Reports show that the people behind Myspace.com have been quietly developing software that will allow parents to see some of the information their children are posting on the Web site.The new tool is to allow parents to protect their children while not invading their privacy. The program, called “Zephyr,” will allow parents to see the username, age and location their children have listed on Myspace.com, as long as the child logs in from a home computer.

As of now, Myspace.com has privacy settings that do not allow children under 14 to sign up to use the site. The problem lies in the fact that those under 14 are lying by saying they are older, and, in some cases, people sign up that are much older than they say they are.

I am a member of Myspace.com and have a profile available online. Once someone is signed up, it is easy to go to the account settings section and set your profile to private, as mine is. This means that only the people you accept as friends on Myspace can view your entire profile.

You can also restrict someone from even sending a friend request on the site unless he or she knows your last name or e-mail address. These are precautions that come standard upon signing up.

News Corporation, owner of Myspace.com, encourages users to protect themselves and use the privacy settings before signing up.

Because of these safety measures, I don’t feel parents should have full access to Web sites containing their children’s personal profiles unless the children have agreed to it. If a user does not want to talk to an older man or woman, nothing on the site forces the individuals to do so.

In my experience, the people who have had problems with stalkers on Myspace do not have their privacy settings on and are usually posting inappropriate pictures of themselves. If you don’t want the sexual attention, you shouldn’t post sexual pictures. Many teens are bringing it upon themselves.

Anna Collier, an editor for NetFamilyNews.org, a Web site that helps parents keep the use of the Internet constructive and safe for their children, said, in an online article, that while “Zephyr” is a good starting tool, more should be done to prevent an unsafe online experience.

“It empowers both parent and child to work out a safety formula,” the article said.

I couldn’t agree more. Parents can find out if their children are posting ages that are not true, which is a sign that they may be up to no good. It is enough information to raise a red flag for the parents and allow them to sit their children down and talk about Internet safety.

When kids are forced into a corner and feel their privacy has been violated, they will do everything in their power to escape questioning and evade their parents’ ever-watchful eye. This includes only logging onto Web sites like Myspace.com from library computers or friends’ computers so they don’t have to face their parents.

Many of the younger users on Myspace.com are not there to meet new friends or meet older men and women. They are there to be able to express themselves creatively and freely, and parents need to take that into consideration, as well.

In my opinion, “Zephyr” provides enough information so that kids and teenagers will not feel violated, while allowing parents be somewhat involved and protective.

Marissa Warms is a junior advertising/public relations major from Irving. Her column appears every Friday.