MySpace Pact Doesn't Mean Parents Can Ignore Computer

Jan 16, 01:36 PM

Attorneys general from 49 states, including North Carolina, have signed an agreement with MySpace that ostensibly allows parents better control over how kids access the popular Internet meeting place.

Under mounting pressure, MySpace agreed last year to better monitor visits to its site -- a formidable job considering its 100 million users worldwide.

As always, the devil is in the details. Just how MySpace, owned by media conglomerate News Corp., plans to implement tighter security isn't clear.

The main concern is age verification. That's significant because teenagers looking for new friends flock to online hangouts like MySpace and Facebook. But unsolicited responses, including sexual advances by adults, often evade detection.

If it's doable, an identity-protecting database could be the answer. However, there are no guarantees against hackers finding a way in. Nor has MySpace said how it intends to detect falsified information that could open off-limits chat rooms to kids.

Despite the nagging questions, it's important that elected officials, legislators, law enforcement and industry leaders work together on making networking sites safer for young people.

That kind of cooperation has been in short supply. Last year, MySpace lobbied against a laudable bill in the General Assembly requiring it and similar companies to verify users' ages. As a result, the proposal was tabled.

Even if MySpace could somehow show the safeguards really work, parental involvement remains the first line of defense. Keeping closer tabs on computer use still is the best safety net, regardless of MySpace fixes.

(c) 2008 Greensboro News Record. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. MySpace Pact Doesn't Mean Parents Can Ignore Computer
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