NYC prosecutors back ban on sex predators

Proposed state law would be first in nation to ban registered sex offenders from social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

The story "NYC prosecutors back ban on sex predators" published February 12, 2008 at 9:30 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[tundraboy]

How stupid is this law?

Predators will be required to register their IM screen names? Oh like convicted criminals are stalwart paragons of honesty and civic duty and will disclose all the information asked of them.

[chuck_whealton]

Re: How stupid is this law

Well, the INTENT of the law is good, but unfortunately, it will not make a difference.

Some offenders may, in fact, obey the "proposed" law. However because the Internet allows anyone to be anonymous, the law is absolutely WORTHLESS.

The only way I could see a law such as the one being proposed working, is if all anonymous access to the Internet were made illegal, everywhere.

Personally, I'd have no problem with it, but many would feel that this goes against their God given right to do and say whatever they want, about anybody or any organization they want, pretending to be anybody they want.

Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

[wbenton]

Just another Feel Good Law

It will waste tax payer's money tracking the registered people because they WON'T use their registered names to continue doing their evil activities.

It will do nothing to make either New York or the rest of the internet safer.

Just like recording their street address doesn't tell you what pedophilia shops they hang out at... neither does registering their IP address or their E-mail address(s).

There are libraries, internet cafe's and E-mail addresses are free for the registering.

Likewise, there is NO WAY to really authenticate people over the internet unless you have a very expensive setup... much more than most kids (or their parents) can afford and even then, there are ways to get around suh authentication.

For example, using a friend's PC, creating a false identification to use for authentication, etc.

There are too many loop holes in the current implementation of the internet to even think one can circumvent their bad habbits over the internet!

Just think about all the unsecure wireless access points installed in millions of homes all over the place. All one has to do is perform a drive by with a scanner searching for access points broadcasting their availibility. All of them broadcast it by default. Once they find an access point, many people don't set up the proper security requiring authentication and thus they have a new way on to the internet.

If the internet were so easy to identify people... we wouldn't have any spammers today now would we... because we would have been able to already identify them.

It's thanks to the loopholes and weaknesses all over the place today that allow spammers and pedophiles to continue their bad habbits.

This NEW Feel Good law will do nothing but give parents a false sense of feeling that their kids are somehow safer.

Little do they know... and now... more wasted taxpayer dollars checking the registered E-mail address which will never be used for illicit activity.

Bottom Line: Those for this bill are too ignorant to understand that it won't work.

Walt