he dismissed a lawsuit filed by the parents of a young
teen girl against MySpace. According to the Los
Angeles Times, Judge Sparks’ specific comment was “If
anyone had a duty to protect Julie Doe, it was her par-
ents, not MySpace.”This statement is on par with claiming that parents are primarily
responsible for traffic deaths of their teens. If someone hands a 14-year-
old keys to a faulty car and says “go have fun” down a poorly main-
tained freeway that doesn’t warn of steep curves, would society blame
the parents for the ensuing crash?What Law Enforcement and Government
Agencies Must DoLaw enforcement has primary responsibility to monitor society’s safety,
prevent crime, and bring to justice those who break the law. Yet, this is
a tall order when adequate laws and regulations are missing to facilitate
enforcement, adequate safety features weren’t built into the products to
minimize the potential for exploitation, and even so-called public sites
are owned and run by companies, not society. Crime has always
enjoyed better funding than law enforcement, but without assurances
of basic safety, the public can’t fully realize the tremendous opportuni-
ties the Internet has to offer.No government’s intent has ever been to abet criminals or expose con-
sumers to crime. Unfortunately, intent doesn’t deter crime; actions do.
Law enforcement and government agencies must work hand in hand to➟ Clearly indicate in government-sponsored public mes-
saging the government role in exposing consumers
to risk.➟ Thoroughly evaluate and justify all information they
make public about individuals.344
Part IV: Being Proactive