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Derived from Internet Domain Names: Background and Policy Issues, CRS Report to Congress  July 14, 2006:
In the 107th Congress, legislation sought
to create a "kids-friendly top level domain name" that would contain only age-appropriate
content. The Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002 was signed into law
on December 4, 2002 (P.L. 107-317) and authorizes the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA) to require the .us registry operator (currently
NeuStar) to establish, operate, and maintain a second level domain within the .us TLD
that is restricted to material suitable for minors. In the 108th Congress, P.L. 108-21
(PROTECT Act), contains a provision (Sec. 108: Misleading Domain Names on the
Internet) which makes it a punishable crime to knowingly use a misleading domain name
with the intent to deceive a person into viewing obscenity on the Internet. Increased
penalties are provided for deceiving minors into viewing harmful material. In the 109th
Congress, H.R. 4472, passed by the House on March 8, 2006, would increase the
maximum sentence from four years to 20 years for deceiving minors into viewing harmful
material.
One of the developments in the .us ccTLD was the passage of the Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act designed to create a kid friendly domain .kids.us. The goal of this effort is to use this domain a bit like a zoning ordinance indicating that in this space only certain activities will be permitted. Early reports are that the Dot Kids zone resembles a bit of a deserted theme part – very few Internet sites have been established.
Authority: .kids.us falls under the authority of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce.[1] As Neustar is the designated administrator of the .us domain, responsibility for the administration of .kids.us has fallen upon Neustar.
Restriction : .kids.us shall provide "access only to material that is suitable for minors and not harmful to minors."[2] The standards for content and the enforcement mechanism are handled by the administrator of .us, currently Neustar, and not by NTIA. New content must be submitted to the administrator for review.
The administrator is required to file a report with Congress on an annual basis concerning compliance.[3]
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Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-317 (Dec. 2, 2002)
[1] 47 U.S.C. § 902(c)(3)(C).
[2] 47 U.S.C. § 157(a).
[3] 47 U.S.C. § 157(h). Background
The Department of Commerce and Neustar reached agreement (pdf format) on February 14, 2003 regarding the implementation and operation of the second level domain, .kids.us, in the .us domain pursuant to the "Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002," Public Law no. 107-317., NTIA 2/28/03
S.2537 Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002
A bill to facilitate the creation of a new, second-level Internet domain within the United States country code domain that will be a haven for material that promotes positive experiences for children and families using the Internet, provides a safe online environment for children, and helps to prevent children from being exposed to harmful material on the Internet, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Dorgan, Byron L | Text | Summary and Status |
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News
- Firms Ignore Kids-Only Net Domain, Wash Post 2/20/2004
- The Small, But Limitless World of .kids.us, CircleID 2/5/2004
- Kids.us Domain Open for Business, eweek 9/8/03
- Safety Patrol Readied for Dot- Kids, Wash Post 5/28/03
- Kid-Friendly Web Zone Will Be Online in September, Reuters 5/14/03
- Kid-Friendly Domain Questioned, Wash Post 12/13/02
- Bush Signs .kids law, USA Today 12/4/02
- President Signs 'Dot-Kids' Legislation, Wash Post 12/4/02
- Senate Approves Kid-Friendly Internet Zone CNET 11/15/02
- The Clash Over .kids, USA Today 9/13/02
- Senate Toys with .kids, IDG 9/13/02
- Rules Proposed for .kids, USA Today 9/10/02
- House OKs kid-friendly Internet bill, MSNBC 5/22/02
- NeuStar Voices Concerns Over 'Dot-Kids' Bill, Wash Tech 5/22/02
- .Kids Finally Finds A Home, Internet News 5/22
- No Porn Wanted At .Kids Oct 2, 2000 wired
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