The longer it takes for DOPA (and state-level bills) to be passed.. which someday will probably happen in some form or another... the better it bodes for politicians/legislators (and staffers) to be educated on how social networking technologies, and more generally, how social websites work. Here is a recent update on where things stand on Capitol Hill: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6176950.html At the state level, most bills introduced in state legislatures this year seek to directly punish the online predators rather than the website provider... CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has hyped publicly that "10 to 20 states are considering legislation", and then more recently "44 states", but I haven't seen evidence of these bill introductions on State Net, a comprehensive database for state legislatures and their activities. My understanding is that Blumenthal is the co-chair for a national task force on the subject, so the story is not being conveyed accurately.. There are more than 40+ states represented in Blumenthal's task force, but the body doesn't have any direct legislative influence. It is a blue ribbon commission with no formal law-making power. Connecticut did introduce a bill in committee in March. And there are several other states (GA, NC, IL, NY) that have introduced similar Connecticut-styled bills. As others have said, bill sponsors look to regulate websites with social networking technologies, requiring parental consent for minors to register and post a profile.. a couple bills would ban access to social network sites in elementary and secondary schools, as well as public libraries. Right now we hear a lot of public rhetoric by politicians and the attorneys general, and there is coercion by way of legislative *threat* ... but it will probably be a while before a majority of states seriously consider adopting major regulations for sites with social networking capabilities. And preemptive actions taken by MySpace, Facebook, and others, may fend off harsh regulations in the future. - Paul ------------- Paul DiPerna Blau Exchange http://www.blauexchange.org online ID: http://claimid.com/pdiperna