MySpace hiring more security officer board to handle inappropriate content

Recent news stories have detailed how much personal information is shared by underage MySpace members, sparking concern about sexual predators targeting younger users.

In response, MySpace is expected to announce a new position of chief security officer, which will be filled by Hemanshu Nigam, a former Justice Department prosecutor who focused on child-exploitation cases.

Nigam will be tasked with creating new programs for MySpace, as well as for other Fox media properties that deal with education, safety, and privacy. He also will be responsible for coordinating efforts with law enforcement.


Safety Dance

In addition to new programs, another part of MySpace's new effort to comfort parents is the hiring of about 100 employees to handle security and customer issues.

The site also will be creating an ad campaign designed to appeal to teens who spend a significant amount of time online. MySpace has teamed with the Advertising Council and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children for the effort.

Before implementing the new controls, MySpace did have some child-friendly protections already in place. The site requires that members be at least 14 years old, and employees monitor postings and profiles to weed out children who might be posing as teens.


Measure of Control

Because of media reports and growing awareness about online blogs and profiles, parents have become concerned about having their children's information on MySpace, said Parry Aftab, executive director of watchdog group WiredSafety, an organization that has consulted with MySpace and other social-network sites.

Although MySpace's actions might provide some comfort to parents whose children have profiles on the site, Aftab emphasized that there is a larger issue that needs to be addressed.

"We have to look at the information that kids are putting online, and who's reading it," she said. "There should be solutions that reach across the Web, not just for one site."

Although some parents are aware of their kids' activities online, many are not, Aftab noted. "It seems that parents are either freaking out or they're completely unaware," she said. "We need to do a lot more with creating some controls to keep kids safe."