European Commission: Website offering documents and links to sites relating to the issue of illegal and harmful content

IRIS 1997-2:1/2

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

In IRIS 1996-10: 4 we reported on a Communication by the European Commission on illegal and harmful content on the Internet and on the European Commission's Green Paper on the protection of minors and human dignity in audio-visual and information services. In addition to these documents, in an attempt to prevent harmful content being distributed on the Internet, the Commission is promoting initiatives which are aimed at increasing the general awareness among parents, teachers, public sector and the information industry about how to deal with the issue in practical terms. Under the heading `Promoting best use, preventing misuse', the Commission has recently published, on one of its Web sites, a set of documents and established a set of relevant links to other internet locations, relating to:

- Legal and policy issues This section covers international and national initiatives to prevent illegal and harmful contents on the Internet. It contains infomration on Children's Rights, relevant European Commission initiatives, and relevant national initiatives in France, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, the USA, Canada and Australia.

- Industry codes of conduct

- Rating Systems

- Advice to parents and teachers

- Software filters

- Hotlines and instructions on how and where to complain about illegal nd harmful material in Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, Norway, the USA and, in addition, address information of some relavant global initiatives.

- Views and Talk Back: documents on how to deal with illegal and harmful contents plus an invitation to participate in an Internet discussion forum on the issue

- An overview of other relevant ressources