Protecting internet users

[<brennan.lytle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To whom it may concern,
 
It has recently come to my attention that the ICANN is considering the
promotion of a .XXX  domain, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on
the mater.
 
I believe that the establishment of a .XXX domain would increase, not
decrease the spread of pornography on the Internet and thus cause even
more harm and make ICANN complicit in that harm.  That would be a tragic
development and thus I urge you to kill the .XXX proposal once and for
all.  There is no evidence that the public wants or needs this domain.
In fact, each time this idea has been proposed it has been
overwhelmingly opposed by the public and governments throughout the
world.  There is also absolutely no evidence that any good would come of
it.  Instead it appears that the company proposing it is merely seeking
enrichment at the expense of the public.  Pornography addiction is
skyrocketing among adult males and is even affecting many women and
children in the same way.  Countless marriages are breaking up because
of pornography use and sexual promiscuity is more widespread than ever
before because of pornography.  Pornography is destroying lives and
relationships and ICANN should not be using its authority to promote
more of it.  Here are some specific arguments against the .XXX proposal:

 

1.)   Neither ICANN nor the company urging the establishment of this new
domain are arguing that the .XXX domain would clean up the .COM domain
and require all pornographers to move to .XXX.  The .COM domain is a
cash cow for pornographers and they are not leaving it.  ICANN has no
enforcement powers to make them leave and thus clean up .COM.
Pornographers would simply expand to .XXX and maintain their current
.COM sites, perhaps doubling the number of porn sites and doubling their
menace to society.  

2.)   The .XXX domain will NOT make it easier to filter porn, even if
all pornographers would voluntarily move there (and that will NOT
happen).  The problem with filtering is not that it is difficult but
rather that too few parents care enough to employ filters for the home
or laptop computers used by their children.  Even if most parents did
use filters on home computers, kids have access to the Internet outside
the home.  And it isn't just the kids that need filtering.  Addiction to
pornography by adults is rampant so everyone needs filtering but, sadly,
few bother.  The new website Pornography Harms, http://pornharms.com
<http://pornharms.com/> , provides overwhelming evidence of harm from
pornography and thus the need for protection from it.

3.)   Since most families do not use effective filtering services, the
.XXX domain would merely make hardcore pornography even easier to find
for children seeking such material.  Thus the argument that .XXX would
benefit children by "cleaning up the Internet" is without any basis in
fact. 

4.)   U.S. citizens should not believe claims by some that the U.S.
Congress could merely pass a law requiring all porn companies to leave
the .Com for the .XXX.  Any law attempting to force pornographers to
relocate to .XXX would likely be declared unconstitutional because under
the First Amendment, all pornography is "presumptively protected" by the
U.S. Constitution until it has been determined to be "obscene" or "child
pornography."  Just as the Department of Justice cannot force porn
stores to move or go out of business because it believes that such
stores are operating illegally, the Department cannot force
pornographers on the .COM domain to move or go out of business without
first charging them with a crime and having a court make a determination
of illegality.  

5.)   Hardcore pornography (or "obscene material" as it is called in
U.S. law) on the Internet is ALREADY a violation of U.S law.  It is just
not being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice because those in
charge are letting the public down.  So for those who argue that by
establishing a new .XXX domain AND then passing by a new law requiring
porn companies to move (IF such a law was upheld after years of
litigation) we can solve our Internet porn problem, we must ask why
these two events will suddenly compel the Department to begin
prosecuting porn companies.  If the Department of Justice is not
prosecuting Internet porn companies now for violating U.S. obscenity
laws, it is not going to prosecute such companies for merely locating in
the wrong address.

6.)   If somehow all porn sites providing obscene material would
actually leave the .COM Domain for the .XXX Domain, they would STILL be
violating U.S. obscenity law which prohibits such material on the
Internet regardless of location. We don't want the Department of Justice
to say to illegal porn companies, in effect, that it is okay to violate
U.S. law as long as you do it on .XXX.  Men, women, and children are
becoming addicted to pornography and I believe the rates of addiction
are skyrocketing - this is a virtually untreated pandemic.  Many who
begin by viewing adult pornography deviate down to harder and harder
material as they continue a steady consumption of material and many of
these will deviate down to the point that they only become excited by
child pornography.  This is a significant factor in the growth of child
pornography on the Internet.  Countless marriages are breaking up
because of pornography use.  Violence against women, which is depicted
in most porn films, is changing male attitudes toward girls and women in
a very negative way.  A more appropriate goal should be to STOP the
distribution of this destructive material by prosecuting those
responsible for it, NOT protect pornography on the .XXX domain.  

 
Sincerely,

Brennan Lytle 
Project Controls
AkerSolutions 
403-212-3653 

 


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