Andrew Cuomo's eStop

GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES E-STOP LAW LEADS TO REMOVAL OF MORE THAN 24,000 SOCIAL NETWORKING ACCOUNTS AND PROFILES LINKED TO REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS

e-STOP Marks Third Anniversary as One of the Most Effective Internet Safety Laws in the Nation

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that e-STOP has resulted in the removal of more than 24,000 accounts and online profiles linked to registered sex offenders.

The Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act (e-STOP), authored by Cuomo when he served as Attorney General and passed unanimously by the Legislature in April of 2008, established numerous groundbreaking protections.

It requires sex offenders to register and keep up-to-date all current email accounts, screen names, and any other Internet identifiers with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). The list is then given to more than two dozen social networking companies on a weekly basis and those sites use it to purge offenders.

"e-STOP is one of the most effective Internet safety laws in the nation, directly responsible for keeping thousands of sex offenders off-line and away from our children," Governor Cuomo said. "I commend the social networking sites that have agreed to continually use our data to ensure the safety of their users. e-STOP shows that New York continues to be on the forefront of Internet safety and its success is an example of what can be accomplished when we work together."

Provisions of the e-STOP law include:

· Requiring sex offenders register all of their Internet accounts and identifiers (e-mail addresses and designations used for chat, instant messaging, social networking, or other similar Internet communication) with DCJS.
· Authorizing DCJS to release state sex offender Internet identifiers to social networking sites and certain other online services to prescreen or remove sex offenders from using the site's services and notify law enforcement authorities and other government officials in conformity with state and federal law of potential violations and threats to public safety.
· Requiring mandatory Internet restrictions for all level 3 sex offenders, offenders whose victims were under 18, and offenders who used the Internet to victimize a minor.

Laura A. Ahearn, L.M.S.W, Executive Director of Parents for Megan's Law and the Crime Victims Center said, "Regardless of the office he holds, to us, Andrew Cuomo will always be the Sheriff of Cyberspace. As parents and lawmakers struggle to keep up with the dangers of an ever-expanding digital universe, Governor Cuomo has stepped in, passed an effective law, and kept the spotlight on Internet safety. We applaud his successful efforts to expand provisions of Megan's Law to the Internet."