April 28, 2006
Wireless Carriers Set Strict Decency Standards for Content
As music and video programming becomes widely available for cellphones, major U.S. wireless carriers are quietly setting strict decency standards for their content partners in an effort to stave off criticism from customers and regulators, reports the WSJ
"Many of the rules go far beyond those set by federal regulators for television and radio.
The rules, which bar sexually explicit or graphic content, have sparked concern among media providers. Some have already been forced to alter or remove hip-hop ringtones, video clips or other material that wireless operators considered offensive, people familiar with the situation say."
A Verizon Wireless content-guideline document, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, shows that the company has developed a long list of restrictions, including off-limits expletives and curse words, highly specific rules for how much bare skin models can show, and a ban on any derogatory references to Verizon Wireless itself."
Read also:
Engadget Mobile's take entitled Verizon and Cingular go censor crazy with mobile content.
Telecoms trying to avoid Shades of 1995?
Time magazine's cover story July 3, 1995 entitled On A Screen Near You: Cyberporn brought on the Communication Decency Act enacted by Congress in 1996.
It attempted to regulate both indecency (when available to children) and obscenity in cyberspace. It also declared that operators of Internet services were not to be construed as publishers (and thus legally liable for the words of third parties who use their services).
The Decency Act was struck down by the Supreme court 1997, thanks to the EFF and ACLU. They argued that speech protected under the First Amendment would suddenly become unlawful when posted to the Internet.
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