August 16, 2006 - 9:47 A.M.
Impunity in Orkut
by Dojival Filho
Diário do Grande ABC -- rights reserved, rights in English granted to Tina and associates by Dojival Filho
More News --Our Opinion
The feeling of impunity makes criminals act in Orkut. The statement was made by the president and project director of the NGO SaferNet Brasil, Tiago Tavares Nunes de Oliveira. The NGO has been a partner of the Federal Public Ministry of São Paulo(MPF) in the investigation of infractions on the Internet, especially in the relationship site(orkut). SaferNet has recorded, between January 2006 and August 2006, 96,550 crimes reported as taking place in the virtual universe. Of these 89,591 refer to profiles and communities in orkut, 37,005 related to pedophilia and child abuse.
Although the MPF was authorized judicially to retrieve information on 27 users, breaking, thus, users' privacy notice, Google Brasil, an affiliate of USA's Google Inc. and responsible for orkut in Brazil, the information hasn't yet been given to the authorities. According to press release of Google Brazil, the responsiblity for record keeping and maintenance on orkut is USA Google's.
"What is happening is very sad. Google's USA support team don't understand portuguese. Only photos are removed. They are ignorant of Brazilian legislation," concludes Oliveira.
The NGO concluded a report on pedophilia on orkut, as asked to do by the Human Rights Commission and Minorities in Congress. The report will be sent to the USA Congress and The Public Federal Ministry in São Paulo. The document consists of over 80 pages with details on the continuious use of (orkut) the relationship site as a hang-out for pedophiles to get into action.
Still according to Tiago, 1, 202 pedophilia communities were unmasked. "Generally, side-by-side with cartoons, there is child pornography, to get thru to the children an idea it's only natural."
Our Opinion
from Diário do Grande ABC
We must commend the performance of the MPF and the NGO SaferNet, which investigate crime on the Internet. It's unnaceptable for Google Brasil, a branch of USA's Google Inc., not to have released the information asked by the organism regarding communities and profiles on Orkut, as reported yesterday here.
It's been five months since the MPF obtained a judicial order for the end of secrecy regarding 27 users who practiced crimes of pedophilia, supported crime and racism.
Up to now, Google Brasil has been dismissive and attributes to its headquarters in the USA the responsiblity for the services rendered. For this reason, the MPF prepares a civil lawsuit in which it'll ask for the end of representation of Google in Brazil and payment for collective moral damage. The MPF is suing Google for protecting criminals and for disobedience.
The site (orkut) doesn't represent an evil to be fought but needs filters to keep criminals away. The company's attitude is indefensable. We may find the weird communities in orkut funny, but never the criminal ones.
Diário do Grande ABC Copyright ©2006
Todos os direitos reservados -- Right to translate and publish given by Dojival Filho, on 8/16/06. Dojival is conducting a series of articles on orkut.
A quick update: First they came for me. The they came for the Christian groups in orkut. Then they inserted a piece of Java script in orkut and re-directed its traffic to the blog Hoje É Um Bom Dia Redirecting traffic of users against their will is a breach of TOS. Who will be next?
Google is happy, its stock going up, My Space ripe for the picking, and--oops! -- Brazilian vandals migrating to MySpace.
Remember: "Do no evil and stay beautiful." Right on.
crime orkut
Google laughs
orkut redirected to blog
Google impunity
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