More than 3,500 sex offenders from the state of New York have been removed from social networking sites Facebook and MySpace.

New York's new Electronic Securing and Targeting of Online Predators Act ("E-Stop") has made it easier for the social networking sites to identify sex offenders from the state of New York. The E-Stop law bans many registered offenders from using social-networking sites while on parole or probation and requires all registered offenders to disclose their e-mail addresses, screen names, and "other Internet identifiers." That data is provided to social-networking sites to run against their roles.

Facebook officials claim that New York’s sex offenders’ database was built with the idea of social-networking companies running it against their user base, making it easier to find matches.

Sex offender data is collected by states and there is no currently official federal database. The federal Adam Walsh act calls for such a database but it hasn't been funded.

Source: Facebook and MySpace delete NY sex offenders, Digital Media, December 1, 2009

Tags: Social networking sites, Facebook, MySpace, sex offenders, online child safety, New York, legislation