Teens, Privacy and Online Social Networks: How teens manage their online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace

by Amanda Lenhart, Mary Madden, 4/18/2007

The majority of teens actively manage their online profiles to keep the information they believe is most sensitive away from the unwanted gaze of strangers, parents and other adults. While many teens post their first name and photos on their profiles, they rarely post information on public profiles they believe would help strangers actually locate them such as their full name, home phone number or cell phone number.

At the same time, nearly two-thirds of teens with profiles (63%) believe that a motivated person could eventually identify them from the information they publicly provide on their profiles.

A new report, based on a survey and a series of focus groups conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project examine how teens, particularly those with profiles online, make decisions about disclosing or shielding personal information.

Some 55% of online teens have profiles and most of them restrict access to their profile in some way. Of those with profiles, 66% say their profile is not visible to all internet users. Of those whose profile can be accessed by anyone online, nearly half (46%) say they give at least some false information. Teens post fake information to protect themselves and also to be playful or silly.

Man pleads guilty to assaulting girl he met on MySpace.com

from The Associated Press. Posted on Jan 12, 2007

Stephen M. Letavec, 40, of Elrama, Pa., was charged last year in one of the first federal sex cases involving the popular site.

Letavec, a volunteer firefighter, was accused of molesting an Oxford girl in his car. The FBI said Letavec made several visits to see the girl from the summer of 2005 and early last year.

"I showed you what love is and how it feels," Letavec wrote in an e-mail found in the girl's school locker, according to an FBI report. "I want to show you how making love feels too, not just sex because there is a difference."

The girl signed onto MySpace as an 18-year-old, but told Letavec she was 14 before he visited, the FBI said.

He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport to one count of using the Internet to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity and one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of attempting to have and having illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill scheduled sentencing for April 9. Letavec faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of 60 years and a fine of up to $500,000, U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor said.

MySpace, a division of NewsCorp., offers a free way for users to meet any of more than 60 million members. The site prohibits minors 13 and under from joining, discourages users from posting personal information and provides special protections for those 14 and 15.

While Internet safety advocates have said the site has a good reputation for working to prevent illegal activity, they say children often lie about their age to get around those restrictions. Many profiles include suggestive photographs and lots of personal information.

MySpace.com was planning new restrictions on how adults may contact its younger users in response to growing concerns about the safety of teenagers who frequent the site.