MySpace to Turn Over Info on Thousands of Sex Offenders
MySpace Agrees to Provide Names of Convicted Sex Offenders

BALTIMORE, MD (May 21, 2007) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced that MySpace, a popular social networking website, will turn over the names of convicted sex offenders the company has identified as members of its site. After Attorneys General from across the country demanded MySpace turn over the information, the company confirmed that it has identified thousands of registered sex offenders as members and has deleted these users from its site. MySpace has preserved that information and will provide it to the Attorneys General.

Once Maryland receives the information, Attorney General Gansler will immediately turn it over to law enforcement. The data can be used to look for potential parole violations by offenders who may be barred from using a computer or contacting minors.

“MySpace has taken on the task of making sure sexual predators are not allowed to use their site as a path to find more victims,” said Attorney General Gansler. “We are all appreciative that MySpace heeded our call, and I am very eager to get the information into the hands of law enforcement.”

MySpace will continue to search its site for registered sex offenders, and will give the states
information about all offenders found on its site including their email and IP addresses. Since May of 2006, Attorneys General from 52 states and territories have been pushing social networking sites to do a better job of protecting children from threats such as sexual predators and inappropriate content.