Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:26 am
With the recent surge in adult cellular content, the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) has begun defining a standardized rating system that will eventually be applied to all content offered on wireless networks.
"The adult side of things has really kick-started it," says Mark Desautels, CTIA VP of wireless Internet development. "As indecency becomes an increasing point of interest on the part of policymakers, we really need to be proactive about it."
CTIA has reached out to other agencies to help develop its system, including the Recording Industry Association of America for music, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for games, and the Motion Picture Association of America for movies.
Currently offering only non-offensive content, wireless carriers see a rating and filtering system as an opportunity to offer a wider spectrum of content. "It's as much about freeing up content that adult customers want to enjoy as it is about restricting children from accessing it," says Jim Ryan, VP of data product management for Cingular Wireless. "Until we can provide filtering and control for parents, we will offer only the broadcast version of content. When we can provide an 18-plus category, we'll look at the ability to offer other things. Our job is not to restrict or to regulate access to content. Our job is to provide choice and provide control."
When polyphonic ringtones without lyrics were the norm, content providers simply had to edit titles. However, now that master ringtone recordings feature explicit lyrics, alternative strategies and dubbing was needed for "clean" songs.
"We would prefer there was a method to make more content available, and if this framework allows us to do that, then we would be happy to work within it," Universal Music Mobile VP / general manager Rio Caraeff says. "Until then, we'll have to come up with some alternative distribution strategies for that content."
The first stage of the ratings system will be completed midyear, identifying content not appropriate for those under 18. However, the end goal is to rate content by category, applying move versions of existing rating systems, expected to be completed within the next year.
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| 1. Posted by MobiSecure |
Mon Apr 25, 2005 2:05 pm |
The concepts being discussed by the CTIA and industry have terrific merit, however we must make sure that individual rights are being protected to allow for 'open' access to those who wish to explore outside of the current 'G' rated content and services available on mobile phones today.
A simple way to support and enforce mobile Content Rating systems for mobile users is by providing mobile 'user authentication' tokens embedded in the mobile phone that individuals would have to sign-up for with age verification and access control through their carrier along with the content providers.
When launching an application or requesting a service that requires individual user verification before permitting access, the user would enter a Password or Access Code to authenticate themselves directly to the app/service on their mobile phone using a token - the carrier system would authenticate the user based on pre-determined access criteria and verify the user credentials on the token - once validated, the user then could access content that is permitted to the individual based on his/her credentials.
This type of mobile authentication service would enable mobile users establish their individual identity preferences and profiles within the carriers network and, additionally, enable users to understand the policies, privileges and legalities associated to the content they wish to access as well as provide the carriers, content providers and industry bodies with the protection they need to ensure that only user that have pre-registered and consent to the rules and regulations (whether legal or monetary) for the content and that the user will assume all risks associated with viewing and/or re-distribution. This would also allow mobile users and carriers to work together to set access restrictions for under age or non-authorized users.
These types of technologies and services are being used today for online commerce, enterprise remote-access and Internet-based services where the obligation for access and permission to content and service lies with the consumer through self-regulation and consent as a registered user - we should make sure we keep it as simple and easy for mobile users when we look at restricting services based on permission-based profiling.
Setting up guidelines will be the easy part of the project... establishing and enforcing codes of conduct will be more difficult to monitor and police without leveraging the support and permission of the mobile user in the equation.
This is just a perspective --- I would be most interested in hearing about other solutions that would support and enforce the guidelines being considered by the CTIA and industry for Content Rating control.
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