Facebook Sued Regarding Sexual Predators

By Pamela Mortimer

Facebook, the popular social networking site, has been subpoenaed regarding charges that it does not take measures to keep young users safe from sexual predators and inappropriate materials. The company has also been chastised for not responding to user complaints.

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo made a statement on Monday announcing the outcome of a 50 state investigation which scrutinized Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking websites. Accompanying the subpoena were documents stating that a preliminary review of Facebook’s safety controls revealed defects. Cuomo stated that the defects conflict with Facebook’s assurances that the website is safe for all users.

In a recent sting operation, New York state investigators went undercover to test the site’s safety controls. The investigators posed as underage users and were subsequently approached by adult sexual predators. The investigators were also able to access pornographic images and videos, Cuomo said.

"It appears that Facebook has not significantly altered its representations about safety and inappropriate content on the site," said Cuomo. "It does not have the right to represent that its site is safe and that it promptly responds to complaints when such statements are not accurate."

A spokesperson for the Palo Alto based Facebook said that the company was aware of the subpoena and was currently preparing a statement.

Facebook was originally launched in 2004 as a site to be used solely by students of Harvard University. Eventually, the site was accessible to Boston colleges and universities before branching out to include older high school users and anyone with ties to an educational institution. In 2006, Facebook became available to the general public. The only requirement for membership was to possess a valid e-mail address. The site’s founder and chief executive officer, 23 year old Mark Zuckerberg, was the recipient of the legal documents.

Last week, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Ohio’s Marc Dann and North Carolina’s Roy Cooper had the opportunity to meet with representatives of Facebook.

"We are negotiating with Facebook – including a productive, face-to-face meeting with Facebook representatives last week in my Hartford office," said Blumenthal. "Facebook has a long way to go before we are satisfied."

In July, Blumenthal stated that his office had been informed that at least three convicted sex offenders were on Facebook, concluding that the number could be the "tip of the iceberg".