MySpace hit with online predator suits

[ProfJohn]

This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.
These kids could have just as easily meet these adults on AOL, MSM or even the AT forums.
I would say the fault for this lies with the predators, the children and their parents.

One of the network prime time news programs did a story about a town in Mass. A teen there was raped by someone they meet on-line and the school and parents were given tons of information about on-line safety. Despite all of this a middle aged police detective was able to win the trust and confidence of two 14 or 15 year old girls via Myspace and convince them to meet him some where. Right before the girls learned the truth of their new ?friend? they swore on camera how safe they were and how they knew everyone on their friend list etc.

Four families have sued News Corp. and its MySpace social-networking site after their underage daughters were sexually abused by adults they met on the site, lawyers for the families said Thursday.

The law firms, Barry & Loewy LLP of Austin, Texas, and Arnold & Itkin LLP of Houston, said families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina filed separate suits Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging negligence, recklessness, fraud and negligent misrepresentation by the companies.

"In our view, MySpace waited entirely too long to attempt to institute meaningful security measures that effectively increase the safety of their underage users," said Jason A. Itkin, an Arnold & Itkin lawyer.

The families are seeking monetary damages "in the millions of dollars," Itkin said.

"Hopefully these lawsuits can spur MySpace into action and prevent this from happening to another child somewhere," he said.

Critics including parents, school officials and police have been increasingly warning of online predators at sites like MySpace, where youth-oriented visitors are encouraged to expand their circles of friends using free messaging tools and personal profile pages.

MySpace has responded with added educational efforts and partnerships with law enforcement. The company has also placed restrictions on how adults may contact younger users on MySpace, while developing technologies such as one announced Wednesday to let parents see some aspects of their child's online profile, including the stated age. That tool is expected this summer.

"MySpace serves as an industry leader on Internet safety and we take proactive measures to protect our members," Hemanshu Nigam, MySpace's chief security officer, said in a statement. "We provide users with a range of tools to enable a safer online experience."

But he said Internet safety is a shared responsibility, requiring users to "apply common sense offline safety lessons in their online experiences and engage in open family dialogue."

The lawyers who filed the latest lawsuits said the plaintiffs include a 15-year-old girl from Texas who was lured to a meeting, drugged and assaulted in 2006 by an adult MySpace user, who is currently serving a 10-year sentence in Texas after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

The others are a 15-year-old girl from Pennsylvania, a 14-year-old from upstate New York and two South Carolina sisters, ages 14 and 15.

Last June, the mother of a 14-year-old who says she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old user sued MySpace and News Corp., seeking $30 million in damages. That lawsuit, pending in a Texas state court, claims the 19-year-old lied about being a senior in high school to gain her trust and phone number.

Why can't Myspace figure out how to stop people from lying on-line? Shame on them. :roll:

 

[JEDIYoda]

exactly!!! Very good observation!!

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
exactly!!! Very good observation!!

GREAT SCOTT!! And how is MySpace different from any other online chat room? Are they to employ Officers of Truthiness to audit postings?

"meant to hit reply not qoute,edit"

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: WHAMPOM

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
exactly!!! Very good observation!!

GREAT SCOTT!! And how is MySpace different from any other online chat room? Are they to employ Officers of Truthiness to audit postings?

"meant to hit reply not qoute,edit"

Other sites have taken measures to do just that....MSN comes to mind........as but 1 of many...

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.

It looks to me like an example of a company making a potentially dangerous product or service available to consumers without ensuring adequate warnings or safety precautions.

I love the way you phrase your bs objections in the language of personal responsibility. What you really mean is you think large corporations should be able to market any damn product they please, regardless of if that product is going to harm or kill people. What's more, you think the consumer should have no right to seek redress in the courts. Fortunately George Bush has lost this battle in the USA, hence the trial lawyers will continue to protect american citizens while earning an honest wage for their efforts, and the democrats will maintain a major source of their campaign funding. all is right in the universe.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.

It looks to me like an example of a company making a potentially dangerous product or service available to consumers without ensuring adequate warnings or safety precautions.

I love the way you phrase your bs objections in the language of personal responsibility. What you really mean is you think large corporations should be able to market any damn product they please, regardless of if that product is going to harm or kill people. What's more, you think the consumer should have no right to seek redress in the courts. Fortunately George Bush has lost this battle in the USA, hence the trial lawyers will continue to protect american citizens while earning an honest wage for their efforts, and the democrats will maintain a major source of their campaign funding. all is right in the universe.

What is dangerous or harmful about Myspace? Does it blow up if you type your password in wrong?

The only dangerous thing is when people go outside of myspace and meet people, no different than any other chat room etc.

Why hasn't someone sued a beer company for making a product that made them drunk which then caused them to pass out and then taken advantage of. How can these comapnies get away with such dangerous products.

 

[amish]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.

It looks to me like an example of a company making a potentially dangerous product or service available to consumers without ensuring adequate warnings or safety precautions.

so when users of a product deviate from the intended use of said product it is the company's/corporation's fault?

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.

It looks to me like an example of a company making a potentially dangerous product or service available to consumers without ensuring adequate warnings or safety precautions.

I love the way you phrase your bs objections in the language of personal responsibility. What you really mean is you think large corporations should be able to market any damn product they please, regardless of if that product is going to harm or kill people. What's more, you think the consumer should have no right to seek redress in the courts. Fortunately George Bush has lost this battle in the USA, hence the trial lawyers will continue to protect american citizens while earning an honest wage for their efforts, and the democrats will maintain a major source of their campaign funding. all is right in the universe.

I agree that companies who produce a harmful product hold liability for any damages done. However MySpace provides a meeting place for people. In theory you could just as well sue a Mall for the same reasons. It provided a location for people to meet.

The simple fact is the parents of these people are either too ignorant or too lazy to deal with it and instead decide a good suing will solve their problems.

 

[DealMonkey]

Myspace has deep pockets and so now they're a huge target. Yet another frivolous lawsuit. Meh.

 

[DealMonkey]

One thing that Myspace *could* implement (but probably never will) is a small micro-payment required during sign up. This would necessitate a valid credit card, something that those under 18-years old presumably do not have. Since teenagers make up the bulk of the myspace members, I doubt the company would do something so effective at screening out minors...

 

[sonoma1993]

I guess those 14 and 15 years old girls and their parents forgot to read the myspace safety tips link

myspace safety tips

# Don't forget that your profile and MySpace forums are public spaces. Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address, IM screens name, or specific whereabouts). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where you hang out every day after school.
# People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult.
# Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behavior is inappropriate, react. Talk with a trusted adult, or report it to MySpace or the authorities.
# Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. Think twice before posting a photo or info you wouldn't want your parents or boss to see!
# Don't mislead people into thinking that you're older or younger. If you are under 14 and pretend to be older, customer service will delete your profile. If you are over 18 and pretend to be a teenager to contact underage users, customer service will delete your profile.

 

[blackllotus]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.

It looks to me like an example of a company making a potentially dangerous product or service available to consumers without ensuring adequate warnings or safety precautions.

I love the way you phrase your bs objections in the language of personal responsibility. What you really mean is you think large corporations should be able to market any damn product they please, regardless of if that product is going to harm or kill people. What's more, you think the consumer should have no right to seek redress in the courts. Fortunately George Bush has lost this battle in the USA, hence the trial lawyers will continue to protect american citizens while earning an honest wage for their efforts, and the democrats will maintain a major source of their campaign funding. all is right in the universe.

Why is it Myspace's fault that some stupid idiot decided to get together with a stranger they met online?

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.

It looks to me like an example of a company making a potentially dangerous product or service available to consumers without ensuring adequate warnings or safety precautions.

I love the way you phrase your bs objections in the language of personal responsibility. What you really mean is you think large corporations should be able to market any damn product they please, regardless of if that product is going to harm or kill people. What's more, you think the consumer should have no right to seek redress in the courts. Fortunately George Bush has lost this battle in the USA, hence the trial lawyers will continue to protect american citizens while earning an honest wage for their efforts, and the democrats will maintain a major source of their campaign funding. all is right in the universe.

What is dangerous or harmful about Myspace? Does it blow up if you type your password in wrong?

The only dangerous thing is when people go outside of myspace and meet people, no different than any other chat room etc.

Why hasn't someone sued a beer company for making a product that made them drunk which then caused them to pass out and then taken advantage of. How can these comapnies get away with such dangerous products.

the beauty of america is that the above questions will be tested and decided in court.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: amish

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
This looks like another example of people, via lawyers, trying to blame everyone but themselves for their stupid behavior.

It looks to me like an example of a company making a potentially dangerous product or service available to consumers without ensuring adequate warnings or safety precautions.

so when users of a product deviate from the intended use of said product it is the company's/corporation's fault?

it all depends. if you take 2 painkillers instead of 1, and your liver blows up, then yes it is the corporation's fault. there is too little difference between the therapeutic dose and the toxic/ lethal dose. in the myspace case, I don't have much of an opinion on the merits of the case of the parents. I do think it is very important they have the option of taking something like this to court, tho.