The EU
vote was on a proposal from rapporteur Marielle De Sarnez, who also
suggested the creation of a European free telephone service,
designed to provide information on existing filter methods, and
making it easier to report dangerous sites or lodge complaints.
The point of having a top level domain (like .com or .org)
reserved for children is that it will provide a “secure internet
area regularly monitored by an independent authority”. According to
Ms De Sarnez’ report, one young person in three taking part in
discussion forums is subjected to sexual advances; so sectioning
off of a corner of the internet for children appears to be a good
thing.
But it is not a new idea. ICANN, the governing body for the
internet's naming system, considered the creation of a .kids top
level domain in 2000 but rejected the proposal, partly because it
would be difficult to control. It was persuaded that, if an area is
promoted as safe for children, there is potentially more harm when
unsuitable material appears within that area.
Instead, the US Congress created the heavily regulated .kids.us
sub-domain. Launched in 2003, it allows only material that is
suitable for children 12 years-old and younger. And it has failed
to catch on.
New York librarian Jean Armour Polly has authored six editions
of Net-mom's Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages, a
family-friendly directory to 3,500 of the best children's resources
the internet has to offer. She doesn't think much of .kids.us.
"There are currently less than twenty-five active websites in
kids.us," she wrote in June 2005. She goes on to review "the eight
that are worth visiting."
She blames the high annual fee and the requirement that there
can be no links out of kids.us boundaries as the main reasons for
deterring content providers.
Struan Robertson, a technology lawyer with Pinsent Masons and
Editor of OUT-LAW.COM, reckons the EU proposal will come with
similar barriers to entry.
"Launching a kids-only domain presents a higher risk than an
adults-only domain," he said. "ICANN looks to be approving a .xxx
domain, but it rejected the .kids domain five years ago and for
good reasons: it's expensive to ensure that all content found in a
particular domain is suitable for children, yet the domain is
almost pointless without such a guarantee for parents."
The .kids.us domain lists prohibited content, including mature
content, inappropriate language, drugs, violence, tobacco,
gambling, weapons and criminal activity. In an educational context,
some of this material may be allowed; but the boundaries are
vague.
Robertson concluded: "It's difficult to see why those that
already run popular websites for children would want to migrate to
a new .kid space if all it brings is hassle and expense."
