Facebook adopts plan to protect young users

In cooperation with the District of Columbia and 49 states, including Illinois, Facebook says it will work "to protect Facebook’s under-18 users by enforcing and enhancing tools such as those for verifying a user’s age or issuing a warning when a young user is about to disclose personal information to an unknown adult." The linked post on the Tribune's Eric 2.0 blog lists "the safety features and privacy initiatives Facebook will continue and enhance" pursuant to this agreement:

• Age and identity identification tools;

• Automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult;

• Restricting the ability of users to change their listed ages;

• Aggressive response to remove inappropriate content and groups from the site;

• Safety and privacy guidelines that third party vendors and developers are required to adhere to as part of Facebook’s Terms of Service;

• Immediate severance of links to pornographic websites;

• Immediate removal of Facebook Groups dedicated to incest, pedophilia, cyber-bullying and other topics that violate Facebook’s Terms of Services;

• Immediate investigation of Facebook users who violate the Terms of Service, and expulsion of those individuals that violate the safety or privacy of other users;
  

• Prominent display of privacy information and safety tips; and
  

• Require users under 18 to affirm they have read Facebook’s safety tips when they sign up.

I remain skeptical. But rather than try and explain again what makes me nervous about Facebook, let me direct you to this very funny, if a tad rude, video I've posted on Page 2.