Virtual worlds could be set to cop some of the flak traditionally attracted by the games industry, judging by comments made by US congressman Mark Kirk, who has asked the Federal Trade Commission to "take action to warn parents of the similar dangers and sexually explicit content found on Second Life".
As you’d expect from a politician (who’s seeking re-election this year too), he’s gone in all guns blazing with talk of “rape rooms, brothels, and drug stores” in his letter to the FTC, before threatening “If sites like Second Life won’t protect kids from obviously inappropriate content, the Congress will.”
Kirk was previously one of the prime movers behind the Deleting Online Predators Act, a bill which didn’t make it to the lawbooks, but would have required schools and libraries to put in place technology to prevent children using their computers to access social networking sites or chatrooms without proper adult supervision. The American Library Association came out strongly against the idea.
There is certainly a debate to be had around protection of children within worlds like Second Life that aren’t targeted at any specific age group. But you have to wonder whether headline-grabbing politicians are well-placed to contribute reasoned views to it.
(via CNET)
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