Why MySpace Security Won’t Work
MySpace.com is constantly making headlines, as the social networking site’s remarkable popularity since its inception in 2004 has simultaneously fostered numerous cases of sexual harassment, assault, and even murder, along with bizarre instances of elopement. In a move to tighten its security, new profile restrictions are being implemented and will be put into effect next week. Currently, users 13 and under cannot set up accounts and those that are 14 or 15 years old can only partially display their profiles unless the viewer is already on the teens’ list of friends.
With the new changes, users 18 and older can no longer request to be on a 14 or 15 year old’s friends list unless they know their email address or full name. All users, not just teenagers, will be given the option to make only partial profiles available to those not on their friends lists and can prevent contact from people outside of their age group. The site will also alter its ad-targeting technology to avoid displaying adult-themed ads on minors’ profile pages and target special public-service announcements to them.
As sexual targeting and inappropriate conversations seem to run rampant on MySpace and instances of tragic and disturbing events continue to pop up as a result, it is rather alarming that MySpace officials say that the new changes have been long planned and are unrelated to recent events. If this is in fact the case, does this imply that the situation is not prompting a call to action? Were these simply changes to make the site a little more age appropriate?
Furthermore, these “security measures” seem remarkably easy to circumvent. I admittedly do not frequent MySpace and do not know the ins and outs of its profiles, friends, journals, and message boards, and yet my immediate response to the new changes was that those who want to get by the system will just lie about their age. CNN.com and other news outlets raised the same issue, as would any realistically-minded person.
MySpace has no mechanism for verifying that users submit their true age when registering. It seems to me that if an adult wants to sexually solicit a minor, being untruthful about their age would hardly weigh on their conscience. Because the new changes are so easily outwitted, I can’t help but wonder if MySpace really has no solution, but felt that it had to do something to save face, regardless of how effective it actually is.
Reader Comments.
The Article entitled “Why MySpace Security Won’t Work” by Lauren Kerensky was enlightening and informative. I have been trying for months to explain the trials and tribulations that MySpace can cause to my niece and nephew and this is the perfect article to get my point across. I have printed this article and will back up my “preaching” with actual facts. Great job Lauren and keep up the good work!
Another way to look at this is to guess that the “incidence” rate is around (less than?) one per million users per year, and conclude that while that may not be “acceptable,” it gives one pause as to whether it is curable or preventable.
can u help me sign in please
my myspace keeps going to the home page, and won’t let me check anything!
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