New York State Attorney General Announces Purge of Sex Offenders From Online Games
41 replies, posted
[quote=PC World]
Accounts of over 3,500 registered sex offenders in New York state were removed from online video game platforms in an operation initiated by its attorney general, which aims to prevent the misuse of the games by sexual predators.
The offenders were removed from the games after the office of attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman approached gaming companies, including Microsoft, Sony, and Apple, to remove registered sex offenders on their networks.
"We must ensure online video game systems do not become a digital playground for dangerous predators. That means doing everything possible to block sex offenders from using gaming networks as a vehicle to prey on underage victims," Schneiderman said in a statement Thursday while announcing the "Operation: Game Over."
Under New York State law, convicted sex offenders must register all of their email addresses, screen names, and other Internet identifiers with the state, and that information is then made available to certain websites so they can purge potential predators from their online networks. Microsoft, Apple, Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Disney Interactive Media Group, Warner Brothers and Sony were the companies participating in the operation.
The 3,580 accounts that were purged, or had their communication privileges suspended from the gaming platforms, do not include some more removed from Sony's online games, as the company was unable to provide the number expected to be purged before the announcement.
The operation coincides with recent incidents of sexual predators using voice and text chat functions in online gaming services to lure underage victims across the country, the office of the attorney general said.
The office cited the case of Richard Kretovic, a 19-year-old man from Monroe County, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to sexual abuse charges after meeting a 12-year-old boy on online video game system Xbox LIVE. Kretovic is said to have gained the boy's trust over a period of three months, and then invited him over to his house where the abuse occurred, according to police.[/quote]
[url="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/253348/new_york_removes_sex_offenders_from_online_video_games.html"]Source[/url].
I have mixed feelings about this. While I am OK with getting predators off these networks, I think there are too many people on the sex offenders list who shouldn't be there at the moment.
Then why don't we also remove everyone on murderer list, thief list, whatever other criminal list?
"THEY WANT TO TOUCH OUR CHILDREN THROUGH THESE MAGIC TUBES CALLED THE INTERNET!"
[QUOTE=AceOfDivine;35456152]Then why don't we also remove everyone on murderer list, thief list, whatever other criminal list?[/QUOTE]
Because videogames are only for kids obviously.
Im pretty okay with this.
Meh... I would say any game that has an online chat / friend function, but not video games in general.
I don't think this is necessary
[QUOTE=AceOfDivine;35456152]Then why don't we also remove everyone on murderer list, thief list, whatever other criminal list?[/QUOTE]
I agree with removing communication privileges, but it's not their place to hand out extra punishments by closing their accounts entirely.
I don't think it's cool someone can just take away your online account, even more if it's the government doing it
[QUOTE=MightyMax;35456182]Im pretty okay with this.[/QUOTE]
So you think that anyone who commits a sexual offense should functionally be punished for life.
That they can never pay their debt to society.
Okay now you are that guy. You are a member of a society who hates you and keeps you on a list and requires you to announce your presence to all of your neighbors anytime you move so that they may be sufficiently horrified and run you out of town. You also can't be within a certain distance of a school or day care, which are everywhere, so you are forced to live in the middle of nowhere. To make matters worse, you are also unable to get a job because this list precludes you from obtaining a job worth anything much less a motor vehicle.
So assuming you can find anywhere to live at all it is likely going to be in the middle of nowhere, you have a shitty job if you are lucky, but you can't actually get to that job because you can't afford a car or the gas and can't take the bus because you are far outside of the bus route as a result of being forced to avoid living near places children exist.
Your original offense? You peed in public within several hundred yards of a school after having one too many and walking home from the bar.
Never vote. Ever.
So wait, basically if you are labelled a sex offender, they get to decide what games you play or don't play?
How the fuck did that even get through?
[QUOTE=GunFox;35456266]So you think that anyone who commits a sexual offense should functionally be punished for life.
That they can never pay their debt to society.
Okay now you are that guy. You are a member of a society who hates you and keeps you on a list and requires you to announce your presence to all of your neighbors anytime you move so that they may be sufficiently horrified and run you out of town. You also can't be within a certain distance of a school or day care, which are everywhere, so you are forced to live in the middle of nowhere. To make matters worse, you are also unable to get a job because this list precludes you from obtaining a job worth anything much less a motor vehicle.
So assuming you can find anywhere to live at all it is likely going to be in the middle of nowhere, you have a shitty job if you are lucky, but you can't actually get to that job because you can't afford a car or the gas and can't take the bus because you are far outside of the bus route as a result of being forced to avoid living near places children exist.
You peed in public within several hundred yards of a school after having one too many and walking home from the bar.
Never vote. Ever.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, and you can be a registered sex offender for bullshit reasons too so no one is immune from these laws they support.
Suspend people who abuse their privileges, but outright banning a sex offender from playing online games when he hasn't done anything wrong on them? That is is just wrong.
I can't tell if this article is only targeting people who stalk kids on online games, or if they plan on suspending sex offenders from playing online games all together.
[QUOTE=Funcoot;35456453]Suspend people who abuse their privileges, but outright banning a sex offender from playing online games when he hasn't done anything wrong on them? That is is just wrong.
I can't tell if this article is only targeting people who stalk kids on online games, or if they plan on suspending sex offenders from playing online games all together.[/QUOTE]
Assuming that it was 3,500 accounts from one state, I think they are just going by the list, regardless if you chase after kids or not.
That's pretty stupid, there's quite a variety of ways to get yourself on the sex offenders register, some nowhere near as extreme as being a paedophile.
That's ridiculous, they paid for these games, the hardware, and in the case of Xbox Live, the subscription. They have no right to remove their gaming privledges. They better plan on refunding every user full price. I'd take these assholes to court in a heartbeat.
This is complete bullshit, no one should be okay with this. If you don't know what your kid is playing or who he is talking to(which you can control with parental controls), then it is your own responsibility. With this logic, you could ban sex offenders from having telephones or a social networking account.
They've overstepped their bounds. Not that they haven't already with the sex offender registry.
I thought once you got out of jail you were done with your debt to society for committing a crime. Apparently that is not so.
[QUOTE=AceOfDivine;35456152]Then why don't we also remove everyone on murderer list, thief list, whatever other criminal list?[/QUOTE]
yeah because murderers and thieves would prey on young children online by acting like 16 year old moist girls. :downs:
I still think this is kinda stupid but I see the point they're trying to make.
[QUOTE=J!NX;35456741]yeah because murderers and thieves would prey on young children online by acting like 16 year old moist girls. :downs:
I still think this is kinda stupid but I see the point they're trying to make.[/QUOTE]
Politicians trying to be "tough on crime" in order to get re-elected.
That is the only point they are trying to make.
It has cost the United States dearly. Our prison population is massive and it is virtually impossible to go through your day without committing a crime of some magnitude.
[QUOTE=J!NX;35456741]yeah because murderers and thieves would prey on young children online by acting like 16 year old moist girls. :downs:
I still think this is kinda stupid but I see the point they're trying to make.[/QUOTE]
But only a low percentage of the people on the list are for crimes against children.
Why do they constantly want to meddle with things they don't know anything about.
Leave the internet alone you fuckers.
Are they allowed to do this? Is there anything in the policy that says sex offenders are not allowed on our systems? Because if there isn't, they're stealing the money they payed for the games and online features, right?
Just keep taking away rights
[QUOTE=AceOfDivine;35456152]Then why don't we also remove everyone on murderer list, thief list, whatever other criminal list?[/QUOTE]
Get rid of thiefs? No more ninja looters!
The way sex offenders are handled is already pretty out of hand...
There's no need for this.
[QUOTE=AzzyMaster;35456779]But only a low percentage of the people on the list are for crimes against children.[/QUOTE]
And this is exactly why it's stupid
hell, some 'sex offenders' are on the list just because they are 18 and had sex with a 17 year old and was unlucky, some, even more unlucky by having underage pics of themselves on their phone, completely unsent to anyone.
Considering that sex offenders don't really have much they can do after being registered, I think they should be allowed to play video games. They need something to keep them busy/ entertained to keep them from a relapse. Just make it to wear they can't interact much with the players [voice/ messages]
[QUOTE=DrLuke;35456884]Why do they constantly want to meddle with things they don't know anything about.
Leave the internet alone you fuckers.[/QUOTE]
Except this has nothing to do with the internet, and especially not knowledge of it.
What's stopping them from re-registering with a different E-mail/address?
I get the logic behind this, but the idea that people serve a punishment proportionate to crime is pretty central to modern justice. This idea that sex offenders and sex offenders alone can be punished for life for crimes while everyone else can serve their sentence then get on with life is pretty terrible.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.