MySpace Bars 29,000 Convicted Sex Offenders

Critics of MySpace are calling for new laws to make such sites safer for children.

Salem-News.com

(RALEIGH, N.C.) - MySpace has admitted it detected and deleted over 29,000 convicted sex offenders on its service, more than four times the figure it had initially reported.

All of those barred are thought to be based in the US.

The company, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, said it hoped other social networking sites would follow its lead.

"We're pleased that we've successfully identified and removed registered sex offenders from our site and hope that other social networking sites follow our lead," said Hemanshu Nigam, MySpace's chief security officer.

The new total was released Tuesday by two state attorney generals who have been at the forefront of the campaign to protect children on the internet.

"The exploding epidemic of sex offender profiles on MySpace - 29,000 and counting - screams for action," said Richard Blumenthal, the Connecticut attorney general

Visitors to teen-oriented sites such as MySpace are encouraged to make new friends by exchanging messages and setting up their own personal pages.

Other options being considered include more stringent checks on age and identity.

The minimum age to register on MySpace is 14 — although users are free to provide whatever age they want.

MySpace is also developing software to allow parents to monitor their children's use of the site.