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US poised to ban social networking sites
01-08-2006
by Ciara O'Brien

The US is set to ban social networking sites like MySpace from schools and libraries in a bid to combat sexual predators.

Under the Deleting Online Predators Act, any federal institution that receives funding under the E-Rate scheme for computers and internet access will have to put filters in place to prevent access to social networking sites. Access to these sites will only be permitted under adult supervision.

The move is part of the US authorities' attempts to limit paedophiles' access to sites like MySpace. The act has already received widespread support, and was passed by 410 votes to 15 in the US House of Representatives at the end of July.

"The social networking sites have become, in a sense, a happy hunting ground for child predators," US House Representative Michael Fitzpatrick is reported to have said.

However, opponents of the act claim it will cut off a large number of other sites from students. Already a "Save your Space" campaign has begun by some MySpace users to gather support for a petition against the plans. The campaign is aiming to collect some 1 million signatures within a month.

The move by the US government is not a surprise, with parents there becoming increasingly concerned about the rise of social networking sites. In March in the US there was widespread parental outcry when two men were arrested in Connecticut, accused of illegal sexual contact with underage girls they had met through MySpace.

The US is not alone in trying to restrict access to the sites from public networks. In the UK for example, a number of private schools have banned pupils from accessing Bebo and other social networking sites.

Similarly in Ireland, several schools have already made moves to ban these sites from their networks, and from September, the ban will be widespread.

New guidelines from the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) published earlier in the summer proposed tough punishments for students who misuse the school networks, including expulsion. The NCTE wants internet access to be used only for educational purposes, and will impose tough new restrictions including banning students from using their personal details online and from arranging any meetings with people they know online.

The ban in Ireland comes amid fears that the sites are being used by paedophiles to prey on unsuspecting children. Other concerns also include the use of the sites to bully other students.