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PICS required by law
What was I saying a while back about mandatory PICS through liability?
As I recall, various people such as TCMay were saying that it wouldn't happen.
Looks like I need to get out that article against PICS that I was working on
and rewrite it a bit. I would remind people that PICS allows parents (or
whoever else is holding the reins, such as an ISP - or the Chinese firewall) to
filter on such content as material (including scientific studies) stating that
a given illegal drug is not as harmful as some would claim, any idea futures
market - even a simulated one, on homosexual content separately from
heterosexual, and against criticisms of religions (such as Scientology). To
their credit, the ACLU (in the CDA court case) has stated that they will not
put a PICS rating on their web site, even if it contains "indecent" or
allegedly "harmful to minors" material. I agree strongly with their position.
-Allen
Computer underground Digest Wed Mar 27, 1996 Volume 8 : Issue 25
ISSN 1004-042X
[...]
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 11:47:33 -0800
From: [email protected](--Todd Lappin-->)
Subject: File 1--CONGRESS: Online Parental Control Act of 1996
[...]
Maintains the Communications Act of 1934's legal defenses
against liability for people who choose to give parents technology that: 1)
blocks or restricts access to online materials deemed obscene or harmful
to minors, and 2) restricts access to such materials through adult access
codes or credit card numbers;
Adds two new defenses: 1) the use of labeling or segregating
systems to restrict access to online materials, such as systems
developed using the standards designed by the Platform for Internet
Content Selection project (PICS), and 2) the use of other systems that
serve the same function of the other defenses if they are as reasonable,
effective, and appropriate as blocking, adult access code, and labeling
technologies; and
Protects providers or users of interactive computer services,
information content providers, and access software providers from civil
or criminal liability under state law for making available to minors materials
that are indecent or harmful to minors if they take actions to qualify for
the defenses mentioned above.
[...]
PICS is a cross-industry working group assembled under the auspices of
MIT's World Wide Web Consortium to develop an easy-to-use content
labeling and selection platform that empowers people worldwide to
selectively control online content they receive through personal
computers. The Recreational Software Advisory Council recently
announced that it will soon implement a detailed voluntary ratings system,
using PICS standards, that will let computer users filter out varying
degrees of sex, violence, nudity, and foul language. Companies and
groups supporting PICS include Apple, America Online, AT&T, the Center
for Democracy and Technology, CompuServe, IBM, France Telecom,
Prodigy, Providence Systems/Parental Guidance, Surf Watch Software,
and Time Warner Pathfinder.