MySpace Announces Age Restrictions

NEW YORK – In response to a recent $30 million lawsuit filed by an underage girl who blames MySpace for her rape, the News Corp.-owned social networking site will set forth a new age-restriction policy to be implemented next week.

Under the new child protection policy, MySpace users who are 18 or older will no longer be able to request to be on a 14- or 15-year-old's list unless they already know either the person’s email address or full name. As it stands, adults can request to be added to a youth's list to view their full profiles.

However, partial profiles will still be available for registered users under age 15, the company said, which reveal gender, home location and school names. Under the new policy, all users, regardless of age, also will have the option of preventing contact with people outside their age group.

MySpace also plans to enhance its ad-targeting technology so underage users are not inadvertently exposed to gambling and adult site ads.

The call for an age-restriction policy for MySpace comes on the heels of numerous complaints from parents about the safety of children on what has now become one of the most popular social networking sites on the Internet.

MySpace has said it has no way to verify if a user has properly identified themselves, spurring criticism that the new policy will do little to deter child predators from stalking underage MySpace users.

In April, MySpace announced the hiring of a former federal prosecutor and Microsoft executive to help make the networking site a safer environment for children.

MySpace is home to the profiles of many adult performers, fans and marketing and advertising executives from the adult industry and has grown steadily over the two years since its inception as a popular online spot to congregate and share information.

News Corp. purchased MySpace in August of last year as part of a $580 million deal with Los Angeles-based InterMix Media. At the time, the site claimed 22 million members, which has since spiked to an estimated 50 million registered users.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pineapple Support to Host Wellness Sessions at Bucharest Summit

Pineapple Support is hosting free group and one-on-one therapy sessions at Bucharest Summit, June 3-5.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

ASACP Highlights Study on Parental Controls

The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is highlighting the results of a study on the underutilization of parental controls.

Sydney Screams Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Sydney Screams has launched her new membership site, SydneyScreams.xxx, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Mistress Mystii Is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for June

LoyalFans has named Mistress Mystii as its Featured Creator for June.

Canadian Senator Revives Push for National AV Law

Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, whose previous multiple attempts to legislate national age verification requirements all failed, has introduced a new bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Show More