Myspace announced a deal today with 49 state attorneys general and Washing D.C. to put measures in place to protect minors from sexual predators. These measures are:

  • Allow parent to submit their child’s email address to MySpace, prohibiting the child from creating a Myspace profile
  • Default profiles to “private” for 16 and 17 year old users
  • Respond within 72 hours to complaints of inappropriate content
  • Create a high school section for users under 18 years old

These measures only protect minors who want to be protected. How hard is it to get a new, free email address? Private profiles can still be changed to public profiles. And a 72 hour response time is simply absurd. This entire agreement is an easy out for Myspace and clearly signed by ignorant attorneys general.

The key to keeping minors safe is to educate them and their parents. These measures are a farce, a facade. They are generally meaning less. They will be ineffective in meeting their goals. The steps being taken are a waste of time. Myspace protecting the youth can be compared to the Transportation Security Administrations ability to protect airline passengers.

People - Myspace cannot protect your children! Only parents can protect their children.