MySpace to share sex offender details

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 22nd May 2007
Comments (8) Stumble
MySpace to share sex offender details

MySpace has agreed to hand over details of known convicted sex offenders that have signed up to the service.

MySpace, the popular social networking site, has agreed to hand over details of known convicted sex offenders that have signed up to its service, after increasing pressure to better protect under-age users.

Initially, the social networking site refused to share the data with attorneys general from several states, citing federal privacy laws.

This week, the law enforcement officials updated the letter to the site to demand the information with legal subpoenas and MySpace has agreed to comply.

MySpace officials said that it had always planned to share the data with the law enforcement authorities, stating that it had already deleted the offending profiles. However, in order to comply with the subpoenas, the site didn't dispose of the information in those profiles.

The information passed onto the authorities will include the names, email addresses and IP addresses of people that created the 7,000 profiles linked to convicted sex criminals.

The authorities plan to use the data to look for parole violations by offenders who have been banned from using computers or contacting children.

Discuss in the forums
Quote DougEdey 22nd May 2007, 12:01
That's good (I think), it will help authorities to understand movements and/or activities, such as parole conditions being broken.

But in a bad way, what if those people were upfront about their activities?
Quote XeroNXS 22nd May 2007, 12:11
Who knows what other kind of information they pass on.
Quote completemadness 22nd May 2007, 19:16
aslong as they had a warrent - fine

But if they didnt have a warrent, im worried
Quote Neogumbercules 22nd May 2007, 21:39
Why would you be? Users willingly forfeit any and all information they put on the site. Warrants are designed to protect against illegal search and seizure, you don't need a warrant to read a myspace page. Additionally, myspace has full discretion to do whatever it wants with its user accounts. On top of that, convicted sex offenders and parolees are under special limitations designed to keep them from becoming repeat offenders.

People who put up any kind of personal info on their actual page forfeit it at their own risk. What other info does myspace have that requires a log-in? Just an e-mail address, username and some profile info thats already openly viewable on the page? If they gave away stuff like SSNs, home addresses, phone numbers, etc that would be one thing, but as far as I know, none of those are needed to create a myspace.
Quote Vergil_117 22nd May 2007, 21:44
Well isn't sex offender data suppose to be public knowledge, I don't see why myspace took so long to release it.
Quote f00dl3 23rd May 2007, 12:27
Are we able to distinguish between the "I raped a child" sex offenders and the "I mooned someone at a party as a joke" sex offenders yet?
Quote xion 23rd May 2007, 15:56
Quote:
The information passed onto the authorities will include the names, email addresses and IP addresses of people that created the 7,000 profiles linked to convicted sex criminals.

I can understand the need for disclosure of this information and agree with the principles. I'm undecided however, about the disclosure of accounts linked to the offenders... How many people have added "friends" on myspace without ever speaking to them let alone knowing who they are. Would you be happy to have your personal details / ip's handed over without notification?

In principle I agree. In practice it could set a very scary precedent...
Quote Colonel Sanders 23rd May 2007, 21:53
Quote:
Originally Posted by f00dl3
Are we able to distinguish between the "I raped a child" sex offenders and the "I mooned someone at a party as a joke" sex offenders yet?

In my opinion, that is the worst problem with the sex offender list. I have no idea what the ages are that a person can be put on a sex offender list, but to my understanding if one person is 17 and the other is 16 you can find your name on the list- that sucks. Or if parents get upset and don't like who their daughter is dating your name can be put on that list forever (friend of a friend is in that scenario, yeah excellent source. . . ).

I believe if you rape a child you should be probbably be put in prison instead of let loose in public with only your name on a list, and for the guy who mooned someone at a party - his life can be ruined for a virtually harmless act.

L J
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