Our View: Keeping predators away from children

May 12, 2008 11:40 am

— Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is working to assure a safe online environment for the state’s youth by chasing registered sex offenders from the most popular Internet gathering areas. Madigan’s office announced recently that 123 of the state’s registered sex offenders were found to be registered as members of Facebook, and it promptly nudged the company to ban the users from the site.
This move came after 1,800 registered sex offenders were found among the membership of another popular Web site, MySpace. That Web site’s administration also banned the registered sex offenders from participating in the site, which allows easy access for those wishing to communicate with one another and share photos, videos and other personal information.
Madigan is to be credited for this effort, as online interaction could lead to much more serious problems for the mostly younger crowd that uses Facebook and MySpace. However, it must not end with the recent announcement. Staying a step ahead of potential predators needs to remain a priority for the state’s attorney general.