First the Germans... now the French are having a go

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/06/04/french-watchdog-organization-targets-second-life/

"Parent-teacher group Familles de France (FdF) is apparently suing Linden Lab, the operator of Second Life, seeking to block minors from signing up for the game. The group claims that there are:

…pornographic photos and videos in free access [where] users can mimick sexual acts, going as far as rape scenes, bondage, zoophilia and scatophilia…"


Um... since they shouldn't be here in the first place, what's their issue?

Broccoli

Their issue might be that LL has no actual age verification process in place so anyone can join the adult grid.

This may be why rape was mentioned in Daniel's blog. They got sued last week. Now it's hitting the media. Although the new mention of zoophilia might spell the end of Furries as we know them.

I wonder how many of these anti-porn/anti-SL groups begin as husbands or wives who find out their Significant Other is cyber cheating on them.


And evidently those who catch their kids looking at stuff on the computer that the parent didnt bother to supervise.

Since nobody else said it. "Eh it's the french"

Waits for Coco's "the sky is falling" post.

Last one out turn off the lights.

well sadly ..

Im going to make a "We told you so" Post -


LL when you announced Unverified accounts - Many of us told LL it was a bad idea. We said that people would be Outraged that kids could without any barrier except a "yes im 18" button.


We were, like we are on most issues, Ignored.



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There is a substantial difference between LL and Porn Sites - the Interaction. Not only can kids watch porn - they can participate in graphic pixel sex with adults, and soon outright VOICE sex.

At least before when there was mandatory Verification using a Credit Card , the parent would have to admit they either allowed their child to sign up, or were irresponsible and left their CC where they could get to it.

I don't really see why or how that's a bad thing by itself, they're not complaining about what's available in SL, just that minors have free access to it. There shouldn't be minors on the adult grid, and so far LL is only interested in measures that do nothing to resolve that (age-verification that isn't mandatory for everyone is quite pointless).

The fact that they're also involving ISPs on the other hand likely means that all they want to do is make some noise and get themselves some free publicity. At the worst/best all they could achieve would be for LL to require every French resident to age-verify.

I think it's time to show some cojones and say that if we're in California/Texas/Massachusetts we don't have to give a f*** what you think.

If the legal stuff is going to be a mess, maybe co-locating outside the U.S. is just a bad idea and should be left alone.

It's funny to me because Texas is so conservative and yet a co-lo here did not add any extra legal problems. The next time Europeans in this forum start waving it in our faces about how repressed we are and how liberal they are, I'm going to laugh.

I hate the U.S. hard Right more than any European ever could, as I have to live among the people who have fallen for their propaganda, and I am queer. But I don't see any Texans rushing to sue LL, either.

There's no place like home.

Unless they win the lawsuit and bankrupt the company. Are the asking for money?

Either way, this means less freedom for us in the long run. Leave it to the French to ruin a good "hey let my underage furry tie you up and poop on your head after I rape you" fantasy.

Well, I just read the lil' article. Seems the "FdF" is the french version of well-known-video-game-hater-and-lawyer, Jack Thompson. The crazy nutbags want to sue an ISP for allowing access to SL?? LOL!

Sounds like they're learning to be like an American & suing someone else for their lack of parenting skills.

From what I can gather from Google's rather poor translation of Famiies de France's website, it's an anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-birth control, anti-videogames "family values" lobbying/pressure group ala Focus on the Family. I wonder how long it'll be before Jack Thompson files suit against LL. The sensationalist press who can't seem to write about anything other than sexual deviance are bringing the nutters out of the woodwork, and I don't mean the sexual deviants.

I'd imagine that since LL doesn't have a presence in France, they're not likely to be liable for anything or required to do anything France tells them to.

On the other hand, they can prohibit access to Second Life in France altogether until LL makes some concessions.

& I'm not a lawyer so all of the above is a guess .

The freedom to be a minor and have access to the adult grid?

And how are they going to sue the internet at large for the same exact content issues? There's plenty of sites out there where all you have to do is click an I'm over 18 button and poof you're into photos, videos, stories, etc.

As has been said, its up to parents to know what their kids are into, not LL's.

Char

In a Washington Post article about the German investigation (which was, like every article of its ilk, sensationalist fearmongering), it mentioned that LL is planning to put servers around the world to boost grid performance. They'll be bound by the laws of every country they have servers in. That goes a long way towards explaining why LL is capitulating instead of fighting for the freedom of expression of SL residents.

OK, so this happened before the dreaded May 31 announcement. But I'm not surprised it happened. Reading the article it sounds like a small religious group trying to force values on us all.

My issue is that this new policy opens up SL to even more of these attacks.

And age verification is a pipe dream. You either give up some personal info and run the risk of it being data mined or worse, or you have to accept responsibily for your own actions.

Personally I'll take the later any day.

this is the downside of falling down and licking the germans' boots. now everyone is going to queue up for their turn. ll is known as an easy mark to the moral crusaders now.
no doubt ll will give in to this as well.

I could add"They'll give up without much of a fight, anyway." But I won't. They are right to an extent. Children should not be accessing SL, plain and simple. And after the parents are sure they have taken all steps they can to supervise THEIR children's activities, the can be angry at Linden all they want.

Darn it, you beat me to it!

So, now, we're being punished for Linden Labs sticking their fingers in their ear and going, "We can't and won't hear you!"

I was asked by a Linden what they should do to improve communication to the residents. I should have answered, "Ask the residents what they really want?" Instead, I said, "Stop making important announcements on Friday.." If I had known Daniel was going to be posting... I'd have never said that. Yes, it's indirectly my fault, I think.

I love how these pressure groups attack sexual matters when what they really don't want their children learning are things like tolerance, self-expression, and critical thinking.

It's not the day of the week they are announced that is the problem. It's the announcements themselves. They range from broadly worded generalizations to contradiction of previous policy to plain bullshit. If the announcements made sense, we wouldn't have all this half assed speculation.

Show me that it's a 'religious' group? I can't see anything. Don't jump on the easy bandwagon of 'blame christians' this early please, especially without proof.

Broccoli

He said religious, not christians. Maybe he was implying that it's the Jews' fault.

Very good point. If anything this will be a French bashing thread, with retaliliatory strikes on the US which will probably result in getting the Germans involved, resulting in the Brits sitting back and taking bets on the whole thing.

Actually, Broccoli, you have a good point. This has nothing to do with Christianity, but those fanatics of any sort who would block the rest of us from having a life.

I love my world of gray, for in the gray there are choices. Choices are uncertain things, so the gray is uncertain. Sadly, some people cannot accept the gray in life and wish to give it rigid structure. Ban the uncertainties and you ban choices. I chose not to go visiting the adult shop, but my choice is not the choice of others.. and that's great! I am not 'others' or 'them,' I am me. By banning my choices, you ban ME and that is unacceptable.