American LibrariesSearch American Libraries  |
||
Site Navigation
Left Sidebar Items |
||
Congress Approves .Kids DomainThe Dot-Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002, which would establish a family-friendly kids area for children 12 and younger within the .us domain, got congressional approval November 15. President Bush had already indicated that he would sign the legislation. The act requires content providers who want to establish a .kids area within the .us domain to ensure that they not post material deemed harmful to minors—defined as anything depicting nudity or sexuality and without “serious, literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.” It also forbids chat rooms, instant messaging, and linking to sites outside the .kids area; offending material and links are subject to removal by the subdomain’s administrator. “This is our nation’s best chance to guarantee kids an online experience that is fun and age-appropriate from start to finish,” bill sponsor Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.Dak.) remarked. Although Neustar, the private company administering the .us domain, had opposed the bill, Neustar Policy Director James Casey commented after its passage, “We have to make sure we do it right for the children.” The legislation extends Neustar’s three-year contract to administer .us for another two years for agreeing to manage .kids as well. But Alan Davidson of the Center for Democracy and Technology continued to express reservations, noting that Neustar “would be required to make decisions for millions of children that would be better made by families,” according to a November 15 Associated Press report. Posted November 25, 2002. |
Right Sidebar
|
|
