Mother of teen sues MySpace for $30 million

News Type: Event — Seeded on Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:15 AM EDT

Article Source: CNET

entertainment, lawsuit, myspace, sexual-assault, minors

-- The mother of a Texas teenager has sued MySpace.com for $30 million, after her daughter said she was sexually assaulted by a man she met on the social-networking site.

According to an article published Monday in The Austin American-Statesman newspaper, the 14-year-old said she was contacted by the 19-year-old defendant through her MySpace Web page in April. He was arrested in May, the article says.

The lawsuit alleges that MySpace.com has lax security in protecting its users, many of whom are younger than 16, the article says.

"MySpace is more concerned about making money than protecting children online," Adam Loewy, who is representing the girl and her mother in the lawsuit against MySpace, told the newspaper. --

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{"commentId":169592,"authorDomain":"latino"}

Latino

Why is she suing Myspace. Wasn't there a time when parents took responsibility on what their children did? I mean I'm not saying MySpace shouldn't try to help stop making it easier for these type of people but at the same time it is a parent's responsibility to you know...talk to their children and tell them what to do and what not to do.

{"commentId":169592,"threadId":"28946","contentId":"261002","authorDomain":"latino"}

6 votes

#1 - Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:01 AM EDT

{"commentId":170736,"authorDomain":"esoj"}

esoj

I completely agree with you. Parents are lacking in responsibilty and want an easy way out of raising their children. It is sad that she got violated, but it is up to her parents to know what she is doing if she is underage.

{"commentId":170736,"threadId":"28946","contentId":"261002","authorDomain":"esoj"}

4 votes

#1.1 - Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":170527,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

How is it MySpace's fault that the girl in question is exceedingly stupid and happily follows strangers down dark alleys?

{"commentId":170527,"threadId":"28946","contentId":"261002","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

2 votes

#2 - Tue Jun 20, 2006 5:59 PM EDT

{"commentId":170528,"authorDomain":"lavocritz"}

lavocritz

I know I'm just an echo...

But how this is MySpace's fault? I think there's been a little too much MySpace attention in the media lately. If this happened on Xanga or some other internet social network, would anyone be half as interested?

{"commentId":170528,"threadId":"28946","contentId":"261002","authorDomain":"lavocritz"}

1 vote

#3 - Tue Jun 20, 2006 5:59 PM EDT

{"commentId":170531,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

Is anyone interested in Xanga at all? I thought it was just a cess pit of teenage plagiarists.

MySpace is the current teen fad, so it gets the bad press in much the same way video games do.

If you're going to sue MySpace, at least make it for something like the eye-seering badness of its user sites and its general banality and dullness.

{"commentId":170531,"threadId":"28946","contentId":"261002","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

3 votes

#3.1 - Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:05 PM EDT

{"commentId":172859,"authorDomain":"brianford"}

Brian Ford

I'm counter-suing this lady for insulting my intelligence.

Parental responsibility? What's that?

While I agree that myspace should -in good faith- do everything they can to protect young children (a target audience) I'm not sure how liable they are for failing to do so.

(I also agree that they don't do as much as they could.)

{"commentId":172859,"threadId":"28946","contentId":"261002","authorDomain":"brianford"}

4 votes

#4 - Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:23 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"28946","isPrivate":false}

MySpace sued for $30m after assault on 14-year-old \| The Register	The Register (UK)	Tue Jun 20	0
Girl, 14, Sues MySpace.com Alleging Assault	Associated Press	Mon Jun 19	11
14-year old Girl sues MySpace for $30 million	ibloggedthis.com	Mon Jun 19	1
Safety Experts: MySpace Changes Not Enough	Associated Press	Wed Jun 21	7
Advertising Age - Digital - MySpace Looks for Search Partner	Advertising Age	Sun Jun 18	0

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Mother of teen sues MySpace for $30 million

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