Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe on Tuesday issued a statement defending his state's online sex-offender registry, which is the subject of a lawsuit filed last week against the state's police chief and a county district attorney.
A complaint filed by a convicted sex offender argues that the database is unconstitutional. The plaintiff, who filed under the name John Doe, requested a temporary restraining order to block the state from requiring him to register as a sex offender and provide his personal information to the registry, which is publicly accessible.
"The legislature has made it very clear that John Doe should be registered under the law, and it is not for prosecutors, law enforcement officers or the courts to be making exceptions," Rowe said.
Maine's database last month was linked to the murders of two registered sex offenders. According to police, the killer used the registry to obtain the personal information and addresses of the victims before shooting both of them and then committing suicide.
Alabama, Arizona Take Steps To Protect Data
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley last week signed into law a measure to curtail identity theft in his state by enhancing protection for Social Security numbers.
Under the law, state residents can demand that their numbers not be included on government documents available for public inspection, such as driver's licenses. They also can ask agencies to remove their Social Security information on documents that already have been produced.
Certain exemptions are made by the measure for legal records and bankruptcy filings. The law takes effect July 1.
In Arizona, meanwhile, the state House on Tuesday cleared, without objection, a measure to curb the sale of telephone records over the Internet.
The bill, H.B. 2785, would prohibit the sale of records "through unauthorized, fraudulent or deceptive means." The measure is headed to the governor's desk for final action.
Under the proposal, those who knowingly attempt to sell consumer cellular records without consent would face up to a year in jail for violating fraud law. The bill further would let consumers seek damages equal to sum of any money they might have lost as the result of their records being compromised, in addition to damages equal to profits from the sales.
The measure also would require phone companies to establish "reasonable procedures" to ensure the privacy of their customers.
Connecticut Offers 'Shield' To Journalists, Bloggers
Connecticut lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a measure designed to protect journalists from revealing sources they wish to remain confidential.
The measure, which cleared both the state House and Senate the same day, would offer protection to Web logs, as well as to traditional print and broadcast sources. The bill, H.B. 5212, would apply to any "person or entity that is or has been engaged in gathering, preparing or disseminating information" to the public.
Under the bill, government officials with authority to issue subpoenas could not compel journalists to produce or disclose information obtained or received in confidence. The measure has been sent to Gov. M. Jodi Rell for final approval.
U.S. Rep Mike Pence, R-Ind., has introduced a proposal to establish a federal shield to protect journalists and bloggers. That measure, H.R. 581, has yet to clear the committee process.
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