LEADING SOCIAL networking website myspace.com is banning thousands of users because of what it calls suspicious behaviour.
The decision has been taken a year after many parents started legal action against the Rupert Murdoch company, accusing it of not ensuring security conditions for children using their chat and interaction websites.
7,000 erased
The first operation against internet predators was held on May, when MySpace deleted the name of more than 7,000 registered users. Then, last Thursday, July 26, the company announced it had more than 29,000 registered users also deleted from the site.
However, the company believes there might be many more users under fake names and addresses among its 60 million registered users worldwide.
The company also said the identities of all users with suspicious behaviours are being sent to the police authorities for further investigation.
Authorities in the United States are now considering changing legislation to allow children to access the internet. The idea is to ensure that all users under 18 will need a parent’s authorisation.
The present law allows free access, without any authorisation, for all children over 14.
In Europe, the European Commission is also working on new strategies and regulations against paedophilia and sexual predators on the internet. This might include special new police structures and improved technology to better identify dangerous websites.
Arrests
In July, more than 700 people from 35 countries were arrested in an international police operation against what was said to be one of the biggest paedophilia networks working through the internet.
In Portugal, the government launched a new website for people to denounce any illegal or suspicious internet location.
The project has been operating since the beginning of July under the supervision of the Fundação para a Computação Ciêntífica Nacional, a state owned organisation.
To know more about the Portuguese hotline, click on the web link on the right.
