• Associated Press, Thursday, July 13, 2006 10:45 AM

News Corp. is putting millions of dollars behind a TV and online public campaign promoting Internet safety. The TV spots feature Kiefer Sutherland, who plays Jack Bauer on the Fox drama "24." The 20-second ad urges parents to go to CommonSense.com, a site run by a nonprofit that reviews media and entertainment for parents. "On TV Jack Bauer has 24 hours to make the world safe. In real life it only takes a few minutes to do the same for our kids," Sutherland says in the ad. "To protect them you don't need the latest state-of-the-art technology. You just need a few simple tips: Don't let them run into trouble on the Internet--use common sense." At the site, parents may download a guidebook and tip card on Internet safety that recommends parents become involved with what their kids are doing online. MySpace, with its 18 million or so minors, has borne the brunt of the criticism surrounding the ease with which social networks can connect sexual predators to young boys and girls online. Most recently, the mother of a Texas teenager is seeking $30 million in damages after her daughter was assaulted by a 19-year-old she met on MySapce. Attorneys general from at least four states have called on MySpace to do more to protect teens. For its part, News Corp. has recently hired a safety chief and altered its privacy policies to make it more difficult for adults to contact younger teens. Regarding the new ad campaign, Hemanshu Nigam, the company's new chief security officer, said, "We can build the best technology features in the world and the best safety features, but unless we raise education and awareness around the use of those, it doesn't do anything."

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