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Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft

FC: Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo endorse self-rating system at

------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:42:06 -0400 From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com> To: politech@politechbot.com Subject: FC: Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo endorse self-rating system at event today Send reply to: declan@well.com

This self-rating idea was silly enough when it surfaced circa 1997, and most of us thought it died a natural death. But no, silly ideas in politics never do -- they devolve into trade associations instead.

Now that the war against Afghanistan is under way, I started to wonder if whitehouse.gov, the Pentagon's websites, and news articles about the conflict (or the WTC body search) should be blocked under these ICRA categories: Material Setting Bad Example For Young Children Material That Might Disturb Young Children Promotion of Weapon Use Promotion of Harm Against People

Yahoo is listed below as one of the ICRA chief sponsors. Yahoo also has a news area. Those pages are rated with ICRA/RSACi and listed as "n 0 s 0 v 0" -- which I take to mean no nudity, sex, or violence.

I went through the ICRA rating process myself (http://www.rsac.org/_en/register/en_p1.cfm) and rated a hypothetical news site that has been covering the WTC body search and the war in Afghanistan. I answered yes to these questions:

Please indicate which of the following appears on your site, in images, portrayals or descriptions: Blood and gore, human beings Killing of human beings Deliberate injury to human beings Deliberate damage to objects appears in a context intended to be educational and is suitable for young children And: Promotion of weapon use Promotion of discrimination or harm against people Material that might be perceived as setting a bad example for young children Material that might disturb young children

I received a rating of: Error Occurred While Processing Request [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Database 'ICRA_1' is already open and can only have one user at a time. SQL = "SELECT Country FROM Country WHERE Country_ID = 230"

Ah, that can't be right. Guess ICRA was using Microsoft (another sponsor) products. I tried a few more times, and eventually the SQL server sufficiently recovered from its woes to spit out a rating of "n 0 s 0 v 4," which I take to mean no sex or nudity, but plenty of violence.

Let's see. Yahoo has signed a legally binding contract (http://www.icra.org/_en/en_legal.html) that says its self-rating "must at all times reflect accurately the content it describes." Sure looks to me that Yahoo has not properly labeled. I wonder if ICRA -- which as a trade association likely depends in part on Yahoo's financial contributions -- will threaten legal action if Yahoo doesn't rate its sites properly.

-Declan

PS: Background: http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=icra

Links to documents from today's announcement: http://www.icra.org/press/p16.html

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http://www.itstrategies.com/icra/release.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 23, 2001 CONTACT: Katie Barron (202) 585.0230 barron@itstrategies.com

Internet Industry Unveils Uniform Content Labeling System The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) launches North American Campaign to Protect Children Online

Washington, DC - In an unparalleled display of public-private partnership, the three most trafficked Internet destinations AOL, MSN and Yahoo! have adopted the Internet Content Rating Association [ICRA] content labeling system with broad support from children's advocates and the First Amendment community. Launched today in North America and available globally, the free ICRA system allows content providers to identify and label their websites using neutral descriptors that empower parents from all cultures to filter Internet content based on their individual values. Content providers such as Playboy.com have also self-labeled their sites. Today, ICRA kicked off a campaign to urge others to join the effort.

The ICRA labeling campaign showcases how private companies - particularly technology companies - are teaming up and working toward creating safe havens for children, while preserving the rights of free expression. This unprecedented gathering demonstrates new market trends to promote corporate responsibility and online safety.

ICRA is a global non-profit organization of Internet industry leaders committed to making the Internet safer for children while respecting the rights of content providers.

"Protecting children has always been one of AOL's highest priorities, which is why the AOL service includes some of the of the industry's strongest parental controls and why we're proud to support ICRA in its efforts," said Elizabeth Frazee, vice president of public policy for AOL Time Warner. "We think it's important for every web property - large and small - to use ICRA's system to help ensure children have safe and age-appropriate experience online, and we're pleased to stand behind that commitment by labeling our AOL sites. We commend ICRA for its ongoing efforts and look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen the online medium."

"Creating safer places for children to use the Internet has long been a part of the overall experience Yahoo! provides, and working with the industry to develop the ICRA standard and labeling protocol is just the next step in our efforts. We are pleased to give Internet users a way to customize their experience and maintain their ability to have maximum choice in defining how they use the Web. As the Internet continues to grow and increasingly becomes an essential part of everyone's daily lives, it is important that we focus on providing tools for families, like the ICRA label, to create the best experience on the Web," said Srinija Srinivasan, vice president and editor in chief, Yahoo!.

"Microsoft shares the goal of creating an online environment in which children can learn, explore, and have fun without exposure to the many things that can harm them. We first integrated the ICRA system in Internet Explorer in 1996, and we remain committed to providing the child safety services and tools that parents demand," said Bill Guidera, federal government affairs associate.

The ICRA labeling system offers content providers an online questionnaire to help define and describe the content available on their site. ICRA then generates a content label (a meta tag) that the author adds to his or her site. Users can then set-up their Internet browser or compatible filtering software to allow or disallow access to websites based on the information declared in the label and the subjective preferences of the user.

"Labeling and filtering of Internet content that is truly voluntary is an approach that empowers parents and respects our fundamental commitment to free expression," said Bob Corn-Revere, noted First Amendment attorney for Hogan and Hartson in Washington, DC.

"The magnitude and level of support from all of our members and invited guests is stunning," said Mary Lou Kenny, director of North America. "The overwhelming response demonstrates the value of a voluntary self-labeling system that is about choice - not censorship - on the Internet. ICRA is a win/win solution. Content providers sustain the integrity of their websites and parents make choices for their children. The strength of these otherwise disparate groups coming together will forever change the perception of online protection for children."

For more information go to: www.icra.org.

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http://www.itstrategies.com/icra/faq.htm

ICRA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is ICRA? The Internet Content Rating Association is a global non-profit organization of Internet industry leaders committed to making the Internet safer for children while respecting the rights of content providers. The ICRA system allows content providers to identify and label their websites using neutral descriptors that empower parents from all cultures to filter Internet content based on their individual values.

The ICRA content labeling system builds on the pre-existing RSACi system and is the result of an extensive international consultation exercise involving senior industry figures and academics.

What is RSACi? The initials stand for The Recreational Software Advisory Council on the Internet. The RSACi message was to empower the public, especially parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media through labeling of video games and later, web sites.

The RSACi system provided consumers with information about the level of sex, nudity, violence, offensive language (vulgar or hate-motivated) in software games and websites. The RSACi system was integrated into Microsoft's Internet Explorer, MicroSystem's Cyber Patrol Software and Netscape Navigator.

RSACi was formally folded into ICRA in the spring of 1999 and its system was launched with ICRA in December 2000. The new ICRA system is compatible with RSACi.

What exactly does ICRA do? ICRA labels websites, for viewer discretion. ICRA does not rate Internet content. Content providers do that, using the ICRA system. ICRA makes no value judgments about which sites are suitable for children. Parents and other concerned adults do that using the tools available to them from ICRA.

What is the basic procedure? Content providers fill out an online questionnaire describing the content of their site, in terms of what is and is not present. ICRA then generates a content label (a meta tag) that the author adds to his/her site. Users can then set their Internet browser or filter to allow or disallow access to content based on the information declared in the label and the subjective preferences of the user.

THE BASICS * Parents set filtering preferences or categories in content controls in their browser or filter;

* The browser/filter reads the label and compares it to the user has chosen as their settings;

* The label identifies whether the site contains content that does not match user settings;

* If the site is blocked, a dialogue box appears on the user's screen advising that the site has been blocked.

It is free to rate and free to filter with the ICRA system? Yes, it is free to parents and those that label. ICRA is a non-profit organization and sustains itself through membership.

What are the filtering categories?

Topics Covered: Language used on the site Chat Nudity and sexual content Violence Gambling Drugs, tobacco, alcohol ....and others

Context variables are included to distinguish sites that have educational, artistic, or medical content.

What is a filtering template? A template is a set of pre-configured options that reduce the need for user decision points and reflects the values of the template provider. A quick and easy route to filtering based on the ICRA Descriptors - which include some, but not all of the following:

Crude Words or Profanity Male Genitals Female Genitals Material Setting Bad Example For Young Children Material That Might Disturb Young Children Blood & Gore, Animals Blood & Gore, Fantasy Animals Obscured or Implied Sexual Acts Promotion of Tobacco Use Promotion of Alcohol Use Promotion of drug Use Gambling Promotion of Weapon Use Promotion of Harm Against People These descriptors express the values of the template provider. Templates may also include block and allow lists of web sites, which may be encrypted.

How do I use the ICRA system in my browser? When released in spring 2002, the ICRAfilter will work on all versions of Windows from '95 upward and operates independently of any browser. The ICRA filter will also support "allow" and "disallow" lists. In addition to a user's self-created allow and disallow list, lists from third parties can be downloaded and utilized.

The number of applications available to filter Internet content using ICRA's labels is growing. The most widely used of these today is Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

What will stop an adult site from completing the questionnaire in a way that indicates no nudity is on the site? Before a web master receives his/her meta tag, they must accept the terms and conditions of the system. Ultimately, these would empower ICRA to take legal action and to publicize the errant site. However, adult sites are ICRA's strongest supporters. It is ICRA's experience that when a content provider chooses to self-label its site; it is done in an honest and objective manner. Adult content sites don't want kids visiting their sites. Children have no legitimate purchasing power; visits would clog bandwidth, and expose children to inappropriate material and would invite government regulation.

How do you enforce the sanctity of the label? Automated checks are made that the label held in the database is present on the relevant site. If it's not, ICRA makes contact with the web master - usually to offer help and advice. If a site is mislabeled (an extremely rare event) then further steps can be taken (see above).

What if a site deals with the illegal use of the Internet? ICRA only deals with legal speech and therefore does not deal with anything that requires law enforcement.

Isn't it easier for government to regulate the Internet? Government need not regulate Internet content because industry is taking a leadership role in offering parents tools to protect their children from material they deem inappropriate. The Internet is a global medium; therefore, what one government ascribes to doesn't carry any force elsewhere on the World Wide Web.

How prevalent is the Internet on US teenagers' lives? 73% of U.S. teens (age 12-17) are using the Internet 84% of teens surf the Web for fun versus 63% of adults 92% of teens communicate through email 55% visit a chat room and almost 74% send instant messages Pew Internet & American Life Project -- June 20, 2001

What is the Number One Concern of Internet Users? Child Pornography leads the pack with 50% of Internet users concerned Pew Internet & American Life Project -- June 20, 2001

ICRA cares about online child protection. What is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule? Congress passed the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in October 1998, with a requirement that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issue and enforce rules concerning children's online privacy. The primary goal of the Act and the Rule is to place parents in control over what information is collected from their children online. The Rule was designed to be strong, yet flexible, to protect children while recognizing the dynamic nature of the Internet.

The COPPA Rule applies to operators of commercial websites and online services directed to children under 13 that collect personal information from children, and operators of general audience sites with actual knowledge that they are collecting information from children under 13.

Those operators must: (1) post clear and comprehensive Privacy Policies on the website describing their information practices for children's personal information; (2) provide notice to parents, and with limited exceptions, obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children; (3) give parents the choice to consent to the operator's collection and use of a child's information while prohibiting the operator from disclosing that information to third parties; (4) provide parents access to their child's personal information for review and/or have it deleted; (5) give parents the opportunity to prevent further collection or use of the information; (6) maintain the confidentiality, security and integrity of information they collect from children. In addition, the Rule prohibits operators from conditioning a child's participation in an online activity on the child's providing more information than is reasonably necessary to participate in that activity.

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