HHR New Media, Entertainment and Technology Group

For years, the adult entertainment industry has been required to maintain records verifying the age of all performers.  However earlier this year, new regulations implementing § 2257 and § 2257(A) of the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act went into effect which impose similar record keeping requirements on many mainstream media companies.  However, the regulations contain a “safe harbor” to help minimize the effect of the regulations by enabling mainstream media companies to file a certification with the Attorney General’s Office.  The deadline for this important certification is June 16^th, 2009.  Continue Reading »

The proliferation of Internet use by children has undoubtedly challenged online service providers and technology providers alike.  Protecting children from the various risks posed by Internet use has been, and continues to be, a major concern, as safety issues including sexual solicitation, online harassment, bullying and exposure to illegal content become more and more prevalent.

On Wednesday, the Internet Safety Technical Task Force, led by The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, issued a report entitled “Enhancing Child Safety & Online Technologies.”  The report was compiled at the request of the Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking, comprised of 50 state Attorneys General.  The task force includes representatives from several well-known Internet social network and online service providers, including Google, AOL, Facebook and MTV Networks/Viacom.  The report, which was a year in the making, sought to determine the extent to which currently-available technology could help to address online safety risks to youths in the U.S., with a primary focus on social networking. 

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