MySpace gives parents a bit of access

The online hangout MySpace.com has been quietly developing software designed to give parents the bare-bones of what their kids are doing on the site.The tool, which will alert parents of the user name, age and location a child lists on personal MySpace pages known as profiles, is designed to spark conversations about Internet safety.But it is also meant to give kids enough room to maneuver lest they flee to rival social-networking sites.Unlike third-party monitoring software available for sale, the free MySpace tool won't let parents see their kids' password-protected profiles or any communications they have with friends.MySpace, which announced the initiative Wednesday after the Wall Street Journal reported on its existence, expects the software now known as Zephyr will be available this summer.Parents, school administrators and law-enforcement authorities have been increasingly warning of online predators at sites like MySpace, whose youth-oriented visitors are encouraged to expand their circles of friends through messaging tools and personal profile pages.