Just because gamers are playing their favorite titles on a "closed" network, that doesn't mean they're immune to the powers of predators and porn. One Texas mother made this discovery after her 11-year-old son received pornography from an online gamer he met via Xbox LIVE.
"When they are playing against their friends, it's a controlled environment," explained mom Rosie Garcia in an interview with San Antonio's News Channel 9. "But when they join a party, it can be someone in Japan, Australia, anywhere in the world."
According to Garcia, her son made contact with a gamer he met in an unspecified game. Although the details regarding the transaction between the two were not discussed, apparently the new "friend" sent the boy pornographic pictures. There was no indication of what the pictures actually contained, however the News Channel 9 report mentioned the word "predator," leaving little to the imagination.
Upon receipt of the images, the mother immediately called the San Antonio police. The also called Xbox LIVE and provided the Gamertag information, and then filled out a complaint form on the Xbox LIVE website.
Pornography on Xbox LIVE isn't anything new. Back in 2008 one Michigan mother filed a complaint after her two children were exposed to nudity via the Xbox LIVE camera. A representative told the mother that Microsoft couldn't monitor content transmitted from camera to camera. Although the mother contacted the local authorities to report the "crime," she eventually canceled the Xbox LIVE subscription, fearing the "safety of her children."
Gamers and parents who want to keep Xbox LIVE "clean," a "NO PORN FOR XBOX LIVE" petition is online, written by Dan Arrey. The petition came online after Vivid Entertainment revealed its interest in bringing porn-related content to Xbox LIVE. It doesn't address situations like predators and naughty gamers, but it's a start.
So far the petition has a whopping 12 signatures.
