|
Grand
Theft Auto Makers Settle
Charges with the FTC
Last summer, the National Institute on Media and the
Family uncovered a pornographic mini-program, dubbed
"Hot Coffee" hidden within the video game
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This sexually
explicit game sequence was not disclosed to the rating
board which gave the game an "M" rating,
instead of the "AO" (Adults Only) rating
it deserved.
The Federal Trade Commission
concurred with the Institute and charged Take Two
and Rockstar Games, Inc. with failing to inform consumers
about San Andreas' content. While the FTC has
publicly held the game's developers and marketers
accountable for the content of their games, the penalty
for future infractions is a mere $11,000 per violation
of the FTC's order.
"Being MediaWise
has never been more important," says Dr. David
Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media
and the Family. "Video game ratings are a guide,
but parents actively involved in their children's
media picks is the best way to ensure that kids are
using fun, age-appropriate video games. This "Hot
Coffee" episode shows that parents need to be
vigilant."
On Wednesday, June 14,
2006, Dr. Walsh will testify before the U.S. House
Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
The subcommittee is holding a hearing on "Violent
and Explicit Video Games: Informing Parents and Protecting
Children."
Dr. Walsh will urge
lawmakers to help educate parents with meaningful
solutions, including developing a universal rating
system for games, requiring online game producers
and distributors to have effective age verification
policies, and requesting the game industry and retailers
to accelerate their efforts to keep M-rated games
out of the hands of minors.
Visit our Web site at
www.mediafamily.org
to learn more about MediaWise, and see Kidscore, the
Institute's own video game rating system.
To learn more about
the FTC settlement with the makers of San Andreas
visit: www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/06/grandtheftauto.htm
|
