WASHINGTON (AP) – It’s another effort aimed at protecting kids who use social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. But it’s hard to tell how well it will go over. A bill introduced in Congress yesterday would give such social networking sites access to a database of sex offenders. That way, the sites can be checked against names and addresses on public profiles. The measure would also require convicted sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses and other online identifiers with federal authorities. If such an offender were to misrepresent their age to a minor with the intent of sexually abusing a child, the violation would be considered a felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

