So I was right about the CP getting LL in trouble

Linden Labs just posted a blog entry titled "Accusations regarding child pornography in Second Life", which is a detailed explanation of the little case that got Germany all fired up and have been pushing some of the first negative SL stories of the past few months. (Actually a torrent of stories as follows ... )

BBC
The Age
Mail & Guardian Online
Buzzle
Earthtimes.org
Telegraph.co.uk
Washington Post
Deutsche Welle
Ars Technica
Blogging Stocks
Inquirer
and many more...

All this I gathered while reading google's aggregated news service. Linden Labs has been very prompt to propose an age-verification service earlier this month due to this very case. They were totally tight lipped about the specifics of why this age-verification thing came into existence and in their haste they decided to go with a totally untested (and possibly quite deadly in terms of privacy) way of verifying our age and identity:

"We are in the process of implementing an improved electronic age verification system that will verify Residents’ ages by using different forms of identification, such as national identification numbers, passports, and social security numbers. This will enable us and our Residents to block mature content from anyone who has not affirmatively verified they are an adult."

The above is from their latest blog entry, in which they first came to terms with the real reason why this system was to be implemented:

On Thursday May 3, we were contacted by German television network, ARD, which had captured images of two avatars, one that resembled an adult male and another that resembled a child, engaged in depicted sexual conduct. Our investigations revealed the users behind these avatars to be a 54-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman. Both were immediately banned from Second Life.

So according to LL's logic, using their extremely obtrusive method of verifying your age can stop the above scenario from happening. Yes, and how would such a system stop a 54 year old man and a 27 year old woman from play fucking daddy/daughter? Jesus, someone hand LL a a big cookie and a glass of milk. Does anyone at LL have any brain cells left?

As much as I hate non-PG age-players (as apparent from my blog), I have to firmly state that verifying your age as being over 18 is not gonna stop the above from happening. LL further stated:

During a subsequent interview with ARD’s Report Mainz documentary on Friday May 4, which aired Monday, the reporter presented photographs that he said were found in Second Life and that appeared to include sexual photographs involving a child.

ARD reports that it has handed the images to a state attorney in Halle, Germany. Linden Lab has proactively attempted to contact the authorities, as is our practice if ever an image of child pornography is reported in Second Life, but has not received a response or any other contact from the German authorities.

Dear LL, have you ever checked out the child skins that are being sold in SL? LL, you know very well what photosourcing is and that for the past two years there has been complaints from your residents that those skins are made from real children and have genitalia of real children, and used by these sick age-players to do whatever they do. You have been telling us the whole time that it's simulated porn and not child pornography, I'm glad you are finally becoming aware of the difference between virtual and real.

Just go to any skin store that's selling child skins and you can find your CP there.

Update: Click the picture below to watch a German language video on child pornography within Second Life, it's worth just for the look on Robin Linden's face when she sees what is happening within her beloved Second Life.

Link to video (German and disturbing)