Man Sues Facebook Over Daughter's Provocative Pics

A Northern Ireland man is accusing Facebook of having a lackadaisical approach towards their age-identification system, even going so far as to sue the social network after his 12-year-old daughter began posting "explicit photos" of herself on multiple occasions.

As it stands, the minimum age requirement for a new Facebook member is 13. The social network is currently designed for two age groups (13-17 year olds and 18+). Still, the company does not have a solid method of verifying (or even checking) a member's age.

The lawsuit claims that Facebook is "guilty of negligence" and creates "a risk of... physical harm" to children.

Facebook Images Meant to Deceive

According to Hilary Carmichael Solicitors, the 12-year-old (who has a history of behavioral problems) should shoulder the blame for misrepresenting herself in a public forum. In the photographs, the girl is described as being "heavily made-up, ... [is seen] in a provocative pose, and she appears much older than her 12 years." (Source: canoe.ca)

The images were also accompanied with details about where she lives and attends school. Not surprisingly, her uploaded information garnered a number of interested individuals who requested more pictures from her.

The father of the girl was successful in closing her account, but she opened a second one days later.

During the time the pictures were taken and uploaded, the 12-year-old was in the voluntary care of a local Health and Social Care Trust. Now, the Trust also finds themselves as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Facebook: Age Restrictions Problematic on All Websites

When asked to comment about their age policy, Facebook responded with: "Anyone who is concerned about an underage person on Facebook should report them to us using the form provided and we will remove them." (Source: torontosun.com)

The company went on to acknowledge that age restrictions on websites in general are not very successful, but added that parents should continue to have an open line of communication with their children when discussing the potential dangers associated with online socializing.