MySpace to beef up security…again
MySpace.com Tightening Security for Underage Members:
NEW YORK � MySpace.com, the top online teen hangout, said on Tuesday it will bolster protection for minors amid a flurry of complaints about sexual predators prowling the site and a lawsuit filed on Monday by a teenage girl charging it with negligent security practices.
By next week, members over 18 years old would have to know the e-mail or first and last name of any 14- to 15-year-old member whom they want to contact, the company said.
Any of MySpace’s more than 85 million members would also be able to choose to hide their online profiles from strangers and only make them viewable to pre-approved friends, the company said.
“We’re going to build a foundation of safety and security so that social networking is a safe place and a well-lit community,” Hemanshu Nigam, chief security officer of News Corp. (NWS) unit Fox Interactive Media, told Reuters.
The company is scheduled to present its plans on Thursday at an event sponsored by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
MySpace said its advertising policy will also be altered to target appropriate age groups. For instance, ads for mature online dating sites will not be presented to minors.
None of which will help if the user lies about their age. We don’t need more security. What we need is better parenting.
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