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MySpace Sued by Families of Online Predator Victims

MySpace is facing more lawsuits, as the victims of sexual predators have filed suit against the social site and parent corporation News Corp. In total, four families from across the U.S. have joined together after their underage daughters were abused by men they met via MySpace. MySpace has responded to past allegations by putting in place educational efforts and partnerships with law enforcement. The company is also developing technologies to allow parents to have some measure of access to their child's account. From the article: "'In our view, MySpace waited entirely too long to attempt to institute meaningful security measures that effectively increase the safety of their underage users,' said Jason A. Itkin, an Arnold & Itkin lawyer. The families are seeking monetary damages 'in the millions of dollars,' Itkin said."

6 of 433 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Candy by Thansal · · Score: 2, Informative

    Deffine underage. If you are goign to say the age of concent, then MySpace just lost most of their customers, if you say something lower (like say 14?) then MySpace already has that in there.

    --
    Do Or Do Not, There Is No Spoon, There Is Only Zuul. Everything in the above post is probably opinion.
  2. A possible solution for parents by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 3, Informative

    Technology giveth and technology taketh away. Unless your kid is especially Windows PC savvy just do this:

    Open C:\WINNT or WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts in notepad
    Append these lines:
    # block myspace.com host names
    127.0.0.1 log.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 browseusers.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 classifieds.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 collect.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 events.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 favorites.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 forum.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 groups.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 home.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 invite.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 linux.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 login.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 message.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 messages.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 music.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 mx2.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 ns1.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 ns2.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 profile.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 rio.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 search.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vids.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 viewmorepics.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta01.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta02.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta03.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta04.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta05.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta06.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta07.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta08.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta09.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta10.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta11.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta12.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 vmta13.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 www.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 www1.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 videos.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 mail.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 signup.myspace.com
    127.0.0.1 security.myspace.com

    Done!

    Hell, while you are there add this one too: 127.0.0.1 ads.doubleclick.com

    I got this from: http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/forum/interne t/26149-how-block-myspace-com.html

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  3. What about parental responsibility? by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Informative
    "...while the parents dance all the way to the bank at their childrens expense!! YEEEHAW!"

    Geez...this is like suing the street corner where young kids hang out at, and get leered at, or possibly assaulted.

    I hope the case gets thrown out, but, probably will not. When did parents abdicate responsibility for monitoring, correcting and teaching their children how to avoid trouble and 'bad' people?

    When did kids get so freaking stupid and gullible as to believe these predators? My parents taught me not to 'talk to strangers', etc. Heck, they let me know where the gun at home was in case when I was there alone and felt threatened. Did ever touch it but once? No....but, one time alone, some haggard guy wouldn't get off the front porch asking for water, etc. I didn't let him in...and I watch through the window and peephole, with the gun in my hand locked and loaded till he left.

    I then put it back, and told my parents about it right afterwards.

    I mean, what is with parents not teaching lessons to kids and making them responsible, etc? My friends and I certainly knew better than to let ourselves get into bad situations. Why don't kids know this today?

    Anyway, I can't see how they can sue MySpace...it is just a public hangout, and the individual should be responsible for their actions and safety, and if the user is underage, then the parent is responsible.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  4. Re:Hypocrisy at its finest by theelectron · · Score: 2, Informative

    No, we complain when the government tries to be just like Big Brother. We hold parents at least partially accountable for thier children.

  5. Re:Shoot the messenger by locokamil · · Score: 2, Informative

    Pshaw. I kill pigs in my NYC apartment all the time. The neighbors do get a little testy at times about all the squealing, but I just tell them it's my girlfriend having sex with me.

  6. Re:I've always wondered about this by _newwave_ · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's not clear what mySpace could do better here. Block the display / transfer of pictures from those under 16 to those over 19?

    To an extent, MySpace does this already. Any profile under the age of 17 is automatically private to adults (18 and over) unless they are friends.