THE REGISTER -- June 24 --All pornography in the US is now effectively classified as child pornography, unless providers can prove the ages of everyone taking part. The law, which requires porn producers to hold copies of all actors' photo ID for seven years, has been in place for some time, but as of 23 June, the rule was extended to cover online pornography as well. This includes online forums, adult personals sites and any other place where adult material may be published. The law gives authorities an awful lot of power to close down site they don't approve of. The Free Speech Coalition is already preparing a legal challenge to the law. Others warn the law could leave performers open to stalking and harassment because the law requires that they publish their physical addresses online. FULL ARTICLE @ THE REGISTER
Mark Brooks: It remains to be seen if adult personals will get clouted by this law. They are on the fringe of what this law is targeting. The enforcement of this law could close their businesses down. It's unlikely, so I'm told, to effect them.
Many adult dating services that use photos of naked or semi-naked models or photos of members in their marketing efforts have asked affiliates to remove photos that may not be of confirmed adults. New advertising links are being made available.
This action draws a line as to what is and is not acceptable for this type of advertising, which is a step forward in my opinion.
Until the XXX domain registry (the online red light district) comes to be fully wired and used, I feel this is a pre-emptive protectionist measure for those involved in the adult online world. Regardless of future legal challenges, a misstep here could close down any online dating service and destroy their businesses quickly.
Posted by: Robert Lee | Jul 07, 2005 at 08:26 PM