Nick Lachey Helps Teens Stay Safe Online

Feb. 10, 2006 — -- Last summer, Hollywood star Nick Lachey was having lunch in Brentwood, Calif., when Internet security expert Parry Aftab approached him and told him that pedophiles were using his name to lure unsuspecting teens.

"She said: 'Listen, I work trying to make the Internet safe for kids, and investigators are telling me that when adults try to connect with kids, they are using your name, saying they know you, or that they are really big fans, in order to win the kid's trust," Lachey said.

Lachey said he was horrified by this, and he and Aftab exchanged cards.

"The part of it that hits home with me is I have a 14-year-old younger brother," Lachey said.

Aftab, Lachey, and two 22-year-old entrepreneurs co-founded Yfly.com, a chat and networking site for teens with an emphasis on safety features. For example, there's a "report the creep" button the user can push if someone engages him or her in a creepy conversation. There's also a "don't be stupid button" that pops up every time a user uploads photos to the site, reminding teens what they should and should not post online.

"We need Nick and the others to make sure it's cool," Aftab said.

Everything on Yfly.com, which launched last week, is permission-based, Aftab said.

"Before someone can look at your page, they have to ask you, and you have to give them a password," she said.

There will also be teenage users who monitor the site. Whenever someone joins, the teen will have to give information about what school he or she attends. Then the teenage monitors will verify whether this person goes there, or is an adult who is just pretending.

Aftab said she thought a safer site would appeal to teens.

"Kids don't want to be bothered," Aftab said. "They want to have fun, and there is no reason adults should be pestering them online anymore than they should bother them in a schoolyard."