MySpaceSafetyTips.com

MySpace.com announced new protections for its younger members, whereby adult users (18 and older) will have to know the young member's real name (as they entered it into their MySpace account) or the email address they use for logging in, in order to send a friend request to the young member.

This does not represent a huge change in the MySpace system. There is currently an option in the "Privacy Settings" page of the "Account Settings" that lets any user add this protection to their account. Our recommendation has been to "check this if your goal is to use MySpace only for with your real-life friends."

So, what MySpace.com has announced is that this option will automatically apply for young users when an adult (18 or older) wants to send a friend request.

As many observors have pointed out (and as we point out in the book), there is no age verification on MySpace, so any user can claim to be any age they'd like to "be." Users can even temporarily change their age, in order to change their privileges and limitations, at any time after they've signed up for an account.

So, it's clear these new automated changes won't do much of anything to deter a determined malicious adult.

We continue to recommend selecting the "Require email or last name to add me as a friend" option if you'd like greater security on MySpace. Then, no matter what age a person claims to be, they cannot send you a friend request without knowing the "real name" you entered into MySpace or the email address you use for logging into MySpace. And, we recommend you enter an altered "real name" and get an online web-based email account to use as your MySpace login. If you follow all of these steps, no one will be able to send you a friend request except people you really know in the non-virtual world.

Bravo to you my friends. Protection through information is what is required in this case. Kids are apparently feeling “famous” if they have a lot of friends on Myspace.com. They accept any request.

Again job well done!

My very best
E

Posted by MR.E.MEDIA on 09 July 2007 - 00:07