MySpace won't give names of sex offenders
PJfanFORlife
Posts: 138
Online networking site says proper legal processes weren't followed
MSNBC video
MySpace deletes sex offender profiles
May 16: Social networking site MySpace says it identified, removed and blocked user profiles of convicted sex offenders. MSNBC's Chris Jansing reports.
MSNBC
Updated: 29 minutes ago
RALEIGH, N.C. - Citing federal privacy law, MySpace.com said Tuesday it won’t comply with a request by attorneys general from eight states to hand over the names of registered sex offenders who use the social networking Web site.
MySpace’s chief security officer said the company regularly discloses information to law enforcement officials but the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act says it can only do so when proper legal processes are followed.
“We’re truly disheartened that the AGs chose to send out a letter ... when there was an existing legal process that could have been followed,” the security officer, Hemanshu Nigam, said in an interview.
In a letter Monday, attorneys general from North Carolina, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania asked MySpace to provide information about registered sex offenders using the site and where they live.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday blasted MySpace for refusing to share the information and said no subpoena is needed for MySpace to tell the attorneys general how many registered sex offenders use the site “or other information relating to possible parole violations.”
“I am deeply disappointed and troubled by this unreasonable and unfounded rejection of our request for critical information about convicted sex offenders whose profiles are on MySpace,” Blumenthal said. “By refusing this information, MySpace is precluding effective enforcement of parole and probation restrictions that safeguard society.”
Christian Genetski, an attorney who has represented MySpace, said the Electronic Communications Privacy Act requires subpoenas, court orders or search warrants, depending on the information sought.
“It’s a clearly defined law that most providers and prosecutors understand and work with on a daily basis,” Genetski said. “My understanding is (the attorneys general) want the private personal information, and that’s clearly the information the ECPA protects.”
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said “it’s sad that MySpace is going to protect the privacy of sex offenders over the safety of children.”
Nigam said MySpace is serious about identifying and removing sex offenders from its Web site and wants to work with the attorneys general.
“Everybody needs to get together and delete online predators,” Nigam said, adding that MySpace supports state and federal legislation requiring sex offenders to register e-mail addresses. “The attorneys general’s concerns and our concerns are exactly the same.”
In December, MySpace announced it was partnering with Sentinel Tech Holding Corp. to build a database with information on sex offenders in the United States.
Software to identify and remove sex offenders from the site has been used for 12 days, and MySpace has “removed every registered sex offender that we identified out of our more than 175 million profiles,” Nigam said.
It is also working with Sentinel to share the sex offender database and technology with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works directly with law enforcement officials, Nigam said.
MSNBC video
MySpace deletes sex offender profiles
May 16: Social networking site MySpace says it identified, removed and blocked user profiles of convicted sex offenders. MSNBC's Chris Jansing reports.
MSNBC
Updated: 29 minutes ago
RALEIGH, N.C. - Citing federal privacy law, MySpace.com said Tuesday it won’t comply with a request by attorneys general from eight states to hand over the names of registered sex offenders who use the social networking Web site.
MySpace’s chief security officer said the company regularly discloses information to law enforcement officials but the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act says it can only do so when proper legal processes are followed.
“We’re truly disheartened that the AGs chose to send out a letter ... when there was an existing legal process that could have been followed,” the security officer, Hemanshu Nigam, said in an interview.
In a letter Monday, attorneys general from North Carolina, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania asked MySpace to provide information about registered sex offenders using the site and where they live.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday blasted MySpace for refusing to share the information and said no subpoena is needed for MySpace to tell the attorneys general how many registered sex offenders use the site “or other information relating to possible parole violations.”
“I am deeply disappointed and troubled by this unreasonable and unfounded rejection of our request for critical information about convicted sex offenders whose profiles are on MySpace,” Blumenthal said. “By refusing this information, MySpace is precluding effective enforcement of parole and probation restrictions that safeguard society.”
Christian Genetski, an attorney who has represented MySpace, said the Electronic Communications Privacy Act requires subpoenas, court orders or search warrants, depending on the information sought.
“It’s a clearly defined law that most providers and prosecutors understand and work with on a daily basis,” Genetski said. “My understanding is (the attorneys general) want the private personal information, and that’s clearly the information the ECPA protects.”
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said “it’s sad that MySpace is going to protect the privacy of sex offenders over the safety of children.”
Nigam said MySpace is serious about identifying and removing sex offenders from its Web site and wants to work with the attorneys general.
“Everybody needs to get together and delete online predators,” Nigam said, adding that MySpace supports state and federal legislation requiring sex offenders to register e-mail addresses. “The attorneys general’s concerns and our concerns are exactly the same.”
In December, MySpace announced it was partnering with Sentinel Tech Holding Corp. to build a database with information on sex offenders in the United States.
Software to identify and remove sex offenders from the site has been used for 12 days, and MySpace has “removed every registered sex offender that we identified out of our more than 175 million profiles,” Nigam said.
It is also working with Sentinel to share the sex offender database and technology with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works directly with law enforcement officials, Nigam said.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
Watch what you put there...just my .02
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
I don't like sex offenders any more than you guys, but privacy is privacy.
Besides, there's a website already available to everyone who has access to the internet that shows you all the sex offenders in your own neighborhood.
http://www.mapsexoffenders.com/
Imagine the scenario should they actually catch these sexual predators and THEN are unable to convict because of inappropriately/illegally obtained evidence. Oh yeah....that'll go over real well.
Do it right or don't do it at all.
Plus anyone think that the AG's going to pay MySpace's legal bill if it gets sued for violating the privacy laws and illegally releasing personal info?
Me, either.
...signed...the token black Pearl Jam fan.
FaceSpace
hehe...no they just want someone else to do their job for them....:rolleyes:
in the article, and find out which states have Attorneys replaced the ones that Gonzalez fired.
Bush and Cheney fired them...Gonzales doesn't recall a damn thing remember? ...it's the only thing that came out of his mouth when asked
I don;t know...I don't recallll...I don't remember that...duhhh....droooll....repeat...
brutal...
corrupt...corrupt...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")