MySpace URL:

www.myspace.com/safetyaustralia

MySpace is a global lifestyle portal that reaches millions of people around Australia and the world. It is important to know that you - and every person on the site - play an important role in keeping the community safe.

This page is dedicated to helping you learn how you can keep yourself and your family safe whilst having fun and socialising on MySpace. Click through the tabs below to find useful videos, information, tips and resources that will enhance your ability to navigate safely while online and that will enable you to guide your family and friends to do the same.

The following information is relevant to all MySpace users. Select the headings below for more information. Also, take the time to scroll through and watch the informative videos regarding your safety whilst using MySpace.

Using Safety Settings

MySpace has developed a number of safety features and settings to protect you from unwanted contact and allow you to control the privacy of your profile, including:

Private Profiles

Every profile has the option of being 'private.' This means that only you and those you have added and approved as friends can see the details of your profile, including your blog, photos, interests, etc.

To set your profile to 'private,' first sign in to your MySpace account. From your home page click ‘My Account’ in the top navigation bar and select the ‘Privacy’ link. Under ‘General Privacy’ you can now tailor your privacy settings for your profile content. Make sure you ‘Save All Changes’ by clicking the tab at the bottom of the page.

For advanced privacy settings relating to 2.0 profiles click on the ‘Profile’ link in the top navigation bar and select ‘Customise Profile’. You are now in your profile editor. Your basic information appears in the top module (this is the module with your profile picture). You can modify the privacy of the information contained in here, such as age, location and last login, by hovering over the module and selecting the spanner/screwdriver ‘Settings’ icon. For all other modules in your profile, hover your curser over the module and select the padlock’Visibility’ icon and follow the prompts to set your privacy as you desire. Be sure to click the yellow ‘Publish’ button at the top right hand side of the screen before you exit this section.

Pre-approve Comments

The default setting for comments on MySpace profiles does not require comments to be approved prior to appearing on your profile.

To change your settings so you can approve comments before they are posted, sign in to your MySpace account. In the 'Classic View of the profile', click on the 'Account Settings' link next to your profile picture In the 'New Home Skin' view of the profile, click on 'Settings' from the Control Panel located below your profile picture. Select 'Spam' from the top navigation bar. In 'Comments' select 'Require approval before comments are posted'. Now, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on 'Save All Changes' to ensure your updated settings have been saved.

Block another user

If a user that you do not know or want to interact with contacts you, you have the ability to block them from future contact. Also, if you feel this person may be a threat to yourself or others, immediately notify a trusted adult or law enforcement and report the user to MySpace through the 'Report Abuse' link at the footer of every page.

To block a user from contacting you, go to the user's page and under their profile picture click on the 'Block User' link. A pop-up window will appear asking you if you are sure you want to block this user. Click 'Ok.' to confirm. With a 2.0 profile, click on the username link in the blue top navigation bar, select ‘Block User’ and follow the prompts.

Turn off the 'online now' status icon

Don't want people to know when you're on MySpace? Turn off the 'online now' status icon so other users can't see when you're on the site and when you're not.

To conceal your 'online now' status, sign in to your MySpace account. From your home page click ‘My Account’ in the top navigation bar and select the ‘Privacy’ link. Under ‘General Privacy’ ensure you uncheck the ‘Online Now’ box. Make sure you ‘Save All Changes’ by clicking the tab at the bottom of the page.

Safety Tips for All Users

People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult.
Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behaviour is inappropriate, react. Report it to MySpace or the authorities.
Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. It's easy to think that only our friends are looking at our MySpace page, but the truth is that everyone can see it. Think twice before posting a photo or information you wouldn't want your parents, potential employers, colleagues or boss to see!
Don't say you're over 18 if you're not. Don't say you're younger than 18 if you're not. If MySpace customer service determines you are under 13 and pretend to be older, we will delete your profile. If customer service determines you are over 18 and pretend to be a teenager to contact underage users, we will delete your profile.

Report inappropriate behaviour

Harassment, hate speech, and inappropriate content all violate the MySpace Terms of Use and should be reported. If your teenagers encounter inappropriate behaviour, they should report it to you, the authorities and/or MySpace, as the situation merits. To report a problem, select the 'Report Abuse' link at the bottom of every MySpace page.

Publications

For additional reading on MySpace and Internet safety, MySpace suggest the following books available at major retailers:

MySpace MyKids

MySpace Unravelled

Real Wired Child

Internet safety experts

MySpace works closely with a number of the leading Australian and International safety experts and advocates. For more information about these and other Internet safety leaders, please visit their websites for more information and tips. See links below.

In Australia:

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation: amf.org.au/

Kids Help Line: kidshelp.com.au/

Safe Online, Safe Offline: soso.org.au/

Cybersmart Kids: cybersmartkids.com.au/

Bravehearts: bravehearts.org.au/internetsafety.ews

International Partners:

Net Family News: netfamilynews.org/

Safe Kids: safekids.com/

Wired Safety: wiredsafety.org/

NetSmartz: netsmartz411.org/

Wired Kids: wiredkids.org/

MySpace MyKids: myspacemykids.com/

Safe Families: safefamilies.org/

Enough is Enough: enough.org/

Connect Safely: connectsafely.org/

iKeepSafe: ikeepsafe.org/

58376515 Today's Internet

55136311 Think Before You Post

8019404 PSA Cyberbulling from the National Crime Prevention

58023111 Setup Your Profile

58023754 Protect Your Profile

52039211 Safer Internet Day

32045785 Phishy Home

29660285 Dont Stop the Dialogue

58023958 Your Teenager’s MySpace Profile

58061200 ParentCare Install

58056687 How To Contact MySpace

58054701 Content and Contact Reporting

58057876 Image Reporting

58022568 Social Networking 101

58059828 MySpace Commitment

Click on the following headings for more advice on the nominated topics. Also, take the time to scroll through and watch the videos for more information on how to fix issues, keep safe and have fun while using MySpace.

Cyberbulling

If you are being cyber-bullied or threatened online in any way, there are things you can do to stop it:

Report to MySpace: Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you encounter inappropriate behaviour, inform your parents or a trusted adult and report it to MySpace or the authorities.
Speak Out: If you are upset about what is being said, talk to someone you trust - whether it be a parent, teacher, friend or a counsellor. Don't feel like you're alone - because you're not. Don't be afraid to speak out - bullies are usually cowards.
Ignore the person. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to ignore the person and go on about your business.
Block or delete the person. If it is happening on Instant Messaging or some other place online that requires a 'buddy list,' you can block certain users based upon their username, or delete them if they are in your buddy list. You can also block emails that are coming from specific email addresses.
Log-off if the harassment is bothering you.
Change your information. If someone has phished your profile, change your password. If someone repeatedly sends you messages (like, 'add me to your buddy list' over and over), consider changing your username or email address.

Party safe

Don't post party details on your profile, particularly if your profile is not set to private. MySpace suggests that you use the MySpace Events function to promote your party.
When using MySpace Events to promote your party, make sure you mark the party 'private' so the invite only goes to your designated friends. To do this, click on the 'More' tab on the menu at the top of your profile page, select 'Events' and select 'Create an Event'. Follow the prompts and check the box labelled 'Private' when prompted.
To reduce the chance of large crowds, don't include your specific street address in the invite, we recommend limiting information to broader identifiers such as suburb and state.
Talk to your parents about your intentions to have a party and discuss the best way to promote it.

Imposter profiles

If there is a profile that was created about you without you knowing,click on the 'Report Abuse' link at the bottom of the offending profile and select 'Imposter Profile'as the complaint. The MySpace customer care team will step you through the process to have the profile or language taken down.

Privacy

Protect your privacy. Set your profile to private which lets only your friends view your profile. Users under the age of 16 are automatically assigned a private profile. Only accept friend invitations from people you know and trust.
MySpace is a public space. Members shouldn't post anything they wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., don't post your phone number, address, IM screen name, or specific whereabouts - particularly when promoting a party!). Don't post anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as your local hang out. It's always fun to post pictures but remember that what you might consider a harmless picture of you and your friends in your uniforms at a school football game, is actually a map telling a stranger exactly where you go to school.
Don't post anything that could embarrass you later or expose you to danger. Please remember that MySpace is public and many people have access to what you post, including potential employers, colleges, your teachers and peers at school that you might not even know. You shouldn't post photos or info you wouldn't want adults to see or people to know about you.
Think before you post. What's uploaded to the net can be downloaded by anyone and passed around or posted online pretty much forever. You shouldn't post photos or info you wouldn't want adults to see or people to know about you.

Inappropriate contact

People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. Remember that you don't really know who is on the other end of an Internet connection.
Avoid in-person meetings. Don't get together in person with someone you 'meet' online unless you are certain of their actual identity. Talk it over with an adult first. Although it's still not risk-free, arrange any meetings in a public place and bring along friends, your parents, or a trusted adult.

Phishing

Don't get hooked by a phishing scam. Phishing is a method used by fraudsters to try to get your personal information, such as your username and password, by pretending to be a site you trust. If you suddenly start receiving abnormal bulletins or messages from a friend, they might have been phished. Check with them before opening any files or clicking on any links. If you think you or a friend have become a victim of phishing, change your password immediately.

Age

MySpace members must be 13 years of age or older. We take extra precautions to protect our younger members and we are not able to do so if you do not identify yourself as such. MySpace will delete users whom we find to be younger than 13, or those misrepresenting their age to access content or areas they should not.

55136311 Think Before You Post

8019404 PSA Cyberbulling from the National Crime Prevention

58376515 Today's Internet

58023111 Setup Your Profile

58023754 Protect Your Profile

52039211 Safer Internet Day

32045785 Phishy Home

Familiarise yourself with the site

Create a profile, add some friends. If you understand MySpace you will have a greater appreciation for all the benefits of social networking and an understanding of the dangers when not used safely. As a MySpace user, you will have credibility when talking to your teenagers about their use of the site.

Start a conversation

Talk to your teenagers about why they use MySpace, how they communicate with others, and how they represent themselves online. Recognise the importance of social networking in their daily lives, similar to that of mobile phones, email, or instant messaging, and express an interest in understanding the role it plays.
Ask them why they like being online and who they interact with online. Ask them to show you their friends, what they are listening to, and what interests them within the community.

Report inappropriate behaviour

Talk about MySpace and the internet

MySpace, like the rest of the online world, is a public space. Members shouldn't post anything they wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., phone number, address, IM screen name, or specific whereabouts - particularly when it comes to arranging parties). Tell your teenagers they should avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find them, such as their local hangouts.
Remind them not to post anything that could embarrass them in the future or expose them to danger. Although MySpace is public, teenagers sometimes forget that the information and photos they post are accessible to others.

Remind teenagers to be cautious

Just as in the offline world, people aren't always who they say they are. Remind teenagers to be careful about adding strangers to their friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but members should be cautious when communicating with people they don't know.
Encourage teenagers to be themselves, but to exercise the same basic safety principles they do in the physical world. They wouldn't chat with a stranger at the shopping centre or give someone they don't know their mobile phone number. Remind them that reckless online behaviour can be just as dangerous.
They should talk to you if they want to meet an online friend in person, and if you think it's safe, any meeting should take place in a busy public place, with friends or a trusted adult present.

Publications

For additional reading on MySpace and Internet safety, MySpace suggest the following books available at major retailers:

MySpace MyKids

MySpace Unravelled

Real Wired Child

Internet safety experts

In Australia:

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation: amf.org.au/

Kids Help Line: kidshelp.com.au/

Safe Online, Safe Offline: soso.org.au/

Cybersmart Kids: cybersmartkids.com.au/

Bravehearts: bravehearts.org.au/internetsafety.ews

International Partners:

Net Family News: netfamilynews.org/

Safe Kids: safekids.com/

Wired Safety: wiredsafety.org/

NetSmartz: netsmartz411.org/

Wired Kids: wiredkids.org/

MySpace MyKids: myspacemykids.com/

Safe Families: safefamilies.org/

Enough is Enough: enough.org/

Connect Safely: connectsafely.org/

iKeepSafe: ikeepsafe.org/

Parents and family guides

MySpace is committed to working with Australian parents and families to provide a safer and more secure environment for all users of the MySpace website. Pursuant to this goal, we have produced a comprehensive parents and families guide especially for you, as a parent, to familiarise you with the product and arm you with the knowledge required for you to be able to engage in discussion with your teenagers about how to be safe online and on MySpace.

Download the Parents and Families Guide

ParentCare software

ParentCare Beta is a free, simple software tool designed to help parents safeguard their teenagers. With ParentCare Beta, parents can determine if their teenager has a MySpace profile and validate the age, user name, and location listed by the teenager. The ParentCare Beta software is designed to bolster MySpace's special safety protections for community members under 18 and give parents useful information to start a conversation about online safety. Learn more about ParentCare and download the program at: www.myspace.com/parentcare

58376515 Today's Internet

29660285 Dont Stop the Dialogue

58023958 Your Teenager’s MySpace Profile

58061200 ParentCare Install

55136311 Think Before You Post

8019404 PSA Cyberbulling from the National Crime Prevention

58023111 Setup Your Profile

58023754 Protect Your Profile

52039211 Safer Internet Day

32045785 Phishy Home

58056687 How To Contact MySpace

58054701 Content and Contact Reporting

58057876 Image Reporting

58022568 Social Networking 101

58059828 MySpace Commitment

Teaching internet safety

MySpace produces materials for schools and school administrators to assist in teaching internet safety to children and to administer any issues that may arise when teenagers use MySpace. in conjunction with our Australian safety partners we are aiming to expand this section throughout the year with materials relevant to Australian educators. At the present time, please download our Schools Guide for comprehensive information about the MySpace product and where to seek help. For additional internet safety resources, see the safety experts links below.

Download the Schools Guide

Internet safety experts

In Australia:

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation: amf.org.au/

Kids Help Line: kidshelp.com.au/

Safe Online, Safe Offline: soso.org.au/

Cybersmart Kids: cybersmartkids.com.au/

Bravehearts: bravehearts.org.au/internetsafety.ews

International Partners:

Net Family News: netfamilynews.org/

Safe Kids: safekids.com/

Wired Safety: wiredsafety.org/

NetSmartz: netsmartz411.org/

Wired Kids: wiredkids.org/

MySpace MyKids: myspacemykids.com/

Safe Families: safefamilies.org/

Enough is Enough: enough.org/

Connect Safely: connectsafely.org/

iKeepSafe: ikeepsafe.org/

58056687 How To Contact MySpace

58054701 Content and Contact Reporting

58057876 Image Reporting

58059828 MySpace Commitment

58022568 Social Networking 101

58376515 Today's Internet

58072996 Think Before You Post

8019404 PSA Cyberbulling from the National Crime Prevention

58023111 Setup Your Profile

58023754 Protect Your Profile

52039211 Safer Internet Day

32045785 Phishy Home

29660285 Dont Stop the Dialogue

58023958 Your Teenager’s MySpace Profile

58061200 ParentCare Install

Law Enforcement

MySpace has strict terms of service on how the site is to be used by Australians and is dedicated to protecting its loyal users against those who will operate against these. To achieve this aim, MySpace has dedicated staff to deal with law enforcement inquiries and provides training and materials to law enforcement to develop an understanding of the products we offer and the assistance we can provide.

If you are a law enforcement officer or work for a law enforcement agency and you would like more information or assistance, please contact MySpace from your work email address at: aulawenforcement@myspace.com

58059828 MySpace Commitment

58056687 How To Contact MySpace

52039211 Safer Internet Day

58376515 Today's Internet

55136311 Think Before You Post

8019404 PSA Cyberbulling from the National Crime Prevention

58023111 Setup Your Profile

58023754 Protect Your Profile

32045785 Phishy Home

29660285 Dont Stop the Dialogue

58023958 Your Teenager’s MySpace Profile

58061200 ParentCare Install

58054701 Content and Contact Reporting

58057876 Image Reporting

58022568 Social Networking 101

Featured Tip
Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. It's easy to think that only our friends are looking at our MySpace page, but the truth is that everyone can see it. Think twice before posting a photo or information you wouldn't want your parents, potential employers, colleges or boss to see!

Featured Tip
Don't forget that your profile and MySpace forums are public spaces. Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address, IM screen names, or specific whereabouts - particularly when promoting a party). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where you hang out every day or a picture of you in front of your office or school.

Featured Tip
People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult.

Featured Tip
Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behaviour is inappropriate, react. Report it to MySpace or the authorities.

Featured Tip
Don't say you're over 18 if you're not. Don't say you're younger than 18 if you're not. If MySpace customer service determines you are under 13 and pretend to be older, we will delete your profile. If customer service determines you are over 18 and pretend to be a teenager to contact underage users, we will delete your profile.

MySpace Safety and Security

About Safety

All Users
Teens
Parents
Teachers
Law Enforcement