MySpace Will Expose Sexual Predators

MySpace initially took a stand over the attorney general's demand to hand the information over, citing federal privacy laws that prohibit release of personal data without a subpoena.

Image courtesy: waynecounty.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Pressure from the attorney generals of eight US states means MySpace will hand across information on sex offenders that the site has already tracked down and removed.

MySpace made the announcement Monday, saying it would provide the Multi-State Attorney General Executive Committee with information they are looking for.

The US state justice officials, top prosecutors in their respective states, say the social networking site exposes its youth-oriented crowd to sexual predators that may be prowling Web in search of victims.

MySpace initially took a stand over the attorney general's demand to hand the information over, citing federal privacy laws that prohibit release of personal data without a subpoena.

By Monday, several states filed subpoenas which allowed MySpace to release the information without violating federal privacy laws.

The move to hand over information ends the standoff. The only question is, was the whole thing a publicity stunt? It may be when you consider that a resolution has been in the works for some time.

The company previously explained that it could not locate software for MySpace that identified these offenders until the recent implementation of Sentinel Safe. The MySpace Sentinel Safe database has now been in the process of deleting registered sex offenders' profiles since May 2nd of this year. They have already identified and thrown out more than 7,000.

The solution to this particular problem regarding the eight attorney generals and MySpace may be at hand, but people like Connecticut state attorney general Richard Blumenthal still are not quieted. It seems they want MySpace to jump through hoops, now right now, "... right away -- within hours not weeks, without delay -- because it is vital to protecting children."

MySpace has expressed its commitment time and time again, to remove any registered sex offenders from its site.

The attorney generals sound like they may be beating a dead horse, but they gained quite a bit of media attention with their lunge at MySpace, in spite of the fact that the initial requirement itself would have violated the law.

Sex offenders are not required to register their e-mail or ISP information in most states, and MySpace says that is just one of many associated challenges with this type of compliance.

Even though the groups are reaching an agreement, legal analysts are already talking about potential repercussions from any type of public disclosure that in fact, casts guilt on an innocent party.

Maybe that is the reason privacy laws exist in the first place.

MySpace Victim: Kathleen Gardner sits with her 13-year-old daughter, Olivia, in their Novato home. Olivia was the target of intense 'cyber bullying' on MySpace.com, prompting her mother to transfer her from Hill Middle School. Courtesy: mnginteractive.com

Only time will tell if the new systems will fault and identify people as sex predators, and go on to cause somebody potential grief, or worse, who is not guilty of anything but a computer mistake. That without a doubt, could have negative consequences in court for MySpace.

Many people believe that if gun control was implemented, that criminals would still get their hands on a weapon.

A good number of those people also believe that sex predators will do the same thing; playing a continual cat and mouse game with groups trying to catch them, while they pursue their prey either way.

It seems the answers these attorney generals may be pursuing might be found in the home itself, where a real education in Internet/chat room safety could take place. Internet sites and TV stations are another place to educate people, through public safety messages. Where are they? Internet safety should be incorporated into school curriculum's. Of course there is no magic wand, but a group effort on behalf of all parties may be the answer, and hopefully that is the direction it is moving in.

Mike Angus, executive VP and general counsel of Fox Interactive Media, said in a prepared statement, "In addition to immediately removing registered sex offenders from MySpace, our plans have always been to provide the information collected by Sentinel Safe to law enforcement, including the attorneys general,"

Angus says MySpace is happy that they are coming up with a solution that allows them to provide the information for criminal investigations and probation or parole proceedings. MySpace CSO Hemanshu Nigam, said "We look forward to working collaboratively with the attorneys general on all future efforts to make the Internet a safer place for teens."