MYSPACE PROMISES SAFEGUARDS FOR YOUTHS

MySpace, the world's most popular online hangout, promised yesterday to take steps to protect youngsters from sexual predators and bullies, including searching for ways to verify users' ages.  Under mounting pressure from law enforcement and parents, MySpace promised to create a task force to watch over its operations.  Parry Aftab, executive director of Wiredsafety.org, a children's Internet safety group, estimates that 20 percent of teens have met someone online that they had never met in person, and there are numerous examples of sexual abuse arising from MySpace encounters.