Are internet chat rooms a liability risk for web companies?
I watched NBC news’ special “To Catch a Predator 3” about a month ago. It was pretty strange journalism, fishing for potential child molesters by luring them to a house, confronting them on national television, and then arresting them. They were able to get something like 40 men per weekend. Watch sample videos here. Now, I wholeheartedly support the move by law enforcement to do this, although the potential to deter these men is unclear: one of the men they caught had actually been caught by the first installment of the same TV show. I guess some people never learn. Now, the primary means by which these men were caught were through Yahoo chatrooms, and News Corp’s proudest acquisition, MySpace. My question: at what point are these companies responsible for crimes perpetrated through their sites? You can have disclaimers all you want, but if adults are able to prey on children more easily using technology you provide, at some point, I could see someone holding you accountable… * Tosh
