MySpace and Seventeen Magazine Launch Web Safety Campaign
Posted on September 30, 2006
TechWeb reports that MySpace and Seventeen magazine have teamed up in an effort to provide tips and information about internet safety. Like man publishers, Seventeen magazine also has a profile on MySpace.com.
MySpace, which has been criticized for not doing enough to protect its youngest members from sexual predators, said its partnership with Seventeen, the National School Board Association and the National Association of Independent Schools would target parents, teens and teachers with tips, suggestions and information on safe online behavior.MySpace and the National School Board Association will be offering a guide for parents and school administrators this October. The guide will also be available for download on MySpace's Safety Tips site in October. MySpace.com's safety site also refers to a new book launched by Larry Magid and Anne Collier called MySpace Unraveled. Anne Collier is editor, executive director and founder of Net Family News and Larry Magid is the founder of SafeKids.com.***
The site, which is owned by News Corp., launched in June security measures to protect 14 and 15 year olds. The measures included preventing a person 18 or older from contacting a member under 16 years old, unless he knows either the email address or first and last name of the minor. MySpace at the time also launched more options for privacy settings and restrictions on ad placements to teens.
The additional security followed within days after a 14-year-old girl sued the site in Texas, claiming she was sexually assaulted by a man she met on MySpace.
Earlier this year, MySpace hired Hemanshu Nigam as chief security officer. Nigam is a former federal prosecutor against Internet child exploitation for the U.S. Department of Justice.