Clark Howard's Tips

May 19, 2008

Clark has been a real nuisance for MySpace and Facebook over the years. He thinks they created a dangerous environment for teens, and was shocked by how reluctant they initially were to stop Internet predators.

However, MySpace was the first site to come to heel after action taken by the attorneys general of 46 states. Now Facebook has reached a deal with all 50 states.

The new arrangement has several requirements. Facebook must go through special steps to ensure people are who they say they are online; teens will only be allowed to receive carefully vetted ad content; and they'll also receive continuous safety warnings while online.

Facebook has also joined a task force (along with MySpace) that seeks to make social networking sites safer.

Clark salutes these efforts, but knows there's no way to eliminate all the predators out there. So you as a parent must request to be added as a "friend" on your child's social-networking site of choice. Then you've got to be diligent in monitoring their online circle of peers.

Consumer advice courtesy of