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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13798
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Certain uses of meta tags are now federal felonies
Using them to lure minors to porno sites can mean 20 years in jail
7.28.06 The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, recently signed into law by President Bush, among other things outlaws the use of meta tags to entice web users—especially minors—to a site containing offensive material.
Embedding the names of toys in the meta tag of a pornography site might be an example, although search engines increasingly ignore meta tags anyway.
The law sets a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, with a 10-year penalty for luring non-minors with deceptive meta tags.
The law also sets up a national sex offender registry and outlaws the sale of date rape drugs, among other things.
http://www.itcinstitute.com/display.aspx?ID=2089
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Meta tags? Good grief. These things are so obsolete you can use them as boat anchors! At least the "keyword" one is so ignored as to be laugable. But does this mean that (eg) a story about "My little gay pony" coudl now be subject to scrutiny?
Frankly I doubt it! Apart from anything else a story site is not a porn site according to the current laws.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Why would anyone want to lure a minor to a site containing offensive material?
If a minor is looking for porn or offensive material, then s/he will know to search for the adult words 'porn', 'sex' and variations thereof, which do not mark him or her out as a minor.
If a minor is not interested in porn (or offensive material), there is little point in trying to attract him or her, because s/he is unlikely to have a credit card, and hence cannot represent a source of revenue.
Of course, the law completely ignores the fact that search engines practically never use meta tags anyway, because they are either invalid (people never keep them current with the site content) or they are abused too often. There are 101 technical ways of doing the same thing, and I would have no idea whether they are covered by the law or not. Probably not.
What about fetish groups for adults involving nostalgia and make-believe? I expect they will be caught up in all this. Or is evidence of intent required?
Hmm.
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saben
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On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
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I guess Bush heard that the internet had been invented recently and thought something would have to be done to curb the rise of this new dangerous technology. I wonder if he'll hear about File Sharing programs in time to do something about them before his second term expires.
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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If I read the law correctly, the statute of limitations reguarding offences against children go back to the time when meta taqgs were used widely.
This being the case, the inclusion of that aspect of the law is correct and thoughtful in its diligence to bring preditors to justice.
Just a law was signed into effect by an asshole does not make it a bad law.
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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