GOVERNOR CORZINE SIGNS INTERNET SAFETY MEASURES

TRENTON – Further enhancing the State’s aggressive Internet Safety initiatives, Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed two bills that will increase Internet security and aid Internet crime prevention in New Jersey. “With all of the benefits that evolving technologies provide us, there remains to be unfortunate opportunities that exist for the exploitation of children and adults through the use of the Internet,” Governor Corzine said. “These two measures will help to close that door on these dangerous situations and prevent Internet predators from perpetrating these criminal encounters.” According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, approximately one in seven young people online (10 to 17-years-old) were solicited or approached over the Internet. “The Internet serves as a hub for communication, learning, and socialization, but use of the Internet is not without risk,” Attorney General Anne Milgram said. “Sexual solicitation, harassment, bullying, and exposure to violent and inappropriate online content represent consistent threats to the safety of our children. That is why this legislation is so important and why my office has employed an aggressive, multi-pronged approach ranging from criminal and civil investigations to cooperative efforts with networking sites and service providers to education initiatives aimed at teachers, school administrators, parents and students.” The first bill, A-3761 / S-2697, authorizes wire or electronic communications of a suspected computer trespasser to be intercepted under certain circumstances. Authorized circumstances include direct approval from the owner or operator of the computer; the information’s relevance to an investigation and if the seizure does not acquire communications other than those transmitted to or from the computer trespasser.“Online stalkers who target children cannot be treated lightly,” said Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Essex/Bergen/Passaic.) “We need to be able to go after these individuals swiftly and bring the full force of the law to bear.” “This helps give law enforcement the tools they need to better protect children who use the Internet for education and recreation,” said Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex/Mercer). “No longer will Web sites be the playgrounds of criminals looking to prey on vulnerable children.” “Every parent worries when their child logs onto a computer and enters that new world that has evolved on the Internet,” said Assemblyman Matthew Milam (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland). “It can be a wonderful tool for education and keeping in touch with friends and loved ones, but it can also be a dangerous place. These bills aim to give authorities what they need to keep pace with the criminals.” The second bill, A-3763 / S-2702, creates the Computer Crime Prevention Fund through fines imposed on individuals convicted of certain internet crimes. These penalties range from $250 for a case of a disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense to $2,000 in the case of crime in the first degree. “Penalizing the people who force us to investigate these nightmarish crimes is sensible public policy that puts the burden on offenders, not taxpayers,” said Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes III (D-Middlesex). “Times and technology have changed and so must our laws,” said Assemblywoman Elease Evans (D-Passaic). Collected fines will be placed in a Computer Crime Prevention Fund located within the Department of the Treasury. The funds can be used by the Department of Law and Public Safety to investigate and raise public awareness of computer crimes. “Law enforcement needs the tools to keep pace with today’s ever-changing technology and ward off predators who lurk behind a computer screen in hopes of preying on children,” said Assemblyman Nelson Albano (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland). “This is a common-sense step forward to help give parents peace of mind that we’re doing all we can to protect their children in this technological age.” “Through these measures, we are furthering our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of New Jersey's children,” said Senator James Beach, (D-Camden). “We are also sending an unmistakably clear message that anyone who intends to harm our youth will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As parents and grandparents, and as adults, we must protect the children of our State.” Both bills signed by Governor Corzine augment the Internet Safety initiatives implemented by the Department of Law and Public Safety. Through these initiatives:

The State Police, the Division of Criminal Justice and county prosecutors have arrested and prosecuted more than 200 people for possession or distribution of child pornography, including trading child pornography on peer to peer file sharing networks. The Attorney General has also asked Internet Service Providers to block access to child pornography websites to help prevent the victimization of children.

The Attorney General's Office, working with social networking sites, has identified convicted sex offenders with profiles on social networking sites. As a result of information derived from this initiative, supervised sex offenders have been arrested for violating their conditions of parole by accessing social networking sites.

The Attorney General's Office developed a unique Report Abuse icon, which is in use on MyYearbook.com and is being tested by Facebook, that provides a common, easily accessible and recognizable mechanism on social networking website pages that allows users to report offensive content quickly and effectively in a way that facilitates and ensures follow-up by the websites and, when appropriate, results in alerts to law enforcement.

A Civil investigation into potential violations of the Consumer Fraud Act by a college gossip website which allowed malicious and anonymous postings was launched. The website eventually shut down on its own, while the Attorney General advised all New Jersey colleges and universities to adopt best practices to make cyber-security a priority on their campuses.

In collaboration with the Department of Education, the Attorney General's Office and the Division of State Police have trained more than 1,000 school teachers and administrators on how best to teach children about Internet safety.

Governor Corzine signed the legislation as part of National Cyber Safety Awareness Month, which was designed to encourage citizens to protect their computers and the nation’s critical cyber infrastructure. ### Get our press releases via RSS at: feed://nj.gov/governor/news/news/2009/approved/rss.xml Photos from Governor Corzine's public events are available at <www.nj.gov/governor/news> Video from the Governor's Office is available at <www.nj.gov/governor/news/video> and <www.youtube.com/user/jonscorzine>

GOVERNORS PRESS... can be reached via email at robert.corrales@gov.state.nj.us.