MySpace to share sex offender data

MySpace.com will provide US states with data on registered sex offenders using the popular social networking website, the company has said.

Eight US states demanded last week that the company provide data on how many registered sex offenders are using the site and where they live.

MySpace initially refused, citing federal privacy laws.

MySpace obtained the data from Sentinel Tech Holding, which the company partnered with in December to build a database with information on sex offenders.

MySpace, owned by media conglomerate News Corp, said it had always planned to share the Sentinel data with law enforcement, adding it has already deleted the online profiles of sex offenders identified by the system.

State lawyers in North Carolina, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania asked for the Sentinel data last week.

It is thought the information could potentially be used to look for probation violations or help in investigations.

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