If ever there was an argument for a consumer identity management solution for social-networking/online communities it comes courtesy of MySpace, as reported last week in the following AP news story (and elsewhere). The time to implement a fingerprint technology solution – backed by an in-person registration process that also includes parental consent for all users – is now.

MySpace: 29,000 sex offenders have profiles

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 24, 2007) – MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on the popular social networking Web site — more than four times the number cited by the company two months ago, North Carolina officials said Tuesday.

North Carolina's Roy Cooper is one of several attorneys general who recently demanded the News Corp.-owned Web site provide data on how many registered sex offenders were using the popular social networking site, along with information about where they live.

After initially withholding the information, citing federal privacy laws, MySpace began sharing the information in May after the states filed formal legal requests.

At the time, MySpace said it had already used a database it helped create to remove about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders, out of a total of about 180 million profiles on the site.
Cooper's office said Tuesday, however, that now the figure has risen past 29,000.
Two MySpace spokeswomen did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Cooper is pushing for a state law that would require children to receive parental permission before creating social networking profiles, and require the Web sites to verify the parents' identity and age.

We at safeTspace applaud the work of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper and attorneys general nationwide who are looking for ways to make the Internet a safer place for our children. Stay tuned to the safeTblog as we report on our efforts to work together.

- Chris Hagenbuch