Yahoo and Other Internet Companies Get in the Way of Child Abuse Investigations
By Closing Down the Undercover Identities
The internet companies including Yahoo say that they will shut down all bogus identities and profiles on their sites even if they know that they are being used as undercover officers to catch pedophiles. In most of the internet companies, their terms of service state clearly that a profile must be true, accurate, current, and complete as reported by The Times Online.
Brian Ward who is the detective inspector for a high-tech division of of the Metropolitan child abuse unit, tells The Times Online, there's been many occasions when the lack of cooperation with the internet companies had been "enormously frustrating". He also went on to say that, "If you breach Yahoo!'s terms and conditions they pull the plug," Some companies such as Bebo and Myspace who are owned by New Corporation who owns The Sunday Times had in recent months become much more helpful to those trying to catch pedophiles under bogus profiles, according to The Times Online.
Michele Elliot, Kidscape director which is a child protection group informed The Times Online, that the refusal to allow undercover operations to catch pedophiles online is "absolutely ridiculous". Yahoo in turn retaliated that they take child protection seriously and they are an active member of the Internet Watch Foundation, which helps to locate and stop online abuse.
Just two weeks ago The Sunday Times revealed to its readers that sexual predators were using Skype to target children and hoax them into giving their information. Skype is an application that allows anyone free instant messaging and phone calls. This application allows pedophiles easy access to target young children all around the country, as reported by The Times Online. Yahoo however states that they were not informed of the undercover operations by the officers and that Yahoo had to shut down all the profiles since they did not know if they had been genuine or not.
One case that officers had been working on, was a professional man who had went and met a reporter, who he had believed was just a 14 year-old girl. During this meeting, the man who name had not been disclosed, told the reporter that he wanted them to go to his house where they would "watch a video" as well as telling her that her clothes would "look great on my bedroom floor" as reported by The Times Online
While Yahoo still does work with other groups to stop internet abuse, they still told The Times Online that regarding the bogus profiles, 'that's contrary to our terms and conditions' and immediately pull it."
SOURCE : Daniel Foggo and Clair Newell - Yahoo! Hinders Sex Case Inquiries
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Published by Jeanne Marie Kerns
My passion is writing. Helping those in need get their message out is something I strive for. I love to interview those who do not feel that what they have to say is not being heard. My hand is the extension... View profile
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14 Comments
Post a CommentHooray for Yahoo for standing up to the manufactured hysteria over "pedophiles", even if this isn't their intention.
By the way, since more than 99% of child abuse comes from within the family, if one really wanted to eliminate it, one would support the idea of removing children from family situations.
To really end most sexual abuse, the family would have to be eliminated as a social institution. The family is, after all, a sociopathological historical development.
Interesting issue. It's a sucky situation. Something needs to be done to stop the sickos, but like someone else commented--Yahoo can't just knowingly let certain people break their terms of service...a legal contract. Of course, there's never really any way to know if you're talking to a real person online, anyway.
Just another reason to not like Yahoo. Thanks for the great article. :)
I think I agree with Tina, Yahoo (and others) should come up with a way to assist law enforcement. The bottom line should be the protection of children and preventing criminally intentioned individuals from accessing and harming them. You'd think Yahoo would think so, too. Great article, thanks for the info!
well you got to admit that they have a point. How can they expect the average Joe to follow their terms if they are found to be allowing law enforcement to break their terms. When anyone joins they are normally required to agree to the terms and terms should be just as binding as any legal contract so why would a cop think they can agree to the terms then lying about their information even if the reason is good. One could say a mother who steals food to feed her hungry children is doing it for a good reason but that doesn't make it right none the less. Maybe Yahoo can work with the law enforcement to somehow come to some medium ground without their terms being underminded and still giving law enforcement the tools they need to catch criminals.
Great article, thanks for the info Jeanne.
This really ticks me off! Thanks for the info Jeanne
A case of straining out the gnat. How's about the children's privacy to begin with, Yahoo?
Well written article!
This is very disturbing news. Great report!