ABA Discusses Internet Regulation With European Commission

The Australian Broadcasting Authority has been invited to present its views and findings on regulation of the Internet and on-line services to the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.

'The ABA welcomes discussion at an international level about the potential for Internet content labelling,' said Mr Peter Webb, ABA Chairman. 'We are keen to explore the possibilities of developing internationally accepted labelling schemes which address the major issues of concern around the world regarding Internet content. The ABA is particularly interested in the way in which labelling schemes may be used by parents and supervisors to protect minors in the on-line environment.'

Ms Kaaren Koomen, ABA Manager On-line Services, is participating in a European Commission consultation on Internet content issues being held in Brussels today. The discussion follows last year's release of an EC Communication to the European Parliament and Council on 'Illegal and Harmful Content on the Internet' and a Green Paper on 'The Protection of Minors and Human Dignity in Audiovisual and Information Services'.

'The ABA feels it is important to promote discussion about the opportunities presented by labelling schemes which could be used by Internet users and content providers from various regions around the world,' said Mr Webb. 'This may be an area in which international bodies, such as the European Commission, UNESCO, the OECD and ASEAN to name a few, might play a leading role.'

The ABA recognises that, at least in the short term, some of the existing labelling schemes are being widely used around the world and may become defacto international standards for Internet content labelling, Mr Webb said.

The ABA would support any moves by the organisations which have developed labelling schemes'particularly those such as RSACi which are being used in a number of different countries'to consider adopting a more international focus and explore ways of incorporating a more cross-cultural perspective within their labelling formats.

For More Information - Press Only:
For the ABA, Donald Robertson, ABA Manager, Media and PR on (02) 9334 7980.

BACKGROUNDER

The ABA acknowledges that a proliferation of labelling schemes, perhaps being developed by a range of industry, community and governmental bodies around the world could serve many functions. These include giving Internet users a range of choices in relation to the values and perspectives which underpin the various labelling schemes and the purposes for which they can be used. Third party labelling may also provide additional options for Internet users.

However, the ABA also recognises that there may be a number of benefits which may flow from some labelling schemes to gain international usage and support. For example:

Content labelled with a small number of widely understood and accepted labelling schemes could be recognised by Internet users around the world. This means that if an Australian content provider were to label a Web site with a widely accepted labelling scheme, this could be recognised by Internet users in the United Kingdom, the USA, New Guinea or wherever the user is located; and

Content providers around the world may also be more likely to voluntarily label their sites with labelling schemes which can be recognised and are widely accepted around the world.

One of the most important issues the ABA was required to consider in conducting its investigation into the content of on-line services was options for protecting minors from Internet content that may be inappropriate for them.

The ABA found that the Internet and other on-line services offer an unprecedented level of variety, as well as quantity, of information and entertainment from around the world. However, many parents and supervisors consider some of this material to be inappropriate for minors and wish to exercise some control over the material which their children access.

The ABA is pleased to see developments such as the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) emerge in the on-line environment. PICS itself is a set of technical standards. These standards enable Internet content, such as Web sites, to exhibit any label or symbol which is compatible with the PICS standard.

PICS labels can provide useful tools for parents and supervisors to exercise some control over the content accessed by children in their care. Parents using PICS compatible software can choose whether to block their children's access to material that has been labelled in a way to indicate that it is unsuitable for them. For example, a label may indicate that a site contains sexual material. Some parents may decide that this material is unsuitable for their children and elect to block that material. Parents also have the choice of blocking material which has not been labelled, or to override the block after viewing the material.

Importantly, those who are not concerned to block their own access to Internet content need not activate these tools.

The PICS standards allow any organisation or individual to develop a labelling system which reflects their tastes and standards, and make these labels available to other Internet users.

A number of organisations have already begun to establish labelling schemes which can interact with the PICS standards. One such scheme is that developed by the Recreational Software Advisory Council for Internet Content, known as 'RSACi'.

The RSACi model gives Internet content a rating of between 0 and 4 on the topics of sex, violence, nudity and language, including hate language. To some degree these are matters which form a core of community concerns that cut across cultural and geographic frontiers.

The RSACi ratings model seeks to describe rather than evaluate Internet content. By doing this the RSACi system seeks to minimise value judgements about the appropriateness of content and enables users to make their own decisions about its suitability, applying their own tastes and standards.

A descriptive labelling scheme may provide opportunities for application in the international environment. It allows users in different countries, cultures and even different households to use the labels to make their own decisions about the suitability of content for themselves or their children.

To date many of these labelling schemes have emerged from North America. However, some of these schemes may easily be redefined to address the concerns of the wider Internet community.

Labelling schemes which seek input from Internet users in a wide range of countries may have a greater chance of acceptance on a regional or international basis.

Were some labelling schemes to obtain a reasonable level of regional or international acceptance, this may encourage content providers to label their material. Providers would be aware that these labels can be used by parents and supervisors, wherever they may be located around the globe, using the PICS compatible software.

It would seem that this is an area which international bodies such as the European Commission, UNESCO, the OECD and ASEAN, to name a few, might play a leading role in promoting discussion about the opportunities presented by labelling schemes. Such bodies could help to bring together relevant industry and community groups to discuss the matters which labelling schemes might address if they are to be effective tools for parents and supervisors throughout the international Internet community.