[arg_discuss] ARGs for children?

[D B Wall]

Enforcement of COPA was blocked by a permanent injunction earlier this year.
I'd seek legal counsel before launching something, but wouldn't shelve an idea over COPA concerns.

 
On Friday, June 29, 2007, at 12:25PM, "Brian Clark" <bclark at gmdstudios.com> wrote:

>>Speaking of curtains and magic circles, have any of you done an ARG

>>intended for an audience under 14 years old?

>

>Wendy,

>

>In the US at least, I don't advise it. The laws are very complex -- the

>"Child Online Protection Act" (frequently abbreviated COPA).

>

>Key COPA provision: if you utilize any technique online that provides an

>avenue by which children could end up making personally identifiable

>information available to others and they are 14 or under ... you need a

>signed permission sheet from their parents.

>

>In practice: child-focused development tends to avoid direct "community"

>models -- if you let kids chat or BBS with each other, they could end up

>saying something that is natural but violates COPA (like "I'm Susie Bradshaw

>and I live in Tuscan, AZ. Where do you live?")

>

>That presents a challenge to the typical collaborative models that ARGs rely

>on. You see people trying "magnetic word" chat (where you can only drag

>particular words into a chat bubble, never individual letters). You see

>people experimenting with "massively single player" or with models that

>require less collaboration. 

>

>Raises the question, "Would it still be an ARG if you couldn't really talk

>to the other players or know anything about their real lives?"

>

>

>Brian

>

>

>

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