Recreational Software Advisory Council Gives Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 Top Rating

Launch of Microsoft Browser Solution Advances Industry Acceptance of Prominent Internet Content Labeling System

San Francisco, CA, August 13, 1996 _ The Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) today commended Microsoft Corp. for incorporating the RSACi content-labeling advisory system into the release of Microsoft's web browser, Internet Explorer 3.0. The Content Advisor in Internet Explorer 3.0- based largely on the RSACi system -- empowers parents by providing them with a free, flexible and proven tool that allows them to anticipate and choose the type of Internet content they want their children to experience on the Internet.

Speaking today at the launch of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 in Sydney, Australia, RSAC President Dianne Martin commented that, "Broad industry acceptance of the RSACi rating system is great news for parents, web developers, and government regulators all over the world. With the RSACi system, it's easy and inexpensive to safeguard free speech as well as protect children from inappropriate content."

To date, over 2,000 Web sites have rated with RSACi, including such leading content providers as Playboy, CompuServe, and CNet. Early supporters of RSACi include popular blocking software companies Microsystems Software and Spyglass Inc. (formerly SurfWatch Software).

"Industry acceptance of the RSACi system continues to grow exponentially," said Steve Shannon, program manager for RSACi, speaking today at the London, England launch of Internet Explorer 3.0. "From CompuServe and US Web to id Software, industry leaders and industry start-ups alike are quickly recognizing the benefits of this open, non-judgmental rating system."

"Microsoft applauds RSAC's efforts to empower users to control the content that they and their families view on the Internet," said Brad Chase, vice president in the Internet Platform and Tools division at Microsoft. "RSACi support is a great example of how Internet Explorer 3.0 enables users to personalize and customize the Internet experience."

The original RSAC rating system was developed in 1994 by a team of academics, psychologists and educators, in direct response to the threat of US congressional legislation to control the levels of violence in the computer games industry. In February of 1996, this proven system was adapted for the Internet and launched as RSAC on the Internet, or RSACi.

"As an organization, we are both pro-free speech and pro-parental choice," said Stephen Balkam, executive director of the Recreational Software Advisory Council. "We cherish the First Amendment rights of all content providers while also responding to the legitimate concerns of parents as to what their children experience on the Net."

"Given the mass movement to Internet-based games and entertainment, this kind of solution only ensures that everyone enjoys their time on the Net," commented Jay Wilbur, president of id Software and maker of the wildly popular video game, Doom. "While our commitment is to make sure kids have fun, the RSACi system ensures that parents are aware of what kind of material they're experiencing. In this way, we see this as a responsible solution." Much like the physical labels that adorn the outside package of a computer game, RSAC's tried-and-tested content advisory system for the Internet is one that is easily understood and set by parents at either the browser level (e.g., using Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0) or when using a blocking device, similar to that of Microsystems Software's CyberPatrol. By using the growing number of browsers and software devices that are configured to read the RSACi labels, parents, educators and other interested individuals are able to physically SET THE LEVELS to indicate where they draw the line at offensive on the Internet.

RSACi, or RSAC on the Internet, is the objective content-labeling advisory system created for the Internet by RSAC, an independent, non-profit organization based in Lexington, Mass. RSACi is fully compatible with the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) open industry standard, a solution developed by the World Wide Web Consortium. RSAC has been an enthusiastic supporter of the PICS standard, which allows the RSACi rating system to be read by browsers and selected software around the world

The RSACi rating system is a fully-automated, paperless system that relies on a quick, easy-to-use questionnaire that the Web master completes at RSAC's home page. The questionnaire runs through a series of highly specific questions about the level, nature and intensity of sex, nudity, violence and offensive language (vulgar or hate-motivated) found within the Web master's site. Once completed, the questionnaire is submitted electronically to the RSAC Web Server, which tabulates the results and produces the html advisory tags that the Web master then places on their Web site. A standard Internet browser, or blocking device that has been configured to read the RSACi system can recognize these tags, enabling parents who use the browser to either allow or restrict their children's access to any single rating or combination of ratings.

The Recreational Software Advisory Council is an independent, non-profit organization based in Lexington, Massachusetts, that empowers the public, especially parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media by means of an open, objective, content advisory system. RSAC's system provides consumers with information about the level of sex, nudity, violence, offensive language (vulgar or hate-motivated) in software games and Web sites. To date, RSACi has been licensed by MicroSystem's CyberPatrol Software, SurfWatch Software (now Spyglass Inc.), and Microsoft Corporation. CompuServe (US and Europe) has also committed to rate all its content with the RSACi system. More information on RSAC and the RSACi rating system is available at http://www.rsac.org.

For more information about Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, visit the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com.