FCC to Develop 'Super V Chip' To Screen All Content

An anonymous reader writes "The Senate Commerce Committee has stepped in and approved a legislation asking the Federal Communications Commission to 'oversee the development of a super V-chip that could screen content on everything from cell phones to the Internet.' Since the content viewed by children is no longer restricted to TV or radio Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., the sponsor of the Child Safe Viewing Act, feels that the new law is necessary. 'The bill requires the FCC to review, within one year of enactment, technology that can help parents manage the vast volume of video and other content on television or the Internet. Under the 1996 Telecommunications Act, TV makers are required to embed the V-chip within televisions to allow parents to block content according to a rating system.'"

Next Step:

[lightblade]

Why don't we save time by just installing chips in the children to keep them from even registering the content at all!

So does this mean...

[TheGrumpster]

...that Janet Jackson can now show her nipple on tv and it will be OK since nobody will be able to see it?

Re:So does this mean...

[Linker3000]

No, it means that those who see it will be instantly identified and required to report to a local center for neuralization, then the Government will...er, ah, what was I saying. I forget. Never mind - look, it's stopped raining.

Re:Censoring for Children is like...

[Anonymous Coward]

Censoring for Children is like carpeting the whole world because we refuse to wear shoes instead.

That analogy belies your point. I think V-chips are stupid, but a carpeted world sounds delightfully comfortable.

Re:Why not...

[GraZZ]

Don't forget the sub-prime mortgage!

I propose..

[rsmoody]

A federal mandate that parents actually provide parenting for their children. This opposed to the government providing it for them. Radical, huh?

Re:How many parents actually use the V-chip?

[sesshomaru]

Hmm... the V-Chip might actually have some utility if it allows smart kids to protect their moms from Law and Order...

Why not just stick a chip into our heads

[franknagy]

I am also waiting for the Intellecual Property lawyers to figure out tht people can remember movies and songs. This is a clear copyright violation and so we should all be required to have our memories erased.

Re:The same Mark Pryor...

[Anonymous Coward]

>cosponsoring the Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act

Sounds great, anyone out to protect children from BASIC and perl have my support!

Re:Censoring for Children is like...

[plague3106]

If you think so then YOU be in charge of vacuuming it.

Re:Why not...

[goldspider]

Indeed, giving parents the means to easily restrict their children's TV viewing is the worst kind of nanny-state government meddling that faces freedom-loving Americans today.

Seriously, this isn't any more of a government intrusion than the mandated nutrition information on the side of cereal boxes.

Come back and cry when the government makes the actual restrictions mandatory.

Re:Censoring for Children is like...

[Anonymous Coward]

I personally don't give a damn if there's another generation after me.
I bet you will when it comes time to retire.

Re:Why not...

[Irish_Samurai]

Years later I discovered that my parents' philosophy was that if a kid is clever enough to outsmart the protection mechanism, they're probably old enough to have access to the content.

That's hilarious. My parents had the same philosophy too, but they weren't too keen on the video games. My mother once tried to limit my play time by taking the power cord from the 8-bit Nintendo with her to work. Her theory was "You need to do more than play video games if you want to succeed in society." I was 9 at the time.

She came home one day to me playing Punch Out with no problems. "How did you get that to work? I have the power cord in my purse!"

"The answering machine runs on the same voltage." I replied.

She laughed and said I would be just fine. She quit trying to control that specific behavior and instead channeled it into positives. Thats when I learned to program.