Facebook will add more than 40 new safeguards

Enough with the sexual predators and cyberbullies. Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 new safeguards to protect young users.


The changes include banning convicted sex offenders from the site, limiting older users' ability to search online for subscribers under 18 and building a task force seeking ways to better verify users' ages and identities.


Facebook has more than 70 million active users worldwide.

Among other changes, Facebook has agreed to:

• Ensure companies offering services on its site comply with its safety and privacy guidelines.

• Keep tobacco and alcohol ads from users too young to purchase those products.

• Remove groups whose comments or images suggest they involve incest, pedophilia, bullying or other inappropriate content.

• Send warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an adult.

• Review users' profiles when they ask to change their age, ensuring the update is legitimate and not intended to let adults masquerade as children.