Government Technology
Government Technology: State & Local Government News Articles

Oklahoma AG Comments on Agreement with MySpace



Print
Comment

Jan 15, 2008, News Report

Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson and the attorneys general for 49 other states announced an agreement with social networking site MySpace that should help protect kids from Internet predators.

Under the terms of the agreement, MySpace will work with attorneys general to lead an Internet Safety Technical Task Force, which will work to develop age and identity verification technology.

"We as parents and members of the law enforcement community have to adapt with the ever-changing technology," Edmondson said. "As technology becomes more prevalent, so does the opportunity for predators to utilize it as a tool to track and victimize our children. Today's agreement should lead to further protection for our kids."

MySpace also agreed to develop policies that will allow parents to submit their children's e-mail addresses to a list to prohibit the e-mail address from being used to set up a MySpace account. The company will also make the default setting "private" for the Internet profiles of 16 and 17-year-old users. The private setting will ensure that only users approved by the profile's owner will be able to view and post comments to that particular profile.

Additionally, MySpace has agreed to review and respond to inappropriate content and to commit the staff and resources necessary to do so. The company will also dedicate resources to educating children and parents about Internet safety.

Today's agreement comes after more than two years of discussions between MySpace and attorneys general from across the country.

"The collaboration between the states and MySpace should serve as a model for other social networking sites," Edmondson said. "The partnership between law enforcement and Internet social networking service providers could prove to be invaluable.

 "We must not forget, however, that parents are truly on the front lines in the battle to protect children from Internet predators. I hope parents will talk to their kids about the dangers of the Internet and monitor Internet use within their own homes."

If You Liked This Article, You May Also Like...


Latest Government Technology News


Industry Solutions for Government

Read real world deployments of technology in government from our sponsors.

View All Industry Solutions

Related Products and Services

Marketplace



This section
brought to you by:


Mobile Communications Survey Executive Summary

More than 200 responses were captured to help gauge the effectiveness and types of communications and situational awareness capabilities currently deployed for emergency response. View the Executive Summary Now!

Dispatch Operations and Interoperability

A New Era in Public Safety BlackBerry® smartphones running on Sprint networks deliver a wide range of applications that are transforming public safety operations.


Hurricane Preparedness Tips When a hurricane hits, are you prepared to keep in touch?


Case Study - Morris County, New Jersey The Morris County Communications Center upgraded to a new trunked radio system with the benefits of a cellular network, extending coverage beyond county lines


Case Study - Iredell County, North Carolina Spanning over 570 sq miles, it became imperative that the Iredell County Emergency Communications, Operations and Management extend it's communications systems to enhance reliability, security, and coverage.


Case Study - City of Anaheim, California The City of Anaheim saw an opportunity to leverage existing GST and partner with nearby cities to enhance safety operations through data interoperability.


Case Study - Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department Taking advantage of a range of interoperability solution, the Charlottesville Fire Department has achieved a network that can serve as backup to their existing public safety network.


Sprint ERT Go-Kit with GST Optima Rapid, interoperable communications for emergencies, drills and field exercises.


Optimal Interoperability Until recently it was not possible to cost effectively connect commercial networks to LMR systems. Improvements in communications technology have resulted in greatly enhanced operational capability and have reduced the log-term cost of communications system ownership.


Multi-agency interoperability for Public Safety Establishing cross-agency, real-time situational awareness is critical to effective incident management as well as daily resource management.


Video


DHS Grant Links

DHS Grants and Assistance Programs Link to overview of available grants administered by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)


Fact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants Major changes in funding and focus for 2008 DHS grant programs


Remarks on 2008 Homeland Security Grant Guidance DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison


$1.8 billion in DHS Homeland Security Grant Program Awards


Funding Public Safety Communications Whether you are a law enforcement agency, looking for funding to support an interoperable communications solution or a school, seeking to improve communications between building administrators, grants may provide the funding you need to implement a robust, scalable communication system.


Yes! I would like more information about Sprint's dispatch operations and interoperability solutions.