MySpace Taps MS Security Exec for Child-Safety Gig

The popular social networking site brings over a Microsoft exec as part of its efforts to protect its teenage user base from sexual predators.

With questions swirling about the safety and privacy of its teenage user base, MySpace.com has tapped Microsoft executive Hemanshu Nigam to be its first chief security officer.

Nigam, who currently serves as director of consumer security outreach and child safe computing at Microsoft, will join MySpace.com on May 1 to oversee safety, education, privacy and law enforcement affairs.

Fox Interactive Media, which runs the white-hot MySpace.com social networking site, said Nigam will also handle online safety for its other media properties.

MySpace.coms increasing popularity has meant rapidly increasing storage needs. Read more here.

Nigam brings more than 15 years of experience in online safety for private industry and law enforcement, including serving as a Federal prosecutor against Internet child exploitation for the U.S. Justice Department, an advisor to a Congressional commission on online child safety, and an advisor to the White House on cyber-stalking.

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MySpace.com, owned by News Corp., said the Nigam appointment demonstrates its commitment to protecting the safety of its 68 million members, most of which are teenagers.

Can the Internet be made child-safe without interfering with civil liberties? Click here to read more.

The company has implemented several safety features to counter nationwide concerns that sexual predators are using MySpace.com to target minors.

MySpace.com has recently limited the use of the site to members who are at least 14 years of age, and is providing special protections to members who are under 16 so their personal information cannot be accessed by persons they do not know.

MySpace.com is also requiring all new members under 18 years of age to review safety tips prior to registration, and is deleting profiles of underage members.

Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzers Weblog.

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