ASACP Joins ATVOD for 'Adults Only' Policy Conference

LOS ANGELES—The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) has announce that Director of European Outreach Vince Charlton will participate in a special session hosted by ATVOD and the CCLS. The event, entitled “For Adults Only? — protecting children from online porn,” is presented by ATVOD and the University of London’s Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) and will take place from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Chaired by Channel 4 News social editor Jackie Long, with Britain’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey MP, delivering the keynote address, the conference will examine the various policy issues surrounding online child protection. The Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD) is the independent co-regulator for the editorial content of U.K. video on demand services that fall under the new statutory definition of On Demand Programme Services. ATVOD has taken action against adult oriented websites that allow minors to access age-restricted materials and has been instrumental in efforts such as Britain’s new opt-in porn regimen and the banning of debit cards as a payment mechanism for online adult entertainment. The conference features two sessions: the first explores the nature of the problem of online child protection, examining children’s ease of access to age-restricted materials, the scale of the problem and the resulting consequences for youth. The second session will delve into the possible solutions; including media education and parental control software, to see if these are adequate responses and what else could be done (and by whom) to address the situation. This latter session will benefit from Charlton’s expertise with the ASACP-backed Restricted To Adults (RTA) meta labeling system, an existing, off-the-shelf solution that helps prevent minors from accessing age-restricted websites and mobile applications. “RTA labeling on the part of adult websites coupled with responsibility on the part of parents, is an effective, free and proven means of protecting children from inadvertently accessing age-restricted materials online, or via mobile apps,” Charlton stated. “Through education and action, parents can become more effective at protecting their kids without having to rely on overreaching governmental regulation or opt-in legislation that restricts the rights of adults. “ASACP’s sponsors within the adult entertainment industry have demonstrated a willingness to perform their part by keeping children out of and away from online adult entertainment,” he added. “By adopting ASACP’s standardized Code of Ethics, along with its market specific Best Practices, these companies set an example that is worthy of being followed.” For more information, contact tim@asacp.org.