90,000 Sex Offenders Removed from MySpace

MySpace has identified and removed over 90,000 sex offenders from their site. Although people of all ages seem to be on MySpace, young people are online more than anyone and are the most vulnerable. Most everyone knows what MySpace is, or has at least heard of it. MySpace is a social networking site that has over 100 million users around the world. Sites like MySpace and Facebook allow users to communicate with each other, share photos, music, videos, and have access to personal information. This is a great way to form relationships and network, but it can also be dangerous for some. Even PAVE has reached out to people via Facebook, and it brought more attention to our cause. For years we have heard about online relationships gone wrong (and yes, sometimes right) and the stories where false information was given. The stories where someone was lead to believe the person they "met" is entirely different in real life. We are told to be aware of what you read and who you "meet" online. Have you heard the Brad Paisley song? "I'm so much cooler online...." He has this awesome persona on the internet, but in reality he lives in his parents basement and is an overweight geek. Social networking sites are responsible for making sure their site is safe for everyone, but especially for the young people who are the most active users. MySpace is using a database called Sentinel SAFE which keeps track of the names, descriptions and other characteristics of registered sex offenders. This database can help identify the sex offenders so that they can be tracked and removed from the site. MySpace helps us connect with people all around the world and keep in touch with friends and family. It has been a huge stepping stone for people, businesses, and causes. For all the good it is doing, we must always be aware of the people who will use it with bad intentions. Thank you to MySpace for getting rid of the sex offenders. Let's hope you continue to keep an eye for them and that other sites like Facebook will follow suit.

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