Statement of XANGA.COM on FTC Settlement From The Xanga Team

NEW YORK, Sep. 7 - In response to the Federal Trade Commission’s announcement of a settlement with Xanga.com related to its investigation of alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the following is the statement of Xanga.com CEO, John Hiler:“Before these issues came to our attention, Xanga had in place a registration system intended to screen out underage users – reflecting our longstanding policy that no one under 13 is allowed to create an account. That system was inadequate because users were able to initially indicate that they were at least 13 years old when registering for the site, and then afterwards post a younger age on their profile. We found that an array of Xanga users created profiles with “birth dates” other than their actual day of birth when establishing their weblog. For example, pet bloggers registered with their pet’s birthday, engaged bloggers registered with their wedding date, and religious bloggers registered with their “born again” date.

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Experienced Cybercrime Prosecutor to Lead Xanga.com’s Safety Efforts; New Officer Part of Xanga’s Commitment to Online Safety From The Xanga Team

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.

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Xanga.com’s New Safety Rating System Featured at Industry Conferences; Empowers Members to Make Online Community Safer From The Xanga Team

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 21 /U.S. Newswire/ — Xanga.com will highlight the extensive safety measures created for its site, especially its groundbreaking rating system, at two industry conferences this week sponsored by WiredSafety.org and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)(r). More people than ever before are turning to blogging and social networking sites like Xanga.com to share information and dialogue with friends and family. The increased use has also brought increased concerns about Internet safety.

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