NY Attorney General Subpoenas Facebook
ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York Attorney General has subpoenaed Facebook after the company did not respond to "many" complaints by investigators who were solicited for sex while posing as teenagers on the social-networking site.
State investigators, who set up profiles as 12- to 14-year olds, said they were quickly contacted by other Facebook users with comments such as "u look too hot....... can i c u online," "do you like sex?" and "call me if u want to do sex with me."
Investigators said that when they wrote to Facebook about their experiences, the concerns were ignored "many" times.
"My office is concerned that Facebook's promise of a safe Web site is not consistent with its performance in policing its site and responding to complaints," said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. "Parents have a right to know what their children will encounter on a Web site that is aggressively marketed as safe."
On Monday, he publicly released a letter to Facebook about its safety claims. Those concerns are based on several "undercover tests" in recent weeks, he said.
The subpoenas seek complaints made to the company and copies of its policies. Cuomo said the investigation is still in its early stages.
Privately held Facebook did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
MICHAEL GORMLEY | September 24, 2007 03:43 PM EST |