RTA Label Gains Acceptance
More industries outside of adult using label for adults-only content
By: SM Gelerman
Posted: 05/03/2007
The RTA label created by the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection quickly has gained momentum, becoming the chosen moniker indicating adults-only content on the Web.
"Many adult companies are not only adopting the tag, but also encouraging their affiliates and clients to use the RTA label by sending out information in their newsletters and placing banners on resource sites," said Rick Louis, manager of communications and government affairs for ASACP.
Each day, thousands of visitors go to the RTALabel.org to find out what the labeling protocol means. As the website states, RTA labeling was fashioned "to better enable parental filtering, and to demonstrate the online adult industry's commitment to helping parents prevent children from viewing age-inappropriate content. The RTA label is free to use, voluntary, and universally available to any website that wishes to clearly and effectively label itself as being inappropriate for viewing by minors."
The widening acceptance of the RTA Label has been demonstrated through its adoption by news services that cover that the adult industry, producers of adult entertainment and websites that display varying degrees of adult content. "The RTA label has been endorsed by many adult companies, attorneys, [the Free Speech Coalition], etc.," Louis said. "The RTA Label (metatag) is recognized as meaning 'not suitable for minors' by many filtering products and services."
An example of RTA labeling is available on the adult content-sharing website PornoTube. "The RTA tag and logo appear on every page of the highly popular site PornoTube," Louis explained. "That means PornoTube's big chunk of adult traffic is not only labeled to enable filtering, but is also helping to increase the RTA initiative's visibility with every page load."
Utilizing "Restricted to Adults" labeling also provides conventional media and politicians with proof the industry has taken direct responsibility to protect minors and provide fair warning to those adults uncomfortable with viewing pornographic materials. This precludes the need for government legislation to handle any perceived problem, Louis added.
