Editorial: Keeping an eye on dangerous sites

Right now, sexual predators are trolling the Internet for potential prey.

And there’s not much the nation’s top law enforcement agencies and the corporations who run social networking sites like MySpace.com can do about it.

But at least they’re trying. MySpace officials were hailed by attorneys general from 49 states Monday for promising to check the names and ages of visitors who frequent their Web sites. MySpace will also establish a task force charged with finding new ways to protect children and teens who flock to the sites.

This is good news, but parents should not delude themselves into believing this agreement will ensure their children are safe from online predators when they are visiting MySpace.com or other social networking sites.

“We must keep telling children that they’re not just typing into a computer,” N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper said. “They’re sharing themselves with the world.”

The companies that profit from these Web sites have a moral and ethical obligation to protect underage visitors from the sexual deviants who have turned the Internet into a scary place.

We take MySpace officials at their word that they promise to do everything in their power to protect young people. But parents should be no less vigilant in monitoring the online activities of their children.