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Controlling Television:
Parental Filters A Communitarian Report Contributors Amitai Etzioni The General Role of Parental Filters The current debate regarding consumer discretion technologiestechnologies which give parents control over the content of media transmissions (especially via the television, but increasingly via the internet as well) entering the homeis instructive on two levels. In particular, it is not simply a question of what children should be exposed to and how they should be protected from what is deemed inappropriate, but there is also a broader question regarding the proper role of government in correcting the shortcomings of the market. It is appropriate for the government to identify market "failures," and even to mandate that action be taken in correcting these failures (even libertarians support government intervention in areas such as national defense, enforcing contracts, and funding basic research); but in dictating specific solutions to these problems, the government oversteps its proper bounds.1 The debate over the V-Chip and television ratings illustrates why dictating specific solutions is inappropriate. This is evident in that while current legislation is wedded to a particular technologythe V-Chipalternative technologies which are in almost every way superior to the V-Chip are either already available on the market, or soon will be. Our point is not that the government should wed itself to one of these better technologies; rather, it is to illustrate that precisely because of the dynamic and complex nature of technological development, legislation should not be married to any particular technology at all. It would be better for the government to outline social goals, and allow the market to develop the particular methods of achieving them. The V-Chip and Television Ratings The debate regarding the recently announced television rating system produced by the television industry is superfluous. The very requirement that such ratings be produced represents a case study in the type of old-fashioned, heavy-headed government intervention which we must now move away from. The same social goals can be better served with a much lower level of interference. Congress passed a bill, which President Clinton signed into law in February of 1996, mandating an industry-wide television rating system. It stated that if the broadcasting industry did not come up with a rating system independently within one year, the government would create one instead. Explaining the need for this legislation, one of the bill's sponsors, Congressman Kent Conrad, said, "Parents are increasingly unhappy that they have limited ability to control what their children watch.... [S]tudy after study has shown that violence in the media is a contributing factor to violence in the street."2 An industry-wide television rating system was required, however, only as a result of a federal commitment to a technology that is obsolete even before it has been mass produced: the V-Chip. The same law mandating a rating system also requires all television sets with screens larger than 13 inches to be equipped by 1998 with a device enabling parents to screen out programs whose rating exceeds a level they consider appropriate for their children.3 While the V-Chip itself would be factory-installed in all television sets sold after 1998, adding little to the cost of the television, to activate itin order to make it possible for the V-Chip to tell a kung-fu movie from Mary Poppinsan independent, industry-wide rating system is necessary. These ratings are then included in the transmission of each program during the "vertical blanking interval"the extra signal room in all television transmissions that is already used, for example, to broadcast closed captioning (sending rating information thus requires no expansion of current transmission technology). If a television has a device, like the V-Chip, which can read this "extra" signal information, it makes use of the transmitted ratings. Otherwise, the television simply ignores this extra information. (For more detailed explanation of ratings-based blocking technology, see Part II, p. 14_15.) For example, if the V-Chip is set to four, all programs with a rating higher than four are blocked out. Hence the need to rate all television programswhich are many times more numerous than movies (while there are about 2,000 hours of television programs to be rated each day,4 by contrast the entire movie industry combined produces 1,000 to 1,200 hours of movies per year5). The broadcasting industry, never fond of the idea, finally produced age-based ratings (which went into effect in January of 1997) basically similar to the age-based rating system for movies. The ratings are as follows: TV-Y Appropriate for children of any age; These rating categories areby necessityvery broad, and contain no specific ratings for violence, language, or sexual content. Senator Joseph Lieberman, who has actively promoting ratings, describes this system as "vague and vexing."7 One recent study conducted by researchers at four universities indicated that these ratings may actully attract more children to violent or suxually explicit shows, creating what the researchers call a "fobidden fruit syndrome."8 Problems With the Current Industry-Wide Rating System Many complaints against this system have been raised. The National Parent-Teacher Association conducted a survey of parents which reports that 80 percent would prefer another system; the American Medical Association, which has long been concerned with media violenceeven considering it a public health issueconsiders the age-based ratings system "seriously flawed;" and within the media industry itself, associations of producers, writers, and directors oppose the plan.9 A group of educators and children's media experts met with Vice President Al Gore in December of 1996 to seek support for a better system,10 and in February of 1997, there have been critical Congressional hearings. In particular, there have been three complaints. First, a government-mandated rating system raises First Amendment concerns because by assigning an age category, the rating does not simply describe a program's content, but in fact judges it. Writes Joel Federman: It is ironic that the TV industry, which resisted any rating system for decades on First Amendment grounds, now appears to be opting for a system that judges content instead of simply describing it.... A society that values freedom of expression should be extremely cautious about assigning warning labels to ideas....11 Second, the age-based ratings are too broad to serve many parents' needs. Under the age-based system, most shows simply receive a "TV-PG" rating, meaning that the show might contain some amount of either coarse language, violence, or sexually suggestive dialogue or situations. Many educators and experts on children's media issuesincluding the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the National Parent-Teacher Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children's Defense Fund, Children Now, and even the inventor of the V-Chip himselffavor a system which would have multiple ratings for language, violence, and sexual explicitness.12 A rating system of this sort focuses on "describing" content, without making judgments about who it is suitable for. Under this system, parents would be able to make their own judgments regarding what their children should and should not be watching. In her recent Congressional testimony, Children Now president Lois Salisbury said, Under the industry's...system, a Hollywood producer tells a parent "this show is suitable..."in essence making judgments for a parent, judgments a Hollywood producer is probably not qualified to make. Under a content based system, those producers would do what they are qualified to dotell parents what is in their shows...and let the parents decide for themselves whether they think that content is appropriate....13 A recent poll found that although 73 percent of parents "have noticed the ratings," only 37 percent "have used the ratings to guide their viewing choices."14 Finally, there are concerns about industry cooperation with the current rating system. Network participation is voluntary, and under the current plan each network rates its own shows. The Black Entertainment Network has refused to adopt the rating system; Nickelodeon, a network designed for children, is concerned about stigmatizing some children's shows, and so will not use the separate children's ratings.15 PBS will not rate its shows until special recognition of children's shows with educational value is given; MTV has chosen to simply give a blanket rating of "TV-PG" to nearly all music videos.16 And news programs are not rated at all under the current system.17 Shows with nearly identical contentfor example, David Letterman's and Jay Leno's late night showsget different ratings from different networks.18 As a result of these many objections, television executives have recently started to consider more specific rating systems.19 Alternatives to the V-Chip: Parental Filters As arguments swirl around V-Chips and rating systems, alternative consumer discretion technologies are being developed. Basically, there are three methods of television blocking: First, transmitted ratings-based blocking, of which the V-Chip is the prime example (although other similar devices have been developed). Second, time period based blocking, where a television can be told not to work during particular times, or more than a total amount of time during a given period. Time period based blocking is rather inflexible, however, and so we will concentrate on the third method: channel blocking. (For complete descriptions of all the alternative technologies, see Part II, p. 12_17.) Channel blocking systems, sometimes called parental filters, allow parents to tailor their own blocking without the need for an industry- or government-based ratings system. Parents can block out a particular time slot (dinner time, for example); a particular show (by blocking every Thursday at 8:00 pm); whole channels all the time (say, the so-called "blue" channels specializing in pornography); and even set total viewing time for a particular period (say, no more than two hours per day). The two leading parental filters systems are the TeleCommander, produced by Protelcon Inc. out of Califon, New Jersey, and which is currently only available in limited supply;20 and the TV Guardian, produced by the Miami-based Technidyne Corporation, which will be on the market very soon. The attached diagram explains how one of these systemsthe TeleCommanderwould work according to Protelcon (see Figure 1, p. 7). The television displays a grid, which represents channels down the left side, and dates and times across the top. By using a remote control, parents simply point and click on the times and channels they want to block. The TeleCommander stores up to one week's worth of blocking information, which it then repeats each week until modifications are made. Therefore, no further action is typically required, except perhaps once per season when the programming schedule is
Figure One
rearranged. (At worst, probably, a child will then not be able to watch television in some time period when that channel's program is no longer objectionable.) Channel blocking systems are much more versatile and adaptable to the personal preferences of parents than either transmitted ratings-based or time period based blocking systems. More importantly, however, channel blocking systems, unlike transmitted ratings-based systems like the V-Chip, do not rely on the cooperation of the broadcasting industry. For the V-Chip to work, broadcasters must accompany each program with a rating signal. Channel blocking, by contrast, requires no industry cooperation, and furthermore allows parents to make their own judgments regarding what they feel is objectionable. To see how channel blocking might develop in the absense of government-mandated technologies, one need only consider the case of internet blocking. The Communications Decency Act of 1996 outlaws posting indecent material on the web, but several federal courts have declared the law unconstitutional (the Supreme Court is reviewing these decisions). Congress has not mandated any specific technological response in the meantime, however, and already a wide variety of internet blocking technologies are available to parents: Surfwatch, Cyber Patrol, Net Nanny, and Cybersitter, among some 20 others (for a more detailed discussion, see Part II, p. 19_26). These programs built-in lists of indecent internet sites to which it denies the user access (unless they know the password); each year, parent can purchase updates to keep abrest of recent changes. Moreover, the non-profit group World Wide Web Consortium, an industry coalition, now uses a system called PICS, developed at MIT, to describe internet site content, and attach that coded description to the site itself. Internet blocking systems which can read the PICS code can then block access to internet sites according to any rating system the parent chooses. 21 Potential Concerns Regarding Channel Blocking There are three principle concerns regarding channel blocking: first, that it is too difficult to use; second, that it takes too much time; and third, that it costs too much. Each of these issues will be discussed in turn. Ease of Use Though the systems described above are not much more difficult to operate than most VCRs, one might still object that they are not as easy as the V-Chip. This may be true, but further advances in technology may further reduce the difficulty level. For example, a system similar to VRC-Plus technology, already in use in millions of homes, might be applied. With VCR-Plus, one simply types in a short numerical code corresponding to the number listed next to each show in a TV Guide. The VCR then translates the code into the correct recording information automatically. A similar system, say "VCR- Minus," would block out the same shows (or time slots, or whole channels, etc.) corresponding to these same codes. This is just an example of how the technology could possibly improve over time; if channel blocking comes into widespread use, we can expect continuous improvements in design. Economy of Time Some parents may want a industry-wide rating system, simply so they do not have to invest so much time viewing and judging the content of shows themselves. In fact, the vast majority of parents report that they would prefer to make these judgments themselves. Moreover, experience in other countries indicates that parents are willing to use more complex technologies. Reports the New York Times: While the United States prepares to test a system...as simple as possible, Canadian broadcasters, after two years of experiments, have found that parents are willing to accept and use a much more complicated system if it better allows them to influence what their childen watch.22 Nevertheless, this will still be a valid concern for some parents. While parents can make personal choices about what to block and what to permit using channel blocking, a major merit of parental filters when compared to the V-Chip is that parents can also choose to draw on ratings from their church, educational directories, and many other sources which could provide independent ratings systems once channel blocking is in widespread use. Rather than a single, government-mandated rating system, parents will have the option of choosing among many rating systems; they can even decide to use the industry rating system after all, as some channel blocking systems have the equivalent of a V-Chip already built in (see Part II, p. 14). Alternative rating systems have already been suggested by a number of organizations. For example, the OKTV Foundation developed an alternative to the government-mandated rating system. Its ratings are based on evaluations by parents and child development specialists, and take into account the various levels of violence, sex, and other inappropriate content, as well as the developmental stage of the children. Various technologies already in development have the potential to greatly reduce the difficulty of using parental filters. The OKTV Foundation plans to attach its rating information to the electronic program guides which some cable subscribers use. By using a remote control, parents can control their television's cable access according to this rating system (for more details, see Part II, p. 15). Another product, Intelevision, produced by Spruce Run Technologies, acts like a V-Chip, except that it can select among a variety of pre-set rating systems. Soudview Technologies recently demonstrated at a news conference a product it is developing, called the V-Chip Converter, which tries to combine the benefits of the V-Chip with parental filters.23 The various computer technologies discussed above, such as the PICS system developed at MIT,24 and the EPG system developed at Microsoft,25 also have potential applications in helping parents block unwanted material more easily. One can expect that the next generation of this fast-evolving technology will make it possible for groups to provide parents with disks containing pre-programmed blocking information. Parents can select disks from groups whose values they agree with, insert the disk in a parental filters system, and have all their programmed blocking done automatically. Thus channel blocking is compatible with ratings systems without actually dictating any one such system. Costs There is one advantage that the V-Chip has over parental filter systems: price. The TeleCommander currently runs between $149 and $199; the TVGuardian costs $130. By contrast, the V-Chip, being factory installed in mass-produced television sets, adds little to the cost of a television (about $5). We should expect, however, that if parental filters come into mass production, their price will drop dramatically. In Conclusion When all is said and done, the government was right to identify the need to make it possible for parents to protect their children from selected TV programs. But it erred in locking onto a specific technology. It should, as a matter of principle, allow industry to develop and the public to purchase and control the most suitable technologyso long as it meets the social need. As Newton Minow writes, ...[T]here should be multiple sources of judgment about which programs are violent or otherwise unsuitable for children, since parents will differ in their views on this. While Congress should call on...[industry] to place parental advisories on material they may consider unsuitable for children, the government should not itself get into the business of rating programs. The best source of parental information must be parents themselves....26 The unified industry rating system, combined with a single government-mandated technology, conspire to restrict parental involvement and cut off alternative sources of judgments. Parental filters are currently the preferred technology for those concerned about what their children are exposed to on television. Joel Federman During the past several years, a variety of technologies have been developed that allow for increased consumer control over the content of media transmissions entering the home. These include everything from set-top devices which allow parents to control the amount of time their children watch television on a given day to "V-Chip" technology, which allows consumers to block incoming programs based on pre-set media ratings. A survey of these technologies identified thirty-four products or services already available or in development which enable consumers, particularly parents, to block or restrict access to electronic media. Twenty-three of these products restrict access to television programs, channels, time slots, or the overall amount of time a television set, VCR or television-based video game, can be used. Similarly, eleven products or features of computer online services provide the ability to block downloading of images, access to certain files, areas of the Internet, specific language, and the exchange of personal information via e-mail or online chat rooms. Television Blocking For television specifically, there are at least three ways in which consumer discretion technology can be implemented: Time Period Based Blocking The most basic approach involves products which allow television viewers to block certain time periods and the total amount of time watched in a given period. Examples of such products are TV Allowance and TVTime, which enable parents to decide how much time per week children can spend watching television or playing video games. Each child in the household receives his or her own code, which is used to access the television. When the time in a child's account is used up, the television shuts off and will not turn on for that child's code until the following week, when the account automatically re-opens. These products also allow parents to block access to the television during certain time periods.28 Channel Blocking The second method involves products which, in addition to blocking time periods, allow viewers to block particular channels. Because these two features work together, such products also enable viewers to block access to specific programssimply by blocking out a time period in combination with a channel. This approach to blocking is sometimes referred to as "VCR minus."29 TCI Kid Control allows parents to limit their children's viewing choices to age-appropriate channels using an eight-channel remote control.30 Other products, such as TV Guardian, enable parents to restrict television use during certain time periods, as well as allocate time limits to control the amount of TV viewed daily or weekly. TV Guardian also allows parents to pre-select channels that are suitable and not suitable for viewing, and restrict or permit the viewing of certain programs.31 Similarly, Protelcon's Telecommander not only allocates weekly time limits for TV viewing, but also enables channels, time slots, and programs to be blocked either weekly or on a one-time basis.32 Certain television sets also contain these features. In many models of JVC, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony, Thomson, and Zenith TV sets, for instance, it is possible to block both time periods and channels. Panasonic sets also enable users to lock out channels 3 and 4 (for video game and VCR use) and all video inputs for time periods of 12, 24 or 48 hours.33 Transmitted Ratings-Based Blocking A third kind of technology allows viewers to block programs based on ratings received from programmer transmissions; these, of course, will require that the programmers provide ratings information. This category includes the V-Chip, described later in this chapter, as well as certain set-top devices. Several companies are developing products which will work in conjunction with the industry-wide rating system created by the television networks. For example, Technidyne's TV Guardian, which consumers can connect to their television sets, will, in addition to the features mentioned earlier, also enable users to set rating level limits with their remote controls. Programs that exceed these levels will automatically cause the TV set to shut off.34 The Parental Guide company is developing two products, the PG-Chip and the V-Chip, which will also work in accordance with the television industry's rating system. Using the PG-Chip, parents will be able to alter the intensity of program content (for instance, "filtering out objectionable scenes or audio `bites' within an otherwise acceptable show"35) without blocking the entire program. The V-Chip will enable parents to block out entire programs that they feel are inappropriate for their children.36 TV Guide Onscreen, an on-screen interactive programming service, has also developed a feature that will allow viewers to block programs based on the industry's rating system. In addition to the industry-wide rating system, several companies are working independently to either develop their own rating standards or make available suggestions by a variety of special interest groups. Spruce Run Technologies, for instance, is developing Intelevision, which will enable parents to choose among several groups' rating suggestions in order to block access to programs they find "offensive or objectionable, whether due to their violent, sexual, political, social or religious content."37 This way parents will be able to choose the ratings criteria from the organization that best reflects their personal views. The OKTV (Our Kid's TV) Foundation is developing a rating system that will evaluate television programs based on a set of guidelines established by parents and child development specialists. These program standards will take into account not only the amount of violence, sex, and other inappropriate content found in television series, but also the developmental stage of children in three age categories. OKTV will store its program classification data along with the information currently available on electronic program guides, several of which are now in use by cable subscribers. To employ the technology, consumers will use remote controls to set their televisions to one of three age range categories. Programs deemed inappropriate for that category will be blocked.38 (Figure 2, p. 15, provides a review of consumer discretion technologies for television.)
Figure Two 39
PRODUCT/ COMPANY CONTENT BLOCKED STATUS Channel Block (Sony) Available on higher end models of Sony TV sets, blocks viewing of a single channel for up to 6 hours (will also block one channel for the same 6-hour period each day). Available. Cost included in price of television set. Channel Guard/ Time Guard (JVC) Built into JVC TV sets, allows parents to lock out channels for a specified amount of time. Also allows users to block all inputs for a specific time period. Available. Cost included in price of television set. Channel Lock (Panasonic) Found in several TV models, locks out up to 4 channels, or all channels and video inputs, for a period of 12, 24 or 48 hours. Available. Cost included in price of television set. Game Guard (Panasonic) Offered in all Panasonic TV models, will block access to video games, VCRs, and other video inputs for 12, 24 or 48 hours. Available. Cost included in price of television set. Intelevision (Spruce Run Technologies, Inc.) Blocks programs, channels, time slots; limits amount of time spent watching television. Plans to make available a variety of rating systems, so that parents may choose the one that best reflects their views. Available in late Summer 1996. Projected cost: $ 199.00. Kid Control (Tele-Communica-tions, Inc.) A "child-friendly" remote control designed to Locks and Limits (United States Satellite Broadcasting Company) Allows parents to set rating limits for their television, screening out, for example, any films with an MPAA rating other than G or PG; blocks channels. Available. Cost: included in satellite service fee. OKTV (Our Kid's TV Foundation) Will block access to TV series deemed inap- propriate for children based on guidelines established by parents and child development experts. Can be programmed for 3 age ranges. Parents can choose a "co-view" setting for viewing only with parents. Available Jan. 1997. Cost included in cable fee. Parental Control (Zenith) Blocks channels, time periods, outside sources (i.e., VCRs, laser disc players). Available. Cost included in price of television set. PG-Chip/V-Chip (Parental Guide Company, L.L.C.) PG-Chip allows parents to block unwanted portions of programs without blocking the entire show; V-Chip blocks programs based on rating standard (to be determined). In development.
PRODUCT/ COMPANY CONTENT BLOCKED STATUS Prevue Express (Prevue Interactive) Household Manager feature allows parents to block specific channels, programs, or ratings; sets spending limits in pay-per-view households. Available in late 1996. Projected cost: $2.00 or less (included in monthly cable bill). Primestar (Primestar Partners) Parental lockout feature blocks programming according to channel or MPAA rating. Available. Cost included in monthly satellite dish bill. ProScan TVs (Thomson Consumer Electronics) Blocks an unlimited number of channels for an unspecified length of time (until parent modifies channels selected). Available. Cost included in price of TV set. StarSight (StarSight Telecast, Inc.) Onscreen interactive television program guide and program selection; VCR control; blocks specific channels. Available. One time activation fee: $ 15.00. One year: $ 61.92. TeleCommander (Protelcon Inc.) Blocks specific programs, channels, some or all channels over a specific time period; fixes total amount of time a television can be used for any purpose. Available in Summer 1996. Projected cost: $ 199.00 or less.
Time Slot (Spruce Run Technologies, Inc.) Allows parents to control total amount of time each child in household spends watching television; blocks out specific time periods. Available June 1996. Projected cost: $ 149.00.
TV Allowance (Great Scott Trading Company) Enables parents to set weekly time allowances for TV and video game use; blocks out specific time periods Available. Cost: $ 99.00/first unit, $ 79.00/addition- al units. TV Guardian (Technidyne) Blocks channels, programs and time periods; limits amount of time spent watching TV. In addition, can be used as blocking device for transmitted ratings. Available in Summer 1996. Projected cost: $ 129.95. TV Guide Onscreen (TV Guide Onscreen) Interactive onscreen program information; blocks according to program rating, channel, and time slot. Available. Cost varies with cable provider. TV Lockout (Recoton Corp.) Blocks all signals to the TV. Parents can leave it locked or program it to turn TV off after a specified amount of time. Available. Cost: under $25.00. TVTime (Family Time Products, Inc.) Controls amount of time spent watching TV or playing video games; blocks specific time periods. Available. Cost: $59.95. "V-Chip" (Electronic Industries Association) Programmers encode and transmit ratings to consumers, who can choose to block programs according to rating levels. Legally required in U.S. beginning no later than Feb. 1998. VyouControl ("V-Chip") - Canada (Link Engineering Corp.) Displays rating of programs; automatically blocks any program that exceeds pre-selected levels of violence, sex, and language; and/or age-based categories. Available Sept. 1996. Cost to retrofit cable boxes: $50.00 (Canadian).
The V-Chip Most well-known among consumer discretion technologies is the V-Chip, a term sometimes used to describe such technologies in general. Specifically, the V-Chip refers to an electronic addition to new or existing television sets that will allow viewers the ability to block shows according to whether they meet particular ratings criteria. Implementing the V-Chip involves television programmers sending ratings information directly to television sets via the "vertical blanking interval," a portion of the electronic signal usually not visible to viewers.40 (The vertical blanking interval is the same portion of the signal that is used to send "closed captioning" services for the deaf.) The V-Chip is programmed by the consumer to block shows with particular ratings or levels of intensity, and automatically decodes the ratings information and blocks the selected programming. The V-Chip is capable of accommodating a variety of potential rating systems. In February 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which includes a provision requiring the installation of V-Chip technology in all newly manufactured television sets with screens larger than 13 inches within two years of the law's enactment.41 The Act also mandates that should the television industry fail to devise a V-Chip-compatible rating system within one year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is empowered to create a committee to develop its own television content code. The FCC could also appoint a committee to create a rating system if it deems the industry's proposed system unacceptable.42 V-Chip development and testing are much further along in Canada than the United States. The Canadian system was invented by Tim Collings, an engineering professor at Simon Fraser University. Using a remote control, consumers preset their televisions based on two "ViewLevel" rating systems: an audience- or age-based system adapted from the Canadian film and video rating systems, and a content-based system that assigns numerical tolerance levels of violence, sex and language.43 About every two to three seconds, the system transmits this rating information and, when the level set by the viewer is exceeded, the sound is muted, the screen freezes, and a graphic blocks the screen, announcing the level of violence, sex, or language which has been reached. (Although the rating information is transmitted every few seconds, the show is rated on a full-program level, not scene by scene.)44 The viewer may choose to disable the blocking and view the program using a remote control key.45 Until the V-Chip becomes a component of every new television set, the technology will be located in external TV converters now used for cable reception.46 A pilot test of the V-Chip technology has been conducted in 100 homes by Shaw Communications, one of Canada's largest cable companies, and another more extensive test is under way with both Shaw and Rogers Communications. To make the system a reality, a classification standard must first be adopted and a body created to rate the programs. The V-Chip will likely be available to Canadian cable customers by September 1996.47 The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has argued that for the V-Chip to be fully effective, a North American-wide classification system must be created.48 Internet Blocking For online users, there are three technological options that block access to materials on the Internet. According to "Parental Empowerment, Child Protection & Free Speech in Interactive Media,"49 a report by the Interactive Working Group, the three options can be classified as commercial online service blocking technologies, home computer/direct Internet access blocking technologies, and school and business blocking technologies. These options work by two methods, either by monitoring the home computer of online users or by monitoring the commercial online services used to access the World Wide Web and the Internet. Commercial Online Service Blocking Technologies. Most commercial online services, such as America Online, CompuServe and Prodigy, have systems that allow subscribers to filter out unwanted materials. America Online's parental control feature enables parents to block children's access to inappropriate material on the Internet. To prevent children from entering into "chat rooms" that may contain unsuitable language and subject matter, parents using America Online can choose a "block-out" function (available as a menu option) that is activated by use of a password. Likewise, access to specific Usenet newsgroups can be prevented by specifying subject matter, keywords in the e-mail address, or by citing the newsgroups themselves.50 CompuServe has introduced a number of parental control tools. First, it has entered into partnership with a software manufacturer (Sprynet) to develop Internet In a Box for Kids. Internet in a Box for Kids contains Crossing Guard, a program that not only blocks access to sites inappropriate for children, but also records their online activities and places time limits on how long users can remain online. In addition, CompuServe subscribers can purchase WOW, a service with an adult version and a children's version. The adult version allows normal access to the Internet, while the children's version blocks access to chat rooms and adult-oriented areas, as well as sending e-mail messages intended for children to their parents first. Also, Cyber Patrol can be used by CompuServe subscribers to block access to specified Internet sites and content categories, to restrict online use to certain times of day, and to limit the amount of time spent online. It can also be used to control access to local applications, such as games and personal financial managers. Parents whose children use Prodigy to access the Internet also have control features at their disposal. Prodigy runs so-called "screening software" that monitors messages on public bulletin boards and chat rooms on the Prodigy network, and which blocks messages that contain inappropriate language and content. Furthermore, Prodigy does not provide customers access to the Internet unless use of the service has been authorized by the head of a household. Prodigy also allows parents to block access to World Wide Web sites and keeps a record of Internet sites that have been visited, thereby enabling parents to see where their children have gone on the World Wide Web.51 In addition, several major producers of Internet World Wide Web browsing softwareincluding Microsoft, SurfWatch, Compu Serve, and Cyber Patrolhave announced that they will utilize the RSACi rating system as a blocking protocol.52 Home Computer/Direct Internet Access Blocking Technologies For consumers who use Internet access providers rather than commercial online services, or for those who want an extra safeguard against unwanted material, a variety of parental control technologies are available for installation on home computers. CYBERsitter, Net Nanny, SurfWatch, and Time Slot are examples of these. CYBERsitter, available from Solid Oak Software, Inc., enables users to block access to adult-oriented areas of the Internet, and alerts parents when their child tries to download or view an adult World Wide Web site, Internet Newsgroup or picture. CYBERsitter also filters offensive language from incoming and outgoing e-mail, files, sites, and newsgroups, and keeps a secret log of every Internet site that is visited. In addition, CYBERsitter enables parents to block access to any game, personal file, or specific program on the computer. A list of potentially offensive Internet sites that parents may wish to filter can be automatically updated.53 Another program, Net Nanny, takes the concept of basic protection one step further by preventing children from giving their name, address, telephone and credit card number, or other personal information to other online users. Parents can create their own list of words and phrases that they decide is unacceptable to send or receive on the computer, which will exit the program or automatically shut down if one of these words is entered.54 Hence, parents can try to prevent hate mail, pornography, and other undesirable text or images from entering their home computers.55 Likewise, parents can enter such phrases as "What's your name?" and "What's your phone number?" that, if asked, will prompt Net Nanny to log off the online service.56 Net Nanny also logs all activity that occurs on a computer, including the times of day the computer is turned on.57 SurfWatch enables users to block access to sexually explicit material on the Internet. First, access to the Internet and specified World Wide Web, FTP, Gopher, Chat and other sites can be denied with the use of a password. Second, SurfWatch actively seeks out the locations of sites that contain sexually explicit material and reviews those sites with parents and educators to determine if they should be added to a list of blocked sites.58 The more than fifteen hundred sites included on the list are automatically blocked and updated. In addition, SurfWatch can also provide customized lists of blocked sites to subscribers.59 Finally, Spruce Run Technologies' Time Slot software allows parents to predetermine how much time each child in the household can spend online, also enabling parents to block out specific time periods. School and Business Blocking Technologies Such products as Netscape Proxy Server and WEBTrack prevent computer users from accessing inappropriate materials while in the classroom or at the office. Netscape Proxy Server, developed by Netscape Communications Corporation, blocks access to individual computers, specific sites on the Internet, and other information considered inappropriate. Webster Network Strategies' WEBTrack denies access to specific pre-determined Internet sites, as well as up to fifteen categories of sites (such as sexually explicit material, gambling, job searches, and drugs). WEBTrack also enables schools and employers to monitor all network activity. In July 1995, Webster Network Strategies announced plans to provide its program free to all K-12 classrooms nationwide whose students access the Internet.60 In addition to the consumer discretion technologies outlined above, several rating and advisory systems are being created to protect computer users from accessing unwanted materials. (Figure 3, p. 23, provides a review of consumer discretion technologies for online use.)
Figure Three
PRODUCT/ COMPANY CONTENT BLOCKED STATUS Cyber Patrol (Microsystems Software, Inc.) Blocks access to specified Internet sites and content categories, restricts access to certain times of day, limits amount of time spent on-line. Can control access to the major online services and to local applications, such as games and personal financial managers. Available. Cost: $49.95. CYBERsitter (Solid Oak Software, Inc.) Blocks access to adult oriented areas of the Internet; filters offensive language from incoming and outgoing E-Mail, files and sites; allows parents to monitor all computer activity. Available. Cost: $ 39.95. Internet In a Box for Kids (CompuServe) Blocks access to sites that may contain inappropriate materials; allows parents to monitor children's online activities and control amount of time spent on net. Available. Cost: $35.00 (+ yearly fee for Sprynet service provider). NET NANNY - Canada (Net Nanny Ltd.) Blocks areas, text, images, and specific words and phrases deemed inappropriate by parents; prevents children from giving their name, address, telephone number, credit card, or other personal information on the Internet; keeps log of all activity, including the use of specific words and phrases. Available. Cost: $49.95 (Canadian). Netscape Proxy Server (Netscape Communications Corp.) For schools and businesses. Prevents users from accessing inappropriate content while in the classroom or at the office. Available. Cost: $ 2,495.00. Parental Control (America Online) Blocks access to interactive discussion forums ("chat rooms"), Usenet newsgroups, adult areas of Internet; can block "instant messages." Available. Free with America Online. Prodigy feature (Prodigy) Blocks access to World Wide Web sites; allows parents to monitor which sites their children have visited; contains a scanner that blocks language inappropriate for children. Available. Free with Prodigy.
SurfWatch (SurfWatch Software, Inc.) Blocks access to Internet sites containing sexually explicit materials. Available. Cost: $ 49.95. Time Slot (Spruce Run Technologies, Inc.) Allows parents to predetermine how much time each child in household can spend online; can block out specific time periods. Available June 1996. Projected cost: $ 149.00.
PRODUCT/ COMPANY CONTENT BLOCKED STATUS
WEBTrack (Webster Network Strategies) Prevents users from accessing inappropriate content while in the classroom or at the office; allows monitoring of employee use of the network. Available. Cost: $ 7,500.00 per server. WOW (CompuServe) Blocks access to chat rooms and adult oriented areas of the Internet. E-mail messages intended for children are sent to parents first. Available April 1996. Cost: $17.95/month or $14.95/month with CompuServe account.
Other Developments The development of blocking technologies has been spurred by political considerations, both in the United States and abroad. In January 1996, German authorities ordered the CompuServe online network to suspend access to more than 200 Internet sites containing sexually explicit material, claiming that they violated German pornography laws.61 This action affected all 4 million CompuServe subscribers around the world, and angered many who felt that government should not determine what materials people can access over their computers.62 Others feared that the move would prompt similar demands from other countries to "censor materialsexual, political or religiousthat they might find offensive."63 CompuServe subsequently began to develop a way to block the "offending" services only in Germany,64 and in February 1996, the company reinstated access to all but five of the Internet sites in question.65 In addition, CompuServe has introduced software at no extra charge that enables users to block access to material they might find offensive.
As media technology develops, new blocking technologies are being formulated to accommodate them. For example, the Nissim Corp. recently announced that it is developing a blocking technology for digital video discs (DVD), which will "enable a video player-retriever to uniformly customize any content regardless of whether the content source is a DVD, a broadcast, the internet, an interactive game, or forthcoming video-on-demand services." Users will have the ability to block specific content within a program according to the level of explicitnessnone, implied, explicit, or graphic-in each of over twenty content categories such as violence, sexuality, substance abuse, and vulgarity.66 © 1997 The Communitarian Network
1 See Charles L. Schultze, The Public Use of Private Interest (Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1977).
2 "Proposed Electronic `V-Chip' Complicates the View," Congressional Quarterly, July 8, 1995, p. 1996.
3 104th Congress, Second Session, Telecommunications Act of 1996, Subtitle B-Violence, February 1, 1996.
4 "Issue in Battle on TV Ratings: Control," New York Times, December 19, 1996, p. A:14.
5 "Proposed Electronic `V-Chip'," op cit., p. 1996.
6 "Issue in Battle on TV Ratings," op cit., p. A:14.
7 "Broadcast Industry Defends TV Ratings System," New York Times, February 28, 1997, p. A:14.
8 Joel Federman, ed., National Television Violence Study,Volume 2: Executive Summary (Santa Barbara, CA: Center for Communication and Social Policy, 1997), p. 35.
9 "Proposed Electronic `V-Chip'," op cit., p. 1996.
10 "Issue in Battle on TV Ratings: Control," New York Times, December 19, 1996, p. A:14.
11 Joel Federman, "Let's Pave a High Road for TV Ratings System," Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1996.
12 "Issue in Battle on TV Ratings," op cit., p. A:14.
13 Lois Salisbury, prepared statement for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, delivered February 27, 1997.
14 "Parents Give TV ratings Mixed Reviews," New York Times, February 22, 1997, 1:8.
15 "Rated NY, for `Not Yet,'" New York Times, January 15, 1997, p. C:18.
16 "BET Shuns Progam Ratings System," Washington Post, February 20, 1997, p. B:1 and 7.
17 "Networks Ask What's News," Washington Post, April 22, 1996, p. C:1.
18 "TV Rating System Not Letter Perfect," Washington Post, January 11, 1997, p. A:1.
19 "TV Execs Weight Ratings Change," Washington Post, March 11, 1997, p. B:1.
20 The author attempted to try out a prototype of the TeleCommander, but Protelcon was unable to provide one before this paper went to press.
21 "The Cyber Vice Squad," U.S. News and World Report, March 17, 1997, p. 46.
22 "Canadian Parents Test Limits on TV Access," New York Times, December 30, 1996, p. B:1.
23 "Acacia Research Affiliate Demonstrates V-Chip Technology," Business Wire, February 28, 1997.
24 "Rated: P for Preemptive," Boston Globe, July 25, 1996, p. E:4.
25 "Microsoft Family Room," PC Magazine, March 25, 1997, p. 28.
26 Newton Minow, Abandoned in the Wasteland (New York: Hill and Wang, 1995), p. 165.
27 This portion of the report was prepared for The Communitarian Network by Laurie Trotta at Mediascope. It is an adapted version of chapter five of Media Ratings: Design, Use and Consequences, by Joel Federman (Studio City, CA: Mediascope, Inc., 1996).
28 Ray Lundy, President, Family Time Products, Inc. Written Correspondence, March 25, 1996; Great Scott Trading Company, TV Allowance: The Electronic TV Time Manager. Chico, CA: Great Scott Trading Company, 1994.
29 Amitai Etzioni, "Better than the V-Chip," Washington Times, February 19, 1996.
30 Tele-Communications, Inc., "TCI Kid Control is Today's Answer to the V-Chip," Press Release, November 29, 1995.
31 Technidyne, TV Guardian, Press Release, 1995.
32 Protelcon Inc., Introducing Telecommander, Fact Sheet
33 The Electronic Industries Association, Parental Control Technology, Fact Sheet, 1995.
34 Andrew Andros, President & CEO, Technidyne Corp. Written Correspondence, August 2, 1995.
35 Parental Guide Company, L.L.C., Parental Guide's PG-Chip Accommodates Diverse Family Values and Rating Systems, Press Release, April 15, 1996.
36 Parental Guide Company, L.L.C., New From Parental Guide, Fact Sheet, 1995.
37 Spruce Run Technologies, Inc., Intelevision: The Dawn of Intelligent Television, Press Release, January 5, 1995.
38 Bill Perlman, Executive Vice President, The OKTV Foundation. Telephone Communication, October 18, 1995.
39 The Electronic Industries Association has identified more than 200 different models of television sets with parental control features, several of which are included above.
40 Edward J. Markey, It Takes a V-Chip, Washington, DC: Congress of the United States, 1996.
41 104th Congress, Second Session, Telecommunications Act of 1996, Subtitle B-Violence, February 1, 1996.
42 Christopher Stern, "Coming Soon: TV Ratings," Broadcasting & Cable, February 19, 1996.
43 ViewLevel Ratings fact sheet, ViewControl fact sheet, 1995.
44 Tim Collings, Simon Fraser University. Telephone Communication, April 11, 1996.
45 ViewLevel Ratings fact sheet, ViewControl fact sheet, 1995.
46 Christopher Harris, "Adventures in V-Chip Land." The Globe and Mail, October 9, 1995.
47 Ibid.
48 Etan Vlessing, "Canada Rakes U.S. TV Violence." The Hollywood Reporter, October 19, 1995.
49 Interactive Working Group, "Parental Empowerment, Child Protection & Free Speech in Interactive Media," July 24, 1995. This section draws heavily from the Interactive Working Group report.
50 Ibid.
51 Ibid.
52 Peter H. Lewis, "Microsoft Backs Rating System for the Internet," New York Times, March 1, 1996
53 Solid Oak Software, Inc., CYBERsitter Provides Parents and Educators an Internet Pornography Filter, Press Release, January 20, 1996.
54 Net Nanny Ltd., Features and Benefits, Fact Sheet, 1995.
55 Net Nanny Ltd., The Best way to Protect your Children and Yourself on the Internet, Fact Sheet, 1995.
56 Joshua Quittner, "Filter Out the Naughty Bits," Time, July 3, 1995.
57 Net Nanny Ltd., The Best way to Protect your Children and Yourself on the Internet, Fact Sheet, 1995.
58 Interactive Working Group, "Parental Empowerment, Child Protection & Free Speech in Interactive Media," July 24, 1995.
59 SurfWatch Software, Inc., Sexually explicit material is on the Internet..., Fact Sheet, 1995.
60 Interactive Working Group, "Parental Empowerment, Child Protection & Free Speech in Interactive Media," July 24, 1995.
61 Michael Meyer, "A Bad Dream Comes True in Cyberspace," Newsweek, January 8, 1996.
62 "Compu-Serve is Safe-Sex Zone," The Hollywood Reporter, January 2, 1996.
63 Jared Sandberg, "CompuServe Seeks a High-Tech Answer To Fracas Over Bar on Adult Material," Wall Street Journal, January 5, 1996.
64 Peter Gumbel, "High Tech Zaps German Privacy Laws," Wall Street Journal, January 5, 1996.
65 "CompuServe Ends Access Suspension," Los Angeles Times, February 14, 1996.
66 Max Abecassis, Chief Executive Officer, Nissim Corp. Written Communication, April 2, 1996. |
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