Chatrooms may be banned in US schools to combat sexual predators

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1834600,00.html

Chatroom websites including MySpace, Facebook and Friendster could be banned in America's schools and libraries under legislation aimed at sexual predators that is working its way through Congress.

The deleting online predators act (DOPA), which was passed by an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives last week, had been expected to go before the Senate this week, but opponents appeared yesterday to have postponed the battle there until next month. The bill identifies "social networking websites" as hunting grounds for paedophiles, and requires federally funded schools and libraries to limit access to them.

"This legislation is the first of its kind to address the growing use of social networking sites by sexual predators," said Michael Fitzpatrick, a Republican congressman and the bill's sponsor. "My bill will help parents protect their kids when they are not home." The FBI estimates that one in five of the country's 24 million child internet users have received sexual approaches, and that as many as 50,000 sexual predators are prowling for children online.

The ban is not aimed at particular sites, but defines the kind of sites the Federal Communications Commission would be obliged to ban as: commercial entities that permit users to create online profiles with highly personal information and their own online journal, and which enable communication among users.

[SmokingJacket]

1. Don't think this is really Congress's turf.

Though I don't see why individual schools would allow access to chatrooms -- can't students find better ways to spend the six-hour school day?

[heliarc]

2. That's what I'm saying.

I'm a teacher and if students aren't paying attention to me, coursework, or pertinent software on the computers they're using than they shouldn't be on a computer. (I teach audio so there are a lot of computers).

[AllyCat]

3. What the heck are they doing in chatrooms at school anyway??

Aren't they supposed to be studying? While I see the point of the legislation, it's not going to work...they'll just do it some other place (like home) since so many parents are real busy watching the tube instead of their kids.

Jeez...

[951-Riverside]

4. Schools are for learning.

Not for fighting, sex, chatting, myspace, etc any school admin who tolerates such activity should be fired. These kids are free to engage in potentially destructive activity off campus.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

10. I agree...

... also, do computers in the classroom actually contribute to learning? Look at this last year's SAT scores? I find it hard to believe that reading comprehension via a CRT/LCD panel is anywheres near what it is from actually reading a book.

While I am no psychologist/psychiatrist/education phd, it occurs to me that different areas of the brain and different thought patterns are used, ie... versus traditional book and paper learning, when attempting to "teach" via a computer. I would think anything off a monitor would kick in the "its just a game or cartoon" thought processes due to previous habits at home on the computer or television.

[Trillo]

5. Suppose we can get a "Deleting Corporate Greed"

bill? Something that prevents CEOs from networking with each other to exploit every other person on the planet?

[Golden Raisin]

6. Are school kids today really allowed

to participate in chatrooms while in school? If they are it's outrageous.

[Ezlivin]

7. Fine. But they'll never ban text messaging

To see how serious these legislators are about this problem, just calculate how much money their lobbyists lose or make on this deal.

Personally I believe that all this brouhaha about "sexual predators" is just subterfuge for a means to exert control over the internet. The erosion of our civil liberties always begins on the fringe.

[Lucy - Claire]

20. A lot of schools in the UK have banned the use

of mobile phones in school. Teachers don't like kids texting each other in class and there is the issue of theft and bullying. Phones in schools must be switched off.

I have no problem banning chatrooms is school, there are serious predators out there. We have had cases of kids meeting up with someone that abused them here. Grown men pretenting to be another child or teen trying to get at teenage girls.

[illumn8d]

8. What a useless bill

109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5319

AN ACT

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.

HR 5319 EH

109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5319

AN ACT

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds that--
(1) sexual predators approach minors on the Internet using chat rooms and social networking websites, and, according to the United States Attorney General, one in five children has been approached sexually on the Internet;
(2) sexual predators can use these chat rooms and websites to locate, learn about, befriend, and eventually prey on children by engaging them in sexually explicit conversations, asking for photographs, and attempting to lure children into a face to face meeting; and
(3) with the explosive growth of trendy chat rooms and social networking websites, it is becoming more and more difficult to monitor and protect minors from those with devious intentions, particularly when children are away from parental supervision.
SEC. 3. CERTIFICATIONS TO INCLUDE PROTECTIONS AGAINST COMMERCIAL SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES AND CHAT ROOMS.

(a) Certification by Schools- Section 254(h)(5)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(5)(B)) is amended by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
`(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety for minors that includes monitoring the online activities of minors and the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that--
`(I) protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
`(aa) obscene;

`(bb) child pornography; or

`(cc) harmful to minors; and

`(II) protects against access to a commercial social networking website or chat room unless used for an educational purpose with adult supervision; and'.
(b) Certification by Libraries- Section 254(h)(6)(B) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(6)(B)) is amended by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
`(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety that includes the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that--
`(I) protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
`(aa) obscene;

`(bb) child pornography; or

`(cc) harmful to minors; and

`(II) protects against access by minors without parental authorization to a commercial social networking website or chat room, and informs parents that sexual predators can use these websites and chat rooms to prey on children; and'.
(c) Definitions- Section 254(h)(7) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
`(J) COMMERCIAL SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES; CHAT ROOMS- Within 120 days after the date of enactment of the Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006, the Commission shall by rule define the terms `social networking website' and `chat room' for purposes of this subsection. In determining the definition of a social networking website, the Commission shall take into consideration the extent to which a website--
`(i) is offered by a commercial entity;
`(ii) permits registered users to create an on-line profile that includes detailed personal information;
`(iii) permits registered users to create an on-line journal and share such a journal with other users;
`(iv) elicits highly-personalized information from users; and
`(v) enables communication among users.'.
(d) Disabling During Adult or Educational Use- Section 254(h)(5)(D) of such Act is amended--
(1) by inserting `OR EDUCATIONAL' after `DURING ADULT' in the heading; and
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the following: `or during use by an adult or by minors with adult supervision to enable access for educational purposes pursuant to subparagraph (B)(i)(II)' .
SEC. 4. FTC CONSUMER ALERT ON INTERNET DANGERS TO CHILDREN.

(a) Information Regarding Child Predators and the Internet- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall--
(1) issue a consumer alert regarding the potential dangers to children of Internet child predators, including the potential danger of commercial social networking websites and chat rooms through which personal information about child users of such websites may be accessed by child predators; and
(2) establish a website to serve as a resource for information for parents, teachers and school administrators, and others regarding the potential dangers posed by the use of the Internet by children, including information about commercial social networking websites and chat rooms through which personal information about child users of such websites may be accessed by child predators.
(b) Commercial Social Networking Websites- For purposes of the requirements under subsection (a), the terms `commercial social networking website' and `chat room' have the meanings given such terms pursuant to section 254(h)(7)(J) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(7)(J)), as amended by this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives July 26, 2006.

[Turbineguy]

9. They seem to be

moving away from re-arranging the deck chairs to re-arranging the ashtrays.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

22. I have nothing to contribute, except you just made me crack up.

:spray:

I think I may have to steal that line.

[w4rma]

11. This bill is a bad one. (nt)

[ChazII]

12. Myspace

and other similiar sites are blocked in my school district. Students should be using the computer for learning purposes.

[rainbow4321]

13. The kids know how to bypass any filter..

At least the kids in our school district. My 10th grader has mentioned in the past that there is a website all the kids know about that will allow them to still access myspace and other websites, despite the school district having an Internet filter. Think the kids use a "proxy" site or something like that to bypass the filters.

[Vidar]

14. Of course, & then the feds will penalize the school district which is not

at fault

[Pavulon]

17. Then the school is not

using the correct software/hardware combination.

Stateful packet inspection appliances and surf control have gotten smarter.

Most proxy sites are blocked by ip.

Only encrypted connection can be made but this is slow and can be blocked by vlan. IE teachers can make https connections, kids cant.

School kids have no reason to use government property to access chatrooms.

[Kailassa]

15. Couldn't they just stop republican men using computers? n/t

[darkism]

18. Best and most sensical reply yet! :p n/t

[HuffleClaw]

16. this has nothing to do with 'protecting CHILDREN'

it does, however, have everything to do with protecting the GOVERNMENT from the youth of america communicating with each other for political protest purposes.

[Lucy - Claire]

21. What soccar mad ten year old chats about

politics? Or boy mad 13 year old girl? In Britain access to MSN chatrooms have been banned because of serious cases involving Pedophiles. MySpace is another way that can be dangerous, not chatrooms are less in vogue. Those that do chat about politics most likely do so on there home PC's or at internet cafes. They are not banning internet use.

[progressivebydesign]

19. Schools should ban them. You're in school to LEARN.

Not tell your friends how much you LOVE them... and how "hella boring" school is. Do they really need to make schools ban these things? I can't believe some parents actually have never seen their teens myspace page... that's just frightening.

[SKKY]

23. Why on earth is this going through Congress?

Have we neutered our school administrators to this extent that they can't determine if this
is out of place or not, and requires congressional intervention.