“Webmaster Access is the perfect setting for us to make this announcement,” ASACP Executive Director Joan Irvine said. “The new label is the result of many months of collaboration with adult companies and attorneys, as well as with companies outside the industry that provide filtering software, search engines and browsers. We really think it [the label] will accomplish something important.”
According to Irvine, voluntary self-labeling by adult sites will not only protect children online, but also will demonstrate the adult industry’s commitment to helping parents prevent children from viewing age-inappropriate content.
Developments in Congress convinced ASACP that initiating voluntary labeling early would be the wisest course. The announcement is scheduled to take place during the “State of the Industry” panel at Webmaster Access West Nov. 10 at the Universal Sheraton Hotel in Universal City, Calif.
“There are several bills pending that could require adult websites to label,” Irvine said. “Mandatory labeling of all adult sites has plenty of support in Congress. Acting now could help head off new regulations. Remember, nobody knows how a government-devised labeling system would work, or how it might affect your business.”
ASACP, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating child pornography from the Internet, uses its CP reporting hotline to track down and eliminate violators.