September 24th, 2007
NY attorney general goes after Facebook
On the heels of action by the Connecticut attorney general, the New York attorney general has subpoenaed Facebook for failure to respond to “many” complaints, the AP reports.
State investigators, who set up profiles as 12- to 14-year olds, said they were quickly contacted by other Facebook users with comments such as “u look too hot……. can i c u online,” “do you like sex?” and “call me if u want to do sex with me.”
Investigators said that Facebook officials ignored their reports “many” times.
“My office is concerned that Facebook’s promise of a safe Web site is not consistent with its performance in policing its site and responding to complaints,” said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. “Parents have a right to know what their children will encounter on a Web site that is aggressively marketed as safe.”
Cuomo’s subpoena seeks records of complaints made to the company and copies of its policies, according to a press release:
In subpoenaing the company, Mr. Cuomo has asked for complaints received by Facebook regarding inappropriate solicitation of under-age users and inappropriate content on the site, as well as any responses by the Web site. The subpoena also calls for all Facebook policies on user safety and all representations made to consumers about the safety of the site.
