Google, Brazil working to clean Orkut

Google said Thursday it's talking to Brazilian authorities about closing some communities on its social networking site Orkut that promote violence and crime in South America.

Google had reportedly shut down some areas of Orkut, but a representative from the search company said it is waiting for more details from authorities before it takes action. Orkut's terms of service prohibits member content that promotes illegal acts.

Orkut has as many as 12 million members, dominated by a Portuguese-speaking population.

Google came under fire earlier this month by Brazil's attorney general for allegations that Orkut members were specifically using the site to distribute child pornography.