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As we mentioned in yesterday's reboot, MySpace is developing software tools that will allow parents to [track their children's usage][2] of the site (note link requires registration). This morning brings word that the families of four children who were sexually assaulted by people that met on MySpace have [filed suit against News Corp][1], MySpace's owner, for negligence and fraud.
MySpace is hoping that the new tracking software, named "Zephyr" and due to be released this summer, will help stave off what continues to be a growing problem for the popular social networking site.
Though details of Zephyr remain vague, one thing it won't do is provide account passwords. The standalone program, which for now is Windows only, will notify parents whenever a someone logs into a MySpace account from that machine and will provide the name, age and location their children have entered on MySpace, however Zephyr will not give parents access to their children's profiles nor does it let them see email or other password protected communications.
Zephyr stores the data it collects in a password protected file and can notify parents of changes made to the account even if those changes are made from another computer. It also works even if the child's profile is private.
The basis of MySpace's existing security revolves around age restrictions. Last year MySpace enacted features that place restrictions on how adults may contact the site's younger users
Currently MySpace requires users to be over fourteen to register and under sixteen can display their full profiles -- containing hobbies, schools, and any other personal details -- only to people already listed as friends. Others see only the user name, gender, age, and location.
The problem is that the age restrictions aren't really enforceable. To get a full profile that the whole world has access to is a simple as changing your age on the signup form. Zephyr is intended to notify parents if their children are lying about their age to gain access to full profiles.
MySpace says many of Zephyr's specific mechanisms are still being worked out, but one thing is for sure -- the tool won't work if a profile is accessed entirely away from home.
For all practical purposes Zephyr seems to do little more than possibly give MySpace some wiggle room in its many pending lawsuits. The software has little chance of accomplishing anything from a security standpoint, but it does do one thing, it transfers at least some the burden of age policing back to the parents.
MySpace is attempting to walk a thin line here since if they gave parents total access to their children's accounts the kids would likely flee the site in droves for competitors like Facebook.
[1]: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-01-18T155950Z_01_N18174054_RTRUKOC_0_US-NEWSCORP-MYSPACE.xml&src=rss "More families sue News Corp's MySpace: attorney"
[2]: http://online.wsj.com/google_login.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB116900733587978625.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsj "MySpace Moves to Give Parents More Information"
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