August 1, 2006
NEW YORK, Aug. 1 /U.S. Newswire/ — As part of its comprehensive approach to online safety, Xanga has hired experienced cybercrime prosecutor, Stephen Kline, to lead the company’s safety and compliance initiatives as Chief Safety Officer. Since 2000, Kline has worked in the New York Attorney General’s office as an Assistant Attorney General in its Internet Bureau, where he has investigated and prosecuted numerous high- profile Internet-based fraud and compliance violations in both state and federal courts.
During Kline’s six years with the Attorney General’s office he:
– Prosecuted the first enforcement action of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
– Jointly prosecuted with the FTC a group of more than 60 adult Web sites for hundreds of millions of dollars in credit card fraud –- the largest case of its kind ever
– Prosecuted several spam operations, including some of the world’s most notorious spammers
– Served as an expert lecturer for law enforcement and attorneys on compliance with Internet-related laws
“Xanga is an industry leader because of its innovative approach and strong commitment to safety,” Kline said. “I’m looking forward to working with both the Xanga team and law enforcement in order to continue to offer Xanga users a safe place to express themselves.”
Reporting directly to Xanga CEO John Hiler, Kline will serve as Xanga’s chief liaison to law enforcement officials, regulators, policy-makers and industry groups. Additionally, Kline will be responsible for defining Xanga’s abuse policies and procedures, and also ensuring that Xanga is in full compliance with state and federal law.
“What makes this so exciting is that Stephen is a real innovator,” said Hiler. “His work with the New York Attorney General’s office was on the cutting edge of Internet law. We’re hugely excited to have an innovator like Stephen focused 100 percent on the safety of our users.”
Kline will begin work at Xanga on August 16, 2006.
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Following is a list of quotes from industry experts praising Stephen Kline’s knowledge and commitment to safety.
XANGA.COM HIRES NEW CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER
Internet Safety Experts Laud Addition of Stephen Kline to Lead Xanga’s Safety Efforts
“I’m thrilled that Xanga made such a great choice. Stephen’s been involved for many years as a groundbreaker in the cybercrimes and prevention fields. He’s one of the few who can balance an understanding of legal compliance, safety and privacy, and the needs of Internet users. We look forward to working with him.”
– Parry Aftab, Executive Director, WiredSafety.org
“Online risks to children continue to change and require diligent attention to safety precautions. Xanga’s hiring of a Chief Safety Officer shows this is a priority area for the company and that they take these issues seriously. In June of this year, we worked with Xanga and others to hold a Dialogue on Social Networking Web Sites to focus on safety concerns. We look forward to building upon that relationship and working with their Chief Safety Officer towards our common goal of keeping online experiences safe and enjoyable for our kids.”
– Ernie Allen, President, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
“It’s great to see social-networking leaders taking the kind of responsibility this development at Xanga represents.”
– Anne Collier, Co-director, BlogSafety.com