“In too many parts of this country, Americans still lack a real choice of competitive broadband alternatives.” Daniel K. Inouye
Senator from Hawaii
Indecent and Pornographic Material is Hazardous to American Children
As children become increasingly connected to the Internet for education and entertainment, the risk of exposure to indecent material also increases. Concerns by parents and online child safety advocates are rising along with exposure to online hate material, unwanted pornography, online harassment, cyber-bullying, and online sexual solicitation.
According to studies conducted by researchers at the University of New Hampshire for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the number of children exposed to unwanted pornography online reached 33% in 2005, an increase from 25% in previous studies. An estimated 9% of youth online are targets of harassment, and 13% are targets of unwanted sexual solicitation each year. While some parents may try technology solutions to minimize such risks for their children, not all parents are created equal in their ability to manage such technology and many tech savvy kids can get around such measures.
M2Z’s free and robust family-friendly service will help safeguard America’s children against indecent material and pornography and provide parents with the peace of mind they seek in letting their children safely access the Internet.
Notable Quotes:
“The need for a variety of tools to keep children safe online has never been greater. A study from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention from 2005 reported that from 2004 to 2005 there was an 84% rise in the number of formal complaints that predators had enticed minors online or traveled to meet them in person. Most significantly, the University of New Hampshire reported in 2001 that 1 in 4 children are inadvertently exposed to online pornography every year.”
– Marsali S. Hancock, President, Internet Keep Safe Coalition, in a letter to the FCC dated February 29, 2007 in support of M2Z
“Many of my Senate colleagues and I are deeply concerned about the growing problem of pornography on the Internet. In addition, I also share the frustration of many of my constituents from Kansas, who are forced to live on the wrong side of the broadband divide – literally unconnected and unable to gain access to the educational and economic development tools available through broadband Internet access. Given these two priorities – a porn-free Internet and a universal broadband service – I am writing to express my support for a proposal that addresses these concerns in an innovative and entrepreneurial manner.”
– U.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas in a letter to the FCC dated March 23, 2007 in support of M2Z
“M2Z’s commitment to filter indecent material from the free broadband network represents a much needed and long overdue private sector remedy to protect minors from the dangers of accessing pornography and indecent material over the Internet. I know many Utahns would welcome the opportunity to provider their children with the educational and economic opportunity which broadband access can provide without having to become software engineers in order to protect their children.”
– U.S. Senator Orrin H. Hatch of Utah in a letter to the FCC dated February 16, 2007 in support of M2Z