Facebook will restrict the ability of users to change their listed ages, more aggressively remove inappropriate content and provide “safety messaging” where there is a risk of a user under 18 revealing personal information to an unknown adult, according to an agreement the popular online networking site reached with 50 state attorneys general. Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley was among that group.
Facebook will also participate in an Internet Safety Task Force that was established under a similar agreement reached in January between the attorneys general and MySpace, another online networking site. The task force is hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.
Facebook plans to implement “age locking,” where a user’s attempt to change his or her listed age will be reviewed by website staffers, and to keep a list of pornographic websites in order to cut any links to the sites. Users under 19 will have to confirm that they have read Facebook’s safety tips when signing up for an account. Companies offering applications for Facebook users on the networking site will also have to adhere to safety and privacy guidelines.
