Tag: Safety

MySpace.com hires child safety czar from Microsoft:

News Corp. is set on Tuesday to name a security czar to oversee child safety measures on MySpace.com, the popular teen dating and music site that has provoked an outcry among parents who fear they have not done enough to thwart sexual predators.

Hemanshu (Hemu) Nigam, now director of Consumer Security Outreach & Child Safe Computing at Microsoft Corp., will head up safety, education, privacy and law enforcement oversight programs for MySpace and other Fox Web properties.

The appointment is effective May 1, News Corp.’s Fox Interactive Media, the parent of MySpace, said in a statement.

The move is one of several responses MySpace and its owners have taken in recent months to respond to harsh criticism by parent groups, legal authorities and politicians.

Nigam brings strong credentials to his new role. He has more than 15 years of experience in online safety, including serving as a Federal prosecutor against Internet child exploitation for the U.S. Department of Justice.

He was also an advisor to a Congressional commission on online child safety, and an advisor to the White House on cyberstalking.

Prior to Microsoft, Nigam was vice president of worldwide Internet enforcement at the Motion Picture Association of America, where he oversaw the global strategy to combat online video piracy for seven major Hollywood studios.

Impressive credentials outside of that stint with the MPAA.

MySpace reaching out to parents:

MySpace has also hired more employees to handle security and customer care–roughly 100 people, or one-third of its workforce, scout out inappropriate content or underage members.

Again, that is rather impressive, but will it be enough? Only time will tell.

A Parent’s Guide To Checking MySpace:

Another local news article on what parents can do to protect their kids online. I only have one bone to pick with the article…

Remember, experts have said you should warn your child that you are going to look at their Web site, and be prepared to talk reasonably about how they present themselves on the Web.

Screw what the experts say.

If you really want to protect your kids, don’t tell them you’ll be checking it out. This way they won’t have time to change anything, and you can really see what they’re doing online, which in turn will let you know how you need to protect your kids.

When it comes to protecting your kids, be a parent first and their friend second.

MySpace Dangers:

Yet another local news expose on the evils of MySpace. That seems to be the in thing with local newscasts right now…

MySpace.com is a growing phenomenon among teens and also an easy way for people to find you if you’re not careful. Many people think, ‘It couldn’t happen to me.’

Only on KXAN, Jenny Hoff set out to prove those people wrong with a wake-up call at their front doors.

Jenny admits MySpace is a great resource for journalists. She logs on every time there is breaking news to get information.

It’s also a great resource for predators, pedophiles and stalkers, and as I’m about to show you, for anybody who wants to know where you live.

You may call it an ambush. We prefer wake-up call.

This article is actually much better than most of the local newscasts about MySpace. I love the fact that the reporter actually took it to the parents of MySpace users and their children.

This is a great read for any parent whose kids have a MySpace account.