Several lawsuits, child molestations and loads of criticism later, MySpace is finally making a move toward better security for its underage users. The company will provide parents with a notification software, code named “Zephyr”. It will allow parents to see the name, age, and location their children are using, and warn of any changes made to this data. It will not allow them to read their child’s e-mail or see their profile page. Some call MySpace’s recent efforts minor, and further legal action is being investigated if they refuse to raise the age limit from 14 to 16. Currently 22% of MySpace users are under 18. MySpace’s reaction to the legal threats?

They say it’s better to have the limit at 14 than have them lie about their age, an act typically done by those assuming other identities. Currently 14-15 years olds are given a private profile that cannot be viewed by members over 18. Users under 18 can’t access “mature” groups and can block contact from unknown adults. Zephyr will put some of the security burden back on parents, though some are skeptical parents will actually use the software. Another recommended step is that the company finds a way to verify member ages against public databases. Click here for MySpace safety tips.

Technorati Tags: MySpace Safety, My Space Safety, MySpace Safety Software