Facebook gets tough with bogus users, cyber bullies

LET'S FACE IT: The new technology can verify users' age and restrict the ability of users to change their age on the site.

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San Francisco: Social networking hub Facebook announced a string of new safety measures against online predators and said it would join rival MySpace on the Internet Safety Task Force.

The world's second-largest social site on Thursday said it had reached agreement with every US state except Texas to use technology that verifies users' age, restricts the ability of users to change their age on the site and dispatches warnings when a minor may be giving personal information to an adult he or she does not know.

Facebook is also pledging to be aggressive in responding to requests to remove inappropriate content and groups, immediate removal of links to pornographic sites and prominent display of privacy information and safety tips.

Facebook is to add a slew of new safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyber bullies. It will step up efforts to ban convicted sex offenders from the site and find better ways to verify users' age and identities, said the company's privacy chief Chris Kelly.

The agreement was announced by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in a deal along with other state attorneys general around the country.

"This marks another watershed towards social networking safety," he said.

"It will protect children from online predators and inappropriate content,” he added.