New Content Labeling System Unveiled

Staff -- Library Journal, 1/29/2001

The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA), an independent, nonprofit organization, has launched a system in which web sites can rate themselves. This self-rating system could be adapted to different national, cultural, and individual needs. ICRA's rating system has evolved from the Recreational Software Advisory Council Internet rating system (RSACi), which was developed in the United States and included on four categories of concern: nudity, sex, language, and violence. ICRA is a global system, adding the categories of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and weapons. Sites that have educational, artistic, or medical content can be distinguished, according to ICRA. The board includes major Internet and communication companies such as AOL, IBM, and Microsoft. Labeling of sites, however, requires the cooperation of content providers; however, only a fraction of sites currently rate themselves. Microsoft's Internet Explorer Content Advisor and Netscape's NetWatch already allow users to read the ICRA labels. Later this year, ICRA will introduce a filter that allows parents to set their own controls.