Implementation of the Child Safe Viewing Act (US)

This report was submitted to the US Congress pursuant to the Child Safe Viewing Act of 2007 as an assessment of the current state of the marketplace with respect to: the existence and availability of advanced blocking technologies; methods of encouraging the development, deployment and use of such technologies that do not affect the packaging or pricing of programming; and the existence, availability and use of parental empowerment tools and initiatives already in the market. The Act addresses the drastic changes in the media landscape that affect children.  Specifically, in the last two decades, electronic media has assumed an increasingly integral role in the lives of children. As a result of a number of technological innovations and the growing convergence of media, children today can access the same content sources from a variety of media platforms, many of which are portable. This increasingly complex media environment carries both risks and opportunities for the nation’s children.  Among other things, children are able to use the various platforms to discover new opportunities for education that will help prepare them to become full participants in our economy and democracy.  At the same time, however, they can be and often are exposed to harmful material that is inappropriate and unsuitable for minors. &nbsp