Myth of Myspace - privacy setting

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Myth of Myspace - privacy setting
6
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 1:58pm

I have heard people say that their teen set up their MySpace account with privacy settings so tha only friends can access their site.

I have also heard this:

Some teens sneeked into our local middle school on a weekend and committed vandalism. They did a lot of very expensive damage, and they got away scott free. No one knew who had done it... until...

One of the perpetrators started bragging on her "private" myspace. Isn't it true that anyone who signs up to be your "friend" can access your site? So - you don't actually know who these friends ARE, unless you are a super-internet-sleuth with CIA-level skills. Some of these people are not friends, they are total strangers.

The vandals are all facing prosecution.

Avatar for jbgattuso
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 2:45pm

Well, the one thing is that kids can have as many "friends" as they want to except, but it really is true if you have your myspace set to private, you have to hit "except friend request" for them to be allowed to view your myspace. I have actually been logged on one sons site and tried to go to a childs site of my other sons friends and it will not let me. If that make sence. Still you are right in that If the children except strangers as friends, it is not private. I also have to see everyone they except, and I look through their friens list often to make sure we at least "sort of" know everyone.

Julie

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 2:46pm
When a myspace is set to private, only friends THAT YOU'VE ACCEPTED can access your account. For instance, if you have a private myspace, I can ask to be your friend, but I can't get in until you give permission for me to get in. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if one of the vandal's friends from school read about their crime on a private myspace, after being accepted as a friend, and then said "OMG Mom, I can't believe they did this - and that's all it took to get the ball rolling." I believe that law enforcement can get into those private accounts with a warrent - so in their investigation the police might have gotten probably cause to investigate one of the perpetrators and got a search for their private account.
Rose
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 2:56pm

Your child doesn't have any idea who they are accepting. It may look like someone you know, but can be faked. Also, kids being kids, they are using their emotions just as much as their brains when deciding to hit the "Accept" button. Correct?

Do you have a parental control so that only a parent can Accept?

Do you have the ability to trace a user to its origin and confirm who this "friend" really is?

Avatar for jbgattuso
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 4:07pm

I guess the answer you are looking for is NO there is no totally security on line, I just threw out there how I chose to parent, and deal with myspace. There is no guarantee that my child won't get into an accident driving his car, but I chose to let him drive with best direction I can give him. Maybe we are talking about the difference of 13 yr olds with myspace or 16 and 17 yr olds who are getting ready to leave home?!

Avatar for jbgattuso
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 4:12pm

Yep, I have actually contacted a parent or two about things that were on their childrens myspace. There are really alot of parnets monitoring myspace. People I talk to either chose to not allow it, or monitor it :) Both are reasonable.

Julie

Avatar for coldfingers
Community Leader
Registered: 04-30-2000
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 10:01pm

I totally agree!

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