New Myspace security regulations

[Nate]

Saw this mentioned on the front page of my paper. It seems myspace is implementing new security measures. The system isn't without its flaws, but it's a start.

Apparently myspace will no longer let users 18 and over connect with users under 16 unless the older one knows the first or last name of the user, or their email address. This seems to be a good idea, but obviously it can easily be circumvented.

The bigger and more important thing to note is myspace is now placing age appropriate ads. This seems to mean that if you're a 14 or 15 year old myspace user, you will not be subjected to online gambling or dating sites. What this potentially means is for you here at CAA who do not like seeing the dating ads on myspace, merely would need to make their age lower and they wouldn't have to see them.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

[ShiroiHikari]

It's definitely a good start.

[Linksquest]

That is a good start... but I don't want to see those ads even if I am older than 18. They... scare me <_<;

[Gypsy]

Yeah, I found out real quick why people I know put really young ages on there ...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Most people fake their age anyway...

[Bobtheduck]

Well, I don't care about the ads because I have firefox and adblock... heh, after about an hour of training it, I never have to worry about "true" ads again...

The next thing myspace needs is their own official tracker... Voluntary, of course (if you choose to track, you choose to be tracked...) and maybe a friends only tracker (you can track all of your friends, but no one else can track you) I don't know what they have against the other trackers, but they've blocked every one that came out (and yes, there were real trackers, like http://www.whosonmypage.com which worked brilliantly until myspace censored the URL to block the pictures containing their cookies and the links)

[Joshua Christopher]

The best Myspace security regulation ever: Don't sign up for the site.

[Slater]

Well, the story is that Myspace got slapped with a 30 million dollar lawsuit because some 14 year old girl got "raped" by an older man she met on Myspace. (She went out of her way to meet the man, so I use the term rape here loosely). Feeling threatened, Myspace is trying to implement these new methods, but as before mentioned, they are easy to bypass.

[ChristianKitsune]

The best Myspace security regulation ever: Don't sign up for the site.

too true. I got rid of my site even though I made my own backround for it, and spiffed it up with cool goodies..

I just felt it wasn't safe and it wasn't THAT much fun anyway all my reall friends talk to me on YIM. And I wouldn't allow anyone I don't know in RL to see my site anyways..

Plus after only 1 night of being a member I got a "You're so hot! Wanna be Friends!?" email from some guy in California..." XP

[Mithrandir]

Well, the story is that Myspace got slapped with a 30 million dollar lawsuit because some 14 year old girl got "raped" by an older man she met on Myspace. (She went out of her way to meet the man, so I use the term rape here loosely). Feeling threatened, Myspace is trying to implement these new methods, but as before mentioned, they are easy to bypass.

Actually, the industry in geneneral and myspace in specific has been up to this for a while. We're looking at fallout from COPPA and CIPA and have been for the last 5 years or so. MySpace simply got big enough to warrent an official policy. The lawsuit may look like it's the catalyst, but I suspect it's a statistical anomoly.

*knows way more than he wants too about COPPA/CIPA regulations, thank you CAA*

[Yojimbo]

Get Facebook it's better across the board. No 30 year olds unless they legitimately go to school, easier to use, no annoying ads, has just as many features as myspace if not more, no annoying music on people's profile pages, easy to keep track of everyone, safer in general.

[Mithrandir]

Facebook is interesting. You can only signup if you have a valid school email address, it looks like. Once you do that, you can keep changing your email address as long as you want. It DOES look a bit more secure, Yojimbo. Good link!

[DaughterOfZion]

they were talking about on GMA after that girl went to meet that guy in jordan.

[mitsuki lover]

2 words: Parental Supervision.Any 14 year old girl who pulls a stunt like that is lacking some serious parental supervision.

[Sweet Mercury]

2 words: Parental Supervision.Any 14 year old girl who pulls a stunt like that is lacking some serious parental supervision.

Took the words right out of my mouth. Not that MySpace shouldn't do its absolute best to protect the safety and privacy of its members, but parents and the users of the site still need to take up their responsibilities.

[Linksquest]

they were talking about on GMA after that girl went to meet that guy in jordan.

O_O... that's insane. Seriously... where are the parents in all this?!

[Mithrandir]

So, if the guy had called her up one day out of the blue, and they hit it off, would the parents sue SBC (or AT&T, or whicheverbell)?

[mitsuki lover]

Which comes back to the whole point that the parents ought to have been aware of what was going on before the daughter ran off. And btw:Where the heck did she get the money to fly all the way to Jordan?This isn't like taking the bus to see your
great-aunt Minnie in Pennsylvania.