as long as the parents are the ones who decide to put the child's contact numbers and email addresses on the list that is. i do NOT like the idea if it becomes a law that ALL children MUST BE registered whether there is parental knowledge/permission or not
State agency seeks legislation establishing e-mail registry
By Susan Haigh, Associated Press Writer January 15, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. A state agency report has recommended that lawmakers create a registry to shield youngsters from the marketing of illegal or illicit products, despite a constitutional challenge to a similar Utah database.
The Department of Consumer Protection said a registry of "contact points" used by children -- such as e-mail addresses, cell phone, pager and fax numbers -- would help prevent illicit or illegal products and services from being marketed to minors.
If the report's recommendations become law, Connecticut will be the third state to establish a registry for parents and legal guardians to place their child's cell phone number or e-mail address on a "Do Not Call" list. Michigan, in addition to Utah, has such a registry.
Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said he is uncertain if such a registry is possible. It sounds good in theory, but could have numerous practical problems, he said.
"If it's not actually going to work very well, what would be the point of doing it?" he asked.
The Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, is challenging the constitutionality of the Utah registry.....
and oh, EFF the adult entertainment industry on this one. blocking a child from 'adult entertainment' is a GOOD thing
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I am 100% on-board with the goal of this, but I'm trying to figure out how such programs are implemented without putting kids at further risk.
I looked at the Michigan web site, including the instructions to senders of email messages about alcohol, tobacco, and illicit stuff. It's clear that they're being very careful with the phone numbers and email addresses -- they've done good work to make it as secure as it can be. Essentially, a marketer submits a list of email addresses to a 3rd party, the 3rd party "scrubs" the list clean of all kids' addresses and gives the remaining list back.
But, as a database guy, let me tell you that doesn't help. The marketer still has a copy of his orginal list, and in a split second s/he can produce a list of the removed addresses.
Even if the adult entertainment industry's ethics were 100% clean (which isn't true of any industry), all it would take would be one bad-news technogeek in its midst to put a list of kids' addresses into the hands of pedophiles who are already networking to share techniques for breaking kids down.
My 3 teens live in Iowa with their mom. I would not want their email addresses or phone numbers put on any list of kids, no matter how good the intentions or how secure the process.
It's fine with me if other people want to do it. Perhaps they also have greater trust than I do that data gathered by the military and Homeland Security will never be misused or fall into the wrong hands.
(Pardon the long rant... I hadn't heard of this before, and the more I thought about it, the more scared I got! I've seen too much spam purporting to be selling images of underage kids as well as brutal, heinous, unimaginable acts... the concept of giving those folks access to kids' email addresses gets me all verklempt!)
wow steve you're right. i had not thought of that. someone would indeed have to make a 'list' of all the children's info for a 'NO CONTACT LIST'. if that list ever got in the wrong hands..........
you're not ranting.....you're being a pop!
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