Re: [scifinoir2] MySpace Identifies 29,000 Sex Offenders on Its Site

2007-07-26 Thread Martin
That I don't know, and would love to know, as well as how many of the lot were 
guilty of the unpardonable crime of making whoopee in public?

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  You're kidding! 
That's jacked up! One person i sent this to did ask a good question, which is, 
how many of the predators come from the class of those teens who were convicted 
for having relations with someone actually close to their age, but technically 
not legal? 
 
 -- Original message -- 
 From: Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
 And the *really* scary part about this?
 
 MySpace didn't want to give up the info. I have a MySpace page, solely to keep 
in touch with a few people I met on other web sites. I wanted to use my page to 
try and catch pedos like those mentioned in the story. My local PD told me that 
I couldn't, that it would be entrapment and unconstitutional.
 
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If you have children who use MySpace, this is 
definitely something to know. I'm not at all a fan of identification systems 
that limit our privacy, but I will say there needs to be some systems in place 
to help protect children from such exposure. Simply telling kids not to divulge 
personal info isn't always effective, as that's part of the fun of MySpace. At 
the same time, the increase in moderators, rules and regulations will result in 
a loss of the coolness factor of MySpace and other sites. Anyone here with 
teens who use the social networking sites? What do you do to protect them? Do 
you frequently login to the sites and check your kids' communications and 
postings to see what they're up to? I guess that's akin to how parents back in 
the day periodically searched their kids' clothes, closets, read their diaries, 
etc., to see if they're engaged in anything they shouldn't be. 
 
 I've often discussed my love/hate feelings with the concept of universal IDs 
that tie several information databases about each of us together. The Star Trek 
utopian in me sees them as an effective way to have instant access to, say, 
medical history for someone unconscious, or for one card to let you pay for 
meals as well as function as a driver's license. The other side--a huge 
side--fears the loss of privacy and potential for abuse, especially in these 
times of abusive Patriot Acts. But I think things like the growth of 
potentially dangers sites like MySpace will help push that issue to the fore...
 
 *
 
 MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders
 By GARY D. ROBERTSON, Associated Press Writer
 Tue Jul 24, 10:13 PM
 RALEIGH, N.C. - MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex 
offenders with profiles on the popular social networking Web site _ more than 
four times the number cited by the company two months ago, officials in two 
states Tuesday.
 North Carolina's Roy Cooper is one of several attorneys general who recently 
demanded the News Corp.-owned Web site provide data on how many registered sex 
offenders were using the popular social networking site, along with information 
about where they live.
 After initially withholding the information, citing federal privacy laws, 
MySpace began sharing the information in May after the states filed formal 
legal requests.
 At the time, MySpace said it had already used a database it helped create to 
remove about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders, out of a total of about 180 
million profiles on the site.
 Cooper's office said Tuesday, however, that now the figure has risen past 
29,000.
 I'm absolutely astonished and appalled because the number has grown so 
exponentially over so short of time with no explanation, said Connecticut 
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who also had pressed the company earlier 
for sex offender data.
 MySpace declined to comment on the figure, focusing instead on its efforts to 
clean up its profile rolls.
 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, MySpace chief security officer Hemanshu Nigam said in a prepared 
statement.
 Cooper is pushing for a state law that would require children to receive 
parental permission before creating social networking profiles, and require the 
Web sites to verify the parents' identity and age. For example, social 
networking sites would have to compare information provided by a parent with 
commercial databases. Sites could also force parents to submit credit cards or 
printed forms.
 Cooper is working with law enforcement officials in other states in pressuring 
MySpace to use age and identity verification methods voluntarily. Based on 
media reports, Cooper's office found more than 100 criminal incidents this year 
of adults using MySpace to prey or attempt to prey on children.
 Most recently, a Virginia man pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and 
soliciting a 14-year old girl he met on MySpace.
 All we're doing is giving parents the right to 

Re: [scifinoir2] MySpace Identifies 29,000 Sex Offenders on Its Site

2007-07-25 Thread Martin
And the *really* scary part about this?

MySpace didn't want to give up the info. I have a MySpace page, solely to keep 
in touch with a few people I met on other web sites. I wanted to use my page to 
try and catch pedos like those mentioned in the story. My local PD told me that 
I couldn't, that it would be entrapment and unconstitutional.

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  If you have children 
who use MySpace, this is definitely something to know.  I'm not at all a fan of 
identification systems that limit our privacy, but I will say there needs to be 
some systems in place to help protect children from such exposure. Simply 
telling kids not to divulge personal info isn't always effective, as that's 
part of the fun of MySpace. At the same time, the increase in moderators, rules 
and regulations will result in a loss of the coolness factor of MySpace and 
other sites.  Anyone here with teens who use the social networking sites? What 
do you do to protect them? Do you frequently login to the sites and check your 
kids' communications and postings to see what they're up to? I guess that's 
akin to how parents back in the day periodically searched their kids' clothes, 
closets, read their diaries, etc., to see if they're engaged in anything they 
shouldn't be.   
 
 I've often discussed my love/hate feelings with the concept of universal IDs 
that tie several information databases about each of us together. The Star Trek 
utopian in me sees them as an effective way to have instant access to, say, 
medical history for someone unconscious, or for one card to let you pay for 
meals as well as function as a driver's license. The other side--a huge 
side--fears the loss of privacy and potential for abuse, especially in these 
times of abusive Patriot Acts. But I think things like the growth of 
potentially dangers sites like MySpace will help push that issue to the fore...
 
 *
 
 MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders
 By GARY D. ROBERTSON, Associated Press Writer
 Tue Jul 24, 10:13 PM
 RALEIGH, N.C. - MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex 
offenders with profiles on the popular social networking Web site _ more than 
four times the number cited by the company two months ago, officials in two 
states Tuesday.
 North Carolina's Roy Cooper is one of several attorneys general who recently 
demanded the News Corp.-owned Web site provide data on how many registered sex 
offenders were using the popular social networking site, along with information 
about where they live.
 After initially withholding the information, citing federal privacy laws, 
MySpace began sharing the information in May after the states filed formal 
legal requests.
 At the time, MySpace said it had already used a database it helped create to 
remove about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders, out of a total of about 180 
million profiles on the site.
 Cooper's office said Tuesday, however, that now the figure has risen past 
29,000.
 I'm absolutely astonished and appalled because the number has grown so 
exponentially over so short of time with no explanation, said Connecticut 
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who also had pressed the company earlier 
for sex offender data.
 MySpace declined to comment on the figure, focusing instead on its efforts to 
clean up its profile rolls.
 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, MySpace chief security officer Hemanshu Nigam said in a prepared 
statement.
 Cooper is pushing for a state law that would require children to receive 
parental permission before creating social networking profiles, and require the 
Web sites to verify the parents' identity and age. For example, social 
networking sites would have to compare information provided by a parent with 
commercial databases. Sites could also force parents to submit credit cards or 
printed forms.
 Cooper is working with law enforcement officials in other states in pressuring 
MySpace to use age and identity verification methods voluntarily. Based on 
media reports, Cooper's office found more than 100 criminal incidents this year 
of adults using MySpace to prey or attempt to prey on children.
 Most recently, a Virginia man pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and 
soliciting a 14-year old girl he met on MySpace.
 All we're doing is giving parents the right to make a choice whether their 
children can go online, Cooper told a state House committee considering the 
bill on parental involvement and verification. He said the measure would lead 
to fewer children at risk, because there will be fewer children on those Web 
sites.
 Advocates for Internet companies and privacy issues testified against the 
proposed restrictions, saying the broad parental verification standards would 
be found unconstitutional because they prohibit free speech or impede 
interstate commerce. The 

Re: [scifinoir2] MySpace Identifies 29,000 Sex Offenders on Its Site

2007-07-25 Thread KeithBJohnson
You're kidding! That's jacked up! One person i sent this to did ask a good 
question, which is, how many of the predators come from the class of those 
teens who were convicted for having relations with someone actually close to 
their age, but technically not legal? 

-- Original message -- 
From: Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
And the *really* scary part about this?

MySpace didn't want to give up the info. I have a MySpace page, solely to keep 
in touch with a few people I met on other web sites. I wanted to use my page to 
try and catch pedos like those mentioned in the story. My local PD told me that 
I couldn't, that it would be entrapment and unconstitutional.

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If you have children who use MySpace, this is 
definitely something to know. I'm not at all a fan of identification systems 
that limit our privacy, but I will say there needs to be some systems in place 
to help protect children from such exposure. Simply telling kids not to divulge 
personal info isn't always effective, as that's part of the fun of MySpace. At 
the same time, the increase in moderators, rules and regulations will result in 
a loss of the coolness factor of MySpace and other sites. Anyone here with 
teens who use the social networking sites? What do you do to protect them? Do 
you frequently login to the sites and check your kids' communications and 
postings to see what they're up to? I guess that's akin to how parents back in 
the day periodically searched their kids' clothes, closets, read their diaries, 
etc., to see if they're engaged in anything they shouldn't be. 

I've often discussed my love/hate feelings with the concept of universal IDs 
that tie several information databases about each of us together. The Star Trek 
utopian in me sees them as an effective way to have instant access to, say, 
medical history for someone unconscious, or for one card to let you pay for 
meals as well as function as a driver's license. The other side--a huge 
side--fears the loss of privacy and potential for abuse, especially in these 
times of abusive Patriot Acts. But I think things like the growth of 
potentially dangers sites like MySpace will help push that issue to the fore...

*

MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders
By GARY D. ROBERTSON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Jul 24, 10:13 PM
RALEIGH, N.C. - MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex offenders 
with profiles on the popular social networking Web site _ more than four times 
the number cited by the company two months ago, officials in two states Tuesday.
North Carolina's Roy Cooper is one of several attorneys general who recently 
demanded the News Corp.-owned Web site provide data on how many registered sex 
offenders were using the popular social networking site, along with information 
about where they live.
After initially withholding the information, citing federal privacy laws, 
MySpace began sharing the information in May after the states filed formal 
legal requests.
At the time, MySpace said it had already used a database it helped create to 
remove about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders, out of a total of about 180 
million profiles on the site.
Cooper's office said Tuesday, however, that now the figure has risen past 
29,000.
I'm absolutely astonished and appalled because the number has grown so 
exponentially over so short of time with no explanation, said Connecticut 
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who also had pressed the company earlier 
for sex offender data.
MySpace declined to comment on the figure, focusing instead on its efforts to 
clean up its profile rolls.
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, MySpace chief security officer Hemanshu Nigam said in a prepared 
statement.
Cooper is pushing for a state law that would require children to receive 
parental permission before creating social networking profiles, and require the 
Web sites to verify the parents' identity and age. For example, social 
networking sites would have to compare information provided by a parent with 
commercial databases. Sites could also force parents to submit credit cards or 
printed forms.
Cooper is working with law enforcement officials in other states in pressuring 
MySpace to use age and identity verification methods voluntarily. Based on 
media reports, Cooper's office found more than 100 criminal incidents this year 
of adults using MySpace to prey or attempt to prey on children.
Most recently, a Virginia man pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and 
soliciting a 14-year old girl he met on MySpace.
All we're doing is giving parents the right to make a choice whether their 
children can go online, Cooper told a state House committee considering the 
bill on parental involvement and verification. He said the measure would lead 
to fewer children at risk, because there will be