Facebook Working to Protect Young Users

Facebook has reached an agreement with 49 states attorneys general to protect underage members from sexual predators.

Popular social networking site Facebook has, after reportedly long negotiations, reached an agreement with attorneys general from 49 states and the District of Columbia to implement policies and technology designed to shield underage users from sexual predators. The deal is similar to an agreement with 49 states (and Washington DC) reached earlier this year with social networking site MySpace—and, once again, the single state not signing on is Texas. The new agreement also follows Facebook’s mea culpa last year when it admitted it had failed to respond promptly to complaints of online harassment and abuse.

Under the terms of the agreement, Facebook will immediately remove adult content, links to pornographic Web sites, and inappropriate groups from its service (including groups related to incest, pedophilia, and online bullying). Facebook will also specifically review member attempts to change their ages on the site, display online safety tips more prominently and require underage users to affirm they’ve read the safety tips, provide automatic warnings when an underage user may be disclosing personal information to an unknown adult. Facebook will also require third-party developers and partners to adhere to Facebook’s privacy and safety regulation, and pledges to develop age verification technology.

"Our driving concern is that social networking sites can be misused by sexual predators to commit crimes against minors, and that minors may be exposed to pornography or other inappropriate content," said Iowa attorney general Tom Miller, in a statement.

Both Facebook and the attorneys general emphasize that these safeguards are no substitute for parental supervision of a child’s online activities. "Parents should have repeated conversations with youths about possible threats, including online predators, and should know what sites the youths are visiting," Miller said. "Parents are the most important protective measure."