Sacramento-Assemblymember Pedro Nava, Chair of the Joint Committee on Emergency Services & Homeland Security recently introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 106, requesting that social networking and video sites combat the proliferation of violent, criminal and inappropriate content and limit access by children. In addition the resolution calls on the Governor to create a task force to address how to combat the proliferation of violent and inappropriate internet content.
"The internet and the growth of social networking web sites have brought immeasurable benefits to our country and the world," said Nava. "However, when the internet is used as a tool to spread violent, graphic and criminal content that children can access is unacceptable and should not be tolerated."
Recently, attorney generals from 49 states, including California, signed a landmark agreement with social networking site MySpace to create an Internet Safety Technical Task Force to find effective ways to better protect children who use social networking sites. Thousands of violent videos and inappropriate content for children are accessible via social networking sites. Violent and graphic content on many sites can be accessed very easily by anyone, including children.
In April of this year a Florida youth was the subject of a vicious beating by other youths with the intent to post the video on-line. In March, in Salinas, California, a youth was murdered after a video hit list was posted on YouTube. The video was not removed until the Monterey County Herald reporter that wrote a story about the murder, contacted YouTube. Additionally, a Missouri mother was indicted today for utilizing a MySpace account causing a teenager to commit suicide. The perpetrator of this crime faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress. It is also known that many sexual predators use the internet in an attempt to lure young victims.
"It is my hope that California can lead the way to raise awareness and combat the spread of violent and inappropriate content and access by children," said Nava. "As a society we have to ask ourselves how many more victims will it take before we say enough is enough and that we must take collective action to stop this scourge."
"The internet and the growth of social networking web sites have brought immeasurable benefits to our country and the world," said Nava. "However, when the internet is used as a tool to spread violent, graphic and criminal content that children can access is unacceptable and should not be tolerated."
Recently, attorney generals from 49 states, including California, signed a landmark agreement with social networking site MySpace to create an Internet Safety Technical Task Force to find effective ways to better protect children who use social networking sites. Thousands of violent videos and inappropriate content for children are accessible via social networking sites. Violent and graphic content on many sites can be accessed very easily by anyone, including children.
In April of this year a Florida youth was the subject of a vicious beating by other youths with the intent to post the video on-line. In March, in Salinas, California, a youth was murdered after a video hit list was posted on YouTube. The video was not removed until the Monterey County Herald reporter that wrote a story about the murder, contacted YouTube. Additionally, a Missouri mother was indicted today for utilizing a MySpace account causing a teenager to commit suicide. The perpetrator of this crime faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress. It is also known that many sexual predators use the internet in an attempt to lure young victims.
"It is my hope that California can lead the way to raise awareness and combat the spread of violent and inappropriate content and access by children," said Nava. "As a society we have to ask ourselves how many more victims will it take before we say enough is enough and that we must take collective action to stop this scourge."
