Myspace bans registered sex offenders

*Hannah* · 07-27-2007, 09:47 PM

Quote:

29,000 known sex offenders on MySpace. So claims the office of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. MySpace says the number isn't accurate, and says it's taking its own steps to keep the baddies off its site.
"We partnered with Sentinel Tech to build technology to remove registered sex offenders from our site, says MySpace's Chief Security Officer Hemanshu Nigam in a statement today. "Through this innovative technology, we're pleased that we've successfully identified and deleted these registered sex offenders and hope that other social networking sites follow our lead."
That's not good enough for Attorney General Cooper, who is preparing to introduce legislation that would ban sex offenders from social networking sites like MySpace, and require minors to get parental permission as a condition of joining such sites. To my knowledge, this would be the first law of its kind in any state, that is, if it somehow makes it into the books.
There are quite a few interesting moral/legal questions around this issue, and I can see both sides. But my gut reaction is that we shouldn't start passing laws banning certain kinds of people from online public spaces like MySpace without some really, really good cause.
Are there really scores of cases where MySpace acted as the main instrument used by a predator to meet then harm a kid? Cooper can point to only one case: Last year, North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation arrested a police officer for the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl he lured using MySpace. (A police officer! A state employee!) OK, fair enough, but if we put a law in the books based on just one or two actual offenses (and the worry that there will be more), we'll end up with a law in search of a crime.
That law might have some bad unintended consequences.
Any person who is a registered sex offender has (hopefully) done the time and paid the fines, but should they lose their First Amendment right of self expression too? Social networking sites are meeting places, but they're also places for self expression.
What would MySpace's obligations be, exactly? Could MySpace be sued by the parents of a child who met a known sex offender on the site and was later harmed? MySpace already ejects anyone who is found to be misrepresenting him- or herself on the site. Would MySpace be legally required to find all known sex offenders (using either their real or an assumed name) on its site and banish them?
I'm saying let's get real about online spaces. The North Carolina Attorney General wants to apply a law to an online community that couldn't reasonably be applied to a meeting place in the real world. If a child meets a dangerous person at an arcade and, God forbid, later comes to harm, will we ban sex offenders from arcades? Can the child's parents reasonably sue the arcade? What about public parks? Why would we demonize a MySpace as being a playground for child molesters (as Attorney General Cooper calls it) more so than we would a public playground in the real world?
One of the reasons MySpace has risen to such popularity with kids is that it's almost completely devoid of adult supervision. Some guy named Tom runs the joint--that's all members know. If the influence of authority starts seeping in, if the site starts feeling like it's being "policed", it might be the beginning of the end for MySpace.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not arguing for the rights of sex offenders here. I'm arguing against the idea that the Internet can be legislated into a completely safe place. It can't.
Do you have kids on MySpace? What do you think?

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/004990.html

*Drtooth* · 07-29-2007, 10:40 AM

'bout time. now all kids have to do is worry about bullying and sexual advances from people their own age.

*Mecha Cow* · 07-29-2007, 01:25 PM

Why weren't they banned already?

*Revan* · 07-29-2007, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecha Cow

Why weren't they banned already?

Because they probably invented myspace as a way to stalk their prey

*Drtooth* · 07-30-2007, 10:59 AM

Myspace was created by indie musicians to share their crappy indie rock with each other. Not for Hebert the pervert to hit on little boys...

I bet he's saying "ooh... that boy sure loves his dragon balls, don't he? Hmmmmm.... I wonder if he wants to see mine!"

Sex offenders ruined sex for everyone. I HATE them.

*Revan* · 07-30-2007, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drtooth

Haha that's awesome! Love herb!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drtooth

Sex offenders ruined sex for everyone. I HATE them.

They sicken me as well. Some say mental unbalance is the cause in some cases though there is rarely a sure fire way to be sure since our legal system is based on the assumption that every person has the free will to make decisions. But what about those people know do not have free will? What about those sex offenders who are unbalanced? I don't know whether to hate them or what.

*Brodie* · 07-30-2007, 06:27 PM

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Originally Posted by Neutrino

Because they probably invented myspace as a way to stalk their prey

Tell me you're joking..

*Revan* · 07-31-2007, 01:18 AM

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Originally Posted by Brodie

Tell me you're joking..

Um yeah it was a joke
dam, tough crowd

*jeff the cheff* · 07-31-2007, 11:26 AM

I don't think this is going to stop a single sex offender from getting on myspace. They dont ask for your name , ss# or anything, you can make a myspace page for your ****ing kitten if you want to.

**Jester** · 07-31-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff the cheff

I don't think this is going to stop a single sex offender from getting on myspace. They dont ask for your name , ss# or anything, you can make a myspace page for your ****ing kitten if you want to.

He's got a point...I made one for my kitten Mr. Fuzzy Butt....isn't he precious?

You have just been Jested!
But he is right, how are they going to ban pedophiles, ask them if they are a sex offender? Please.

*iris* · 07-31-2007, 12:26 PM

Fat lot of good that'll do.

*Hannah* · 07-31-2007, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff the cheff

I don't think this is going to stop a single sex offender from getting on myspace. They dont ask for your name , ss# or anything, you can make a myspace page for your ****ing kitten if you want to.

True that, true that.

*Katie* · 07-31-2007, 08:04 PM

Hard as heck to police. And they are talking about the registered ones. what about the ones who haven't been caught?

I've been sick the last couple days and while debating on whether or not forcing myself through work was a good idea, I watched the news. one story I saw was about this guy who runs his own web site in support of pedephelia...specifically he ranks places on the liklihood of running into little girls, where he has gotten hugs and cuddles from little girls, etc. The guy supposedly has not commited a crime yet, and just having his web site is not a crime....but damn, it sure is creepy. (he lives out of his car in L.A., BTW in case you were wondering) It's like a big "Go Here" sign for all the people of his....sort.

I mean, dude bought tickets to a Wiggles concert because he knew he would see little girls there.

*Drtooth* · 08-01-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff the cheff

I don't think this is going to stop a single sex offender from getting on myspace. They dont ask for your name , ss# or anything, you can make a myspace page for your ****ing kitten if you want to.

Or of course you could make one to promote a dog pile crap movie and not even have to pay for a domain name for a real web site.

*Revan* · 08-02-2007, 03:35 PM

The only thing that makes any sense to me out of this is that they did it for PR. Now they can say, "Well, we don't allow sex offenders on our site so feel safe to join." When really it doesn't much matter. Anyone can still get around it.

*jeff the cheff* · 08-02-2007, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neutrino

The only thing that makes any sense to me out of this is that they did it for PR. Now they can say, "Well, we don't allow sex offenders on our site so feel safe to join." When really it doesn't much matter. Anyone can still get around it.

You got it right on. They just don't want a reputation for a site for child stalkers. Most people actually think that sex offenders can't get on the site anymore.

But I heard that it could be a parole violation if they are caught using myspace.

*Revan* · 08-02-2007, 04:50 PM

^ That should be an item on sex offenders parole. Stay off myspace. Myspace is just slang for sexual predatorland nowadays

*Mr. Snackpants* · 08-02-2007, 05:02 PM

Yeah, completely pointless. There's no way to police that site. Are they f'ing joking? WOW!

07-29-2007, 10:40 AM	#2
Drtooth Foot Elite Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 4,439	'bout time. now all kids have to do is worry about bullying and sexual advances from people their own age. __________________ [Insert mildly amusing banner here]

07-29-2007, 01:25 PM	#3
Mecha Cow Gorgeous and modest too Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,699	Why weren't they banned already? __________________

07-30-2007, 10:59 AM	#5
Drtooth Foot Elite Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 4,439	Myspace was created by indie musicians to share their crappy indie rock with each other. Not for Hebert the pervert to hit on little boys... I bet he's saying "ooh... that boy sure loves his dragon balls, don't he? Hmmmmm.... I wonder if he wants to see mine!" Sex offenders ruined sex for everyone. I HATE them. __________________ [Insert mildly amusing banner here]

07-31-2007, 12:26 PM	#11
iris moddy mod mod Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: finally escaped the lab Posts: 1,886	Fat lot of good that'll do. __________________ Appeal to nobler motives. Like pie. [ life is at best bitter sweet ]

07-31-2007, 08:04 PM	#13
Katie Just...way too serious. Join Date: May 2005 Location: purgatory Posts: 3,519	Hard as heck to police. And they are talking about the registered ones. what about the ones who haven't been caught? I've been sick the last couple days and while debating on whether or not forcing myself through work was a good idea, I watched the news. one story I saw was about this guy who runs his own web site in support of pedephelia...specifically he ranks places on the liklihood of running into little girls, where he has gotten hugs and cuddles from little girls, etc. The guy supposedly has not commited a crime yet, and just having his web site is not a crime....but damn, it sure is creepy. (he lives out of his car in L.A., BTW in case you were wondering) It's like a big "Go Here" sign for all the people of his....sort. I mean, dude bought tickets to a Wiggles concert because he knew he would see little girls there. __________________ THE WORLD IS JUST AWESOME

07-31-2007, 11:26 AM	#9
jeff the cheff Mad Scientist Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: 122 and an eighth Posts: 2,129	I don't think this is going to stop a single sex offender from getting on myspace. They dont ask for your name , ss# or anything, you can make a myspace page for your ****ing kitten if you want to.

08-02-2007, 03:35 PM	#15
Revan Han Shot First Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Paper Street Soap Company Posts: 3,687	The only thing that makes any sense to me out of this is that they did it for PR. Now they can say, "Well, we don't allow sex offenders on our site so feel safe to join." When really it doesn't much matter. Anyone can still get around it. __________________

08-02-2007, 04:50 PM	#17
Revan Han Shot First Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Paper Street Soap Company Posts: 3,687	^ That should be an item on sex offenders parole. Stay off myspace. Myspace is just slang for sexual predatorland nowadays __________________

08-02-2007, 05:02 PM	#18
Mr. Snackpants Keep cool my babies! Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mount Pleasant Posts: 2,239	Yeah, completely pointless. There's no way to police that site. Are they f'ing joking? WOW!