As usual I was sitting in the bus going to work. Reading my RSS-feeds and still silently wondering how it could happen that Germany voted for a conservative liberal government. But hey, democracy is build a round the idea, that everybody has the right to make dimwitted decisions. So what?
So what, you ask? I will tell you.
The elite of well-intentioned family politicians of the Parliamentary Assembly of the european council short PACE was making good use of their right of making and distributing dim ideas.
The promotion of Internet and online media services appropriate for minors
In essence I paper about what PACE thinks should be done to protect minors within the realm of the net. And doing technology impact assessment is really what we need more of. But what really pisses me of are two things. First what our minors need to be protected from. And second what measures are regarded to be appropriate. Let’s start with the “What”.
Social interaction online should not, however, substitute real life with so-called virtual reality, the psychological and social impact of which is yet unknown.
We start of very strong with a stereotype people that make regular use of social media do that because they have now real life friends. Except of the of the intense relationship to their mom and the pizza delivery boy. This is as every stereotype wrong than it is plainly oversimplifying the matter. And on top of that we find the best political meme ever. We don’t know what it might cause so we have to counteract it. Now!
Certain content on the internet can have negative effects on children and adolescents. For example, content depicting women and girls as objects, or limiting their depiction to nefarious gender stereotypes, can lead in certain cases to gender-based violence both in the virtual and the real world, including (cyber-)bullying, harassment, rape, and even school massacres.
“Certain content” Can you not just say porn? We all know that porn is the cause of rape, to a society that is generating a few Icons and then feeding on the rest that is trying to become one of them. Janus would be proud of you.
Minors often have access to Internet and mobile telephone services without supervision by parents or teachers.
True, but the problem is not access, the problem is guidance. Kids need paragons and role models not that they can trust in, then boundaries don’t need to be guarded.
Parts of their private life are shared publicly on the Internet by a rapidly growing number of minors, while many firms offer information on, and profiling of, individuals based on such private information.
Agreed and this is not just true for minors. But again we have to understand what our kids are doing. This understanding will lead to the appreciation of the advices given. But the normal reaction of parents on stuff their kids are hyped about is make by complete disinterest or even ignorance.
The continuing increase in advertising and business on the Internet and online media leads to more aggressive commercial practices which also target minors. With the global dimension of the Internet, ethics and legal norms may differ drastically. It would be most useful, therefore, to elaborate standards which are recognised Europe-wide and possibly beyond.
Well. what shall I say. “This is not my opinion. So can we please make my standards to yours, now!” If it is not illegal stay out of it.
Traditional media regulation prohibits or restricts media content which is likely to impair the physical, mental or moral development of children and adolescents.
“Due to explicit content, this website cannot be accessed before 10pm.” Really?
The state has the responsibility to raise awareness, provide guidance – also against gender stereotypes, and set up minimum standards.
Does it? I thought that is the moral responsibility of the parents. Yes, I know that that not always works, but do we really need everything legislated. He-man is not such a big thing in our days.
The Assembly therefore believes that it will be helpful, especially with regard to minors, to develop secure and restricted computer networks often referred to as Intranets, walled gardens or gated communities, which are accessible to an identifiable group of users only, typically require adherence to a code of conduct, fall under a clear set of legal rules and the jurisdiction of a given country and filter content harmful to minors.
Well, this is just not going to work. You can see that when you switch on xbox live’s voice chat at a time every normal adult is working. And then you listen to the conversations of twelve year olds. The vocabulary used make me pale. And this is how it is going to be in your “walled gardens”. Don’t be naive.
The Assembly emphasises that anyone who produces or makes available illegal content or services should be held liable by law.
That’s right. What’s your point? Ahh, there is more…
Illegal content and behaviour online have unfortunately grown over the past years and thus increased the risks for minors.
Could you be more vague, please? Oh sorry here is the explanation:
This development is aggravated by the steady growth in Internet use, the growing amount of content produced by individual users instead of institutional content providers, the rapid expansion of social online networks often referred to as Web 2.0, and the technological progress in transmitting and accessing audiovisual content. In contrast, traditional media such as newspapers, radio and television have a declining audience among children and adolescents, hence reducing the effectiveness of traditional media policies for the protection of minors.
I am stunned. You are saying the fact that kids move from traditional media to online media makes them more endangered. Bold statement Mr Murdoch. That seems to be the same argument then the 17+ age rating for apps on the iPhone that allow free web access.
So but “How” can we combat now this heap of rotten stereotypes, pornography and exhibitionistic behaviour? The Answer is so simple. Lockdown.
15.1.assess the technological possibilities of increasing the safety of minors using the Internet and online media services including mobile audiovisual telecommunications, in particular filtering devices and access restriction technologies;
Nokia-Siemens can help you with that. Call Ahmadinejad for a reference.We Germans are just doing the test run in more western environment.
16.4. instruct its competent steering committee to analyse the potential psychological risks for children and adolescents using Internet and online media excessively, in particular social online networks suggesting virtual reality such as Second Life, sites containing nefarious gender stereotypes, as well as violent online games and networks such as World of Warcraft, and to propose appropriate action by the Council of Europe and member states;
HAHA! Second life, sorry I have difficulties to read what I am writing with all that tears in my eyes. You should watch less TV. Before you finalise anything related to this document, the only ones left in second life are the print&TV journalists that told you about it in the first place. And Is World of Warcraft not regulated by video game age rating system anyway.
16.6.initiate work towards ensuring greater legal responsibility of Internet service providers for illegal content, whether or not this originates from third parties or users; this work may require the drafting of a new additional protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime;
And this is the best: “ensuring greater legal responsibility of Internet service providers for illegal content”. That would mean the same as the Royal Mail being responsible for any illegal activities that involved its service. Hello, this is absurd.
Same old, same old a bunch of people that have no understanding of the net, hyped up by conservative media trying to do the right thing and eliminate the potential threads. But bonkers is one of the nicest expressions I can come up with for the course of action recommended here. Legislation is the worse way of fighting sexism and a moral decline. We need good parents, that give more than a shit about their children. That are interested in their kids and in the ways time is spend. This allows much better approach of flagging up threats and counteract them.
The “big nanny” is a foul compromise made by a society that abandoned their kids.