President Bush yesterday signed the Dot Kids Implementation and
Efficiency Act of 2002, which aims to make the internet safer for
children by creating a sub-domain free of violence, porn and other
adult material.
The new law will create the .kids.us sub-domain, where only material suitable for children 12 years old and younger will be allowed. The new law requires web sites bearing .kids.us addresses to certify that they do not contain sexually explicit material, hate speech, violence or other material unsuitable for minors.
The .kids.us sites will not be allowed to provide links to external sites, and instant messaging and chat rooms not certified as safe will be banned.
Under the Act, the .kids.us web sites will also be subject to "constant content monitoring and swift takedown of inappropriate content."
The .kids.us sub-domain will be controlled by NeuStar, the company that has been managing the .us country code domain since autumn 2001. NeuStar will be granted an extra two years on its four-year contract with the US government if it upholds its obligations under the new law.
The Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act 2002 can be found at:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_cong_bills&docid=f:h3833eh.txt.pdf
