[Nettime-bold] US DOJ steps up child porn fight, plan regulates digital cameras

["George(s) Lessard" <media@web.net>]

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Date sent:      	Sun, 1 Apr 2001 18:07:24 -0400
From:           	Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
To:             	politech@politechbot.com
Subject:        	FC: DOJ steps up child porn fight, plan regulates digital cameras
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http://www.cluebot.com/article.pl?sid=01/04/01/2155249

DOJ STEPS UP CHILD PORNOGRAPHY FIGHT
Proposal makes digital cameras "childsafe"

April 1, 2001
By Staff Writer

   WASHINGTON -- Citing the explosive growth in child pornography and
   obscenity, the U.S. Department of Justice aims to rein in the
   fast-growing digital camera industry.

   A DOJ project code-named "Indecent Images" plans to implant
   technologies developed to automatically recognize hard-core Internet
   sex images into the next generation of cameras. An II-compliant camera
   will refuse to take illegal photographs or videos, and could even
   quietly tip off law enforcement to illicit behavior.

   On Friday, a DOJ spokeswoman confirmed the existence of the II
   project, and said that the remarkable number of child pornographers now
   using digital cameras on the Internet underground represents a new
   challenge to law enforcement that Congress should carefully consider.

   The spokeswoman declined to provide details, but one DOJ source said
   the Office of Legislative Affairs has drafted legislation and plans to
   send it to Capitol Hill next month. The Senate has previously voted to
   condemn the menace of children and sex.

   "One we'd prosecute child pornographers who take rolls of film to the
   corner fot-o-mat for developing," said the source, who spoke on
   condition of anonymity. "But now when everything's digital, we can no
   longer protect America's children. We need a new First Amendment for
   the digital age."

   Child pornography appears to be a popular Internet hobby. An Altavista
   search returns 25,999 pages found that "match your search criteria." A
   Google search turns up far more child pornography: 425,000 hits.

   A spokesman for President Bush said the White House supports the II
   plan, which is consistent with the 2000 Republican Party platform that
   urged strenuous activity involving "obscenity and child pornography."
   Bush said last year that: "It's important for us to explain to our
   nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's
   life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the
   Internet."

   Critics said the II draft bill raises free speech concerns.

   An ACLU spokeswoman said that the II proposal would unreasonably
   restrict legitimate art and photography, and that the technology to
   recognize images as child pornography or obscenity is far from perfect.
   The ACLU and the American Library Association filed suit earlier this
   month to overturn the Children's Internet Protection Act, which
   encourages libraries to use filtering software -- some of which uses
   II-type technology.

   The bill would likely be sponsored in the Senate by Dianne Feinstein
   (D-Calif.) and Judiciary chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and in the
   House by Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.). Hatch and Feinstein co-sponsored the
   1996 "morphed" child porn law that is currently the subject of a legal
   challenge, and an aide said Feinstein viewed this as a logical
   extension of using technology to thwart inappropriate views and
   behavior.

   The DOJ proposal requires the Federal Communications Commission --
   which already regulates "indecent" broadcasts -- to police the digital
   photo and video industry as well. Any manufacturer seeking a license to
   sell such products in the U.S. after April 1, 2002 would have to
   demonstrate that they were II-compatible to receive FCC approval under
   agency rule 602P.

   Nikon and Canon, which sell digital cameras, could not immediately be
   reached for comment. Kodak faxed a statement to reporters over the
   weekend that said: "We never have approved of the use of our products
   to record intercourse, missionary position or otherwise, with children,
   and we look forward to working with law enforcement to meet their
   concerns."

   The II technology plan, according to an outline provided by the DOJ
   source, has two phases: II.1, which scans images using advanced neural
   networks to recognize and delete illicit material.

   II.2, which would not be mandated until April 1, 2003, is far more
   high-tech. Some observers believe it will spur development of this kind
   of advanced artificial intelligence, giving U.S. tech firms a
   badly-needed boost given the recent stock market downturn.

   The II draft says that "any variant" of digital still or video camera
   must include a GPS device and a transmitter that is compatible with
   U.S. pager networks. When a child pornographer takes an illegal photo,
   the camera recognizes it and transmits an encrypted message containing
   the image, the date, and the location to the local police -- who would
   then raid the home and save the child from continued erotic
   exploitation.

   The Family Research Council, which estimates it has been involved in
   helping police make 83.5 percent of arrests related to child
   pornography, applauded the II approach. "It's about time Congress did
   something hard-core on this issue," said FRC spokesman and author
   Martin Rimm. "The Internet should be more than a place where children
   can have sex with dogs."

   The DOJ wants to encourage photo-video manufacturers to license
   technology from companies such as Exotrope, a firm in New York state
   that sells porn-recognition software. New York Governor George Pataki
   has applauded Exotrope's "state-of-the-art technology and PC Magazine
   gave it an "editor's choice" award.

   The FRC's Rimm, who conducted a highly-publicized Carnegie Mellon
   University study into how pornography is marketed on the information
   superhighway -- an updated version will soon be published in Georgetown
   University's law review -- says he hopes Congress will act swiftly.

   "My research shows 'paraphilic pornography' is on the rise," he said.
   "Our research team has undertaken the first comprehensive study of
   child pornography on the information superhighway, and let me tell you:
   Perversion has gone digital, and we need to penetrate this problem
   now."

   Compiled from staff and wire reports

###

[Note the date on the above report. Caveat lector, and all that. --Declan]



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