The idea that MySpace was responsible for an offline sexual assault fell on deaf judicial ears as a Texas judge dismisses a $30 million lawsuit filed by the parents of a 13-year-old girl.
The drama occurred last spring after a Texas girl, who misrepresented herself as a 14-year-old (the minimum age to use MySpace), arranged to meet 19-year-old Pete Solis, who also lied about his age, near the girl’s home. Solis was later arrested and charged with sexual assault.
The parents of hence referred to as Julie Doe, filed suit against MySpace alleging the site did not do enough to protect minors on line through better age verification systems and ways to prevent strangers from contacting underage users. Historically, MySpace has relied on algorithms to police its members for terms of use violations, a system that comes easily into question because it relies on users to, at some point, let the truth slip out.
US District Judge Sam Sparks dismissed the lawsuit claiming that MySpace was protected by the Communications Decency Act.The CDA removes liability from interactive computer services for third-party content appearing on the site. In his opinion, Sparks wrote companies like MySpace providing interactive online services “would be crippled by lawsuits” if held responsible for third-party misdeeds.
A MySpace spokesperson said, “We applaud the judge’s decision to dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims of negligence, fraud and misrepresentation against MySpace. This decision reaffirms that under federal law Internet sites like MySpace cannot be held liable for content posted by, or wrongdoing committed by, individuals who visit our site.
“MySpace has always been concerned about what happened to Julie Doe because we take the safety and security of our community very seriously. However, a law suit against MySpace was not the appropriate way to redress any harm to her.
“We will continue to work to make our site even safer by creating new features and educating our users about online safety.”
The parents of the girl say they plan to appeal the ruling.
Add to 
Bookmark Murdok:
