MySpace: Danger Place
p2p news / p2pnet: Police in Middletown, Connecticut, suspect up to seven girls were recently assaulted by men they met on Rupert Murdoch’s MySpace.
“MySpace, one of several popular social networking sites, is a free service that allows people to create Web sites that can be personalized with information, pictures and movies," says the Associated Press. "Searching for someone is as easy as typing the name of a high school and the photographic results are instantaneous."
Murdoch’s News Corp last year bought MySpace for $580 million.
MySpace said it includes safety tips and prohibits children under 14 from using the site, says AP.
But it quotes Middletown Police Sgt. Bill McKenna.as saying, "That is a perpetrator’s dream come true."
According to the story, McKenna said several Middletown girls between 12 and 16 told police they met men on the MySpace who’d claimed to be teenagers.
"Connecticut’s FBI office was the first in New England to launch an online, undercover program to catch sexual predators," says AP, adding:
"Timothy Egan, the squad’s supervisor, said parents often don’t know their children are using these Web sites or what information is being released."
Also See:
Associated Press – Teens Putting Themselves at Risk Online, February 4, 2006
$580 million – Music ‘MySpace’ for UK, January 24, 2006
February 6th, 2006 at 10:54 pm
Sounds like more media fear-hype about the Internet. You always gotta have that if you’re gonna sell the people on more government regulation. And what better way to do that than by saying “it’s for the children! If you don’t give up your rights and let us censor and monitor then the pedophiles are gonna get them!”
February 7th, 2006 at 12:34 am
Personally, I believe it’s sort of the girls’ faults for whatever happened to them. It would be a completely different thing for me if they were stalked, followed, then assaulted when they walked home from sports practice or something. But the way this article is written makes it seem like they willing went to meet up with strangers, which is something even little elementary schoolers know not to do. Sure, strangers are lurking the internet, but it’s your own fault if you unintelligently give out all of your personal information.
*TIP FOR PARENTS (who might be afraid now that they’ve read this):* Google your child’s name and if too many results come up from these “social networking” sites, confront your child with the importance of keeping personal information off of the internet.
April 30th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
Teens, moms, all kinds of people are putting themselves in danger by posting stuff on myspace.com. It is not only dangerous to the person putting up thier info, but also the entire club, group, organization, and even the FAMILY that they belong to. I installed stopspace and now our PC does not even see myspace. Pick up the phone or write a letter.
November 16th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
http://lpticket.blogspot.com