Facebook Boots Off Almost 5600 Sex Offenders; Don't You Feel Safer Now?
from the now-that-that's-out-of-the-way dept
Facebook says it's cleared about 5600 sex offenders from its userbase, following the big push from a bunch of state attorneys general. The figure's being compared to the 90,000 people that MySpace said it kicked off, leading to some speculation that Facebook isn't trying hard enough; its chief privacy offer says its requirement that people use their real names could deter sex offenders from registering in the first place. If these people Facebook has identified are using the site in violation of their parole or other restrictions, it's good they're being exposed. But the real problem here is that finding sex offenders on social networks and kicking them off is being misconstrued as the ultimate protection for kids. The actual threat posed by sex offenders on web sites is often exaggerated by politicians, and this sort of find-'em-and-ban-'em response causes some actual ways to keep kids safer online to be overlooked, in favor of non-existent magic bullets.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: bans, sex offenders, social networks
Companies: facebook
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Real Name ?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Well, Duh
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Real Name ?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Real Name ?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Shooting ghosts
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anyway, I'd definitely argue that Facebook's focus tends to be more on communicating with people you actually know rather than the "friend the whole internet" approach popular on MySpace. Given that, and the fact that MySpace has been around longer (more likely to have old, dormant accounts), I'd say that explains most of the difference in numbers.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Real Name ?
As for kicking off the sex offenders, they are most likely being matched by IP addresses or other computer access (a machine used in an internet cafe during a certain time period). They naturally won't be using their own names, so that's not really the question you should have been asking. ;) Ask how are they identified?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I am in my late 20s, and had two sexual encouters with a 16 year old female student when I taught school.
I registered for facebook using my real name and identity, with the full knowledge of my probation officer. In fact, he friended me in order to monitor my activities on the site. I have put my life back together, and utilized the site to network with over 200 friends and family across the country.
My question is - what about the predatory sex offenders who are no longer on probation and are seemingly "unsupervised?" They can easily create a name and email address at any of the ISPs, and literally use the social networking sites to troll for children at their will. And no one would no about it until it was too late.
Don't fall into the politician's hype that this is making your children safer. It isn't. I am a probationer and offender who made some mistakes, but plays by the rules and am a known quantity. My life will go on without facebook, and I take it as just one of those luxuries that I am no longer entitled to because of my transgressions against society. However, the real danger is the predators who evade the supervision of the authorities and go underground with different identities to avoid being branded.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
None of the registered sex offenders found on MySpace have been convicted ...
""None of the registered sex offenders found on MySpace have been convicted for actions on the site, Nigam said.
Facebook's statement said no sex offenders had been convicted of wrongdoing on its site either."
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-myspace4-2009feb04,0,6261480.story
Sex offenders in social sites: Consider the facts
http://www.netfamilynews.org/2009/02/sex-offenders-in-social-sites-consider.html
******
Nigel.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
so what?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
MySpace Flaws
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DISCIPLINE, TREATMENT & FORGIVENESS
HE HAS ALREADY SERVED HIS TIME AND IS REPENTANT AND REMORSEFUL. HE IS OFF PROBATION, AND MAINTAINS ACCOUNTABILITY AND HAS IMPLEMENTED HIS OWN CONTROLS, FIRMLY SET IN PLACE TO PREVENT HIM FROM OFFENDING AGAIN. HE IS VERY COGNIZANT OF HIS FLAWS, AND IS MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT, OPEN AND HONEST THAN BEFORE. IT WAS THE SECRECY THAT DID HIM IN; BUT NOW THAT HIS CRIME WAS MADE PUBLIC, HE IS ONE OF THE SAFEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!
It is absolutely unfair and counterproductive for society to treat ALL sex offenders as throwaways and not work harder to integrate them back into society in a safe manner...you only create a negative mentality and a pervasive stigma that treatment is unattainable. Recidivism is not what people claim it is. These people ARE treatable. They need to be afforded treatment and encouragment, not Nancy-Graced to death, tarred and feathered and condemned to live out their days in shame, isolation, and near-suicide levels of existence.
They are not ALL the same, so stop blanketing them and stop calling them sex offendERs. Most of them committed one offense, it's not an ongoing lifetime activity. Does someone who committed a murder ONCE have to be called a murderER for life, present tense? If you stole something once, are you then a thief for life? No, I breathe oxygen all the time. Therefore, I am an ongoing oxygen breather.
Come on people of the world. Extend a hand rather than a fist.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Real Name ?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
sex offender on facebook now
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: DISCIPLINE, TREATMENT & FORGIVENESS
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: report a sex offender on Facebook
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: report a sex offender on Facebook
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: report a sex offender on Facebook
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This is unconstitutional
[ link to this | view in thread ]
sex offender on Facebook
[ link to this | view in thread ]