The wireless industry should be applauded for implementing a content classification system well before data applications take off. (Clap. Clap. Atta boy! Way to go big guy!!)
Remember all the brouhaha two decades ago when a parents’ group led by Tipper Gore wanted ratings labels on music that would warn parents about explicit song lyrics? At the time there was much debate about individual rights vs. artist rights vs. the government interference. Twenty years and two kids later, that all seems silly. Artists still can use foul language or imagry in their music and people still have the right to purchase that music or not. It seems no one was harmed by the move, only educated.
While industry showed foresight in solving a potential issue before it becomes a real issue, it also displayed elegance in designing a solution. Why? Mainly because the simplicity is beautiful. If you’re over 18, you’re considered an adult. You can vote and be tried as an adult if accused of breaking the law. You also can decide on your own which content you want to access. If you’re under 18, you’ve been given none of those privileges by government; you are not considered an adult and others still must decide things for you-or be held accountable in a situation where the wrong decision was made.
Of course a warning label may not stop a savvy 12-year-old from accessing a particularly violent video game or foul-mouthed ringtone, but that’s not the point; the guidelines are there for parents, who ultimately are held responsible for what their children do and do not see, hear, taste, feel and the rest.
Further, wireless content will be classified using the same criteria for rating movies, TV, music and games, so no parent needs to re-learn that R means R for movies and Y-7 means youth older than 7 for TV.
The implementation of such guides and how carriers relay the information to their subscribers are really just the details, although that certainly will come with a price. But being able to avoid an angry mob of parents whose children are playing the wireless version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City? Priceless.
