The Megan Meier Myspace suicide case *Update: Conviction overturned* see page 23

[merika]

Anonymity makes a lot of creeps come out of the woodwork. Look at tPF. We have moderators here, we have checks and balances but still there are characters who come by and pretend that they are someone else for goodness knows what sick reason. tPF members themselves have suffered from these kind of attacks by creeps masquerading as genuine members who wish to hurt them.

So it's not just MySpace, it's actually the whole internet anonymity thing.

People say it's astonishing that an adult would do it - plenty of adults do things like that. It is immensely disgusting, to target an impressionable teenager and spew hate at her, but many adults ARE capable of that kind of behavior. Many adults do fight their children's fights in a good way or a bad way.

Here, the woman who set up the account as a fake teenager is an extremely disgusting person, and should be held responsible for her actions.

I am confused, somewhat though. Maybe I am not of the correct generation but why would a parent allow a child to add as a friend some person they did not know through school/other friends/ neighborhood? Do you just allow your underage child to correspond with someone just because your child thinks they are 'cute'? I wouldn't!!!

[Neeya]

Originally Posted by merika

I am confused, somewhat though. Maybe I am not of the correct generation but why would a parent allow a child to add as a friend some person they did not know through school/other friends/ neighborhood? Do you just allow your underage child to correspond with someone just because your child thinks they are 'cute'? I wouldn't!!!

Another good point- if the parents intentions were to closely regulate their child's account, this was one important detail that should have been closely tracked.

[Roo]

It seems like the point is being missed. Myspace is a BUSINESS. They have a responsibility to make sure that their business is run safely. They are failing miserably. I think that because this is the internet, people think that different standards for safety apply. They don't. If you read the article, the parents DID MONITOR what this child was doing. It didn't matter because an adult targeted her. Myspace was the perfect avenue for this adult to carry out harassment and stalking, which are crimes. Internet harassment and stalking are illegal both on a federal level and in most states. Myspace KNOWINGLY allows crimes to be committed within their business. Would you agree that it would be OK for the owner of a business that caters to CHILDREN to KNOWINGLY ALLOW pedophiles to frequent that business with no checks/balances/monitoring whatsoever? Would you all be blaming the PARENTS for any misfortune that befell a child in such a situation? I think not. Myspace is no different!

[Roo]

Here's another joke. Myspace's terms of service. They don't even enforce their own policies.

<snip>


http://collect.myspace.com/misc/terms.html

1. Content/Activity Prohibited. The following is a partial list of the kind of Content that is illegal or prohibited to post on or through the MySpace Services. MySpace.com reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate legal action against anyone who, in MySpace.com's sole discretion, violates this provision, including without limitation, removing the offending communication from the MySpace Services and terminating the Membership of such violators. Prohibited Content includes, but is not limited to Content that, in the sole discretion of MySpace.com:
   1. is patently offensive and promotes racism, bigotry, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual;
   2. harasses or advocates harassment of another person;
   3. exploits people in a sexual or violent manner;
   4. contains nudity, violence, or offensive subject matter or contains a link to an adult website;
   5. solicits personal information from anyone under 18

[Neeya]

Originally Posted by Roo

It seems like the point is being missed. Myspace is a BUSINESS. They have a responsibility to make sure that their business is run safely. They are failing miserably. I think that because this is the internet, people think that different standards for safety apply. They don't. If you read the article, the parents DID MONITOR what this child was doing. It didn't matter because an adult targeted her. Myspace was the perfect avenue for this adult to carry out harassment and stalking, which are crimes. Internet harassment and stalking are illegal both on a federal level and in most states. Myspace KNOWINGLY allows crimes to be committed within their business. Would you agree that it would be OK for the owner of a business that caters to CHILDREN to KNOWINGLY ALLOW pedophiles to frequent that business with no checks/balances/monitoring whatsoever? Would you all be blaming the PARENTS for any misfortune that befell a child in such a situation? I think not. Myspace is no different!

You know, there are no previously created, formal, standards on how to safely run a website that caters to such a huge variety purposes. That is the issue here. If I were running Myspace, I'd be pretty damn confused on how to operate in this situation also- how do I know this person is a pedophile? How do I know this or that person is a true danger? How do you regulate personal profiles/participants/interaction? A LOT would go into regulating Myspace for absolute security, and even then, NOTHING is guaranteed. Does Myspace defend pedophiles? Myspace may acknowledge that they are there, but that doesn't mean that they know exactly who they are! How do you expect Myspace to pinpoint each and every pedophile that creates a profile? Do we check each person's profile for young friends? Read each PM? No matter what, personal responsibility is key in occupying these types of sites. Maybe one day a secure system will be worked out, but who knows how on earth they will accomplish that. Sure, they could shut down their site, but they would also be shutting down one of the best advertising areas for bands, artists, and businesses. Many people get safe, innocent, and personal pleasure out of the site. But every once and a while, with anything else in life, you get those bad eggs that ruin it for everyone. That's life.

I will say that I do not believe Myspace is in any position as of yet to even defend their own terms of service, do to the seemingly chaotic nature of their site (and mind you, under Myspace's sole discretion, incidents are looked into). Do they fully explain how these terms work? Do you have to report the incident? Or is Myspace in charge of tracking down these problems themselves? How on earth can they keep track of the thousands of indiscretions committed by the users of Myspace? Think of trying to control the textual feelings of thousands of users (like tracking the bickerings of thousands of teenagers, cringe at that thought, as cruel as they are)- not an easy task. I have no solution to suggest, but I can say the system is chaotic and DOES need to be reworked to get some kinks out, but my position remains that the incident was not Myspace's fault. Personal responsibility is key.

[merika]

Originally Posted by Roo

It seems like the point is being missed. Myspace is a BUSINESS. They have a responsibility to make sure that their business is run safely. They are failing miserably. I think that because this is the internet, people think that different standards for safety apply. They don't. If you read the article, the parents DID MONITOR what this child was doing. It didn't matter because an adult targeted her. Myspace was the perfect avenue for this adult to carry out harassment and stalking, which are crimes. Internet harassment and stalking are illegal both on a federal level and in most states. Myspace KNOWINGLY allows crimes to be committed within their business. Would you agree that it would be OK for the owner of a business that caters to CHILDREN to KNOWINGLY ALLOW pedophiles to frequent that business with no checks/balances/monitoring whatsoever? Would you all be blaming the PARENTS for any misfortune that befell a child in such a situation? I think not. Myspace is no different!

Do you have any suggestions, then, Roo? What do YOU think MySpace should do? Ask people who sign up for the social security numbers so that their bona fides can be verified? What checks and balances do YOU suggest? Is the answer simply to shut MySpace down?

My child has to go out in the world. The real world, as opposed to the internet world. What is the first rule that I (and any other parent in the whole wide world) tell my child who goes out in the street, to visit a friend, to walk in the park? Don't talk to strangers.

Compare the internet to the real world and MySpace to a local park that your kid visits in the company of friends - I don't care if the park is a business like an amusement park or just a public park. It doesn't matter. Anyone can get in the park, even if the park is a business and has controls if they really want to. If it's ID they want to get into the park, they can get false IDs, if it's SS#, those can be stolen. If people want to do something really badly, most times they can do it.

[Roo]

The first thing that myspace can do is RESPOND to the reports they get about inappropriate behavior. Its been proven that they do not do that, even when contacted by law enforcement. If they aren't responding to those requests, then getting anything else accomplished is pretty much futile.

Some people on this forum may remember that we had our own little "myspace" experience in our family. They did NOTHING to stop a pedo who targeted our daughter. We had to get three law enforcement agencies involved and then FINALLY myspace temporarily shut down the person's account. It didn't last long though, his account was open again within a matter of weeks and is still there to this day.

[merika]

Originally Posted by Neeya

I will say that I do not believe Myspace is in any position as of yet to even defend their own terms of service, do to the seemingly chaotic nature of their site (and mind you, under Myspace's sole discretion, incidents are looked into). Do they fully explain how these terms work? Do you have to report the incident? Or is Myspace in charge of tracking down these problems themselves? How on earth can they keep track of the thousands of indiscretions committed by the users of Myspace? Think of trying to control the textual feelings of thousands of users (like tracking the bickerings of thousands of teenagers, cringe at that thought, as cruel as they are)- not an easy task. I have no solution to suggest, but I can say the system is chaotic and DOES need to be reworked to get some kinks out, but my position remains that the incident was not Myspace's fault. Personal responsibility is key.

It's very easy to be lulled into complacency when your interaction takes place from inside your own home. I still say, if MySpace were a physically existing place where your kid went to, and was a place where there was a risk they would meet undesirable people, you simply wouldn't let your kid go there. Period.

[merika]

Originally Posted by Roo

The first thing that myspace can do is RESPOND to the reports they get about inappropriate behavior. Its been proven that they do not do that, even when contacted by law enforcement. If they aren't responding to those requests, then getting anything else accomplished is pretty much futile. Some people on this forum may remember that we had our own little "myspace" experience in our family. They did NOTHING to stop a pedo who targeted our daughter. We had to get three law enforcement agencies involved and then FINALLY myspace temporarily shut down the person's account. It didn't last long though, his account was open again within a matter of weeks and is still there to this day.

I actually do remember, which was why I asked you. I cannot remember all the details, but how was he able to keep in touch with your daughter if she didn't access her MySpace?

[Roo]

Originally Posted by merika

I actually do remember, which was why I asked you. I cannot remember all the details, but how was he able to keep in touch with your daughter if she didn't access her MySpace?

He sent her a CELL PHONE overnight, and arranged for it to be delivered on a day when she knew we would not be home. She then taped it to the frame of her bed and was calling him in the middle of the night while we were asleep. We took the computer away from her but she was still accessing email and another myspace profile she'd created (unbeknownst to us) from school.

[stacmck]

For lack of a better way to put it...

This is one of the most f**ked up things I have ever heard.

That poor family.

[paintednightsky]

that is so horrible that grown adults would play such childish games with a KID... people are so messed up

[paintednightsky]

I was reading more posts..

I have to say Myspace is NOT at fault.

Just like the gun isn't the thing at fault, it's the PERSON.

Myspace CANNOT realistically monitor millions of people.

Although it is EXTREMELY sad what had happened, you can't blame myspace. It is entirely upon those who use myspace and idiotic adults who commit such immature crimes like this. I do think something should be done to the "parents" who posed as that boy and it is too bad there isn't some law for impersonating like that.

[Liz_x3]

Originally Posted by Roo

He sent her a CELL PHONE overnight, and arranged for it to be delivered on a day when she knew we would not be home. She then taped it to the frame of her bed and was calling him in the middle of the night while we were asleep. We took the computer away from her but she was still accessing email and another myspace profile she'd created (unbeknownst to us) from school.

I can only imagine what you went through. You know, I hear about these things on the news and such but I've never actually heard a personal account of something like this happening. I'm assuming that the whole ordeal is in the past but wow.. I hope that man got his punishment.

[H&H]

Roo I'm sorry I don't know the full story... i thank you ... I realize I will have to protect my kids more... how difficult that might be..