Window Dressing

I have to applaud the Attorneys General of 49 states for taking a stand on Internet safety for minors. However this was a first step more than a solution. The agreement was probably more about avoiding litigation than solving a problem. The agreement was a compromise where both the Attorneys General and MySpace could claim a win. Remember, perception is everything.

From News.com:

NEW YORK--A coalition of law enforcement authorities and representatives from social-networking site MySpace.com gathered Monday morning to unveil an extensive new plan for ensuring the safety of minors on the Internet……….

In the press conference, the attorneys general acknowledged that existing standards of law enforcement simply don't suffice in the rapidly changing climate of the Internet. "You're in an area where what you are looking at today will not be what you're looking at in six months," Cohen said. "There is an exponential change that goes on with each passing week and month, and you really do need to bring together the best minds and the best ideas."…….

The attorneys general confirmed in Monday's press conference that they wanted to avoid legal action against MySpace and social-networking sites in general. "Litigation is costly, time-consuming, (and) uncertain in its result," (Connecticut Attorney General Richard) Blumenthal said.

There was one dissenting voice, the Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Statement of the Texas Attorney General:

“MySpace.com continues to resist implementing real reform measures, including age verification measures and filtering software, and instead offers window-dressing that offers no real protection to the millions of children and teenagers who use their networking sites and chat rooms,” said Attorney General Abbott.

As much as it pains me to agree with law enforcement in Texas and their hang ‘em high mentality, Abbott is correct, this is at best a start to solving the problem and at worst window-dressing.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, who assumed the office less than two weeks before the announcement of the agreement had this statement.

“New technology presents new challenges for parents, police officers and prosecutors,” Conway said. “I am heartened by the fact that MySpace has stepped up to the plate and will assist us in protecting Kentucky families.”

Conway, who ran on a platform of protecting Kentuckians from Internet crime, has yet to make good on his promise of creating an Internet Crimes and Fraud Division of the Office of the Attorney General.

Conway’s appointments thus far do not have a track record of dealing with or even understanding the technological issues relating to Internet Crime.

Conway’s appointments to key positions in his senior-level staff, at this point in time, are:

Dana Bynum Mayton as his Deputy Attorney General, Mayton was the former Secretary of the Revenue Cabinet and the vice president of governmental relations for the University of Louisville.

Bob Foster as the chief investigator of the Attorney General’s office, for the past five years, Foster served as the federal security director of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in Kentucky and was one of the FBI investigators on the "Operation Boptrot" scandal in the early 1990s.

Tad Thomas as director of Civil and Environmental Law, Thomas is a private attorney who specializes in civil litigation.

Allison Gardner Martin will serve as Conway’s communications director. Martin previously served as deputy communications director for Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson.

Jack Conway will have to do more than take an agreement negotiated by someone else and say “me too” if he wants to keep his campaign promise to do something about Internet Crime in Kentucky.