Digital Journal — Damage control. Spin. Saving face. Call it what you want, but MySpace’s latest announcement to heighten security settings is nothing more than an attempt to deflect the latest bad press.
Recently, U.S. Representative Michael Fitzpatrick, (R-Penn.), introduced a bill that would block access to social networks like MySpace at federally funded schools and libraries. MySpace was slapped with a $30 million (US) lawsuit by the family of a 14-year-old girl who says she was raped by an older man she met on the site. Two days later, MySpace — owned by media conglomerate News Corp — outlined a plan to block people over 18 from interacting with younger users unless they can produce the person’s email address or full name.
Also, MySpace members of any age now have the option to keep their profiles private, restricting access to things like personal interests to a private group of friends, according to ABC News. To further allay parents’ fears, the site limits its population to users over the age of 14 and allows only partial viewing of profiles for members under 16.
Sounds considerate, doesn’t it? At first glance, yes, but realize that any wily sexual predator can lie about age in a profile, and it’s not like any website can verify that setting concretely. There’s nothing keeping older users to pretend they’re Simple Plan-loving pot-smoking teens.
A MySpace representative admitted to ABC News that the industry doesn’t have an effective way of verifying identities and ages, but said it’s not for lack of effort. This sounds like a shrug of the shoulders, a meek apology. In fact, MySpace’s security changes are an admission of guilt for setting up a membership system that provides little protection for the unwary.
Some parents and close observers are only mildly appeased by MySpace’s recent announcement. “We want them to do what several state attorneys general have already asked them to do, which is to put into place age verification systems,” says Adam Lowey, who is representing the girl whose family sued MySpace, according to Business Week. “This new announcement is the first step in the right direction…If they did this earlier our little girl might not have been harmed. But we applaud MySpace for finally taking this step.”
Undoubtedly, social networking sites like MySpace need to implement some kind of overhaul to ensure the safety of its young members. And no matter what they do, it’ll be criticized for falling short. But now that MySpace operates under News Corp — owner of Fox News, HarperCollins and DirecTV — ensuring profitable success will continue to be the mandate. The company wants to spread the MySpace brand beyond Western borders, with plans to expand the hangout site to China and India over the long term. More members equals more administration to find out who’s truly who — is News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch prepared for overseas lawsuits as well?
For MySpace members, they also have a much larger stalker to worry about: the U.S. government. A report from New Scientist uncovered that the National Security Agency is funding research into harvesting information that people post about themselves on sites like MySpace. The NSA could “harness advances in Internet technology…to combine data from social networking websites with details such as banking, retail and property records,” according to New Scientist.
Expect MySpace to claw back from this headache with another display of PR spin. “Don’t worry, the NSA is only looking for terrorists trying to recruit depressed kids.” Or the site could stammer a response that sounds something like, “Uh, the feds don’t wiretap anymore. That’s so McCarthy. We’re the future of how the Pentagon knows what movies you like.”
In all seriousness, the world of MySpace isn’t the peaceful friends-filled lounge from the past. Today, this site sparks more problems than it ever wanted to, making parents and privacy advocates frightened by a seemingly harmless service.
How can MySpace reverse its negative perception? Two words: Complete overhaul. Otherwise, everything else will just be window dressing.
