By Stacie D. Rumenap
September 22, 2008

GOPUSA

Imagine a tool that allows anyone from the comfort of their home to view photographic images of the most likely route your child walks to school, or to calculate the distance between your front door and your child’s school bus stop. What if a stranger could view images of the entrances to your local park, find the location of your family’s bedroom windows, or even worse, see a photograph of your child playing in your own front yard?

While these scenarios may seem lifted straight from George Orwell’s 1984, the technology they describe is in fact very real. Developed by Google, “Street View” is a new web-based program that allows users to search Google Maps for residences, businesses and other geographic locations. It then delivers what its name implies – highly-magnified, 360-degree panoramic street-level photographic images of those addresses.

The technology may seem harmless. After all, an honest user could use Street View to find his hotel in an unfamiliar city, or view his own home on a map. But Google’s new program also allows anyone with an internet connection to gather an unprecedented amount of information about you and your family – without your permission. In some instances, Street View may even capture – and make publicly accessible – photos of your kids playing in your own yard.

Clearly, this aspect of the technology presents an entirely new threat to our families and children. Child predators could misuse the program to study our homes, parks, shopping centers, day care centers, schools and other places kids congregate. This easily accessible online application potentially enables child predators to anonymously gather information about outdoor spaces and their young users, and to do so with very few privacy restrictions.

Parents across the country become understandably upset when they learn that photographs of their children have been posted online without their knowledge or approval. Street View has the potential to memorialize a child’s image on the internet, in association with a physical address–all without parental consent or, in most cases, even awareness.

To read more of Stacie’s commentary, go here: http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/guest/2008/sdr_09221.shtml

For Immediate Release
September 17, 2008

Contact: Amy Hinojosa
202-833-0060

Stop Internet Predators informs parents and communities about the potential dangers associated with new online technologies

Washington, DC – Today, MANA: A National Latina Organization, with headquarters in Washington, DC, twenty five Chapters nationwide and six affiliates across the nation announced its partnership with Stop Internet Predators, a nation-wide coalition launched to educate parents and communities on emerging online child safety issues and empower them to protect their children’s privacy and safety.

Google’s controversial new application “Street View” provide online users 360 degree street level images of physical addresses. Anyone with an Internet connection can type an address and digitally cruise images of our neighborhoods. Photographs uploaded to the program have captured images of our children on our front yards, boarding the school bus or playing in the local park.

Parents should be aware of new online technologies, their safety implications and restriction options to protect our children’s privacy and overall safety.

“‘Street View’ is especially alarming to me since it allows anyone with an Internet connection to map the most likely route a child walks to school, and the distance between the school bus stop the front door of a home, and even find the location of families’ bedroom windows,” explains Alma Riojas, President and CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization. “It is imperative to make parents aware of this technology and inform them of how to remove photos of their children if found on the website.”

“I am honored to partner with MANA on this child safety effort,” said Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director of Stop Child Predators. “Their focus on empowering women in the Latina community is exceptional and we are glad they will help us to educate women and families across the country of the threat technologies like Google ‘Street View’ may bring.”

Stop Internet Predators is a project of Stop Child Predators, launched to educate parents and communities on emerging online child safety issues and empower them to protect their children’s privacy and safety. Stop Internet Predators has a special focus on new internet technologies that pose a risk to their children’s safety, such as Google’s Street View. For more information on the campaign, please visit www.StopInternetPredators.org.

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About MANA: MANA, A National Latina Organization, is a nonprofit advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. With chapters across the country, it is the oldest national Latina membership organization in the United States. MANA, whose mission is to empower Latinas through leadership development, community service, and advocacy, envisions a national community of informed Latina activists working to improve the quality of life for all Hispanics. MANA also has the only national Latina mentoring program for girls 11 to 18, known as “HERMANITAS “.

For Immediate Release:
September 16, 2008

Contact: 1-866-560-9028
media@StopInternetPredators.org

Alarming episode informed viewers of the prominence of online child predation

Washington, DC – Today Stop Child Predators applauded The Oprah Show for tackling the serious and disturbing phenomenon of child predators and online trafficking of child pornography and for helping to raise awareness of U.S. Senate Bill 1738, the Protect Our Children Act.

“It is the mission of Stop Child Predators to inform parents of the dangers that threaten our children so they can take the necessary precautions and protect the safety of their children,” said Stacie Rumenap. “We commend Oprah for utilizing her show as a platform to educate viewers about the urgent need for our nation to come together to take a stand against child predators.”

Oprah encouraged viewers to visit her website in order to contact their senators and express their concern by calling for the passage of the bill before September 26 recess. The bill would provide federal funding for law enforcement officers who are greatly in need of the resources necessary to effectively track down child predators and prevent future predation.

The shocking episode also acknowledged that this new digital age brings with it new threats. Stop Child Predators recently launched a public education campaign called Stop Internet Predators designed to increase awareness of emerging Internet technologies that can endanger our children’s safety and privacy.

Fourteen advocacy groups have already joined the coalition which strives to inform parents and communities about threats created by emerging technologies. By empowering families with education and resources, parents can take an active role in their children’s safety and privacy.

A major concern is the misuse of new technologies by child predators. One such technology is Google “Street View,” a new application that allows users to view high resolution images of homes, schools, playgrounds, and other places where children gather. In some instances, children have been captured in the photos.

Stop Internet Predators seeks to limit the potential for child predators to abuse Street View technology to prey on children and encourages parents and communities to urge local leaders to ban Street View until it has been safeguarded. It won’t protect our children from all predators, but removing the photos of children from this technology is a good place to start.

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

About Stop Child Predators

Stop Child Predators brings together a team of policy experts, law enforcement officers, community leaders, and parents that persuade lawmakers and the public to enact policies that protect America’s children from sexual predators. Stop Child Predators is the only national organization that leads campaigns in every state to advocate legislation that prevents the sexual exploitation of children and protects the rights of child victims.
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For Immediate Release:
September 10, 2008

Contact: 1-866-560-9028
media@StopInternetPredators.org

Over a dozen organizations join Stop Internet Predators’ efforts to protect safety of children in online age

Washington, DC – Today Stop Internet Predators announced that over a dozen national and state advocacy groups have joined their effort to increase awareness of emerging Internet technologies that can endanger our children’s safety and privacy.

Google maps “Street View” application allows anyone to view high resolution images of homes and schools, images that in some cases include children playing outside. Many times parents are unaware such applications exist and are therefore unable to protect their families accordingly.

Although images are not live, Google Street View can memorialize a minor’s photograph in association with a physical address without parental consent for all on the Internet to see. Stop Internet Predators urges parents to call for a ban on Street View in their communities until the technology is safeguarded to protect their children’s privacy.

“We commend Stop Internet Predators for their work in the area of online child safety, and for their efforts to inform the public on possible safety issues with Google’s ‘Street View.’ We look forward to joining forces with Stop Internet Predators as we continue to provide our digital fingerprint/photograph Child ID Kits to families nationwide,” said Neil Arfmann, President of McGruff Safe Kids Total Identification System, the leading child safety education and identification program in the United States.

“Applications like ‘Street View’ make it too easy for anyone to track how to get to our children before they even walk out their front door,” said DerekVanLuchene. “We must be proactive and ensure that all possible safeguards are implemented on these alarming online applications.” VanLuchene who lost his brother to a violent sexual predator, is the founder of Ryan United, a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping children safe from sexual predators.

“We are encouraged by the many groups that continue to join our campaign, and the growing awareness that is empowering parents to protect their children from the new threats of this technological age,” said Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director of Stop Child Predators, the organization leading the Stop Internet Predator campaign. “Until action is taken to ensure technology is kid-friendly, parents and communities are charged with the responsibility.”

For more information about the campaign, for our complete list of partners or to sign our online petition to safeguard Street View please visit http://www.StopInternetPredators.org.

About Stop Internet Predators
Stop Internet Predators is a project of Stop Child Predators, launched to educate parents and communities on emerging online child safety issues and empower them to protect their children’s privacy and safety. Stop Internet Predators has a special focus on new internet technologies that pose a risk to their children’s safety, such as Google’s Street View.

By Michael Duff
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Friday, September 05, 2008

If you are in the habit of say, mowing the lawn in your underwear early on Saturday mornings, you should probably go by Google Street View and punch in your address. To get there in the first place, just type “street view” into Google.

You won’t be able to remove any compromising photographs that you find there, but at least you can prepare your family for the shock.

Google Street View provides 360-degree panoramic views of major U.S. cities. Or rather, it used to be major U.S. cities. Now they have expanded the project, providing views of places like Meadow, Slaton and rather comprehensive views of Lubbock itself.

Punch in the address for The Avalanche-Journal and you’ll see an action shot of our receptionist heading around the corner for a cigarette. Browse through the parking lot and you can identify the vehicles of visitors and staff members. There’s no easy way to tell what time the photographs were taken, but you can clearly identify license plate numbers on vehicles.

Google has promised to blur license plate numbers in Australia, but as of this writing, they are still visible. Homeland Security has already raised concerns about Google photographing sensitive areas in Washington, DC and The Pentagon made them remove footage taken from military bases.

A couple in Pittsburgh tried to sue Google for invasion of privacy, claiming that a public photograph had actually diminished the value of their home…

To read more of this article, please visit http:// lubbockonline.com/stories/090508/col_328741154.shtml

For Immediate Release
September 4, 2008

Contact: Chip St. Clair
248-364-4010

Coalition aims to educate parents and communities about the potential dangers associated with Google’s “Street View”

Auburn Hills, MI – National child advocacy organization, Justice for Children, is proud to announce its partnership with Stop Internet Predators, a campaign launched to educate parents and communities on emerging online child safety issues and empower them to protect their children’s privacy and safety.

“We are extremely happy to have Justice for Children join our growing list of supporters for this very important child safety cause,” explains Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director of Stop Child Predators. “Justice for Children provides great resources to communities across the country and we are pleased they have joined our efforts to educate families on the potential misuses associated with Google’s Street View.”

“I strongly believe that our children need to be protected from potential misuses of online technologies such as Street View,” states Chip St. Clair, Regional Director of Justice for Children’s Michigan Chapter. “We need to urge our local leaders to exercise restriction options when it comes to these technologies that can pose an entirely new threat to our families and children.”

Street View gives online users street-level images of addresses. The technology allows online users to view zoomed-in, high-resolution pictures of various places throughout a community including homes, schools and parks. While this technology allows you to find your own home on a map, it also allows anyone else to view an unprecedented amount of information about you and your family without your permission.

Justice for Children works to advocate and legislate on the national and local level to bring positive change to children’s lives. Justice for Children has a long history of educating communities in an effort to avoid potential harm to children.

Stop Internet Predators is a project of Stop Child Predators, launched to educate parents and communities on emerging online child safety issues and empower them to protect their children’s privacy and safety. Stop Internet Predators has a special focus on new internet technologies that pose a risk to their children’s safety, such as Google’s Street View. For more information, please visit www.stopinternetpredators.org.

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Justice for Children is a national child advocacy organization with headquarters in Houston, Texas. It was founded in 1987 by Randy Burton, a former Chief Prosecutor of the Family Offenses Section of the Harris County District Attorney’s office, and a group of concerned citizens within the community in response to the inadequacies and failure of child protective system to protect abused and neglected children.