For Immediate Release
August 27, 2008

Contact: Laurie Myers
617-515-2079

Stop Internet Predators will advise parents and communities potential dangers and restriction options

Chelmsford, Massachusetts – Community VOICES is proud to announce that it has joined Stop Child Predators and a coalition of national, state and local advocacy organizations in a campaign to educate parents about child safety implications of new online technologies, called Stop Internet Predators. The campaign’s primary focus will be to educate parents on Google’s “Street View” and its potential dangers to children’s privacy and overall safety.

Since 2004, VOICES has been advocating for the safety of children using the Internet. Through education about Internet predators and solicitation, VOICES has tried to inform parents about how predators have access to their children. It is in that spirit that VOICES expresses our growing concerns about Google “Street View”, which uses street-level cameras to photograph communities where the “Street View” technology is accessible. At times, children walking to school, playing outdoors, and in their own yards are photographed, and those images are readily available on the Internet.

“We are pleased to welcome Community VOICES to our Stop Internet Predators campaign,” said Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director of Stop Child Predators. “Community VOICES is a leader in helping citizens take an active role in their safety and their involvement in this campaign will undoubtedly allow us to reach more parents with our important message”.

“After going on Street View, I saw a picture of my neighbor’s child playing basketball in his driveway,” said Laurie Myers, Community VOICES President. “As the Internet evolves the way in which predators prey on children evolves with it. We as parents owe it to our children to educate ourselves on the potential dangers by being proactive.”

VOICES as part of Stop Internet Predators, join in the call for all parents to educate themselves on the technology and exercise restriction options to protect our children’s privacy and overall safety.

For more information about the campaign please visit www.StopInternetPredators.org.