Illinois Attorney General - Stop Cyberbullying - About Us
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About Us
The Attorney General is Illinois' chief legal officer and is responsible for protecting the interests of the state and its residents. As an advocate for state government and the public interest, Attorney General Lisa Madigan works to protect consumers, help crime victims, safeguard our communities, advocate for older citizens, preserve the environment, ensure an open and honest government, and defend the rights of the citizens of Illinois. She also works with the Legislature to strengthen the laws so she may better protect Illinois residents.
Specifically, the job of the Attorney General is to:
- Advocate on behalf of all of the people of Illinois;
- Propose new legislation to strengthen Illinois laws;
- Litigate to ensure the enforcement of state laws; and
- Represent state government, officers, and employees in litigation.
In addition, the Attorney General provides services that cover a broad range of issues, reaching every corner of Illinois.
Internet Safety
High Tech Crimes Bureau
The Attorney General's High Tech Crimes Bureau provides important training and education programs in the area of computer crimes, including online child pornography, online sexual abuse, online fraud, e-mail threats, identity theft and computer hacking. In addition, the bureau offers investigative and prosecutorial assistance with cases and coordinates the Illinois Internet Child Exploitation Task Force.
The Illinois Computer Crime Institute (ICCI), an entity within the Attorney General's High Tech Crimes Bureau, is dedicated to training and supporting Illinois law enforcement and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of high technology crimes, as well as in the use of high technology tools to enhance the effectiveness of their work.
And the Attorney General's office, through a grant from the Department of Justice, operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), one of 59 task forces across the nation designed to investigate child exploitation crimes and to provide Internet safety education.
Law Enforcement
Attorney General Madigan has worked to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to better protect our children. Specifically, the Attorney General's office:
- Served subpoenas on MySpace to obtain the names and other identifying information of convicted sex offenders with profiles online. The information has been useful in the enforcement of parole and probation conditions prohibiting offenders from accessing the Internet or contacting minors. To date, the subpoenas have revealed 2,711 profiles belonging to 1,852 sex offenders in Illinois. A full report on the results of the MySpace subpoenas is available at www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.
- Partners with local law enforcement agencies to investigate the dissemination of computer videos containing pornographic images of children ranging in age from infants to teens. To date, "Operation We C U," which includes issuing and executing search warrants, has resulted in the arrest of three individuals currently awaiting prosecution.
- Provides training tools for law enforcement officials on emerging social networking Web sites, including Club Penguin and Webkinz, aimed at conditioning children as young as six-years-old to feel comfortable chatting with strangers online.
Legislation
- Internet Safety Education Act (Public Act 095-0509). The Act encourages Illinois schools to adopt an age-appropriate Internet safety curriculum for students in grades K through 12. This legislation identifies key topics for instruction, including safe and responsible use of the Internet and the risks posed by online predators, identity theft, cyberbullying and harassment, and illegal downloading.
- IP Address Database (Public Act 095-0579). The Act creates the Illinois Cyber-crime Location Database (ICLD) to help law enforcement track IP addresses used to trade and distribute child pornography.
Educational Partnerships
Attorney General Madigan has forged educational partnerships with local and national organizations to ensure that our kids stay safe online. Specifically, the Attorney General's office:
- Partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), Best Buy, the Geek Squad, and Microsoft to promote seven key principles of Internet safety:
- Never post personal information online;
- Don't put strangers on your buddy list;
- Don't post potentially embarrassing images of yourself online;
- Remember that anyone can read blogs;
- Communicate only with friends and family;
- Tell your parents if you receive anything that makes you feel uncomfortable; and
- "Think before you post" any information about yourself online.
- Joined with the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs to announce the E.Y.E.S. Partnership, which expanded the reach of Internet safety education to include Y-Kids around the state.
- Partnered with the Illinois Library Association to educate children, teachers, librarians and parents on the dangers of using the Internet.
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