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New York Culls Sex Offenders From the Online Gaming Ranks
SternisheFan writes with a story at PC Mag that New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has announced that more than 2000 registered sex offenders have been kicked off various online gaming platforms, in an cooperative effort involving both the state and various gaming companies. From that article:
"Earlier this year, the accounts of 3,500 additional offenders were removed from platforms operated by Microsoft, Apple, Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Disney Interactive Media Group, and Warner Brothers. New York State's Electronic Securing and Targeting of Online Predators Act (e-STOP) law requires convicted sex offenders to register all of their email addresses, screen names, and other Internet identifiers with the state. Schneiderman's office then makes that information available to certain websites so they can make sure that their communities were not being used by predators. Operation: Game Over, however, is the first time e-STOP has been applied to online gaming platforms, he said. Since many online gaming platforms let users send messages to other players anonymously, it's unsafe to have convicted offenders using these services, Schneiderman said."
p.s. you can be put on a sex-offender registry because you "sexted" with your gf/bf when you were both in high school!
So don't do that.
Any of you guys have a better solution??? This is a start, and if it keeps ONE kid from being damaged, then imo it is worth it! Now if anyone who feels that they are unjustly labled as a s.o., then they should be able to an appeal to clear their name. Until they are taken off the list, I'm playing the world's smallest violin just for them! They don't get to play WoW with little kids. End of discussion! By and large, the people on a s.o. list have done things that mean they cannot be trusted to be in some parts of society, including living near schoolyards, going online. Now I think once you've raped, kidnapped, robbed, used a weapon in any crime, or a host of other crimes I won't list you you should permanently give up a number of rights afforded other citizens. Tough titties!, as the mama cat said to her kittens when they complained their milk was too warm.