The regulation of online adults’ content Etienne Wéry, [email protected]@ulys.net...
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Transcript of The regulation of online adults’ content Etienne Wéry, [email protected]@ulys.net...
The regulation of online adults’ content
Etienne Wéry, [email protected]
Partner, ULYS
Attorney-at-laaw (Brussels’ and Paris’ Bars)
Senior lecturer at University Paris I (Sorbonne)
Part I :
What is regulation ?
What is « regulation » ?
Bring order in the chaos
A great number of means
Legislation
•State
•Other public bodies
•Self-legislationSelf-regulation
•Unilateral
•Multilateral
Contracts
•Model-law CNUDCI
•CCI
Labels
Alternative dispute resolution
Technical mesures
•Access restriction
•Watermarking
•ERMS
Regulation ?
State of the art
•Netiquette
•Good usage
Regulation is not legislation Legislation is « a » form if regulation :
State legislation ; Other public/non-public bodies legislation
No exclusion between the two
Boundaries of State legislation as far as the Internet is concerned : International ; Immediate ; Worldwide ; Everchanging ; Multiplicity of
content’s nature ; Multiplicity of the scales ; Topology principle ;
Legislation is nevertheless necessary : Draw a framework and leave it to other regulation means ; Make it technologically neutral ; Respect the subsidiarity principle ;
Coregulation
Part II :
Content regulation : what for ?
Illegal content for both adults and minors (offensive to human dignity)
Illegal if online
Harmful content : legal but liable to harm (mainly the minors) by impairing their physical and/or mental development
Part III :
Illegal content :
The example of child pornography
The recent EU framework decision
Recital nr 5:
“ child pornography, a particularly serious form ofsexual exploitation of children, is increasing and spreading through the use of new technologies and the Internet ”.
Objective of the decision
To harmonize the legislative and regulatory provisions of the Member States concerning police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
To introduce at European level joint framework provisions to address certain issues such as the creation of offences, penalties, aggravating circumstances, jurisdiction and extradition.
Actual definition of a “minor”
14 (sauf exceptions)
Australia
Austria
BelgiumDenmark
Finland
FranceGermany
GreeceIceland
IrelandItaly
LuxembourgThe Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
16-17
14
16
15
16
15
14
15
14 - 16
17
13/14/16
16
16
---
13
15
16
16
14
18
17
18
18
18
18
17
18
18
18
18
18
18
16
Country Sexual MajorityFor the purpose of
paedo. porno
Towards an harmonization of the minor
In the framework decision, a “child shall mean any person below the age of 18 years”.
Incriminated acts
production of child pornography
distribution, dissemination or transmission of child pornography
supplying or making available child pornography
acquisition or possession of child pornography
Part IV :
Illegal content if online :
The example of casinos
Casinos in various countries (Belgium, France, UK, etc.) : licence limited to « bricks and mortar »
Legal issues : The no-prior authorisation principle for
information society services The non-discrimination principle The Gambelli case
Part V :
Harmful content :
The example of freedom of speech
The principle : freedom of speechThe fundamental democratic principles of
freedom of expression and respect for privacy, enshrined in Articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, must be observed, and any measure restricting these freedoms must be legitimate, necessary for the aim pursued, and strictly proportionate in the limitations it imposes.
"Harmful content" is : a material which is authorised but subject to
distribution restrictions (adults only, for example);
or material which some users might find offensive even if, on the grounds of freedom of speech, there are no restrictions on publication.
Examples : pornography ; tobacco ; alcool ; medicines and drugs ; racist messages ; some films and books (violent content); etc.
The exception : harmful content
The difficult balance : the french example
Criminal code , art. 227-24 :« Le fait soit de fabriquer, de transporter, de
diffuser par quelque moyen que ce soit et quel qu'en soit le support un message à caractère violent ou pornographique ou de nature à porter gravement atteinte à la dignité humaine, soit de faire commerce d'un tel message, est puni de trois ans d'emprisonnement et de 75000 euros d'amende, lorsque ce message est susceptible d'être vu ou perçu par un mineur ».
A partial answer : the internal market principle
“Each Member State shall ensure that the information society services provided by a service provider established on its territory comply with the national provisions applicable in the Member State in question which fall within the coordinated field”.
“Member States may not, for reasons falling within the coordinated field, restrict the freedom to provide information society services from another Member State”.
The risicos : virtual paradises
• January - June 2003 : 1276 reports received
Hosting of websites 01/01/2003- 30/06/2003
20,00%
47,00%
33,00%
Eastern Countries
United States
Rest of the World
Part VI :
A few examples of regulation online
Self-regulation initiated by the sex industry The legal means : sectorial
codification Why ? : eradicate child
pornography Examples : ASACP – Home ;
http://www.pedowatch.org/ ; ABAIXO ASSINADO
Self-regulation initiated by the internet industry France : AFA (Association des
fournisseurs d’Internet) www.pointdecontact.net
UK : ISPA Code of Practice Italy : Codice di
Autoregolamentazione per i servizi Internet www.aiip.it
Technical measures
Content verification systems
Age verification systems
Labels
Examples : The Internet Content Rating Association http://www.icra.org/ ; Safesurf Internet Rating Standard http://www.safesurf.com/ ; Access-Control www.access-control-software.com
Part VI :
Q & A
Thank you !