The state of New York has pulled more than 3,500 registered sex offenders from various online gaming platforms, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced on Thursday. The initiative, supported in part by Microsoft, Apple, Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Disney Interactive Media Group, Warner Brothers and Sony, is called "Operation: Game Over."
New York State's law requires convicted sex offenders to register all of their online identities with the state, be they email addresses, screen names, or whatever. "Operation: Game Over," however, is the first time the New York law has been applied to online video games.
Spurred by the story of the 19-year old man abusing a 10-year old boy after a three-month long Xbox Live friendship, Schneiderman's office approached game companies with the request that sex offenders be banned, purged, or have their communication privileges revoked. The Attorney General's office did not specify the networks from which privileges were revoked.
"We must ensure online video game systems do not become a digital playground for dangerous predators. That means doing everything possible to block sex offenders from using gaming networks as a vehicle to prey on underage victims,” said Attorney General Schneiderman in a statement on Thursday. "I applaud all the companies participating in this first-of-its-kind initiative for taking online safety seriously and purging their networks of sex offenders. Together we are making the online community safer for our children, not allowing it to become a 21st century crime scene."
Photo: [ag.ny.gov]