Facebook Safety

Investigation into Facebook Safety

Facebook is under investigation to determine whether the company's statements and advertising of the site as being safe for young people to use can be considered "deceptive business practices" under New York State law. If Facebook advertises itself as being safe and a company that makes a practice of responding to complaints in a timely manner but does not do so, then that would be considered a deceptive business practice.

Investigators Posed as Teens Online

To find out whether safety is a concern on Facebook, staff at Cuomo's office set up online profiles pretending to be teenagers. These "teens" were the recipients of inappropriate advances from adults within a few days after posting their information.

The next step in the investigation was for the investigator to send an e-mail from the teen's "mother" reporting the incident to Facebook and asking them to take action to remove the offender's profile. Apparently, Facebook failed to deal with the situation and did not remove the profile, as requested.

Facebook Safety Policy

The Facebook Web site lists the company's safety and privacy policy, which has the following provisions:

• Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to use Facebook.
• Facebook cannot guarantee that members will not be exposed to inappropriate content while on the site. Content considered inappropriate includes nudity, pornography, and offensive material.
• Any violations of this policy should be reported to Facebook. Facebook undertakes to launch an investigation into any claims of abuse within 24 hours, and the person reporting the inappropriate content will receive an e-mail within 72 hours to bring them up to date on what steps Facebook has taken to resolve the situation.

Facebook Safety Tips

The following safety tips are important to keep in mind, whether you are using Facebook or one of the other social networking sites:

• Don't reveal your password to anyone.
• Check your privacy settings on a regular basis, and make sure that they accurately reflect your level of comfort.
• Don't reveal any personal information to someone you are communicating with online. Personal information includes your real name, address, phone number, and credit card information. It's not a good idea to reveal where you work or go to school, either, since this information can be used by Internet stalkers to locate you.
• Anything you post online can be read by anyone who visits that Web site. Consider that this information can be seen by your parents, the police, or a current or prospective employer. If you are not sure you want the information shared with any of them, don' t post it.
• People you are interacting with online may not be who they say they are.
• Exercise extreme caution if you decide to meet someone in person you have been interacting with online. Arrange to meet in a public place, and don't go alone.
• Report any violations of Facebook's terms of use immediately.
• Any inappropriate communication should also be reported to Facebook administrators promptly.

Safety Advice for Parents

When it comes to keeping children and teens safe online, one of the best things a parent can do is to keep the lines of communication open between themselves and their child. Encourage them to come to you if they see anything or receive any messages that make them feel uncomfortable.

Facebook safety policies attempt to make the site safe for all users. Everyone who signs up has a responsibility to report inappropriate material or communications to Facebook staff. Facebook, in turn, has a responsibility to deal with these allegations promptly.