Are Kids Protected from Online Predators?
While MySpace decides how to handle the known sexual predators with accounts on its site, pcpandora.com reminds parents that they are the first and last line of defense against online predators while children surf online this summer.
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 23, 2007 -- In an effort to address rising concerns from parents and officials on the attraction of online sexual predators to its site, MySpace, the leading social networking site, partnered with the Sentinel Tech Holding Corp. late last year to come up with a solution to eliminate the sexual predators using the site to prey on kids. This week, anonymous sources claiming that MySpace had discovered thousands of sex offenders on its site during an internal investigation, prompted the attorneys general from eight states (Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina) to send a letter, asking the social networking hub to reveal how many registered sex offenders were using the site and where they lived.
In response, MySpace has cited the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act as a reason to not comply with the Eight States' request. The law mandates that for a turnover of such information, proper legal processes must be followed, such as subpoenas, court orders or search warrants, depending on the information sought.
According to news reports, MySpace's chief security officer, Hemanshu Nigam, says they are serious about identifying and removing sex offenders from the Web site and want to work with the attorneys general.
But while parents and the rest of the country wait for MySpace to act definitively, one thing is certain: according to the site, there are currently 170 million user profiles, with 320,000 profiles being added per day. The United States has 550,000 registered sex offenders. Last year, media outlets reported nearly 100 criminal incidents across the country involving adults who used MySpace to prey or attempt to prey on children.
But those are only the reported incidents...
As summer approaches, kids on vacation will spend much more time unsupervised, and much more time online... and so will sexual predators. Now more-so-than-ever, parents are the first and last line of defense against sexual predators that may be targeting their kids online.
And while many stories use scare tactics to tell parents to protect their kids from dangers online - they are not telling them HOW! PCPandora.com, makers of computer monitoring software, wants to remind parents to protect their kids this summer... AND tell hem how they can do so, effectively.
PC Pandora serves as a valuable tool in monitoring children's activities online. Designed to operate either silently or in the open, monitoring software allows the administrator of any given computer to create a visual record of that machine's usage. It also has site-blocking capability, plus time scheduling and parent notification functions to help parents curb their children's Internet activities.
In addition, the company's website (www.pcpandora.com) contains 18 Tips for Safe Surfing and a blog, both which offer solutions and discussions for parents.
"We want to be a resource for parents," says co-founder James Leasure, "a place where they can come to discuss issues, get tips, educate themselves and find answers. Online safety is an important topic, now more so than ever - and it's up to parents to make sure we succeed."
The company hopes to keep online safety at the forefront of parents' minds this summer - and reminds parents that it is up to them to keep their kids safe on the Internet.
Some Alarming Stats Concerning Kids' Online Activity:
| | - According to 2006's Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later report, approximately one in seven youth online (10 to 17-years-old) received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet.
- The same report found that 34% had an unwanted exposure to sexual material - pictures of naked people or people having sex. 27% of the youth who encountered unwanted sexual material told a parent or guardian. But if the encounter was defined as distressing - episodes that made them feel very or extremely upset or afraid - 42% told a parent or guardian.
- 71% of all parents stop monitoring their child's use of the Internet after the child turns 14, not knowing that 72% of all Internet-related missing children are 15 years of age or older. - Dist. Attny, Cnty of Los Angeles
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About PC Pandora: Pandora Corporation was formed with one goal - to help our customers monitor, control and protect their families and themselves online. First released in 2005, PC Pandora has been constantly upgraded to industry-leading specifications and has received accolades from users, reviewers and even school districts and law enforcement agencies. With the release of Windows Vista-compatible version 4.2 and a newly upgraded interactive website, PC Pandora has vaulted into a leadership position by boasting a combination of features that unparalleled in the monitoring industry. The company website devotes space to helping parents with 18 Tips to Safe Surfing and the new Pandora's Blog, where current news in the world of online safety are discussed regularly.
For More Information, Contact: Ken Shallcross: 401.965.2035 or ken @ pcpandora.com
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